Depo Provera weight gain

enterdanger wrote: »

I did depo for a year in college. It didn't make me gain weight. However, I think it really works by making you act so crazy that no one would want to have sex with you cause I was a raging bi-atch when I was on it. I literally felt out of control. My roommate would go stay with his parents for two weeks each time I got the shot.

I do nuva ring now and I'm just normal crazy.

I had the same experience on depo. I was absolutely out of control angry 24/7 to the point I got depressed because I couldn't even manage my reactions/emotions and I felt completely at a loss for how to steer myself anymore.

I also ate a lot more. So I gained weight. Because I ate a lot more. I know this because when I stopped taking the shot, I kept eating the same way, and didn't lose until I got myself back in control with my habits.

I've been on my pill for years now and I'm very very happy. I've also gained and lost on said pill, but because of my eating habits. The end.

Elab78 wrote: »

I got the shot for the first time on Friday; it wasn't planned, I was after the implant and the doctor suggested this, and I thought 'what the hell'. After reading up on it I am extremely nervous about what may happen. I'm under 5 foot and even a few extra pounds is a lot of padding for me.

I can't find any where a scientific explanation as to why all these women gain so much weight; surely testimonial after testimonial of women insisting they made no changes to their life style can't all be wrong?

Really concerned I've made a blunder and am going to gain 3 stone over the next 3 months.

Can you not come off it OP?

Small amounts of weight gain will almost certainly be water retention - not a whole lot can be done about that. Large amounts of weight gain will be as a result of overeating. That you can control if you know to watch what you eat. If you're already tracking properly, you'll be able to see if you start eating more.

The problem with relying on testimonials is that almost none of those women are likely to have been tracking their intake by weighing their food. How likely do you think it is that they would notice an extra 1/10 (let's say) of everything they eat and drink? Especially since their most likely measure of 'how much they eat' is how hungry they feel. Yet that's plenty to have significant weight gain over months. ETA: especially when compounded by water weight gain

Self-reporting calorie intake is notoriously unreliable. As is self-reporting compliance with medical treatments.

I've been on Depo for almost 5 years. Have I gained while on it? Yes. Did I eat like crap the entire time? Also, yes.

In that 5 years, I gained somewhere in the range of 40 pounds (at 5'11"). I was already obese when I started it. After joining MFP, I just logged what I normally ate for a few days to get an idea of where I was at. I was easily taking in 2500 calories a day (one day I was up to 3400!!!).

So yeah, I gained weight on Depo, but I also ate terribly, so I feel like the Depo didn't have nearly as much to do with it as most people like to think.

55 days on MFP (49 days of actually trying to stay under my calories) and I'm down just over 35lbs (and I'm still on Depo).



Now the spotting... Don't get me started on the spotting.

My gyno told me that the shot DOES NOT cause weight gain, but can increase appetite, which causes weight gain. I chose not to get on the shot, but the pill instead for other reasons. My little sister, however, went with the shot and did, in fact, gain 20 pounds in six months. However, she was also eating whole family sized bags of chips, entire boxes of macaroni, and huge fast food meals 1-2 times a day. She became a basket case of emotions and ate to soothe them. The shot can't make you gain weight if you eating at, or below your maintenance calories. The shot can increase your hunger, but it can't "make" you gain weight unless you chose to eat more than you need.

arb037 wrote: »

thorsmom01 wrote: »

Its a myth. You do not gain weight just by using the depo shot. I've had it the entire time. The side effect is increased hunger , which can cause people to over eat. When someone eats at a surplus ,they gain weight.
Use the search function and you'll quickly see this topic gets brought up daily here.
Birth control does not cause weight gain alone. One must eat at a surplus to gain weight. If you've gained weight( besides water weight ) from depo, its because you've eaten at a surplus.
To lose weight , eat at a deficit. Cico.
Definitely use the search function and see all the depo shot threads

Sorry but it is not a myth. Everyone does not respond the same to chemicals, whereas it may have not effected you it does in fact effect many other.
Research from the University of Texas branch

http://contraception.about.com/od/depoprovera/f/depoweightgain.htm

Results revealed significant increase in appetite as a result of taking depo provera.

Fixed it for ya!

PrincessBelle2 wrote: »

My gyno told me that the shot DOES NOT cause weight gain, but can increase appetite, which causes weight gain. I chose not to get on the shot, but the pill instead for other reasons. My little sister, however, went with the shot and did, in fact, gain 20 pounds in six months. However, she was also eating whole family sized bags of chips, entire boxes of macaroni, and huge fast food meals 1-2 times a day. She became a basket case of emotions and ate to soothe them. The shot can't make you gain weight if you eating at, or below your maintenance calories. The shot can increase your hunger, but it can't "make" you gain weight unless you chose to eat more than you need.

I seriously don't want to get into an argument, but did you read my post at all, or read any of the actual medical information available? I do track, and I track everything. Exercise, calorie intake, macros. I am not overeating nor am I eating junk. I've still gained on the shot, and never before gained as a result of a new form of birth control (and I've been on various types of BC for twenty years).

Please have your gynecologist refer to the official Pfizer site, the 2009 study on Depo, etc. If your BF% is 30 or lower and you are beginning Depo, you stand a higher chance of gaining early (within 6 months) and continuing to gain during use. It's linked to body fat. The drug lives in fat cells, and is harder to get rid of at lower BF% since your body clings to a certain, healthy amount of those cells even during periods of attempted weight loss. Lower BF% at the beginning means it's more likely that the drug is living in the fat cells your body is retaining.

This would infer that it is the DRUG, not necessarily overeating, causing prolonged gains in that percentage of the user population. This isn't to say some people don't overeat. I'm sure they do.

"DMPA users whose weight increased by 5 percent within the first six months of use, called "early gainers," are at risk of continued, excessive weight gain...the early gainers averaged weight gain of 24 pounds over three years."

I won't be responding to any other parts of this conversation, but the original point stands: yes, some women might eat more or eat unhealthily as a result of the chemicals in the shot. I don't. I still gained and am fighting to lose it.