Depo provera weight gain!

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gunnipm
gunnipm Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I'm mainly here because I've gained around 30 lbs after being on the depo provera birth control shot for 2 years. I have now been off the shot since June and have seen no change. Exercising, walking like crazy in the city, watching what I eat, nothing!! OBGYN said it should come off naturally within 6 months but that time is up at the end of the year.

Anyone have a similar experience?? I think it might just take time for the drug to get out of my system. I'm very impatient!

Replies

  • whitec13
    whitec13 Posts: 5 Member
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    I've been there and done that. I loved the deposit because of convenience and success rate but hated how much weight I had gained. It took me about a year to even start to lose weight but I had to spend at least 1:30 working out 4 times a week. Just continue to exercise and eat right but if you don't see any improvement by the beginning of the year I would see about getting your hormones checked. It could just take a minute for your body to get back to normal.
  • MsRuffBuffNStuff
    MsRuffBuffNStuff Posts: 363 Member
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    I lost 105 pounds while on the depo shot... so I'm not sure why it has the reputation for causing weight gain. I can't go off of it, because otherwise I get horribly anemic from blood loss.
  • MsMaeFlowers
    MsMaeFlowers Posts: 261 Member
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    I've lost all my weight while on the shot. I think the hormones have a propensity to help you gain weight, but it's still dependant on how much you eat and work out. I only gained 10lbs when I went on the shot. And if I look back at my diet at the time of the gain, I can see my food intake was terrible.

    I would probably be more inclined to go over your food diary more strictly. Make sure you're logging everything correctly, and not just guessing at the portion size and calories.
  • kalawhite98
    kalawhite98 Posts: 3 Member
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    The whole weight gain thing with birth control pills/other birth control such as depo is contraversial.. yes, depo is more likely to cause a lot of weight gain but everyone is different. With that said, I know very few people who did not gain weight while on the depo shot. Hang in there and keep trucking. It will come off.
  • gunnipm
    gunnipm Posts: 6 Member
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    Hi all, thanks for the responses! Yes, depo definitely affected my appetite which led to weight gain, but I was holding a lot of water weight on top of that, and now I'm having trouble losing any weight because of the hormones still being in my system even though my last shot was in March! Hoping it's just a matter of time
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    capaul42 wrote: »
    I started depo in February. Since then I've lost 40lbs. Birth control does not cause weight gain directly. The hormones can cause you to feel hungrier which can lead to over eating. Depo didn't even cause me any hunger issues. All it did was stop my period, which was awesome as mine were always horribly bad.

    I've always believed that as well - that you just can't gain weight if you maintain an accurate deficit. Is that the case with pregnancy too or do those hormones work differently?
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,953 Member
    edited October 2016
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    According to my doctor and to research I did online while looking at birth control options, Depo Provera can cause issues with your system for up to 5 years after stopping the shots. 1-2 years is typical but many report having hormonal issues for much longer. So definitely try to curb your appetite in other ways :)

    You're taking vitamin D supplements, right?
  • missarielbaby
    missarielbaby Posts: 41 Member
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    I had gained a bunch of weight on depo (about 30 to 40 pounds and had mood swings, no sex drive and constantly wanting to sleep) . After I decided to get not get the shot again, I went back to my old self and started back at the gym. It took me about 6 months to lose it all and then I got pregnant lol. I'm super sensitive to birth control, the only thing that's ever worked for me is the pill. I'm currently trying out yaz and only been on it for about 3 weeks. I just got the copper iud out of me because it was doing the same thing as depo. Even though the iud is hormone free, I was exhausted, experiencing dizziness throughout the day and losing my hair! I hate being a women and hate the fact my other half won't get a vasectomy. I'm thinking if yaz doesn't work, I'm just going to have to play hardball and say no more sex until he gets one.
  • Chilli7777
    Chilli7777 Posts: 112 Member
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    I have used DP and all it does is increase your appetite. So if you ate the food, you'll gain the weight. If you are being careful with what you're eating now and exercising it could just be that you're increasing muscle as you decrease fat. The only way to tell though will be with your clothes. If nothing has changed, then you ate probably eating more than you should but rhe exercise is evening out the excess. If you ate in a calorie defecit there is no reasob why you wouldn't be losing. Best to see a doctor to rule out anything else.
  • kdz0444
    kdz0444 Posts: 143 Member
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    I'm not on depo but I am on nexplanon and it cause my appetite to be out I control for the past 2 years. I gained about 50 lbs total in the 2 years I have been on it. I plan to get it out after the new year and not be on anything for a while. The hormones have messed up my cycle and led to the large appetite and thus weight gain.
  • gunnipm
    gunnipm Posts: 6 Member
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    Chilli7777 wrote: »
    I have used DP and all it does is increase your appetite. So if you ate the food, you'll gain the weight. If you are being careful with what you're eating now and exercising it could just be that you're increasing muscle as you decrease fat. The only way to tell though will be with your clothes. If nothing has changed, then you ate probably eating more than you should but rhe exercise is evening out the excess. If you ate in a calorie defecit there is no reasob why you wouldn't be losing. Best to see a doctor to rule out anything else.

    Not sure if you read my last comment but I said that it definitely did increase my appetite, but to respond to your assumption that I'm "eating more than I should" I am eating around 1200-1300 a day and am burning at least 400. So your assumption is obviously wrong and I don't appreciate it! Thanks.
  • asheffield13
    asheffield13 Posts: 7 Member
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    Depo absolutely does contribute to weight gain... And not from increasing appetite. I have literally been on several different birth control methods ranging from the pill to the implant to the IUD... None of those affected weight gain in my body. I have been on the depo shot since last June and have changed NOTHING in my diet and have actually increased working out from 2-3 days per week to 4-5 days--and have gained 10 pounds. I do not have an increased appetite. However, I am super tired all the time. I am a petite woman, so 10 pounds is significant for me. As soon as I realized that my weight gain was attributed to the depo (process of elimination), I immediately stopped with the injections. It's only been a couple weeks, but I'm going to keep an eye on my weight in the next couple months. Gunnipm... You'll have to let me know if you've have success of weight loss!

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