have any of you took the depo shot???? HELP!!

I was on it for 4 years before I was told I had to have a bone marrow test done before I could get another shot. Ended up switching methods - several times, & wound up pregnant (my body was just AWOL after the switch).
I got it about 8 months before starting college and gained maybe 10 pounds the first year. I contribute that more to college & driving everywhere as opposed to high school and walking.
The biggest thing that I did to help was highly monitored my salt intake (and still do) when on the shot.
Both of my sister's tried depo and each gained 20+ pounds. Guess it really depends on the body type/person over all.

WARNING: LOSS OF BONE MINERAL DENSITY
Women who use Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection may lose significant bone mineral density. Bone loss is greater with increasing duration of use and may not be completely reversible.

It is unknown if use of Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection during adolescence or early adulthood, a critical period of bone accretion, will reduce peak bone mass and increase the risk for osteoporotic fracture in later life.

Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection should not be used as a long-term birth control method (i.e., longer than 2 years) unless other birth control methods are considered inadequate. (See Warnings and Precautions (5.1)).

Thats why the DR should tell you take calcium supplements...... Mine sure did.

Back in 2008 I lost 35lbs and then went on the depo ( I had it 2 times) so a total of 6 months. I gained all my weight back plus some while I was still eating healthier and trying to maintain my weight. So therefore I stopped. Sucks to think I could possibly be not needing to lose weight anymore because of it.

Also, I didn't have my period for about a year after I stopped. Boy was that scary!

Depo was my first form of birth control. I was on it for about 3.5 years. In the first few months I gained about 15 lbs then gradually a few pounds every few months. My schedule was all kinds of crazy in during a good period of the 3.5 years, I worked the night shift at a hotel for just over a year in the middle of it.

The worst part of it was the MOOD SWINGS! During the 2-3 weeks before I was due for my next shot I was a Crazy B!tch of a mess. I'm surprised my boyfriend (now husband) put up with me through all that.


I've tried a couple different types of pills. For the past 4-5 years I've been using NuvaRing and I LOVE IT! had one minor scare when it popped out once but other than that its been great.

I 1000% suggest Neuvaring. No weight gain or side effects since it's low dose hormone. I've been on it for 10 years and it's the suggested solution for women in their 30s - 40s.

I had the WORST cramps of my life with Nuvaring. Everyone reacts differently to different birth controls. I gained almost 40 lbs over a year and a half on Depo. Was it the bc? Maybe. I think it had more to do with my habits (eating horribly, no exercise, etc.).

The studies our doctor review that it is predominately Northern American women who gain weight. In other countries they do not gain like we do here. Before a woman chooses Depo-Provera I discuss with her all of the side effects and assess her nutrition and exercise patterns then I warn her of possibility of wt gain if she does not have good habits. The clients I have found who do not gain have good habits with exercise and portion control.
SInce your wt gain was so immediate it does not sound like the depo.

i was on it for 2 years to help my PCOS. don't recommend it. all birth controls are designed to make your body think it's pregnant so you don't ovulate (and with depo, skip periods too) some women gain heaps while "pregnant" and some don't. your digestive system slows waaaay down when you're pregnant to get the most nutrients out of your food for the baby and makes you super hungry. a double whammy for weight gain. the same happens on depo. my advice would be find something that is going to be the least disruptive to your natural bodily functions because like a lot of people on here have said; the side effects take a long time to go away (if ever) my doctor was shocked at how long the family planning clinic had let me stay on depo because it can wreck your fertility in the long term

I have been on the depot shot for 10 years now and its never once made any difference to my weigh thankfully

I had that shot 9 years ago and I wish I would have researched it....I was in the ER with chest pains, they did an MRI to check for a blood clot in my lung, it was super scary....never again! I was the 2-5% of cases that had that side effect.

I have been on the depo shot for over 4 years. I didn't gain any weight. I don't know if it was because I was heavy to begin with or what. but then again i have known people who have gained from it. It depends on the person.

I've never been on Depo provera, but I was on Lupron Depo for 18 months (not the 6 that the FDA recommends). It's fairly similar to Depo provera as it stops your cycle. It also puts your body into chemical menopause. I read what seemed like a million horror stories online about it. Weight gain was a constant complaint. So while I was on it, I really kept my diet in check. Lots of veggies, complex carbs and lean protein. Lots of water. I managed to not gain anything the whole time I was on it, but it was hard. Other than the hot flashes and a little more acne, it was worth it. You may want to ask your OBGYN about taking a pill continuously. It doesn't have to be one "designed" for it. Apparently, it can be any of them as long as they are monophasil (one steady dose). I'm on a very low dose pill and I just skip the iron pills. Not such a huge dose of hormones, so my weight and my endometriosis both stay in check. Hope you find the answers you need.

I was on it for a few years and gained tons of weight. It also really screwed up my system. That's just my personal experience.

I was on it in 2010 when I decided to lose weight.. I monitored my calories and never gained! Lost all the weight I had intended to :-) I really didn't even feel the increased appetite.. BUT I didn't like all the other side effects, so I switched to Yasmin and love it.

I had it about ten years ago, I gained weight and I wouldn't stop bleeding. Had an IUD put in recently and have not had as bad side effects., I also had stents put in but to block a couple of arteries feeding a tumour in my kidney, haven't noticed any weight gain from that.

I've been on the depo-provera for a few years. I did gain about 50 pounds, but it was really my own fauly. My doctor warned me that I would have an increased appetite and I didn't listen and went about snacking on junk all the time.

Since cleaning up my diet and cutting back on snacking, and joining the gym I've been losing inches. I'm not sure about pounds as I threw out my scale so I would nt get demotivated.

I don't regret my decision as my TOM was bad enough to get me a doctors note out of school/work it was pretty bad. now i have no TOM and feel great. Also I have a horrible memory and don't think I could remember a pill every day (I miss days on my thyroid pills all the time my doctor is always yelling at me to take them when I brush my teeth or something but I still forget). I looked into implanon, but it says it doesn't work well with overweight people, and I refuse to have an IUD, or something like essure. I even was really squeamish about Implanon.

The Depo can cause bone loss, so I take extra calcium supplements, and watch my nutrients. I guess I'll stay on it till I can get sterilized legally. I think if you don't underestimate the increase in appetite (in the beginning I would chew gum and drink water @ the same time and my body thought I was eating and would leave me alone) there's nothing wrong with it. All birth control has some downside. I wouldn't say you're "Doomed".