Birth Control - Lorain,OH

My experience with Depo was awful. I got the shot at my 6 week visit after my second was born and promptly bled for the next 13 weeks straight. Blah!
lol
~RachaelB

Have you considered an IUD? (intrauterine device)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrauterine_device

I was on the depo vera shot and I gained a ton of weight. I would not recommend it. Right now I am using the nuva ring and you just insert it once a month and I love it because I don't have to remember to take the pill everyday and I have had no problems with it at all. It has even made my periods very light and I have no cramps at all.

I also was on depo and loved that I only had to think about it every few months but hated the weight gain! My sex drive also suffered tremendously! I'm currently not on anything and luckily my sex drive is back to normal.

I was taking the Nuva ring and I have nothing but great things to say about it. I truly loved the freedom of not worrying about taking my pill. I was having break-through bleeding with the mini pill so I switched to the ring. It's perfect for short periods of time and so far, has worked. Of course, some people don't like to have this inside of them but I never felt anything nor did my hubby. Basically it stays in for three weeks (you insert it) and pull it out so you can have your period. Then after a week break, put a NEW one back in. My periods were light and I had no cramping. :-)

I am no longer on it as we are trying to get preggers but my doctor said it doesn't take long to get back to your normal schedule. So really, no long waiting period for us to start trying...yet again! :-)

Good luck to yoU!

I had to take Depo-Provera for medical reasons and loved that it stopped my period, however, it DID make me gain weight and really messed with my hormones! I was like a hatefule mad-woman the whole time I was on it (2 years). Basically it puts into a menopausal state and has all of the symptoms to go along with it. I didn't realize that until I went off of it and all of these hormones came flooding back at once, I thought I was insane!
I'm sure it is different for everyone, I would just make sure to consider all options first! Good luck!

I have been on Depo for almost 6 years. I like it a lot. Weight gain was not an issue for me. When I bruoght this up with my OB/GYN he said medicne does not make people fat food does.

i have been on the depo for 3 years almost 4 i havent gained weight or lost weight but there are people that gain alot of of weight u probly will have to test it out to see what works best for u

I have used Depo in the past and it made me spot for three months straight. If your insurance covers it, you might want to consider an IUD. There are two different kinds, Minera which releases a steady stream of Progesterone, or the Paragaurd which has no hormones. I have the Paragaurd. It lasts for up to ten years. When you have it inserted, you have a few cramps and than that's it! I am on blood thinners and can't get prego when I'm on them (it would cause major birth defects), so this is the easiest and safest form of BC for me. I think it is something like 99.4% effective.

I was on the depo shot 3 different times, over 8 years, and I absolutely LOVED it. I only gained like 3-5 pounds each time, (and I probably ate an extra hamburger that day). No hormonal mood swings, no periods, no remembering a pill each day, nothing! I loved it. Good luck with your decision.

Well I got the depo shot twice and went from a size 7 to a 15. So I am against it. My friend had the same thing happen to her.

I think you have to try and see how it reacts to you specifically. I was on Depo twice, after each of my pregnancies while I was breast feeding. After my son (#1) I did not notice any changes in my feelings, weight, etc. I went off it after 9 months, when I weaned my son and back on the pill so I had the freedom of trying for #2 any time I wanted. After my daughter (#2) I was on it and after 5 months my Dr. made me wine her and get off the shot. I was making my hormones go crazy – total exhaustion, night sweats, mood swings, and weight gain (15lbs. to be exact in 6 weeks). Once I was out of my system all the symptoms went away and the weight came off easy.

I never went past the pill or patch. Hubby is in the medical field and says there are way to many complications with the shots. We never used the IUD either because it just goes against some of our own personal beliefs. I don't know..there is so much out there. Theres the patch..thats once a week but 1....I got pregnant with my third child while on the patch. 2....there seems to be a lot of complications coming up with people who were on the first few cycles of that. There is also that Nuvaring that is something you can change out once a month. Also I haven't heard much about it lately but this time last yr I saw something about a once a month pill. I would talk to your doctor. There has got to be a better option. But whatever you decide..Good luck to you. I was on the pill when I got pregnant the first two times and on the patch when I got pregnant the last time. My kids were all planeed just not when we had them. I have been off birth control ever since and we just keep track of dates and when we can go without condoms and when we have to use them and I haven't gotten pregnant. To each their own I guess.

I gained 15 pounds in six months on the Depo Shot and had bad hormone swings. I have a friend who says that Seasonale is great, and you only have four periods a year.

C.

I'm on the depo inj & love it. I am not having any problems with it either. But, I agree that you may need to try it before you make the final decision. Somethings are not for everyone or work the same for every body.

I used the Depo-Provera shot when I was in my early 20's (about 10 years ago). I spotted for about a month to month and a half then had no more periods. I did gain A LOT of weight. The doctors told me that the most weight gain they had documented was 7 lbs. I gained 20 lbs with no changes in my diet or exercise, which leads me to believe it was the shot. I also had fluid leaking out of my breasts while on the shot.

I am sure it's like any birth control--you have to try it and see how it reacts with your body. However, I had two of the shots and finally told my doctor I couldn't do it any more...I had such a change in personality--anxiety, anger, aggression (all of which my doctor said he's heard other patients complain about, too). As soon as I went off, it cleared right up! I had another friend who said she gained weight she's never been able to lose and started with migraines after using the shot. Like I said, I'm sure it's different for everyone, but I sure would NEVER use it again! Good luck!

I was on the depo shot for a few years before I got pregnant in 2002. I really liked it at first. I stopped the injections to conceive, which took about a year. Once I had my son, I started on the shot again...because I had liked it so well, but I did notice that I was gaining a few unwanted pounds! I was also getting more headaches. I ultimately quit the depo and have begun loosing the weight. There were also other issues with the shot---first being the pain in the but that I had with insurance! Since you get the shot monthly, I was in the office, but it wasn't technically an appointment, just a simple injection, but they kept billing it weird to insurance and there was a real dilema as to what I was responsible for (not to mention I started having to get the depo prescription filled at a pharmacy!). Another big down side was it has been known to lower bone density. My ob office started screening patients on depo to keep an eye on this. I had a scan done and found that my bone density was low. They wanted me to take a pill, but I didn't want to be 26 and taking pills for bone density!! I too have been interested in other non-daily forms of birth control, so if you know of any good ones, let me know!

Hope this helped you!
K. S.

The shots were successful for me, I used the every three month ones. My skin broke out (adult acne) and I gained some weight. I didn't like either of these so i tried to find something else.

I use an IUD now. It is inserted by your ob/gyn and can stay in for up to five years. You can start trying to get pregnant within a short time of having it removed. I have had no side effects aside from slight cramping with the first period after. Now That does not happen and I have had it for a year.

I haven't been on Depo very long, but I really like it! It has been a little over a month now, I haven't gained any weight or had a period! So far, so good. My friend has been on it for a few years now and she never gained weight either. So as for Depo I would highly recommend it!

dear T.,
i used the shot years ago and unfortunately could not stay on it because i bled the whole entire time. my doc said to stay on it for a couple of months to see if i stop, but after 3 months i think it was, he told me to quit and go to oral contraceptives. you can try it and see if it works for you. i dont recall any weight gain. but back then i was so thin, i wouldn't have noticed a couple pounds anyway LOL. good luck and God bless you! -H.

I was on depo for about a year and I gained about 30 lbs and I was really mean. Now I'm on the nuva ring and I love it! It's so easy and I never have to think about it. My doctor gave me months of samples to try it out and it was great.

Hi T.,
I personally have not used the shot method as a birth control, however, I have many friends who have and they regret it greatly. All of my friends who have used it have had the following complaints: major major bloating (swollen stomachs) and cramps which I thought was odd. The worse is when they went off it each one bled for literally months it was like having their periods but for for months. I would stongly encourage another method of birth control perhaps a patch or nova ring (which I have not heard too much about). Good luck!

i have found the depo shot has really bad mood swing sid effects but the orto evra patch is really affective and everything is regulated even ur periods u change it once a wwewk three weeks on and one off and thats when u get ur period and it has no weight gain look into it its definatly for moms on the go

I was on the depo, and gained over 30 pounds, lost a ton of hair and was extremely moody. I am using the ring now, and love it. hope this helps!