Is the depo-provera shot a safe method of contraception?
372613
yes it is safe  for the followig reasons\na)  you dont have to rely on taking a pill or anything , its automatic\nb)You get the most insane mood swings that the sight of your partner wants to make you scream at him hence no sex\nc) you have no libido so eve if you are having a good day (hahaha) you dont want to have sex\nd) when you are not angry and fighting you are depressed and want to cry\n\nbut remember once you take it there is no going back - you are stuck with it for 3 months... \n\n other side effects were - really really bad skin ( stil not back to normal and ist been 4 months)\n didnt get my period, only came back a week ago YAY\nhair got all dry and gross\njust the mood swings - MY GOD! it was horrible\n\n but i had a flat mate who loved it she had been on it for 2 years!!!!!  - it affects everybody differntly
807052
This stupid shot should be outlawed.\n\nDo a search online for Depo Horror Stories. There are dozens of websites that exist for the sole purpose of women telling about what happened to them as a result of taking it.\n\nI agree - get off the shot immediately!!!
764842
I did the depo for 5 years and that never happened to me. But then again, I also became pregnant while on the depo shot too. I began it in 98' after my 1st child and found out I was pregnant in 03'. But nope, never heard of that happing before.
945858
Don't do it.  There are a lot of women even on here that you can verify are having a lot of problems with it.  You may be creating an irreverseible problem.\n\nDepo Provera is akin to forcing your body into an early menopause state.\n\nI've been off the Depo Provera since 2000 and my hair and my eyebrows still haven't grown all the way back. I lost about a 1/4 inch along most of my front hair line. The rest of my hair came back and is thick and strong, but the hairline is not the same compared to what it was. In addition to the severe hair loss, I gained over 40 pounds, 20 while taking Depo and 20 after coming off. I never had a migraine before Depo and during use and for the first year after being off it, I had severe migraines at least once a week. My skin itched like I wanted to rip it off and I was hot all the time. I would get extreme vertigo with no warning. Just try staggering at work or while in the pharmacy and not look like you had a drinking problem! My bones also ached a lot. Depo has been proven to cause osteoporosis. Over a year after coming off the Depo Provera, I developed two serious blood clots one after the other. The cause was never completely determined because I had not been on birth control of any kind for over a year and my blood tests were normal. I finally had a rib removed and the clots stopped, but I will contend to this day the Depo had at least a little something to do with it. About the same time as the blood clots, I started having severe cramping and a year into it, my doctor found pretty severe endometriosis. With the resulting depression and the lack of sex from Depo you may not have to worry about getting pregnant because you won't want to have sex anyway. I know some people do just fine with this birth control, but it's not worth the chance. It takes upwards of 6 to 8 months for the effects to wear off and sometimes longer. My hair has never grown completely back along the hairline and I am having a hair transplant at a tune of $5,000.00 to fix it.  I had to have my eyebrows tattooed because they will not fill back in!   I am only 35! I can't wait until Depo is researched more deeply and to someday find out what else this drug did to screw up my system. \n\nI got the (copper) IUD (since I can't use hormones anymore due to future clotting risks). My insurance paid for it. You still get your period, but it's worth it.\n\nOur bodies are made to have periods unless we are pregnant. If you force your body into an unnatural state, it WILL fight back!
481718
Well I was on depo for going on 8 years b4 the Dr. Said anything to me about bone loss.  That was in 2005. I was still taking the shot with a calcium supplement.  I just recently decided to stop my injections.  I just think 9 years is just to long for a drug that could damage my body in the long run.  I am now looking for a new birth control and being very careful...NOT HAVING SEX...Until then\n\nIf you are on the shot be sure to take Calcium Supplement.  More so after the age 25!!!!  Be sure to check with your Dr.
200100
You're lucky, I turned into a raging bleeding psychopath the whole time I was on Depo, and heard from aquaintances later that most of them had bad results. I used to take the pill, and it was wonderous -crampwise, moodwise, and anti-pregnancy wise until I started getting bad reactions to it. Have you tried the pill? I am considering trying the patch next, but suspect due to the whole hormonal thing that it won't work out. I'm starting to become suspect of any product that prevents pregnancy by interfereing with your body's chemical systems, and am leaning towards physical interference - like surgery. But that's not really an option if you do eventually want to have kids. Talk to your doctor before going off the shot because if it IS working for you, it's too bad you have to change... sometimes you hear stuff like the 2 year rule and it just isn't true.
299824
For any of you on the shot you need to worry about bone loss!  That also goes for other progesterone only birth control such as depoprovera.  TAKE YOUR VITAMIN D and DRINK MILK OR TAKE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS!!  Also, it would be wise to look at other birth control methods besides the shot after 2 years...i get this straight from my pharmacist sister in law.\n\nWhat you describe is called DUB...or Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding.  It is the nuber one complained of symptom of chemical contraceptives in general.  You do need to contact your physician about it to rule out other modalitiels and seqella but for now, you're just fine :)
518262
Jennifer is soooo right. I took the pill and I used to always forget to take it so I thought switching to the Depo-Provera shot would be easier. I strongly believe all birth control methods effect your body for the worst so it may be possible that it did make you angry but please don't ever get the shot if you are considering it look at the link Jennifer left I went through everything this site talks about and I'm only 18 and still recovering.
471485
I took depo for two years with nothing but problems. When I first got on it not only did my sex drive disappear but I started to have my period. I was told not to worry while my hormones balanced themselves. Well I continued to bleed for THREE MONTHS!! I started to worry I would become anemic. They said no worry, I should stabilize with the next shot. Well I never did. I bled randomly for two years straight!! I finally quit because no matter how many times they said not to worry, I still worried. It took a whole year before I had my period again and now I am at two years since my last shot and my period still isn't regular! My experience has taught me that any hormone therapy is unpredictable. I use a condom every time. If he wants more sensation he can marry me. I am not threatening my ability to have kids in the future ever again. I STRONGLY discourage you to use this shot. My experience has been horrible and ongoing.
1081169
Yes, Depo-Provera can prevent a baby from implanting in the womb if pregnancy does occur.  This is true for all hormonal methods of birth control, which can work in three ways:\n\n1.  They can prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries);\n\n2.  They can thicken the cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to reach the egg;\n\n3.  They can irritate the lining of the womb, so that if the woman does become pregnant, the 7- to 10-day-old unborn child will be unable to attach to the womb and will die.  \n\nFor more information, see:\n\nhttp://www.lifeandlibertyministries.com/archives/000028.php\nhttp://www.pregnantpause.org/abort/untold.htm\nhttp://epm.org/articles/bcp3300.html
926643
The only time this happened to me was when I was on the Depo-Provera shot.  And it lasted for 8 months (which is not uncommon on the Depo shot).  You were smart in talking to your doctor about this.  Just hang in there for a couple of weeks and then you will know what is going on.
403382
depo provera, what i would NOT recommend it. I had all sorts of problems like weight gain, mood swings and it was not good. They offer a pill that slows it considerably. But that is about it.
906078
Yes, The Dr. will always advise you to practice safe sex. The pill will only protect you from getting pregnant. Using the pill does NOT protect against any STD (Aids, chlamydia,syphlis,Herpes.. and many others) You need a condom to keep from catching one of those.
400093
Actually its about 95% realiable provided u dont miss a pill (which means for more than 12hrs). Abstinence is of course the most reliable...not the most fun but yes most reliable :P. Intra uterine devices are good too but comes with side effects like increase vaginal thrush and increase chance of pelvic inflammatory disease. Condom with additional spermicide is a pretty good choice too. U may also wanna check out Evra patches...u patch it on and u only need to replace it once a week.
14628
I was on depo before and there is a good reason why I am not anymore.\nI got alot of side effects: weight gain, facial blemishes, always feeling tired.\nThe only pro to it all is that you didn't get your period- frankly I'd rather get my period than have all that continue to happen.\nAlthough depo is one of the most effective birth controls out there for some people it's not for them.\nIf you have any doubts- go see a doctor.
711715
Ask your pharmacist or doctor, but my guess is yes. Blood clots are typically a result of estrogen. Plan B does not contain estrogen. It contains synthetic progesterone (another ingrediant in combined hormonal contraceptives). Synthetic progesterone is typically safe for women with clotting disorders/history of birth control induced clots. This is why you should be able to safely take 'mini-pills' or (aside from the awful side effects) use Depo-Provera without the risk of clots. \n\nDon't trust me though! Always ask a medical professional like your pharmacist, doctor or call a 24 hour nurse hotline before taking any medication you are unsure about.
168587
The depo shot is indeed a form of birth control and yes ANY birth control helps to shrink cysts, BUT the depo shot has caused many women i know to have diffucilty getting pregnant. In any case do not pay to have your doc give you this shot! You can go to your local health department and get the pill or the shot for FREE!