For the ladies... (warning guys TMI! birth control discussion)

[Kristy C]

This is a question for any of you ladies who have taken and or are currently on the Depo-Provera shot.

I only recieved the shot ONCE and as a result gained 15 pounds. I had heard stories about sever weight gain and expressed my concerns with my doctor about it but she still talked me into it anyway. She said as long as I remained active and didn't change my healthy eating habits that I would be fine. I went for an appt last week and told them I'd be damned if they give me another evil shot, so they suggested Mirena (and IUD) and she swears that it does not cause weight gain like Depo.

Well I seem to have managed to pack on 15 pounds these past 3 months and it all just came so fast.....I was 127 before the shot and I just weighed in at 142 last night.

I am FURIOUS about this situation most of all because before the shot, I was in probably the best shape I have been in since high school.....no joke. I haven't been under 130 pounds since I was 19. I feel like all the hard work I did to get to that point is now ruined and it's going to take me forever to get back to where I was.....I dunno, I'm just feeling really discouraged.

So my question is has anyone else had a similar experience with Depo or any other type of BC for that reason.....what did you do?

[Cloe Cupcake {★}]

I've had the same experience as Aubry London, the hormones in things make me into a crazy person, I did contemplate depo at one point but decided to try a low dose pill instead, still made me emotionally unstable :S I was on it for a year and had some serious emotional issues as a result... all I can tell you is if you do decide to switch back to a pill..... I don't recommend Alesse, as that was the brand I tried, I tried another as well but I don't remember what the name, may have been ortho-trycyclin, and I had the same problems. I do know about gaining weight... never fun, hang in there sweets I'm sure you can get back into the shape you'd like to be.

[Kristy C]

Oh crap, so I've been researching the IUD and oh crap....the stories. Now I'm scared. I also looked up YAZ and found some horrid content.....apparently YAZ has all kinds of law suits against it for pulmonary embolisms, gall stones, kidney problems...and all really young people too.

This scares the crap out of me: http://www.yazsideeffectslawsuit.com/

I have no idea what to do. The hubby and I have considered a vasectomy for him but we don't have the money right now. I also heard that you can still get pregnant. UGH WHY does it have to be so hard to NOT have kids?!?!?!

[Brenda Lee]

I have been on depo, gained weight and ended up in hospital. I now have a Mirena IUD have had 2 and love it! I highly recommend it. good luck hun

Brenda Lee

[Tessa LeTaunt {★}]

I think it's safe to say that ALL forms of birth control have plenty of horror stories out there from people that have used them, but that's not to say that what happened to them will 100% happen to you as well. You really just have to trust your gut instinct and doctor's advice.
If you really don't want to be put on birth control, and the hubster can't get snipped just yet, you could always try using a spermicidal product? Encare inserts aren't too messy, and they get the job done. Using that method, you may also have to be sure that your hubby withdrawls when he "does his business" *just in case*.

Kristy C said:

Oh crap, so I've been researching the IUD and oh crap....the stories. Now I'm scared. I also looked up YAZ and found some horrid content.....apparently YAZ has all kinds of law suits against it for pulmonary embolisms, gall stones, kidney problems...and all really young people too.

This scares the crap out of me: http://www.yazsideeffectslawsuit.com/

I have no idea what to do. The hubby and I have considered a vasectomy for him but we don't have the money right now. I also heard that you can still get pregnant. UGH WHY does it have to be so hard to NOT have kids?!?!?!

[Rikki Belle]

the best birth control for me was my hubby's vasectomy... and now I am in the early stages of menopause...double !!!

[Kristy C]

Well I backed out of my appt. for the IUD. I was just too nervous about it. I think I'm leaning more toward the pill, I've been on it before, and the last type didn't work so well for me, so I'm gonna continue to explore options.....maybe YAZ? I don't know, I have read some really horrible things about it from stroke to blood clots....scary. Then again I have read some success stories as well, it's about 50/50. I guess everyone's bodies are different and you don't know till you try!

[Frenchie Stiles]

I've never been on the Depo shot or tried these nuva-rings or the iud. However I was on the BC pill for the better part of 12 years, with some short breaks during that time. I'm NEVER taking BC pills again. This last one really screwed up my system. What these BC methods do is add synthetic hormones to your system in order to control your natural cycle. By the way, the periods you get while on hormonal birth control are not "real" periods. They are triggered by the meds and not your body because no ovulation is taking places for your body to know when to have a period.

What the hormones can do, and which leads to moodiness, weight gain, lethargy, and depression, is cause you to go into hypothyroidism. When this happens you get very tired, foggy, hungry, depressed, extremely emotional, loss of hair etc... The thyroid is tricked. Each person reacts differently of course and certain types of synthetic hormones in these pills can actually increase your risk of certain cancers including breast cancer. Some people may not react at all, and others may have a horrible time.Research every single hormone in that BC and what their effects on the body are, or what their natural role is outside of the BC role.

Also, if you plan on conceiving and have been on hormonal BC for a while, don't expect to get pregnant the first few months. The longer you've been on BC, the longer it can take for you to start ovulating again (BC pill suppresses ovulation). Sometimes a pregnancy in those few months after stopping BC, can end in a miscarriage. I've done my research on this because I didn't want to stop the pill and was looking for alternatives, but it was wreaking so much havoc on my system and my personal life, I had to stop. Reading so many personal accounts of women who were still waiting for a period 6 months after not taking the Depo shot scared the bejeezus out of me. If it can do that, what else is it doing to you?

So feeling like I had no other options than condoms, I kept looking for the natural methods. (I'm in a committed relationship of almost 2 years, not using condoms is a personal choice and my body does not like latex or polyurethane). I found a fertility monitor that is designed to do the opposite of helping you conceive. It takes your temperature (orally), every day at the same time and keeps track of your cycles. It indicates to you through a system of red, yellow and green lights if it's a risky day to have sex or not. This only works for women who have more or less regular cycles. It unfortunately doesn't work for women who have 2 or 3 periods a year. It's manufactured in Britain but can be bought through Canada. As long as you abide by the color of the lights, it's as effective as other forms of birth control. I also keep a calendar and use the day counting method and pay attention to the consistency of my vaginal fluids (these change during the month for those who don't know. Egg white stringy consistency during full on ovulation). This also teaches you to listen to your body and to understand what's going on. It's truly fascinating how a woman's body works.

 

Sorry for the novel I just wrote but I could go on about the options women have that doctors often don't tell them about. Though natural birth control may be more labour intensive, it can actually be quite fun. Especially when you know you have a "no chance" window you can take advantage of.

[Louisa Margarita]

If you do this or any other sort of "rhythm" method of birth control, please just be aware that, for humans, conception is possible at ANY time. Your chances are lower at some times than others, but the chance is always, always there. Part of why we're such a successful species, but a bit of a pain. Combining this with some sort of spermicide may yield better results, but honestly...if you're having really bad experiences with hormonal birth control, use a condom, or a diaphragm if STDs aren't a worry.


Frenchie Stiles said:

I've never been on the Depo shot or tried these nuva-rings or the iud. However I was on the BC pill for the better part of 12 years, with some short breaks during that time. I'm NEVER taking BC pills again. This last one really screwed up my system. What these BC methods do is add synthetic hormones to your system in order to control your natural cycle. By the way, the periods you get while on hormonal birth control are not "real" periods. They are triggered by the meds and not your body because no ovulation is taking places for your body to know when to have a period.

What the hormones can do, and which leads to moodiness, weight gain, lethargy, and depression, is cause you to go into hypothyroidism. When this happens you get very tired, foggy, hungry, depressed, extremely emotional, loss of hair etc... The thyroid is tricked. Each person reacts differently of course and certain types of synthetic hormones in these pills can actually increase your risk of certain cancers including breast cancer. Some people may not react at all, and others may have a horrible time.Research every single hormone in that BC and what their effects on the body are, or what their natural role is outside of the BC role.

Also, if you plan on conceiving and have been on hormonal BC for a while, don't expect to get pregnant the first few months. The longer you've been on BC, the longer it can take for you to start ovulating again (BC pill suppresses ovulation). Sometimes a pregnancy in those few months after stopping BC, can end in a miscarriage. I've done my research on this because I didn't want to stop the pill and was looking for alternatives, but it was wreaking so much havoc on my system and my personal life, I had to stop. Reading so many personal accounts of women who were still waiting for a period 6 months after not taking the Depo shot scared the bejeezus out of me. If it can do that, what else is it doing to you?

So feeling like I had no other options than condoms, I kept looking for the natural methods. (I'm in a committed relationship of almost 2 years, not using condoms is a personal choice and my body does not like latex or polyurethane). I found a fertility monitor that is designed to do the opposite of helping you conceive. It takes your temperature (orally), every day at the same time and keeps track of your cycles. It indicates to you through a system of red, yellow and green lights if it's a risky day to have sex or not. This only works for women who have more or less regular cycles. It unfortunately doesn't work for women who have 2 or 3 periods a year. It's manufactured in Britain but can be bought through Canada. As long as you abide by the color of the lights, it's as effective as other forms of birth control. I also keep a calendar and use the day counting method and pay attention to the consistency of my vaginal fluids (these change during the month for those who don't know. Egg white stringy consistency during full on ovulation). This also teaches you to listen to your body and to understand what's going on. It's truly fascinating how a woman's body works.

 

Sorry for the novel I just wrote but I could go on about the options women have that doctors often don't tell them about. Though natural birth control may be more labour intensive, it can actually be quite fun. Especially when you know you have a "no chance" window you can take advantage of.

[Mariah June]

I've been on the Depo shot for nearly two years and I've gained about 30 lbs. Ever since 8th grade (I'm 19 now) I've ALWAYS weighed anywhere from 123-127 lbs, depending on how much i ate that day (haha), and since I stopped using the Nuva-Ring and switched to the Depo, I haven't had a single period, I've lost my sex drive, suffer from what I think is depression, and currently weigh around 150 lbs. I am unhappy with my results but I do not believe that I am "responsible" enough to remember to take a pill every single day at the exact same time. I wish I could find something that I wouldn't have to take every day, wouldn't give me periods, and would work about as good as the shot.

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

I already posted in this thread, but I wanted to post an update. I just got my last Depo shot because I had a procedure done called Essure http://www.essure.com/. It's a permanent solution, so if you are looking to have children in the future, it's not for you. However, if you want a permanent fix, that is easier and has a shorter healing period then getting your tubes tied, this is a good option. It was a relatively easy procedure, with a 2 week total healing time. I'm very excited about getting off the Depo. I'm hoping when it works it's way out of my system it'll take the extra weight, lack of sex drive, and the mood swings with it! LOL

[Kaddy Kimber]

I've been on Yaz for almost 3 years with no side effects, but I eat very healthy, exercise and don't smoke. Yaz has the same risk as any other birth control, but I think it's in the press because it is taken more than the others. All BC pills have a risk, but if you eat healthy and most importantly DO NOT SMOKE, your risks are much lower. Get your blood pressure checked, and keep a check on your potassium and I don't think Yaz will cause you any issues. I've been super happy on it, no weight gain, light periods, and a consistent mood. I would recommend it.