Depo Provera Anyone? Need Answer ASAP

HoneyCat · 09-12-2005, 03:39 PM

I am a newbie diagnosed last week, blood test results not in, Ultra sound scheduled tomorrow. DR has perscribed Depo Provera. Researched and it seems bad. Anyone know anything about affects with PCOS?

RunnerDuck · 09-12-2005, 07:13 PM

I don't know anything specifically about depo & PCOS but I have seen many cysters say depo was evil and I have never seen a cyster who said depo was fine.

I believe depo is a progestin-only contraceptive... progestins tend to cause weight gain, moodiness, worsening of IR... progestin is synthetic progesterone and think what progesterone does to your body when you are premenstrual. I don't know that I have ever read it is especially bad for PCOS but I have often wondered how it can be good for any woman...

Personally I would stay far away from it and go with a conbination oral contraceptive if you are looking for birth control/PCOS treatment... there are other means of dealing with PCOS though IMO BCPs can provide the fastest symptom relief...

Kayiena · 09-12-2005, 07:13 PM

I took Depo for two years. I liked it while I was on it, but I was taken off due to blood clots. Not a likely occurence, but I had a past history. Personally, I think it probably wasnt the best thing for me, but at the time it seemed so. I hadn't been diagnosed, and didn't really think anything was wrong. In retrospect, I probably would have just not used it. But I do think it played a role in my current infertility. So...in conclusion, I personally would recommend that you avoid hormonal birth control, they only make PCOS worse. If you need them for regulating your period, take met or actos or avandia. Just not bcps of any nature. They mask the problems pcos causes and make them worse. If you need them for prevention of pregnancy, use condoms, spermicide, or even an iud. It's not worth putting yourself at risk of making your pcos much worse, not to mention just the side effects of hormonal birth control by itself. Everyone always says its such a low chance, who cares? But I'm here to say, and sad to say, I am the statistic. I got a blood clot, and it nearly killed me at only 18. So yeah, I'm a pretty vocal advocate for not using bcps. And the reasons for that just seem to grow every day...
Hope that helps you in your decision making. It's still your personal choice though.

HoneyCat · 09-13-2005, 12:49 PM

Thank you so much for the information. I am not real comfortable with the Depro provera and this just helps confirm my feelings. I have five children (only two "birth") and my DH is "fixed" so it is not a pregnancy or fertility issue. I never had any problems until I went off of BCP's six years ago, prior to that was always on BCP's until TTC then right back on after. The past 6 yrs have been miserable, especially the pain and of course the weight. From what I am reading the pain is from the cysts? I go for an ultrasound today. I am scared because my sister went for the ultrasound with my exact symptoms and a few weeks later it was a hesterectomy. I am not having any more children but still, I have five kids to care for and a full time job running our own construction business. I am so depressed and overwhelmed. I am grateful to have found this place to have people to talk to. Thank you all.

blondie51482 · 09-16-2005, 06:45 PM

Depo is BAD! STAY AWAY FROM IT ,esp if u have pcos.It will mess u up even more in the long run.

ToLuvaCoastie · 09-16-2005, 07:14 PM

Depo, as in the shot? Uh I hope not, I just got the shot 2 days ago!

his_munchkin · 09-22-2005, 12:05 AM

I'm going to agree with the other ladies, Depo is not a good med for anyone with PCOS. It masks yoru symptoms and takes your body on funky changes, well speaking personally of course. I took Depo faithfully for 7 years straight and I am now a Poohbear because of it. It also masked my PCOS symptoms because I AF only 2 a year if that. May I ask why your dr recoomended this for you?

devildoc25 · 09-22-2005, 01:40 AM

Some facts on Depo...

Depo Provera makes you miss your periods by tricking your body into thinking that it is pregnant. You then tend to graze and eat more thus causing weight gain.

Depo hinders your body's ability to absorb calcium thus leading to possible bone loss problems later on in life.

Depo in my opinion is not the BC method to use when facing PCOS.

Yasmin in recent studies used in conjunction with Metformin seems to work very well and re-set in essence your periods. I myself am currently taking it and have finally gotten my first full AF this year. I would rediscuss your options with your doctor.

Good Luck!

lalaluv4u · 08-24-2007, 05:51 PM

I've done considerable research & have come upon a number of women reporting to have developed PCOS after Depro. If a link has been discovered during research, it is not being revealed, thus, you'd be hard pressed to find information establishing a direct link, however, in my opinion, it's entirely possible that Depo had something to do with your illness. There are many possibilities. Your system could have had a prior propensity to develop PCOS which manifested itself once you introduced synthetic hormones into your system or you could have had a mild form of PCOS that was unnoticed, and again, once synthetic hormones were introduced into your system, all hell broke loose, or Depro could have been the root of the illness altogether (this is entirely possible). I did a very brief search on Alternative Remedies to address PCOS and believe the options are similar to the ones listed below (see links for bio hormones, cleanses) also, here's a starting point: http://pcos.daisywreath.net/natural.html http://www.infertilityworkshop.com

http://www.soulcysters.net

I had no significant health issues prior to taking Depro, had maintained the same weight, give or take 5 lbs., for many yrs., and had no issue taking the weight off when it did fluxuate. I received my last shot in Nov. of 2006 (I received four shots total) and today am still experiencing many side effects. While taking Depro, my symptoms included excessive weight gain, major circulation issues (my arms would fall asleep repeatedly-very painful), strange rashes, low sex drive (high libido prior to receiving the shot) body aches, headaches, emotional swings, irregular bleeding, varicose veins, headaches, dizzy spells, nausea, blurry vision, and visually noticed loss of muscle tone. I gained 25 lbs. in a period of approx. two months despite my already extremely healthy dietary intake (I eat virtually no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, consume very few refined carbs, drink only purified water (no caffeine, no sodas, no juice, no aides), eat plenty of organic veggies, organic low fat lean meats, take supplements, etc.), weight which I cannot seem to take off despite having altered my dietary intake even more & regular exercise; my husband says my mood has been unexplainably tense, my body aches (I feel like a 60 yr. old), i've been bleeding incessantly for prolonged periods of time; at this point, for a month & 1/2 straight (heavy bleeding), i've developed varicose veins, i've noticed that it takes much longer for wounds to heal, am having acne, feel routinely fatigued & must continually battle depression and some things still remain unknown to me as of yet, until I receive testing (level of bone loss, whether i'm fertile or infertile). If I weren't in touch with my spirituality most likely I would be insane by this point, especially after having tried to discuss what's transpiring in my body with doctors who have insisted it's not possible Depro caused these things, even giving me looks (you know that face that indicates "you must not be counting your calories accurately, you must be exaggerating about your bleeding...in other words, maybe you're a nut case), now maybe that was simply my own perception, but, two things are for certain; I listened to the doctor very carefully and read all material given to me regarding depro & the only side effects listed were possible weight gain (which the doctor minimized saying it should only be around 5 lbs., NOT 5-10 lbs. per shot! The only other side effects listed were possible headaches, back pain, & increased risk for osteoporosis, which I was told would be resolved by taking calcium/vitamin d supplements. This drug is poison and needs to be taken off the market. To all of my sisters now suffering from this, may God touch your spirit. Respectfully, while counting calories, eliminating refined sugar from your diet, drinking plenty of purified water, minimizing salt intake, eating lots of green veggies (organically grown), non processed foods, and organic meats (hormone free) is essential to maintaining your health (esp. in light of all the chemicals & synthetic substances being added to foods, many women are experiencing excessive weight gain after having taken Depro that is NOT contributed to dietary intake. Everyone's body is different. Some women may experience weight loss while on the Depro, but, after having scoured over hundreds upon hundreds of testimonies, most are experiencing the opposite effect: excessive weight gain & many of these women are stating that this occurred with no dietary changes. As well, many women are stating that once they stopped getting the shot, they have found it extremely difficult to drop the weight, even after many yrs., even thought they've altered their dietary intake and up-ed the exercise. It can become incredibly disheartening when you're taking a proactive approach to weight issues and the weight still refuses to budge or when you’re receiving strange looks & responses from doctors despite the fact that suddenly you’ve gone from perfect health to a constant battle with fatigue, illness, mood swings, endless bleeding, etc.... so, I think it's extremely important that women have access to information that can help us understand what's happening and why. By the way, did you know that the same drug used in Depro is given to Cancer & AID's patients to assist them with weight gain? I am not anti doctor or anti medication, but, we need to understand the reality of the situation. First off, primarily doctors are able to do two things: 1.) repair and 2.) alleviate symptoms (applying band aids)....in most cases, they are not, however, capable of curing the root of those symptoms. In those cases where they are capable of getting rid of an illness, it is through use of chemicals that reek havoc on your system and leads to other illness (chemo is an ie. of this). If I'm in a car accident and facing a life threatening situation, I want a doctor to sew me up and give me medication to alleviate my pain, if my body gets burned in a fire i want a doctor to administer pain meds and perform skin grafts.....but the reality is, most traditional doctors are not even willing to truly listen to what their patients are saying to them about the side effects they began to experience directly after taking Depro and you can anticipate that your physician will tell you your symptoms could not possibly be due to the shot. Doctors receive financial benefits from manufacturers to promote their drugs...in many cases PROFITS take precedence, NOT the well-being of humanity, particularly when it comes to women (very few research dollars are granted to address women's health issues). Just think about it for a moment. If you've spoken to your doctor about the illnesses you began experiencing after receiving Depro there must be other patients who have also spoken to that same doctor about it. Yet, many continually maintain that the illness could not possibly be linked to Depro. In my case, as well as in many other cases, doctors attempt to address the symptoms by putting you on another drug, but, the very reason why your hormones became imbalanced in the first place, which is what's leading to all the illness, is because of synthetic hormones (in all birth control except Paraguard IUD). Synthetic hormones are not the same as natural hormones. They are chemicals designed to trick the body into (hopefully) responding in the same manner as it would if the natural hormone were releasing into your system. Here lies the problem. Often times the body is NOT tricked thus resulting in what we call "side effects". In the 80's when manufacturers tested Depro on animals (Rhesus Monkeys, Beagles, and Rats) the side effects were undeniable, however, they pushed the drug regardless, dismissing the side effects away by saying the animals system was different than humans.....yet they conducted their tests on these particular animals, breeds selected based on criteria which serves to match up which animal will indicate the most likely impact the drug will have on human beings). In a trial where they injected 12 Rhesus Monkeys with Depro, almost all of the monkeys developed tumors, something never seen before in Rhesus Monkeys. Not surprisingly, today many woman are developing cysts (endometriosis), fibromygelia, and turmors in their liver. My masters work was in Psychological Research and I can share a few things with you. First off, research is easily skewed. Skewed means that a researcher who is looking to present a particular result can alter their methods in order to show results that support their hypothesis. Secondly, researchers give much consideration to the subjects viability prior to conducting trials. Most of you have probably come across ads in your local paper or weekly "Research study on Nicotine Addiction" Criteria: Must be a smoker! I would find it shocking if the manufacturers of Depro told their researches to simply pick an animal and see what happens. I imagine it's much more likely the animals were carefully selected based on very specific criteria. By now you're probably saying "what to do?" Hopefully you're feeling inspired to discover the ways in which you can free yourself from being a human lab rat! We all went on birth control in order to achieve a particular purpose, some, to avoid getting pregnant, others to alleviate symptoms of other illness or dysfunction. What traditional doctors will not tell you however is that there are other alternatives available besides drugs. I went on Depro because my husband and I did not want to have any more children at this stage. When I began experiencing illness, after having been told by my doctor that my "side effects" were not linked to the Depro, I hit the internet to investigate for myself...because I knew it was NO coincidence that my health suddenly declined and my weight suddenly escalated. When I discovered all of the women's testaments that so closely resembled mine I immediately decided not to ever take another shot, which left me back in the same boat I was in before "how can I avoid pregnancy". The Paraguard IUD seemed like a viable option in that it eliminated the synthetic hormones & I subsequently had one inserted. While I do believe this is a better option, even the Paraguard is not w/out side effects. I continued to experience abnormal bleeding (essentially I've been bleeding for a yr. straight...there have only been three wks. in which I have not bled in some form or fashion. My husband, who has grown increasingly concerned, insisted I return to the doctor & we decided I would have the Paraguard removed. When I went to my doctor, I was told my hormones had become unbalanced (the doctor indicated that this hormonal imbalance was most likely an issue that would need to be addressed regardless of whether I left the Paraguard in or had it removed) and I was prescribed Provera, which I was to take for 10 days a month for 3 months then return to the doctor. I had to press the doctor in order to get an admission that the hormonal imbalance was most likely caused by the Depro. I decided to fill the prescription and return home to do research and discuss this w my husband, who quiet adamantly informed me that if I took that route I would be consenting to more experimentation on my body. Sure enough, Provera has similar side effects to Depro....they're both the same hormone! And, there are testimonies from many women who took Provera and had an increase in bleeding or no discontinuation of bleeding at all. Needless to say, I've learned my lesson. I scheduled an appointment the very next morning and had the IUD removed. After extensive research, I've discovered a number of things one can do to assist their body in removing the chemicals. Because the steroids get into ones liver, among other parts of the system, cleansing the system with natural products is a start. There are MANY products on the market for this. I have tried a few that I didn't care for and am now using products from a company called Global Healing Center www.ghchealth.com and find their products are working effectively and gently (no cramping). I have also considered the Master Cleanse. It involves fasting, which is not easy, however, it may be necessary to give your body a break from digestion, thus allowing for a more effective detoxification www.thelemonadediet.com. As well, I am considering limiting my dietary intake to raw foods exclusively for a time. I have found a number of women who after becoming seriously ill due to Depro took this route and experienced substantial healing. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/rawfood2.htm

To address hormonal imbalance (Depro functions to kick the body into a menopausal state) there are natural alternatives. Check into Bio Identical Hormones as well as locating a physician who practices alternative medicine in your area. Serious Health Food stores may be able to provide some recommendations.

http://www.minniepauz.com/bio-identical-hormones.html

http://www.power-surge.com/educate/naturalhormones.htm

An excellent alternative to chemical birth control is the Natural Family Planning Method utilizing Cycle Beads. Despite my hesitation regarding chemical birth control, I didn't believe there was a viable Natural option available to me because the failure rate of the Rhythm Method has been reported to be rather high. Cycle Beads however, is an entirely different method. If I would have known about it & it's effectiveness rate prior to having sought out chemical birth control I never would have chosen chemicals. Turns out, one of the nurses in my doctors office mentioned this method to me after hearing my story & highly recommended it!

www.cyclebeads.com

Lastly, if you have experienced illness as a result of Depro, please take a moment to sign this petition. This drug needs to be taken off the market & clearly it is up to us to force it's removal. As well, take time to do some research for yourself. Knowledge Empowers!

http://www.petitiononline.com/Depo/petition.html

I know this is rather long, but hopefully enlightening. To all of you who are suffering from this drug, may God be with you. Personally I feel very angry. I have a wonderful husband who has stood by me through all of this and has taken a significant interest in getting me well, but, it has not been without struggle. The constant bleeding has all but destroyed our intimate life and I do battle with depression on a daily basis, but, we must keep hope alive. I want to thank all of you who took the time to share your stories. You're making a difference in the lives of other women!

Please feel free to email me anytime.

Peace & Blessings,

Lala

lalaluv4u@yahoo.com

candypannies · 11-18-2007, 01:10 AM

LaLa, so interesting! I had one shot of Depo 3yrs ago and I've had issues with losing hair, acne, erratic periods, and severe mood swings ever since. I think Depo caused my PCOS. I complained about all this 3yrs ago to my doctor and he gave me Ortho Cyclen and basically patted me on the head. He didn't seem a bit bothered that I lost a third of my hair in a 2wk period.

I finally found a doctor last month who took my concerns to heart. After a lot of bloodwork he found out my testosterone was way too high. I'm not having issues with obesity or IR (yet) but I have diffuse scalp hair loss (2yr olds have thicker hair than I do), acne, facial hair, tummy hair, nipple hairs. Fun, fun! I'm going back on Ortho Cyclen tomorrow (I got sterilized a couple years ago) and I've just started Metformin (yuck, I'm hating the side effects so far).

Stay away from Depo. It's the best advice I can give any woman. Don't let them stick that poison in your arm, it's not worth all the side effects. Evil, evil stuff. I never had issues with hair loss until I started Depo, and 3yrs after my first and only shot I'm STILL losing much of my hair. There is something wrong with a drug if it will do that much damage.

Mustangsally82 · 11-24-2007, 09:42 AM

I loved Depo when I was on it. My gynecologist recommended it when I was diagnosed with PCOS to help shrink my cysts. I was on a progesterone-only mini pill at the time (can't take combo pills...they give me migraines!) and since I have issues with painful periods it seemed perfect. I never had a period since my first shot, and it was great not having to take a pill every day.

I'd stay on it if it weren't for the bone loss risk. I didn't gain weight, actually I lost weight, but that may have been due to my going on Met and starting the IR diet at the same time. I find that I am hungry all the time if I eat bad carbs/sugars, so if I stay away from those I do just fine.

candypannies · 11-28-2007, 11:49 AM

Ok I'm not sure if Nova works for Pfizer or not, but I'm starting to wonder LOL.

Anyway, the poster asked for the experiences of others who have taken Depo. Since there is no way to verify medical credentials in a public forum, the experiences sought, by default, would have to be ancedotal in nature.

Here is MY truth, MY experiences with Depo.....(as asked for by the OP).....

I received 1 shot of Depo. I read the very thick packet regarding Depo, provided by my doctor, before I received the shot.

Depo caused me to gain 15lbs in 3mos, and by the end of that first 3mos about a third of my hair fell out. By the way, NOTHING in that packet (printed by Pfizer mind you) mentioned anything about my hair falling out as a side effect, I went back and reread it after my hair started coming out in handfuls. I had to find out through a study conducted by Johns Hopkins, after my hair had already fallen out, that 10% of women who took Depo experienced significant hair loss.

Depo caused me to suffer severe depression at the end of the 3mos. My doctor compared it to post-partum depression and said it was due to the hormone shift caused by the shot wearing off.

I was not suffering from diffuse scalp hair thinning, excess body hair, depression, and lack of libido until AFTER I had the Depo shot. Since that one shot, my testosterone has been too high, my periods have been sparse, and my mood swings are scary.

Now seeing as how I'm not obese, not insulin resistant, have never had issues resembling PCOS before the shot, and don't have a family history of PCOS, I'm doing the math and saying hmmmm...none of this started until AFTER I had Depo, so there is a good chance Depo played a role in my endocrine system being messed up. PCOS is a metabolic syndrome, and the medical community cannot say for sure what causes it, it could be an individual response to a hormonal medication, or a million other things. You can hand me all the data in the world provided by Pfizer (who has an interest in seeing to the success of Depo), but the truth of the matter is, there is no research study in the world which will conclusively tell you how Depo will effect EVERY woman on the planet.

I had a very bad experience on Depo, I shared my bad experience on Depo in response to a query in a public forum. In my opinion, Depo is poison, and not worth the risks, especially when there are so many options for hormonal birth control in this day and age.

mistyr · 11-28-2007, 12:38 PM

I had a terrible experience with it. I had a total of four shots. During that time I gained 30 pounds despite maintaining my eating habit. It made my joints ache. My PCOS symptoms were worse at that time. My excess hair became worse than ever after 6 months on it, I had several painful cysts, new weight all went to my midsection. I couldn't recomend this stuff to anyone. It scared me off hormonal BC for many years. I took about three years after discontinuing the shot for me to get back to just my normal weird PCOS state, and it was much harder to lose weight than previously.
My RE convinced me to try the pill again. I have been on Ortho-cyclen for about 3 months now, and so far, I'm doing well with it. My hair growth has slowed, and I have not had any weight gain.

Kalyn · 11-30-2007, 08:22 AM

I had one shot when I was 17. I had the most horrible experience on it. A couple weeks after taking it I started to bleed. It got heavier and heavier. My doctor at the time told me that it was normal. I was changing my pad every 20 minutes or so. It would get so bad I would have to get up in the middle of the night to change clothes because I was going so heavy. I was still in school at the time and ended up missing quite a bit of school because of it. They wanted me to have another shot and I refused because I still had not stopped bleeding after 3 months. Sometimes it would slack off...then it would come back strong again. They finally ended up putting me on BCPs to stop the bleeding....it took another couple of months for it to completely stop. I will never forget how awful I felt...moody, tired, constantly sick. I hope to never have to feel that way again.

I feel it is a person's own choice what they want to take or what they don't want to take. This is just my experience with Depo Provera.

karlij · 12-03-2007, 07:18 PM

I was not obese and did not have PCOS prior to going on Depo-Provera. One year later, I had gained 100 lbs and stopped having periods and ovulating. It took me 3 years, seeing a reproductive endocrinologist, and taking metformin to get my periods back. And I'm now preparing to have a gastric bypass in 3 weeks, in order get rid of the 100 lbs I still have not been able to lose, despite Dr supervised diets and diet pills. Depo may be great for some people, but I personally believe that it triggered my PCOS and recommend that cysters stay away from it based on my personal experience.