Depo Shot

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm 16, and my boyfriend and I have just recently started having sex. We've been together for about 5 months now and since we plan on staying together for quite a while, I decided I wanted to go on birth control if we're having sex. We went to the Planned Parenthood clinic and I got the Depo Provera shot within an hour of being there. It was fast and easy and I am really happy I did it. The only problem is, I'm a Bipolar type 2, I have severe depression and am recovering from Anorexia Nervosa. I am currently taking Trileptal to help stabilize my moods, Klonopin for anxiety, and Trazodone to help me sleep. The lady at PP told me that I would have mood swings with the shot, but I am wondering if they will be unbearable. Does anyone have any experiences with the shot? I just need some reassurance that I'll be okay. Any other side effects that any of you have had would be appreciated as well.

Comments

[dayglow.livejournal.com]

I've never been on the shot, nor do I know how it will react with your other medications but there is a huuuuge red flag sticking out at me.

Were you warned that depo causes documented weight gain? (http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/sexual_health/ssc/depo.htm) It's not much - generally 2 pounds per year which is practically water weight. However, with a history of anorexia and other mental disorders besides (which I'm sure do NOT help) I'm worried about what may happen to your mental health if you find yourself gaining weight.

If you find yourself struggling with your eating disorder again due to the shot, I STRONGLY encourage you to find a different method that works for you. I had a good friend with bulimia in high school so I have a good understanding of how awful EDs can be and I want you to not have to suffer through that anymore if you can help it.

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

thank you so much. i think i'll be fine, since i go to therapy about every three weeks and i'm constantly being monitored on my mental state. the only reason why i chose the shot is because i can't afford to take another pill everyday with the chance of my mom finding out.

[strand3d.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't make a big deal of the weight thing. I have a friend who was on depo for YEARS never gained a pound. So it differs from woman to woman.

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

There's also the NuvaRing, if that's available at your PP. It stays inside of you for 3 weeks.

[erinleighralph.livejournal.com]

Also, when looking it up I saw that Trileptal is known to decrease the effectiveness of HBC - so I really hope you are using a backup just to be safe:)

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

wow, i'm surprised the doctor at pp didn't say something about this to me when i was there. this is news to me, thank you.

[strand3d.livejournal.com]

This only applies to the pill not depo as what causes medications to interact with HBC is how its absorbed into the body. Depo stays in the body for months so it isn't affected by medications.

[ehlasandra.livejournal.com]

I was on it for 2+ years and I don't think I experienced additional mood swings. I had a pretty positive experience- it stopped my periods (yay) but I did gain some weight. The weight gain was definitely due to other factors for me though in addition to possibly the shot.

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

thanks, well i think weight gain in my position right now would be good for me. i'm only about 105 at five foot seven.

[destinyawakened.livejournal.com]

from personal experience and 6 months of being on the shot, I hated it. I was depressed as it was(didn't know it until later) and the shot made things worse. Not to mention I gained 15 pounds in the first 3 months of being on it(and i didn't eat that much). But, I wasn't on any counter acting medications for my depression, obviously since I didn't even realize it. And I gained over 50lbs on the pill in later years, so I think any birth control depends on the person and genetics.
Also, the mood swings of the shot were just awful for me, but again it all depends on the person. You should talk to your councilor when you go in for your therapy and make sure they have you on medications that will work best for the shot, though I am sure you're just fine.
Remember too, please, that these are just my personal experiences and opinions.

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

thanks for the feedback :)

[lucky13.livejournal.com]

My mood swings only increased a tiny bit once I got on Depo. I have heard complaints about unbearable mood swings, but I don't think there's any way to tell beforehand. After four years, I'm making the switch to Nuvaring. This is only because Depo ate my entire libido, hahah. Otherwise, Depo treated me pretty well.

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

thanks for sharing :)

[laurenmarie.livejournal.com]

i don't have any experience, but once asked my doctor about it and she said "absolutely not" because of the weight gain side effect / i had a documented eating disorder.

[ktnzgtklws.livejournal.com]

Depo seems to be an either love it or hate it type drug, more so than any other HBC I've seen here in VP.
Me? You could not PAY me to go back on it.
Cons: Massive depression, acne, anxiousiousness, when my period DID return, I thought I "this must be what giving birth is like", the blood was so thick, and the cramps so bad.
Pros: No periods for 9 months, LOST weight (supposedly unheard of, but that's because when I get depressed to the level that Depo took me, I stop eating), no pill to remember

[frkyjenn.livejournal.com]

I was on depo for 2 years. It wasn't for birth control purposes.. it was because I have unbearable heavy periods due to fibroid tumors.

But the shot not only made my body crazy (heavier constant periods, weight gain, lack of appetite and loss of interest in sex) but it made me have mood swings from hell. I was constantly yelling at my child. My husband couldn't walk through the house without me blowing up at him.

My husband almost left me because of the problems it caused. And I don't have any issues (depression, anxiety etc).

[orangebecoolyo.livejournal.com]

I was on the shot for exactly 3 months and hated every minute of it. I got headaches that would make me kick in agony if I stayed awake for more than 7 hours. I had to quit after school activities, because of this. I never got my period on the shot, which made me feel unhealthy and somehow worry if I was pregnant. I had mood swings and a decreased sex drive, which my boyfriend noticed but knew it was just a side effect of the shot. I lost a lot of weight the first month, because I had no cravings for food. Actually, I would forget to eat because my food cravings were never too strong. The second month I had sore breasts practically the whole time. Overall, my experience was terrible, but the shot has different reactions with everyone's body.

[slowmotioncrash.livejournal.com]

I remember writing an entry about my nightmare with depo. I am sure you could find it by searching the memories on here. A quick synopsis: I had no interest in sex, gained 20 pounds in two months, and wanted to kill myself. I felt completely out of character on it and I would never go back to it. I only had 2 shots and that was more than enough for me. Of course, it's pretty varied from one person to the next, but I had so many women comment that they had similar experiences on that entry.

I agree with the person that said there's a red flag here. Depo is known to cause mood swings, so definitely watch out for that or if you just feel something isn't right. Depo, when used correctly, is a very effective form of bc, but I am not sure whether your medications will interfere with it. I would ask your provider.

That said, I don't mean to scare you. I had a bad experience with it, but some women LOVE it.

[missjecka.livejournal.com]

Did you tell the practitioner at PP about your health history?

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

yes i did, and i told her what meds i was on, everything.

[missjecka.livejournal.com]

Well then just keep tabs of any changes you feel and talk to your therapist and PP semi-frequently about anything you notice.

[beachbanshee.livejournal.com]

I would have thought that Depo would have been a non-choice for someone with bipolar. You cannot stop taking Depo tomorrow if it effects you negatively? But the pill or ring could have easily been stopped for the same reason. Did PP offer you any other options?

[beachbanshee.livejournal.com]

I too am bipolar. My doc wants me to let her know before I stop or start any hbc as my meds may need to be adjusted. I would call your mental health provider and discuss the fact that you have received depo asap. Keep track of your moods and let your dr know. You have to base your conclusions on what happens to you. All meds have different side effects for people. Especially people with a chronic illness and other meds. Just an FYI I am on Nuvaring and my moods are exactly as they were before, maybe even a slight bit better.

[moonlight0806.livejournal.com]

I was on depo for a little over a year (15 months in total). I was one of the people to get all of the negative effects with no real positive. For 2 weeks after each shot I would become horribly depressed with mood swings, it was so bad that i had to avoid everyone so that i wouldn't over react over everything. The rest of the time i had heightened anxiety and only slightly less depression than the immediate weeks following the shots. My period never stopped, in fact i bled nonstop for the entire time (yes quite literally the entire 15 months) they tested me for anemia because i started bruising badly and became very tired. It wasn't a full on period the whole time, but more than break through bleeding. On top of all the psychological side effects i very uncharacteristically gained weight. I suppose the one positive side effect was that i didn't get pregnant, but that is more attributable to the fact that i didn't have sex the entire time because i was either bleeding (personally not fond of period sex)or was in such a horrible mood that i wouldn't let anyone close enough to me to get pregnant.

You may wonder why i continued to get the shots. I was young (early twenties) and didn't know how to stand up for myself at the doctors office. They never let me talk to my actual doctor, they were just TOO busy, so i only got to talk to her assistant nurse, even when i went in to get the shots i never saw the actual doctor. The nurse would always blow me off by telling me that it was normal and not that bad, and it would go away in a few months. After a year and three months i put my foot down. Thats also when i stopped going to that doctor. It has been a few years and i still can't find a obgyn in my area that actually listens or doesn't change offices every few months. I go to a new one at the end of the month that a friend of mine recommended. The experience taught me that I know my body best and that you sometimes have to make a little noise when you are being ignored by the people you are paying to care for you. So it wasn't a total loss.

[thenumber111.livejournal.com]

i have absolutely no knowledge of birth control and it's effects (which is kinda one of the reasons why i joined this community heh)

but, as one of the above comments said that trileptal interferes with some birth control.. that's about it.

basically i only wanted to comment that i'm bipolar too and i'm on trileptal and i have to say... it really freaking changed my life. i'm so much better on it, i hope you've had the same experiences with it! =]