Birth Control

[ststepdown.livejournal.com]

Hey VP!

Im on the depo provera shot, and since being on it(nov. of last year) I have gained around 40-50 lbs :(.
I am in the process of trying to lose weight and my boyfriend is insistent that if I get off the depo shot, I will drop it really fast.
I really REALLY like the security of the depo shot. Not ever having to remember pills, and I don't think it makes me too crazy. Is there another birth control that is similar to depo in terms of protection and longevity, but perhaps wont make me gain the weight/may help lose the weight I have already gained? If not, Im staying on the depo shot, and I will just have to work extra extra hard I guess haha.

Comments

[ststepdown.livejournal.com]

Dang. really?

what form of birth control do you use now if you don't mind me asking?

this!

[cb-radiowhoa.livejournal.com]

I just got off the shot (after being on it for 7 years straight) in May of 2009. I JUST got my period back in February of 2010, and since then I've lost 30 pounds and counting. I am now smaller than I was in highschool! It's such a great feeling! In addition to that, I finally feel like a normal woman now that I'm sans depo.

Re: this!

[ststepdown.livejournal.com]

dang really!?

What birth control are you on now if you dont mind me asking :)

Re: this!

[cb-radiowhoa.livejournal.com]

I'm not using one. My partner and I use withdrawal method. I trust him enough to practice this effectively. I don't think it's for everyone, but it has been the best method for us.

Re: this!

[ststepdown.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your input! I think I am definitely going to get off depo!

[mangofandango.livejournal.com]

Yes, a Mirena IUD would be similar.

It's a little t-shaped device that your doctor places in your uterus (not surgically, it just goes in through the cervix in a 5 minutes office procedure). It stays there for up to 5 years (but can be removed easily by the doctor at any time), and is as effective as sterilization. No remembering anything, and just a teensy bit of hormones (released mostly locally to your uterus).

I have a Mirena and I love it to pieces. In fact, it's my second one, so I'd obviously choose it again. :) If you have more questions, feel free to ask. :)

[ststepdown.livejournal.com]

Hm, thats the one im looking at, that and the nuva ring. I think I may try the nuva ring for a month or 2, and then consider mirena. Nuva Ring is easier for me to access and pay for at the moment, but Mirena is looking really appealing haha thanks so much for your reply!!

[a-mutewitness.livejournal.com]

I was just going to suggest the nuvaring.
Although it wasn't right for me due to breakthrough bleeding, I did use it for months and enjoyed how I could forget about it. You only need to remember it once every 3-4 weeks and you can stack as well.
I have never been on the shot, so I can't really compare.
I did love the nuvaring, and if I hadn't had problems with breakthrough bleeding (I had to go through many different pills as well until I found the right one for me, it wasn't just the nuvaring) I would probably still be using it right now. I enjoyed how easy it was to use, and the fact that you can still have sex with it in was nice, because it was as though you weren't using any form of bc (that you have to remember to take out, insert, etc).
I do love my BC pills as they keep me happy and baby free, but having to remember to take one every single day gets pretty irritating!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[misspaigeb.livejournal.com]

There is also Implanon. It's basically a small little implant that is injected into your arm, doesn't have any estrogen, and it lasts for... 3 years? I can't remember how long exactly. I also would look at Mirena.

I'm on NuvaRing and love it, but it does have estrogen so may produce different side effects than Depo. It actually HELPS my moods, but other people have said they felt crazy on it... you just never know until you try. That being said, it is very convenient and the scheduling of your period isn't such a "strict regimen" like pills, which I really like. I've been on it for 4 years and it's the best for me!

[silkstockings.livejournal.com]

I'm on depo and have been on it for 14 months and have noticed some weight gain. About a year in the nurse asked if I had noticed any weight gain and about a month later I started to. I used to fluctuate. I also don't have any periods on depo.

I've considered mirena and implanon, but had a friend who has been on implanon and gained quite a lot of weight.

[anthylorrel.livejournal.com]

Have you considered getting an IUD? They have a copper one which has no hormones at all, which will eliminate the risk of you gaining more weight due to more hormones which still giving you the security and ease of birth control you don't have to remember to take.

[archangelbeth]

The Depo shot is one of the few HBC methods which does have a statistical likelihood of causing people to gain weight, so... There's that data.

You may also want to check your thyroid -- but I'm a biased fanatic about that, since my hypothyroidism was not detected for many years, and it makes me angry. But inability to lose weight easily is something that thyroid issues can cause, as well.

I hope whatever replacement method you pick next works out excellently!

[x-break-out-x.livejournal.com]

I lost about 15 lbs on depo...lol.

[cheniqua-17.livejournal.com]

i actually asked my doctor today if depo would be a good bc option for me and she said that patients tended to gain more weight while on it. I also asked about implanon and she said that could be a good option but she wanted me to try nuva ring first (hormones tend to stay centered in the pelvic area was my understanding). you only have to remember it once a month. If you want i'll let you know how my trial goes with the ring-as soon as i'm off the crazy-strong antibiotics and yeast infection i plan on starting (just don't want anything up there until then)