Quick question...

[teri-lynn.livejournal.com]

My sister is in a shelter(long story, ask me later.) and the doctors said she needed to be on birth control. So they put her on Depo. Her BMI is 41, and she's 15. She's also had a looong history of suicide attempts and depression. I think they shouldn't have put her on it, and that she's not safe on it. My mom is going to call her gyno to get her opinion, but does anyone here have any advice?

Comments

[nirbhao.livejournal.com]

whether she should be on it is a moot point now, and arguing about it isn't going to do her any good. I think the focus should be on how to keep her healthy now that she is on it-- at least for the next three months.

[lady-leonore.livejournal.com]

if she has already had the shot, all you can do is wait it out really. however, with her history of depression and suicide attempts, depo should have been contraindicated. that said, they probably chose it because she is so young, and remembering a pill everyday can be hard at times and because of her BMI they have to watch the dosage no matter what they put her on. its probably best that she try to take as good care of herself as she can and at the end of the three months, if she wants, discuss a different form of bc with her doctor.

[ilikemytie.livejournal.com]

if she's already on the shot, maybe there is something else they can get her on to counter the depression. I am not a fan of medication, but I am also not a fan of depression and suicide. The main thing is to be with her, especially when she is feeling down.

[moochar.livejournal.com]

I'm a dorky psych major & I work at a mental health clinic, so I'm just wondering something. This shelter she is in, is it a mental health facility or just some other type of housing? And why do they feel she needs to be on BC, because she is sexually active or for a medical condition?

I have a depressive disorder & take antidepressants. When I was on depo it basically made things worse again, as if I weren't on the pills I had been doing well on for years. Of course it's different for everyone, so she may not have a problem like I did but depo can cause depression issues in people &, I could be wrong, but I believe I even read that people with a history of depression shouldn't be on depo.

[teri-lynn.livejournal.com]

Due to her past history, they felt it'd be better if she was on BC. Apparently she has a history of lots of unprotected sex(with older men). As far as the depression thing goes, I've heard exactly what you have. She has had a long mental history, so feel free to ask.

[moochar.livejournal.com]

Well another thing I wanted to ask is about this place she is in. Is it to stabalize her mood/depression problems? I know this won't make you feel better, but if it is they are usually very good about keeping the clients safe. I myself work in the stabalization unit of a mental health clinic, which means we get in people who have just attempted to harm themselves or are having serious med problems & need to be, well, stable. So I knoew first hand that there are many safety precautions they take to keep everyone safe, so while she is there I wouldn't worry about her atempting to harm herself.

Was this depo her choice? I'm guessing they went with Depo because it would require no real effore from her, like a pill or patch does. Plus the patch is suppose to be less effective in women who weight over 198, & while I don't know alot about BMI 41 sounds very high for a 15 year old, so I'm guessing your sister is over that weight category. And if she is having unprotected sex, while it would be great if they could get her to use condoms because of the STD risk, a pregnancy at this time would be very bad for her & her condition.

Truth is that depo COULD effect her depression. However, if the doctors are also treating her depression/mood conditions there is a good chance everything will be alright. I'm sure if I had went back in when I was on depo & got my meds adjusted I would have been fine also. Just make sure she is being treated for her other issues as well because obviously they are very important & make sure that when she does leave this shelter she stays on her medication.

I don't know how much help I can be, but if you were to have any questions about any disorder she has been diagnoised with, I may be able to give you some info if you & your mom need it. Hope your sister does well.

[jeun.livejournal.com]

I would not pry too much, though. I'm inclined to believe that doctors usually know what they're doing, and that I would be annoyed if my family tried butting in on my birth control meds. Though, yes, she is fifteen, so I don't know...

[catlin.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Dr's screw up so many times, especially if she is low income. They just get worn out, and care more about keeping her from being pregnant than her mental state, or no one told the dr that gave her the shot she was depressed.

Watch her close if you can. See if you can get them to send her to her own dr, or won that knows her condition better.

[robinhoodvandal.livejournal.com]

my doctor didn't tell me depo could cause depression even when I specifically asked.

[jeun.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, but it should be known that any hormone treatment has the potential of affecting your emotional state.

[robinhoodvandal.livejournal.com]

yes, but depo is known to be particularly bad when it happens. And the fact that it is 3 months wihtout the possibility of going off of it should have caused them to caution me against it. At the very least it should be recomended thaat people with histories of severe depression and especially suicide attempts should try a pregestin only pill before trying depo as a pil can be stopped with a days notice. I had never had any trouble with birth conrolo before (all combo pills) and had no idea that it could cause such horrible depression. Far worse than the depression itself though is that it caused mixed episodes of the sort that I have never in my life experienced before or since (I am bipolar. mixed episodes are times wiht the energy and sleeplessness of mania, but the hopelessness and self hatred of depression: a very very bad combination that makes suicide attempts extremely likely) .
Keep in mind that in people who get severely depressed on depo, a possible side effect is potentialy death.
It is extremely irrespnsible for a doctor to not mention it, especially if they already know the patient's mental health history.

Depo Provera is BAAAAAAAAD news for depression

[ouzel.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'd recommend something like Nuva Ring or the patch, but I speak from experience on this -- DEPO IS EEEEEEEEEVILLL stuff.

-Ouzel-

Re: Depo Provera is BAAAAAAAAD news for depression

[blue-art.livejournal.com]

i second that. i was on depo for about 9 months (3 shots) and not only did i gain like a millllion pounds and get severely depressed but i also had dull cramps allll the timmmee.

if she cant remember to take something every day (i cant either) i def. suggest the patch (which i am on now and love)

also, she needs to get tested for STDS a lot, especially if she isnt using condoms.....

[lovelacegrrrl.livejournal.com]

Just keep an eye on her after she leaves the shelter. I suffer from depression and Depo in my case made things astronomically worse.
Maybe recommend condoms to prevent STDs and a low dose bc like the patch or ring and make sure she takes her other meds like she's supposed to.

[robinhoodvandal.livejournal.com]

Depo does have a history of cause problems in people with a history of depression especially complicated and hard to treat depression. I know several people who have had horrible experiences with depo and depression or other mental illnesses, but I also know people with serious depression issues who do very well on it.
I would watch her very closely adn note any signs of a change in her moods, the way she talks about the future, if she is indulging in more suicidal ideology than usual (geez that made it sound like a tub of ben and jerry's heh).
I'm bipolar and for me, depo played a part in sending me into one hell of a depressive/mixed episode. It wasn't the only factor however as I was also recovering from mono and about to graduate from college. I ende dup in the hospital after a suicide atempt and ended up talking about the effect of depo with several other women. One other person thought it played a role in her moods worsening, but two others thought it actually helped stabilize them. ANyway, my point is just that it really depends on the person.
I would make very sure that all of your sister's doctors know that she is on depo and that there is the potential for it to cause depression, so that they can be alert for it. You might also try and help her eliminate as many other stressors as possible (though I realize that is way easier said than done).
I'm not sure what your sisters situation is but if she has unipolar depression (not bipolar) and is on meds, an increse in meds may be sufficient to counter any depressive side effects if they occur. If she is bipolar, however, a change in meds may be a lot more sticky of a situation.
I wouldn't expect anything really aweful though. MOst people on depo have few side effects and I actually lost weight. I think my experience was due to a combination of things of which depo was apart but certianly not the entire cause.
Being aware that depression is a potential side effect already puts you and her ahead of the game.

anyway, long story short: if she hasn't actually had the shot yet, I reeeeeeaaaally wouldn't risk it. But if she has already had it, it's not garanteed to cause depression and if it does it is somethign that should be able to be managed if you approach it carefully.
DOes she have a therapist? Maybe she and her therapist (and perhaps you could have some joint sessions as a family or something) could come up with ways of dealing with problems that may arise before they actually become problems. Being prepared can really go a long way toward making things seem managable when depression is really bad. It would definitly help for you all to at least be on the same page as a family in terms of how to deal with this situation...
wow this ended up being a really long, rambling, often off topic, and not very helpful reply... I'm sorry about that...