I'm sure many of you have a form of birth control that you love, and for those that swear by the Depo shot, 
you might be interested in learning that there's now a lower-hormone dose version called Depo SubQ Provera 104. It's still estrogen free, but instead of 400 mg of Medroxyprogesterone acetate (the hormone) per shot, it only contains 104mg (that's 31 percent less). You still need to go to your gynecologist every three months to get the shot, but it's just as effective as regular Depo-Provera. Even though it contains less hormones, it can still cause side effects such as weight gain, loss of calcium (which puts you at risk for osteoporosis), and irregular spotting. Also, a disadvantage with Depo SubQ Provera 104, just like with original Depo, is that it may take a while for you to become pregnant after discontinuing the shot (could take as much as one year or more).
This method would be great for someone looking for estrogen-free birth control, or for a woman who doesn't want to pop a pill every day. Unlike other methods of hormonal birth control, this isn't an option that's recommended for long-term use (more than two years), because of the loss of calcium it may cause. If this sounds like something you're interested in, I'd make an appointment to talk to your gyno.
Dimensione Danza
Suss
Modalu
I do want to try this. I had just gotten back on Depo after a few years off of it and on the Pill, and I swear they changed the formula or something. I've been bleeding for like 2 months straight. That never happened to me with Depo before.
1It sounds interesting, but I wouldn't want to try it because you just have to switch back to pills or some other form after the two years "because of the loss of calcium it may cause". So why bother getting painful shots when you just have to go through the ordeal of switching to something else so soon. I can see how someone who maybe...wants to get pregnant in two years, might want to try it though. It's really cool that there are more and more options out there though.
2I'm with Muirnea. Plus I'd rather spend five minutes at the pharmacy every month than have to go to the ob/gyn every three months. I'm also afraid of the shot because I've heard that if you do have some kind of bad side effect (like a rash or something, I don't know), then you have to wait the whole time until it wears off because you can't just remove it or stop taking it immediately like the patch/pill/ring.
I mean, I've never had any bad side effects like that (thankfully!) and I doubt that many people really do, but I'm just a little paranoid.
3That said, everybody is different and works with different things, so if you're less paranoid than me (lol), then I bet it'd be worth a shot! (no pun intended, but now that it's there I kind of like it
)
4Hmm. The bone loss will keep me off of this forever. If they found a way to negate that, I'd be on this as soon as possible.
5Where do I begin on how this has totally damaged my body? I was put on it at age 16 following a condom slipping off and subsequent paranoia about getting pregnant. The doctor was VERY insistent that I go on depo provera (not a pill, girls forget to take pills... apparently) and so I did until late 2004 when a nurse took me off it. She told me that my bones were at risk if not already damaged by the shots and that new research has shown it is not safe to administer for more than 2 years. I'd been on it for 4.
After I came off the shot I had no periods until mid-2005 when I started bleeding and did not stop until 2006! One continuous period. This really interferes with your sex, social and work lives as you are bleeding ALL the time. Horrible!! It made me pretty anemic too, duh.
When I came off the shot I immediately lost the 2.5 stone I had gained whilst being on it, showing that it wasn't inactivity or my diet which had caused the weight gain. It was the shot.
My moods whilst on the shot sank to suicidal and I was on anti-depressants for about 3 out of the 4 years I was on the shot.
Oh, and my sex drive reduced to nothing. I'd quite happily go for months without having sex and I had long term boyfriends the whole time I was on the shot.
Ah, and my doctor isn't sure if I'll ever have kids. Nevermind the "year for fertility to return"... mine may never come back. This wasn't an issue before but now I'm 24 I am starting to think about children within the next 5 years. This may not be a possibility for me.
I think you'd have to be crazy given all of the horror websites and evidence AGAINST the shot to even go and get the first one. It completely messes up your body and I've never come across anybody on it who has had a good experience from start to pregnancy.
6I think depo was what my sister went on. She is very prone to depression anyways and tried to commit suicide a few times when she was younger. The doctor did not even mention the risk of it increasing her depression to her! She was severely depressed for the 3 months that she was on it, even though she was on antidepressants. So don't go on this if you already suffer from depression! It pisses me off when doctors do not do their jobs properly.
7both times that i tried depo, it made me moody & angry all. the. time. & my sex drive disappeared. i don't know if i'd even try the lower dose version, it wouldn't be worth running the risk of feeling horrible like that again. i guess if you were already on depo & liked it, this would be a good option.
8Oh! By the way. They give depo to sex offender prisoners to lower their sex drives. The loss of libido shouldn't be a mystery. O.o
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