Women on Depo - please read

[g8ergal83]

Hi,

I am on the birth control Depo and I've probably been on it for about 4 years so I no longer get a period. I haven't even had the slightest spotting for at least 3 years. Nothing. Until Monday morning. Sunday night I was real sick, throwing up, etc., and I still dont feel good. Yesterday was the last time I ate anything since Sunday afternoon and all I ate was one of those small side salads from Wendys. I woke up this morning and felt sick all over again. (I'm giving a background on this because it may be relevant.) Anyway, Monday morning I peed and I saw a tiny bit of spotting. It happened again yesterday and today. I usually just go once in the am and then after I get home from work, so I dont know if it happened just once each day or if it was throughout the day, but it was only a tiny bit each time so I"m not sure. Monday and Tuesday I stayed home from work because I felt so sick, but on Tuesday when I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription to ease my stomach spasms, the pharmacist asked if I was expecting. I said no, but just because she said that and that's the first thing my bf and I thought of too, I bought one and took it, and it was negative. (Thank God). I still have one left so I think i'll take it tomorrow (just to give it a few days in between to mabye show some sign). Im wondering though if anyone who has been on Depo for a while without ever seeing any signs of a period or spotting, has ever just seen spotting as a freak thing or if it is going to lead to something. I had my annual a month ago and all the results came back fine. No STDs, no abnormal pap, no nothing. I've looked all over webmd and other sites for any inkling of information but I cant find anything about getting a period when you dont normally get one, its all the other way around. ..... Does anyone think this spotting of mine is serious or just something that happens? Please answer quickly, I'm kind of nervous about it. Thanks.

[TinyDancer]

If I were you, I'd schedule another appt. with my GYN or a nurse practicioner to talk it over. Everyone's bodies are so different when it comes to bc. . . any answers you get here may or may not apply to you.

I have been known to spot occassionally in the past. . . but then again, I've never been on depo. . . so I'm not sure if that means much. It's a side effect of some of the bc I've been on. . . and sometimes when you're getting started using bc, this can be an issue.

I think a doctor will be the most sure fire way of calming your fears. . . good luck!

[asm198]

When I was on depo, I would get breakthrough periods near the time that I was due for my next shot. I didn't get abnormally 'period sick' (I have painful, violent periods anyway), but it was kind of similar to what you are talking about. I talked to my doctor and she suggested that we move my shot date up a week, which fixed the problem. Are you due for your next shot soon?

[pisces2473]

I really think you should put a call into your dr. Good luck, and feel better!

[g8ergal83]

Thanks everyone. I'm not due for my shot until the end of September, which is also kind of weird, but I have decided to call my dr. on Monday. (They're closed Fridays!) I'm REALLY hoping she'll say its just stress on my body from being sick, but there's always that extra little % that is going to keep me on edge until I have an appointment.

[pisces2473]

There's no one on call!?!?!:eek:

[Isadora]

Spotting is a common side effect of Depo. It is not a cause for immediate alarm unless you are hemorrhaging. Fret not for now.

Depo was a deal breaker for me the first time I tried it. I got the shot at Planned Parenthood. Less than a minute later I fainted for the first and only time in my life. Thank *** I brought a friend who was able to drive me home. I have had routine vaccinations and shots before and since. Nothing has ever affected me like that one shot did. I bled for about a month afterward, and switched back to the Pill.

I think it's very dangerous stuff. If you're OK with being on hormonal birth control, then might I suggest the NuvaRing? It has been effective for me for about 2 years now. I'm in a battle with my insurance company for an IUD, in the meantime, though, I think about the NuvaRing exactly twice a month - when I put it in, and when I take it out 3 weeks later. My partner cannot feel it during intercourse in general, and if it bothered him or me, it can be taken out during intercourse and reinserted safely within a 3-hour span without any loss of effectiveness. I can't feel it at all when I'm going about a normal day. It's great, and has the lowest dose of hormones available on the market of any hormonal method. My periods are normal and regular. I do get PMS symptoms shortly before that are more severe than I expected, but that can be explained by normal variations and my naturally high level of stress.

www.nuvaring.com can tell you more.

I wonder, though, if dehydration may be affecting you? It is unusual to urinate only twice a day. Do you drink enough water?

And what are you taking for your stomach spasms? Are they cramps, or are they caused by another condition?

Please consider an alternate method of birth control. I have several uncommon allergies, so it may have been an isolated thing related to me being allergic to something in the preparation, but most women I know who have been administered Depo are unhappy with it in the long term.

Definitely talk to your doctor or your clinician. I think you can turn off the alarm bells for now, but if something changes rapidly, particularly severe bleeding, call your doctor immediately or visit the ER. Also, look on your insurance card (if you are insured) to see if there is an 800 number for an on-call nurse. Mine has one available 24/7/365. The one time I called (for possible food poisoning) it was addressed rapidly.

Lastly, leave a message on your doctor's voice mail. You should get a response if you explain your concerns. There isn't a doctor on the planet who wants to be slapped with a malpractice suit for something that results from failure to return an urgent call to a patient with strong concerns.

I hope this helps. Be comforted that you are unlikely to be pregnant. Depo is effective... but there is probably a better and equally effective method out there for you.

Izzy

[asm198]

I don't think that depo is necessarily any worse than other forms of birth control. I had no issues and none of the women I know who use it as birth control have had any issues, either. It just depends on the person, just like any other form of hormonal birth control.

Isadora, I'm kind of surprised that you think depo is dangerous, but are willing to get an IUD. I know two people who have/had it. One had serious complications and the other hasn't really been happy with it. From what they've both said, it seems like more pain and trouble than it's worth.

[awhitmer83]

I've been on Depo for 9 years, and will be switching to something else next month when my injection is due. No one ever mentioned to me the possibility of bone density loss - now I think there is a statement in the product information, but there wasn't nine years ago. Plus I never actually see the papers because I get my shot in the OB-GYN's office. Anyway, I had a bone density scan last month and I have lost significant bone density - I will need to take a calcium supplement from now on. Also, the Depo has pulled calcium out of my teeth - I have never even had a cavity, and I'm now starting dental work to fix 17 teeth that are brittle and crumbling. The dentist said I'm not the first longtime Depo user to have this kind of problem.

Other than those issues, Depo has been wonderful for me. I love not having a period (I used to spot sometimes before my next shot was due, to answer the OP) and I'm glad I don't have to remember to take a pill every day. I have gained weight, but it's just normal age-related weight gain. I don't know what BC method I'm going to switch to, because my main issue is not wanting to have a period - mine were heavy, long, and horrible. I know there is a new pill on the market that suppresses menstruation, but it's not covered on my insurance.

I didn't mean to hijack the thread. It seems that for the people who do well on Depo, it's wonderful, and for the people who don't, it's horrible. Just like any other medication. I just urge Depo users to keep a close eye on your bones and teeth.