Anyone taking Depo-Provera...?

Kokome · 01-Mar-04, 09:57 PM

Anyone who is on the Depo-Provera contraceptive injections noticed any significant weight gain??
I have been on the Depo for almost 2 years now, and I have gained about 12 pounds, and it has become really hard to lose them... I know that one of its side effects is weight gain, and I wanted to know if its because it makes your metabolism slower or what
I'd like to hear from other women who are also on this contraceptive how their experience has been with weight gain/loss.

ajarvis · 02-Mar-04, 08:01 AM

I'm on depo and I gained a lot more than 12 pounds, about 25 -30. I don't know exactly what I weighed before I started taking it. I lost alot of it, but its very hard to keep off, especially at the beginning of the 12 weeks. I noticed that towards the end of the twelve weeks I'll be quite a bit smaller than at the beginning. It took a year for me to get the initial weight to start coming off but they say that it takes about a year for your body to get use to being on depo.

SurfinAmy · 02-Mar-04, 10:03 AM

I think you should get off the stuff altogether, it seems like it would totally throw your body out of whack.

Is it true you don't even menstruate on that stuff (that's what I heard)

-Amy

ajarvis · 02-Mar-04, 10:26 AM

Everybody is different for me this is great. It hasn't thrown my body out of whack. Whether or not you menstruate on it depends as well. I've known people that have, and it's been pretty continuous. For me I don't menstruate at all, and I love that

: For me it's great but it's definelty not for everyone!

Kokome · 02-Mar-04, 10:32 AM

What have you been doing to try and lose the weight? Was your weight gain a fast one or a gradual one? Did your diet pretty much stay the same?
I've been working out for about 3 weeks now, TRYING to follow a strict diet, and I have seen almost no change. I added 15 pounds yesterday to my 25 pound barbell to see if now there is any change. What do you do??
I've been thinking of switching to pills but they tell me that the weight gain with them is worse...

ajarvis · 02-Mar-04, 10:38 AM

My weight gain was over a 6 month period. Once I started running I lost about 23 lbs. In the beginning I didn't even change what I ate. But as I kept working out I slowly changed my eating and lost weight a lot faster. Once it started coming off it only took 4 or 5 weeks or so to lose the 23 lbs. Since then I've put on some muscle weight, and still have some BF to lose although I'm not too worried about it.

As for the pill I have never tried it but have heard that you can gain quite a bit on it.

Kokome · 02-Mar-04, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurfinAmy

I think you should get off the stuff altogether, it seems like it would totally throw your body out of whack.

Is it true you don't even menstruate on that stuff (that's what I heard)

-Amy

It's different for everyone, I used to have continous spotting for like the first year, after that it just stopped and only happens every 3 months or so(the time a Depo dosage lasts in your body)... I am a little wary of what it might do to my body, but so far as a contraceptive, it's the greatest thing

except for the weight gain!

Kokome · 02-Mar-04, 10:43 AM

Has it been hard to keep it off?
Do you continously work out to maintain the weight you're at? and how hard do you work out, like how many times a week do you run and stuff?

ajarvis · 02-Mar-04, 10:48 AM

I don't think it's been too hard to keep off, but I work out every week so it's hard to tell. I try to work out at least 4 days a week. With my schedule it's very hard. I run at least 3 days a week, and do at least 1 day of weights a full body workout. If I can workout out 5 days then I do two days of lifting. My runs vary, right now I'm doing a half marathon training schedule which consists of 1 long run and 2 shorter runs. On the two shorter runs I increase the intensity.

DrWahoo · 02-Mar-04, 08:49 PM

Well depo does increases your appetiete(?) because your body is tricked into thinking that you are pregnant.

If you eat fast food, then forget it. Those pounds are piling on.

ajarvis · 03-Mar-04, 07:55 AM

I didn't notice an appetite increase but I've always had a large appetite

If you are thinking about going on Depo though make sure to talk to a doctor who knows what they're talking about. The first year I was on it I thought I knew about it until I went to a different doctor and told me all kinds of stuff the other one didn't.

Kokome · 04-Mar-04, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajarvis

I didn't notice an appetite increase but I've always had a large appetite

If you are thinking about going on Depo though make sure to talk to a doctor who knows what they're talking about. The first year I was on it I thought I knew about it until I went to a different doctor and told me all kinds of stuff the other one didn't.

What kind of stuff did he tell you? :confused:

ajarvis · 05-Mar-04, 07:37 AM

Things like depo can cause bone loss if you don't drink enough milk eat yogurt etc. I can make asthma flare up, increases appetite. A few other things I can't really remember for sure when I was told I've been on it for 2 and a half years now.

**Lady C** · 05-Mar-04, 08:58 AM

As with most estrogen blockers it tends to make you retain more water. I recently went off of the pill and IMMEDIATELY dropped 2% of my scale weight. When I was younger it was more like 4% scale weight water retention.

ajarvis · 05-Mar-04, 09:10 AM

Studys have shown that weight gain is an average of 8 pounds over two years. I gained more than that but I've lost most of it.