Today would have been the last day in my 2 week window for my next Depo Provera injection. I’ve been using Depo Provera as my primary birth control for about 6 years. I began receiving injections when I was 15 years old and now, at 21 I’ve decided to discontinue my injections. I’m starting this blog because I’m terrified. I casually googled Depo Provera when I first thought I might quit, wondering what to expect. I had no idea what terrible reactions some women have had. One person said, “I wouldn’t wish depo on my worst enemy. This drug ruined my life.” Others made statements to the effect that Depo should be illegal for what it’s done to so many women.
I’m hoping that the women who are active on the blogs and support groups I’ve found are the minority of Depo users. Someone who discontinues use of the drug and has a smooth, positive experience would have no reason to comment on it, right? So anyway, I’m here to share my experience as it happens and I’m hoping for the best.
I started taking Depo when I was 15 and I had my first trip to the gynecologist. I had just started dating my first serious boyfriend earlier that year and we were having sex regularly. This blog is not about my relationship history or my sex life, but I’m sharing this information as useful background data. Additionally, I’m not interested in your opinions about the choices that I’ve made throughout my life. I didn’t tell anyone (besides my boyfriend) that I was planning to begin taking birth control and I didn’t do any research into the drug before receiving my first injection. My only concerns were:
- How effective is it?
- Do I need to remember to take a pill every day? Because that isn’t likely.
- Is it reversible?
All of these questions were answered to my satisfaction, so I went for it. After about 2 cycles my mom found out that I was on birth control and was glad that I was taking the proper precautions. So far, my experience with Depo has been a good one.
Some of the more common negative side effects that I’ve read about in women who are still on Depo are:
- weight gain
- depression/anxiety
- headaches
I have definitely gained weight since my first Depo injection, but I don’t attribute it to the drug. At 15 years old I was a 5’5″, 105lb professional ballerina. I ate healthy and trained with my ballet company a minimum of 4 hours a day, 6 days a week in the off season and sometimes double that during performance season. Now, I’m 21 years old. 5’5″, 135lb ex-ballerina college student. I eat like a college student, I try to get about an hour of exercise 3-4 times a week (if studying permits) and I drink A LOT of soda and vanilla lattes. I don’t think Depo has been the primary culprit of my weight gain.
I have found that I’m a little moodier than I was before. But since beginning Depo I’ve aged 6 years, moved out of the comfort of my parents’ house, thrown myself into a double-major, tripple-minor degree course at UCLA, and started fending for myself financially. I think it might be the stress.
Finally, I’ve never been prone to headaches. That hasn’t changed much.
After reading about what it’s like to quit Depo, I’m a little apprehensive. However, I’m pretty confident that I’ll be okay. I’m a pretty tough person in general. I have a strong stomach (ex. when everyone else at a party get’s food poisoning, I feel fine), I have a rock-star immune system, and I lead a moderately healthy lifestyle (no smoking, very light recreational drug/alcohol use–hello, it’s college).
I’ve read that the key hormone used by Depo Provera is locked away in the fat stores of the body and until eradicated, you are not completely free of the drug. That’s cool. I’ve been looking for motivation to get back in shape anyway. (Not like my ballerina days, I realize that 105lbs is unhealthy for a person of my height at this age. I’d like to be at about 115 or 120lbs). I’ve also read that sweating a lot (saunas and steam rooms) while staying super hydrated will help flush it out. Finally, I’ve read that women have had some success with detox teas and herbs like dandelion root.
None of these suggestions sound outrageous or unhealthy. So I’m going to do it right, starting on day one. And we’ll all see how it turns out.
Like I mentioned above, I have a lot on my plate with school and work and whatever scraps of a social life I stumble upon. I won’t be blogging every day and I might even miss entire weeks. But all major milestones will be documented here. And follow my freshly made twitter feed for more frequent updates.
Done with Depo 