Contraceptive Injections? Any experience?

Hi all, firstly my apologies if this is in the wrong spot! I have posted a few times on belly belly before, but I still have no idea what I'm doing!

Basically I wanna know if there's anyone out there, or if you know of anyone who uses/has used the contraceptive injections? They're the injections you get every 12 weeks. i don't know what they're actually called.

I've got two kids now, I'm 25 years old, and I'm pretty much thinking I'm not going to have anymore children....? but don't wanna do anything too permanent, just incase! All I know about the injections is what my gp has told me. I'm usually on the pill. And I'm sick of it. So with the injections, GP has told me, you get them every 12 weeks. For about the first 3 months, my periods will be very irregular....... but eventually, after having the needles for a while, he said my period will just disappear completely??!! Sounds like bliss! But is this good? I was really worried when he told me, but he kept telling me it is absolutely normal whilst having these injections. I hate having periods, but not having them at all seems a little un natural.

And he also told me if I wanted to have more children, depending how long I'd been on the injections, it could take me about 2 years to fall pregnant. Which, at the moment, I'm not worried about. I'm 99% sure I don't want anymore kids.

I will do some googling on the subject, but wanted to post here first, as I'd rather some first, or even second hand experience. Anybody know of any other side effects? Weight loss/gain? Pain? Headaches? Anything?? I need help!

Thanks for any help in advance!

Julie.

me: 25years old
dh: 24years old
ds: almost 3years old
dd: 4 months old

Hey Julie, You will get a lot of posts on here with people who had very negative and bad experiences.

The injection is called Depo Provera, or Depo Ralavera (same thing) and yes you get an injection every 12 weeks.

I thought it was heaven! I never got any bleeding and no side effects.

However, it did take me 24 months to conceive, and I dont know if that is due to the injections, PCOS, My Dh's sperm or all of the above.

If you are almost certain you dont want any kids, then you may aswell give it a shot :)

Hi Danni, thanks very much for your reply... i didn't realise that was depo provera. I have heard of that before. Yeah well like you said, some people may have had negative experiences with it, but then there will be others, like yourself, who didn't. I guess like anything, it'll be different for everyone. I've been thinking about it for a while, so I guess I'm just better off to try it for myself. I've been on the pill on and off, since I was 16, so I'm a bit over it, and I guess I don't want to be on it for much longer. In a few years time, when we're absolutely positively sure that there'll be no more kids, then maybe we'll look into something permanent! Hopefully DH will have a vasectomy! But yeah, for now, no more period, that sounds great!!

Thanks again for your reply, at least if there's one person out there with a positive outcome, then it's incentive enough for me to try. Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy!

Julie.

I agree wtih Danni, you will hear both good and bad about it.

Julie, I had a depo injection 6 months post birth of #3. I found it didn't agree wtih me at all and I wished I didn't have it. I put on weight, then couldn't lose any weight at all. I had breakthrough bleeding on and off for the first month and then nothing for another 6 months. In the end I went back on the pill to get my periods back because I didn't know wether it was still effective or not.

My Dr recommended it to me as a trial for Implanon (the capsule in your arm that lasts for 3 years). He said if the depo agreed with me then I'd be a good candidate for it.

In the other hand I know of quite a few IRL that have it and they swear by it and have had no problems.

I have heard both sided too...

Recently my GF had depo for the first time & had major fluid retention.. went form a flat tummy to looking 6 months preggers overnight (a week after the injection)...

My aunty also developed ovarian cysts due to depo...

on a happier note.. my friend was on depo for about 9 years..... no probs.. but it did take her & her dh over a year to concieve... but sh is nearer to 40 than to 30 so it may not be due to depo....

It will be different for each person & if all else fails, try it & if you dont like it dont get any follow up jabs!!!!!

HTH

Thanks Mitch and Sherie. HHmmm.... now i'm thinking ovarian cysts? Fluid Retention? I'm so "fickle"? is that the word? Always changing my mind... not sure. I dunno, maybe will talk to dh a bit more, see what he reckons. Still have to do some googling too... see what my mate google reckons!

Thanks again guys... it all helps to make a more informed decision.

Julie.

A girlfriend of mine has breakthrough bleeding all the time, but is happy to stay on it as the pill is worse for her.

My mum has been taking depo for i cant even guess how long! Definitely over 10 years, she never bleeds and she thanks god for it every day :)

My little sister is 19 and has been taking it for 2 years and she occasionally gets a light period--probably every 3 months.

umm, so how about this ladies? Does anyone know of anyone who has ever become pregnant whilst having the injections? That's a question I didn't think to ask before. My GP told me it is more effective than the pill. He said the pill is about 95% effective, while the injections are about 97% effective.

No I dont know of anyone who has fallen pregnant. Ad Yes, Ive also heard its more effective than the pill :)

After the birth of #2 I had the injetions for nine months didn't get any break throu,wieght gain, or fuid retention.Didn't want to worry about remember to take the pill.
After I finnished BF I went back on the pill, went off the pill when she was 18 months to conceive # 3 ( got #3 & # 4) took 3 months to fall.
I had the impanon put in three weeks ago, one week after AF returned after the twins. This weekend got break throu so if it keeps happening I will go back on depo as we are sure we don't want any more children ( would love another but 4 is enough for us).

I haven't heard of any pregnancies while on it, but I was advised that it will work differently for every women, just like the pill does - like how you can fall pg right off the pill and others need time kwim? My dr did advise to have it bang on 3 months/12 weeks everytime so you knew you were covered.

Hi Julie...this is a good subject for me, my Dh and I were only talking about this the other day! I said to him that I would totally recomment depo to anyone (as long as it agrees with you!) BUT my doc neglected to tell me when he gave me my last shot that I mighn't conceive for up to 12 months! I love depo, it worked great for me, no periods at all....heaven. BUt now I am TTC it is taking longer than expected. So I would totally recommend it, especially if you are 99% sure you don't want anymore kids. I will go back on it once we have another bubba as I too don't really think I'll want anymore but don't want to do anything permanent just in case!!

Thanks everyone for all your help and input. I have decided I will try the injections, if it ain't for me, then I just won't get another one! Although I am a bit worried that after the first shot, it'll last 3 months, but hopefully it won't be too bad.

Thanks again!

hi jgibbo,
I was on the depro vera for about three years it took a good three months until my periods stopped but when they did I thought it was awesome. Regarding the side effects I had no weight gain or loss where as on the pill I gained weight and had breakouts of the face. With the depro vera there were no side effects for me at all.
However I was never told this until around three years which is why I discontinued use of the injection, that extended use of this type of contraception can cause thining and weakening of the bones (sorry dont know the name of it) and that regular bone checks should be done. This scared me and therefore I discontinued use.
It took my body just under a year to get my periods back and when they did return they were only very short but very very very painful where I never had period pain before. During this whole year of waiting for them to return my partner and I never used any contraception as we wanted to have children and thought if it was to happen then it would and that took a year.
I have spoken to many friends who have used the injection and most of them have had a bad experience with it such as heavy bleeding for continuous weeks, very bad period pains, there periods never disappeared and just got worse then before, others were very sick with migranes .
Hope this helps you I think it just depends on how long you want to be on the injection for and your future plans also on your own body as it never hurt me but other women it has. Goodluck and soory if this was just rambling and no help at all.

Hi Betty Boop 1, no it wasn't rambling at all! It was lots of help. I haven't ever heard of that before, about it causing problems with your bones. Must look into that a bit more before I do anything. And what I'm getting from everyone's replies, I guess, is that it's different for everybody, just like everything else. I originally went on the pill when I was 16, mainly to see if it would help with my really bad period pain, and it did. And everytime I've come off the pill, to conceive, I've had really bad period pains. So I guess with these injections, it could go either way. It could be like the pill, and stop my period pain, it could get rid of my period altogether, or it could give me some excruciating pain!! Alas, the woes of being a woman! Men have it so easy!

Anyways, it was a great help, thank you very much.

Julie

Please do your research on this before you go ahead with it. It is true how it effects different people, but it is linked to some very serious health issues. I am not sure how many others actually were made to read all the info before having it, but I was (for some reason it still appealed to me :rolleyes: )

I had depo provera 10 years ago, 2 weeks after having it I started bleeding (heavier than a normal period) and started putting on weight. (I was 58kg at the time) After a month of continuous bleeding my doctor started me on progesterone to try stop it, nothing happened, and the weight gain continued. Another month passed I was started on oestrogen, more weight gain, still bleeding., I was then started on a combination hormone tablet, nothing. Finally 9 months after the initial injection I was eventually started on a very high dose birth control pill and thankfully it finally stopped.

In this time I had gone from 58kg, very fit, and athletic to 90kg, suffering major depression and bearly able to get out of bed each day. I suffered (and continue to suffer) from anaemia requiring infusions. Luckily, it only took about 3 cycles to get my body back into cycle, and a further 3 months to loose 20kg, and other than the anaemia I haven't had any further ongoing health problems. (that I know of)

I know numerous women that have had the depo injection and loved it, many have continued to get it, a few have started off ok and months done the track experianced the same thing as me.

Please make sure you make an informed decision on this one.

Just in case you find you're not into having to go to the drs every 3 months, you could consider the implanon which you change every 3 years. As with any *drug* that is cosistently being placed into our system, you will find some women respond really well while others respond not quite so good. I had the implanon inserted 3 weeks after my last son was born - so have had it for just over a year now and i've not had any bleeding or even break through bleeding (I'm still bf too). Apparantly if you can take the mini pill than this will be ok too. I've not heard of any pregnancies and it's really quick to leave the system once it's out, only about one cycle.

oh far out! Thanks again to everyone for your info, it really does help. Although, now I'm just more confused than ever on what i should do! But that's ok, I don't want to rush into anything anyway, I'm gonna have to really do my homework on this one. I never thought about the implanon, thought that would be even worse than the injections... but now... hmmm, I dunno! lol.

Perhaps I shall just ask my dh if he's keen on abstinence.!!! hehehe... perhaps not.

Ok, thanks everyone.... if there are anymore women out there with stories to tell, I am still reading them keenly!

cya.

I'm another fan. The pill never agreed with me and I was on a low dose nayway, but the minpill was awful so I had the injections - LOVE them and I have had NO sideeffect. Yeah I get breakthrough bleeding a little bit, but hey it's better than constant migraines I used to get. My next one is due tomorrow but we're TTC so I'll let you know how long it takes for us. I'll definitley be having them again when I need them.
Good luck with your decision.