Hi! I would like to share MY DEPO-PROVERA HORROR story with you. In 8 months i gained 50 lbs!!!! That is why i have to go back on atkins in the first place! I weighed around 160, went on atkins lost 20 in a month, then went on the Depo shot and 8 months later im 5 sizes bigger!! It's awful! And humiliating! Get off the shot immediately! I stopped bleeding the whole time and i've been off the shot for 8 months now and i STILL have NOT gotten a period! Please listen to me. The shot is not worth it! It is like a disease. I hope they take it off the market someday.

Well, I am now 2 weeks past the date I was supposed to get my last Depo shot. So far, no change. I am still spotting, as I have been for about 8 weeks, and no change on the scale.

I've gotten back to NordicTrak and weight training, but still no results. I guess I'll just have to be patient. I've beenon this stuff for over 4 years, so I'm thinking that it will be 200 days from my last shot (105 days ago) until I am "free".

I'm also considering going back to very strict induction, but have heard people here refer to a "fat fast". What is that???

Jeannie

Yes,

I too gain weight on that stupid shot. I was too skinny but still. It really raised havoc with my body. But since this is not a depo board I will not get into my horror story. However, I can say my shot was in March and my body and hormones still are not 100 Percent back to normal.

Hoping for the best for you
Kelly Ann

I started LCing 1/01/2002. I lost 8 pounds between that date and 1/24/2002. I then got my first Depo Provera shot ever. It is now 3/08/2002, and I have gained 2 pounds since my shot while LCing the same way I was doing during the first few weeks of January. It is obvious to me that Depo is the cause for not only my weight loss stall, but my 2-pound weight gain. No more shots for me!

I started Depo when I was 16 years old, over the next seven years I gained a total of 55 lbs. This is NOT because of Depo but because I got lazy and drank WAY too much beer in college. When I graduated, I moved to Florida for a job and proceeded to lose 20 lbs because of increased activity. When I moved back to Texas, I decided to do LC and started in December of 2001. Now I've lost another 20 lbs and I'm working on that last 10 or so. I know Depo has different affects on different people, but it has been a Godsend for me. I haven't seen TOM in seven years and my doctor says that without it I would've had a hysterectomy by now because of cancer in the family. Birth control is just an added bonus for me. I would reccomend that everyone having a problem talk to thier doctors before poo-pooing Depo, many doctors (including mine) reccomend the LC WOE now. (In fact, I had no idea about LC until my family practitioner suggested it.) I enjoy the diet and the shot and believe that they are the way to go for me. YMMV... I get a thourough check up every year due to the nature of my job and I have wonderful choloesteral, great blood pressure, healthy bones, and no side effects due to either besides migranes, which I had before I started. If your having a problem, re-examine your induction method and READ THE BOOKS! My mother is LCing now and I can't get her to read the books, she just copies what I do, well I'm in pre-maintenance and she can't figure out why she won't lose weight. She eats the candy bars or LC ice cream at least once a day. Everyone who has read the books knows that you have to be extremely strict on induction, just because it has low carbs doesn't mean its good for induction. Sorry, I'm ranting. Anyway, talk to your doctor and keep a journal of what you are eating, I'll bet that Depo isn't to blame in most cases. And if anyone has a decent LC recipe for chicken fried steak and gravy PLEASE email it to me; you can't live in Texas and not eat that stuff!
Mandye_99~hotmail.com
Gig 'em aggies!

I have been stalled for weeks on end, first, back in November through the very beggining of January and again after that whoosh. Now, I did not get my depo until near the end of January, after the Depo is when I actually finally lost weight. Since then I am back in a stall, this is the way my body works. I thoroughly believe he DEPO had nothing to do with it. I have not gained any weight during LCing and having the Depo also. I do not blame it for my stalling as I actually lost during the first month after my depo shot. But everybody is different. But, I still believe that it is what we eat and how much that will cause the weight gain and nothing else......

Cindy

I have always found that a stall occurs if I have added something new to my diet and didn't realize there were hidden carbs in it.

Hormones play a huge part of the weight game! BUT, that is usually only a temporary gain/loss.

Hidden carbs are the cause for most gains and stalls that I have experienced.

Read your labels. Also, some veggies are way high in carbs because they are "sweet" Carrots are a veggie I won't get near with a 10 foot pole, onions are another (full of sugar), green peppers are a bit higher too! Just think 1 cup of tomato juice has 10.4 grams of carbohydrates!

I too gained weight on Depo, 50lbs in 8 months. It took about 4 months after I got off the shot before my body would lose weight normally again. It was about 6 or 7 months before I got my period back after I went off it. I've been off of it for a year and my body is FINALLY starting to get back to normal again, hormonally anyway.

Well, this is an interesting thread.

I have used depo four or five times, most recently in December last year - but never again. I'm pretty sure that depo was responsible for stalling me quite seriously around February. I had tried Atkins before with great success and was determined not to give up. Finally, after about five weeks (and this was from the time the shot was no loner effective as a contraceptive), the pounds really started to shift. I should point out that I also had a minor candida issue aound this time, and I know yeast can stall weight loss.

The other really crap side to my experience with depo is that my libido has almost entirely vanished, so it is a very effective contraceptive! LOL! Pity it's still working in the lack of libido sense. Can't wait for it to wear off, my poor man!

Anyway, generally speaking, I'd steer clear of depo. From what I've read online, it seems to be a bit of a risky horror, with who knows what effects with long-term use. One of the most disturbing things I read is that 'provera' is a big part of the chemical castration shots given to sex offenders. Nasty stuff!

I have been using Depo Provera consistently for over 10 years. The only problem I have had with it is weight gain. I can blame half of it on the Depo and half on my previous life style (couch potato and beer drinking). I gained about 10 pounds a year from the combination of the two.

Now that I am lowcarbing, I have not had any stalls or problems losing weight whatsoever. I am happy to say I have lost 35 pounds over the last 2 months. So, just for the record, it is possible to lose weight with no problems while taking Depo Provera. I also take two allergy medicines too with no problems losing so far.

Since not getting the shot i was supposed to get in March, I have gained 8 pounds and nothing i do will make it come off--low carbs, no carbs, nothing. i also lost a lot of hair. right now, i'm eating 1000 calories a day and have lost 2 pounds.

depo is a monstrous drug. the manufacturer--Pharmacia Upjohn--should be punished severely.

I was not on anything lc when I was on depo, but I would not recommend it to ANY woman for bc! I was on it for 18 months, & gained weight being on it. The worse side effect was the one where it said about decreasing libido..it killed mine! Why be on bc if you don't want to do anything to get pg?! My friend got pg while on it,another's hair starting coming out,and another is struggling with her weight almost a yr. after stopping it. Anyone considering using depo,please and read ALL the possible side effects on it, then make up your mind.Keep at it...~ciao

I love Depo!
I have not had a period since i have been on it (about a year) and to me, that makes it worthwhile!!

I am still waiting to see, though, if it will affect me losing weight. I certainly didnt gain weight due to taking Depo. I've been on Atkins 2 weeks and have lost 8 pounds... i know it's not the most dramatic weight loss, but it's something.... if i find myself doing the diet perfectly, exercising and not losing weight, then i might have to think it could be the Depo and i might have to go off it.

I cant face the thought of having periods again.. that is really depressing.

I've been taking the depo shot since august 2001, and i haven't had any of the side effects. I did gain some weight after i joined the gym bcos i started eating more. I started watching my weight over 3 months ago and initially lost 10lbs then stalled and after having been on atkins for nearly 2 weeks , i have lost an additional 8lbs. Not everyone has the side effects but it's good to be fully informed about them.

one question- i'm having what i call fanthom TOM, I have gained back 3lbs over the weekend and i have not cheated at all, especially since i'm still in the induction phase. Could this really be water retention? Could i take a duiretic? Thanks in advance.

Drink extra water if you feel bloated. That usually does the trick for me, the next day bloating is usually gone.