Has anyone done the depo shot and lost weight after going off it?

[SugarNSpice8104]

This is a personal question, and I realize that so please no flaming me. If you don't want to answer then thats fine, but I have been on this shot for almost 4 years. I have gained 45 lbs since I started it and I can not get the weight off. Tomorrow (7-15-2008) is supposed to be my next shot and I am not getting it. I was wondering if anyone has ever been on this shot and after going off of it has lost weight. My next cruise is in March 09, and I want the extra lbs gone. I watch what I eat and I excercise but I just can't lose. I know it is the shot that has made me gain. Up until the shot I was always around 125. Now I am 170 and very frustrated. Anyone with experience with this it would be great to hear from you. I tried looking for research on-line but I couldn't really find any specifics about weight loss after the fact. Thanks for anyone that can help me. I really appreciate it.

[smoothdancer]

I am sorry I cannot help, but can you tell me what is the purpose of this shot to begin with? Is it safe for you not to have this shot after 4 years?

[SugarNSpice8104]

It is a form of birth control and I have had a lot of the side effects but the weight gain is what is really bothering me. Hopefully since I am due tomorrow the side effects will start wearing off and I can lose a few lbs. I guess we'll see.

[smoothdancer]

Oh. LOL!! Since hitting menapause a few years ago, these things such as birth control are not on my mind!!

 

I have always viewed weight loss on simple terms... Simply determine the amount of calories to maintain and then reduce that... If you burn up or take in less calories that you need, you have to loose. The weight you gained was substancial (hope not offending you) and I dont know that it is possible for all of that to come from a drug, although for your sake, I hope it is.

 

What I can say is that during the menapause process I did put on a lot of weight, and it came off very slowly but by sticking with lower caories if all did come off and then some.

[SugarNSpice8104]

Definitly not offending me, I know its alot to gain. I do think it is from the drug because thats when it started and I read from other people's blogs that some gained from 50-70 lbs on it. I have cut calories (weight watchers) I'm going to keep trying. It has to come off sometime I guess. One day at a time.

[Kudos2Fly]

I'm not on birth control and I'm glad I don't need to be.. I don't like taking any kind of drug. But I know when I was taking the "pill" for a short time years ago.. Weight gain was an side effect, but I wasn't on it long enough to see any gain in weight..

 

But I believe any drug you take has side effects.. So I would think if you got off it you would lose the weight... Good Luck.

[marshabear]

I have been on this medication and had the same problem...excessive weight gain...my daughter also had this...

 

the weight WILL come off once you stop this med but it does take time...

 

since your cruise is next spring, there is a good chance you will be down several pounds by then...but it takes much more time to lose that weight than it took to put it on...

 

good luck and there will be light at the end of the tunnel!! :)

 

Marsha

[SugarNSpice8104]

Thanks for the info. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I have been off of it for one week, and on that same day I started weight watchers. Weighed myself this morning and down 3.5 lbs in one week. Now I just gotta keep it up.

[travel_gal123]

Not that I am grasping at straws or looking for an excuse as to why I have let myself go and currently weigh in more than I ever have in my life, BUT, I am wondering if all birth control has the same effect on you and your weight.

My Dr. put me on Fem Con which is said is one of the strongest forms of birth control. I have gained 15 pounds in 3 months since he put me on it. I have blamed most of it on the fact that it was summer and I was home more.

However, could there be more to my rapid weight gain?

[SugarNSpice8104]

You should definitly do a search on the internet. I just went to search and typed in the name of my birth control, and there were blogs on top of blogs with people complaining of side effects. I have been having headaches or a while now and just brushed them off, come to find out, thats a side effect. I got in a car accident almost 4 years ago, and I am always sore. Come to find out my bc tightens muscles and can make you cramp up. I would definitly do some research on it before you stay on it longer. I wish I had.

[annielongo]

I was on it for a few years. Major draw backs were the emotional mood swings and weight gain not to mention feeling just plain crazy!. I dont remember how much i gained since it has been 6 yrs since i got off. At the time i did the Atkins thing and lost alot of weight! I wish you luck. Maybe you can see your regular Dr and get a perscription for weight loss pills. Mine worked with me recently but i was only alowed 2 months since i was not extremly over weight.

[SugarNSpice8104]

Did the pills work? What are they called.

[ash4020]

My best friend was on the shot. She gained 30. She was 130ish before and now is 160ish. She's off of it now, but hasn't made an effort to lose the weight yet. However, she is not gaining like she was while on the shot. I think that the weight DOES come off, but she isn't in a place in her life right now where losing weight is the most important thing. She tried for two or three weeks, and lost 5 or 6 pounds pretty easy. This was about 2 months after stopping the shot.

[Crockett]

I was on the shot for 8 years. My last injection was in Nov. and I decided to stop. I still havent gotten my period yet. I read that it takes 6 months to 18 months to get your period. Funny thing is, I still get cramps, bloating,sore breasts, headaches. I was in the 130s now I am in the 160s. I think any kind of hormonal bc ruins your body and metabolism. It worked for me but now I realize it did do damage to my body and bones. (bone loss)

[lincolndog]

I know this sounds awful but I was so glad to see others that have gained weight on the shot. I thought I was making excuses for myself. Have not changed my eating habits but have been on shot for 9 years and steadily gain. Gained 45 pds since I started. I have tried dieting with no success. Today began taking ALLI. Please let me know how the weight goes after going off.

[SugarNSpice8104]

Back in Feb I started alli (still on shot at the time) I lost 10 lbs in the first week. Shortly after my weight stood still. Then when I went on my cruise in march i said no way was i taking the alli. I was taking a break from dieting on m y cruise and never got back on track. I just started alli again yesterday. If you buy it on ebay you'll get a good deal. I couldn't afford to keep buying it in the store. Just make sure on ebay that what you are buying is brand new with the seal. I paid $25 including shipping for a bottle of 90 pills. Not bad. We'll see how things go this week. Last week did not lose, but I didn't gain either.

[Blonde69]

Hello everyone,

 

I was on depo for about 4.5 years - I stopped in 2006. I was on depo to treat endometriosis. It is known to cause osteoporosis (sp?) and bone lost that's why my doctor stopped it. I did have a bone scan and the results were normal hadn't done any damage yet. But I did gain a substantial amount of weight while on it - I think at my heaviest 162. And I was always skinny size 3/4 or 5/6 - now looking at size 10/12. Anyway I believe you can loose once off of it, but I think with any BC it causes weight gain. Now, I'm on the Seasonale (still treating endometriosis). I found that when I was on the depo I was always hungry and never full and same is happening with the seasonale. I had lost a good 20lbs last year but now it's come back and I'm trying to loose again before my cruise in June 2009.