I got the shot January 16th 2013. A couple weeks later my mood had shifted for the worst. I began to be extremely emotional, have irrational thoughts, cry for no reason, get mad at little things, sometimes get paranoid, depressed, and a few times I've had emotional breakdowns where I just yell and nothing makes sense in my head. Sometimes I feel like I can't even control my thoughts or make rational decisions. It doesn't help that my boyfriend since December has to bear the brunt of it because I feel like this shot is hurting our relationship. Has this happened to anyone else? I feel like I'm losing my mind and theres nothing I can do about it. Some please tell me I'm not alone in these side effects.
Provera - How Long does it take for the Depo Shot to get out of the system?
Question posted by cabanna531 on 28 Feb 2013
Last updated on 15 November 2019 by iamivyjr
Added 28 Feb 2013:
This shot is making my life a nightmare and i will never get this shot again.
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
46 Answers Page 2
iamivyjr
24 Dec 2016
No u r nt alone I recently got the shot September 29,2016 n ever since then I've been experiencing so much my mood is bad it's in and out kind of like bipolar I have increased anxiety fatigue n if I don't eat around a certain amount of hrs I feel like I'm dying n it's caused me to be depressed BC the side effects r so overwhelming
AngelaWu404
12 Nov 2016
Same here
Hales2439
16 Feb 2016
I feel exactly the same as this. I have been taking the shot for 2 years now and all I have is suicidal thoughts. Depressed and no energy. So unhappy within myself. I'm always fatigued and I feel like it has ruined my life!
Can you please let me know how you are feeling now and do things get better? I have had my shot nearly two months ago now and only just realising what this horrible thing has actually done.
I was diagnosed with depression and everything but I really think the Depo has changed my life!
Kaydeeliz88
25 Dec 2015
I took this shot as a way to help cycle my periods. I have always had a strange cycle after having my a miscarriage & shortly after I gave birth to my son. This drug has been nothing but a nightmare. I asked all the right questions from my doctor before taking it and was told I could be reassured all the warnings I read about were not true. That was a lie. I always feel ill. I have no energy but make myself stick to a strict workout to balance that out. I have found my hair is thinning I've had to take steps to regrowing my hair back. I've never had issues with acne, now I have random blemishes. I have chest pain and muscle spasms now. I have not stopped spotting. And have had 2 periods resulting in 15 days of nonsense, when that stops for 2 days I begin spotting again. I have terrible mood swings, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, nervousness, no sex drive & even if I did I couldn't bc I can't stop spotting. I was due to get my second shot on 12-21. I declined this shot. It is terrible.
emilycarter81
23 Dec 2015
I've had the same issues with the depo shot. It's also caused me to have high blood pressure. I started taking vitamin D3 and Calcium and it seems to have eased some of my anxiety/mood swings. I don't plan on going back for another shot.
missj008
30 Nov 2015
I have been on this stupid shot for a year now. I tried to stop and go back to the pill but then my doctors said I was at high risk for blood clots and stroke with the estrogen pI'll because i have migranes with aura and blook clots run in my fam. I was afraid of the IUD so I went back to the shot because it only has progesterone. Ever since taking the shot I've had spotting that last for about 27 days at a time, achy soar joints and muscles, which I've just learned I've become deficient in vitamin D because a side effect of this shot is osteoporosis. I'm only 27 so that's a scary thought. I have had some crazy mood changes and EXTREME nausea which had me worried a few times that I was pregnant. An excessive weight gain. I have kept a consistent weight of 156 for a long time before the shot. As soon as I got on that shot I blew up.
I'm now 187 pounds! They say switching between pill and shot can make this happen. An exercise doesn't seem to help drop this weight. I suffered from anxiety and depression before ever taking this shot but I almost think it's become worse. I'm anxious for it all to get out off my system so I can lose the weight and have normal periods again. I hope it won't take too long.
missj008
30 Nov 2015
Also for me personally the side effects only got worse the longer I was on it. I will never take this shot again and I will never advise for anyone to take this shot.
Speedymac
4 April 2016
I also gained 20 lbs with only 3 shots, depression and moodswings, I'm supposed to get the shot this month, April. Not going to, I'm wondering how long till it is out of my body?
ebonywilson1
27 Oct 2015
I have been on the depo for about 7 years and i had the worst experience. I bleed for almost 3 months when i first receive it and how i go a year with bleeding and then one without. Im due for my shot in dec just need my body to get back normal.
popkinz456
16 Sep 2015
Yes, I know a lot of people have been responding about the whole moody crap the birth control is giving us, but I ALSO am having the same problem with it effecting MY relationship with my boyfriend. Luckily hes really understanding and we have agreed to not use it any longer. I have found though there is a non- hormone birth control, I don't know much about it, jsut that its expensive (unless you have Health Insurance) $700+ But its a IUD. It lasts 12 years so if you plan to have kids int he future I don't know how difficult it is to remove or if it effects pregnancy. Anyhow I am so glad I found this entry because it is just what I needed to not feel alone too, I mean I called the doctor and asked if these are possible side effects because the Depo shot injects a massive amount of hormones in the body, and its common sense but not one of the listed side effects.
I usually am not a moody B*** but I got my second one under the impression that its my own fault I'm so moody and can't control my thoughts either, I usually don't worry about things or think of things so deeply or long that I break down because of them... until I got on Depo. I HATE it and i am in the time period where I am waiting for it to leave my system. Thank you for publicly posting this it makes me and probs a lot of women not feel so bad. I take control of my own actions and all but I haven't been rational and its so frustrating for both me and my boyfriend. :) :/
Portia86
24 July 2015
your not alone i am having the same problem... this is my first time on the shot and am never taking it again.
Des123
17 July 2015
I've been off depo since December 2014 and my life has sucked! I have terrible mood swings, and sometimes very depressed. My period has been on since February. It hasn't stopped and now it's been 6 months straight. I do not know what to do to get all this blood to stop coming out of me and to stop my mood swings. Someone please help me with this.
tyty100
24 July 2015
Have you tried birth control pills? My primary care provider prescribe me the pills after i told her how much I was bleeding. It's working for me. I'm on my last pack and right now I'm barely bleeding it's stopping. I've been on the pill for like a month and a few weeks. I'm already on my third month pack of birth control pills. The first pack went fast because she had me to take three pills at once for three days. Then two pills the next three days. Then 1 pill for the next day. I'm thinking about calling my primary care provider and ask her can I stop taking them since I'm hardly doing any bleeding. Plus when I went to go see my urogynocologist he told me it takes up to three to four months to stop bleeding from the depo and I have a cousin who stopped in four months after she stopped her depo.
Kiarasalmon
9 Sep 2016
I've been having the same side effects I got my first shot on may18th the doctor told me if I start sleeping to come back. So me like a idiot went back a week later because I started bleeding, she gave me another shot may I remind you that's 6 months shot in me, I haven't stop bleeding since May and it's now September, I can't take it anymore I want it out of my system I hate bleeding and my blood is really really low I tried taking iron bills but I hate taking them.. If anyone have any advice please tell me
Vurwen
12 July 2015
I had my first shot of depo on the 8th June 2015 and since then all I've done is have mood swings, depression and joint pain and I had no idea it was linked to the depo injection. My poor partner has had to bare the brunt of my anger, my sadness and my self loathing because of this injection and I have no idea how he hasn't just walked away from me. I haven't even had a period since the injection even tho I am still getting all the cramps. I haven't really stopped crying for the last two weeks (since my period was ment to start) and it's now effecting my work, my relationship and my family and I will definitely not be having another shot of this stuff. I thought I was doing the right thing because I'm not ready to start a family but this has been one of.the worst decisions of my life.
tyty100
27 June 2015
Ugh I hate depo. I got my first shot last year December 23. I've been bleeding since January 5. I've had a two day break in January and I clotted a lot towards the end of January. In February I was still bleeding I had a week break from bleeding but it started back and it was a bit heavier than January. March I got my second shot I was still bleeding no break. May I was suppose to get my third shot but didn't. About two days later when I was suppose to get my shot I started to bleed heavier and had huge clots. June I've seen my primary care provider she told me that my results from my ultra sound came back and I have fibroids. She prescribe birth control pills to regulate the bleeding from depo. It stop for about a week but I started back bleeding. Two days ago I was experiencing pain.
Went to the bathroom stayed in the bathroom for an hour in a half because I was bleeding heavy and released about 5 to 10 huge clots and a few small ones. I go see a gyn Tuesday for my fibroids but I'm going to make sure I tell him about what I have been experiencing for 6 months. Tired of bleeding. Also I take iron pills and vitamin d. I was super anemic before the depo.
RosyLife79
19 June 2015
Hello Cabanna,
I'm so sorry about what is happening to you. Don't worry though because you aren't alone. I have had all the symptoms you have described and it has been terrible. I got my first and last Depo Provera shot last December so it has been about 6 months since I got the shot. I felt my terrible symptoms almost immediately. I was a danger to my family and I was blowing up in rages at my kids and it was something I couldn't control. It scared me so much!
So I prayed and started searching desperately for answers via researching the internet. I found that I was not alone in what the hormone was doing to me. A lot of other people were having these terrible side effects. I found one person that was not even a doctor, but a nutritionalist that said estrogen and phytoestrogens are the only thing that helps counteract progesterone.
I was desperate so I brought it up to my Gynocologist father and he agreed that yes, estrogen does indeed counteract progesterone.
So I asked my family doctor if she would please prescribe me estrogen in pill form. I explained to her how desperate I was. She agreed and got me a prescription of Estrodial 2 mg. I felt better after taking the first pill within just a few hours! I am not taking 6 mg. a day and this has helped the terrible symptoms a lot! I also started taking Celexa ( it is not expensive and doesn't have side effects for me I love it) and it helped with the depression and anxiety that the Depo Provera shot caused me to have.
Also, eat foods with phyto estrogens in them. Such as Silk Soy Milk and edamame beans. You can look up which foods have them.
I highly suggest that you start taking an antidepressant like Celexa and an estrogen supplement to counteract your symptoms.
I am telling you this because it has helped me SO MUCH...
Take it from a person who had the same symptoms you described. I also have zero sex drive. that is something that I haven't gotten back yet. I still haven't had a normal period since taking the Depo Provera shot.
My husband, who is a family doctor, told me that it will take up to 8 months or more for the Depo Provera to be completely out of my system. Then after it is out of my system, it will take even longer for my body to get back to normal.
I know it's a long road and an inhumane drug in my belief. But take heart and get on some meds to help with your symptoms until you get through this in several months. And don't worry, it will only be some time before you are yourself again.
God Bless!
H.
chachyloveschicks
1 June 2015
I got my shot 3 weeks ago and I now have a full blown menstrual cycle happening and it's worse than ever and this is the reason I started taking it due to my cycles being unbearable. Anyone have this happen and will it slow down
Speedymac
8 March 2016
Same here, this is the worse BC I ever used, also gained 15 lbs in 6 months.
Speedymac
8 March 2016
Same here, this is the worse BC I ever used, also gained 15 lbs in 6 months.
Jenna1296
25 May 2015
I first went on the shot in February 2013 when I was 16. I lost my sex drive, gained a huge amount of weight, had all the signs of pregnancy for several months started having bone problems and lost my period after my second shot. I had my last shot in November 2014 because you are not supposed to be on it for more than 2 years because of the increased chance of osteoporosis. I should have went again at the end of February, so it's been almost three months since I have been off of it and I have lost a little weight, I still have no sex drive which is kind of killing my relationship and still no period. I am supposed to be going on the patch In the beginning of June but I'm worried that since I have not got my period back going on the patch may pro long that and make it harder for me to get pregnant when I want to. Any knowledge on this? Thanks.
Related topics
depo-provera, provera, birth control, contraception, side effect
Further information
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.