Comparing Depo-Provera vs Skyla

For Birth Control I got on the Depo shot January 2016. I gained 20 pounds my first couple of months, but that was in combination with the fact it was my freshmen year of college & I ate a lot of fried food. For the first year everything was great- no periods at all! I got on depo because my body rejected contraceptive pills because of the estrogen levels. In February 2017 I had a ruptured ovarian cyst. I didn’t know they could hurt that bad! For the first 24 hours with the severe pain it was so bad on my right side I thought it was my appendix! But then I bled and yeah. Then March 2018 I got diagnosed with 3 more ovarian cysts, one being 10cm, so I had to get it surgically removed. I also get spotting every week before my depo shot is due. Overall, if you really don’t want to get pregnant, the shot is great because I never have to worry about remembering a pill & it is SUPER effective!!!! But it has caused a lot of problems with my ovaries & my OBGYN wants me off of it this year & on something else

For Birth Control I started the shot when I was 17 about to be 18. I am now 20 about to be 21. Very effective at preventing pregnancy. However, I have terrible mood swings, migraines, and weight gain. When I started taking Depo I was the healthiest I have ever been. Slowly but surely I put on the pounds and my depression became unbearable! The first year I didn't gain much, maybe ten pounds and went from a size 4 to a size 6. I weighed 135, now I weigh about 170. It's horrendous! I just switched birth control yesterday, so I hope it treats me better than Depo Provera!

For Birth Control I’m 27, got Skyla February of 2017, so I’ve had Skyla in for over a year, the beginning 6 months were rough! Crazy insane cramps & bloating ! Now periods last 2 days or so & cramps aren’t so bad. BUT the side effects... So before Skyla I weighed 125lbs. Today I weighed in at 135lb. I've always worked out, no red meats & small portion sized food! Nothing has changed.... but some how I just keep putting on weight ! Oh I've also noticed my acne increased ! It’s taken much longer for the acne on my face to go away, it appears, then blemishes & I'm stuck with it for months. I got skyla because I just got married and was not ready for kids ! But this battle of weight and acne is really depressing I’m trying to make the decision of removing it ahead of time, needless to say this IUD does do its job but the side affects are starting to be more long term than anything. Super torn

For Birth Control I've had Skyla for about 2 years now. The insertion was easy, but I'm someone who has a very high pain tolerance. The cramps afterwards were no fun but thankfully subsided within a few days. Everything about this IUD is great except the toll it has taken on my mental health. I never used to be emotional around the time of my period but with Skyla I'm a wreck every month and my periods are light but last 2 weeks. I cry all the time when I'm on my period and my moods are like a roller coaster. I had to up my antidepressant dose after getting this IUD just to feel somewhat normal again. It certainly gets the job done but sometimes I feel like it's not worth the emotional damage. It is however, a nice estrogen-free option if you're someone who suffers from migraines like myself. After leaving the pill for Skyla, my migraines decreased substantially, so there are a lot of pros and cons.