Ovulation after Depo

[agreenway]

So I'd like to start this post with a disclaimer: I've googled the #$*% out of this issue and come up with very little in the way of solid answers. I'm hoping this community will be able to shed a bit more light.

I was on the Depo Provera shot for about 3 years. My last shot was in March of 2012. My husband and I decided we wanted to start trying for a baby

I went to the doctor in september because I had still not had a period and to be honest, I was anxious to get this process started!

October rolls around, still no period. Doctor decides to put me on Provera for 10 days to see if I have any withdraw bleeding (to rule out some possible issues, I guess?)

November 11th, 2 days after stopping the Provera, I did indeed have a period (lasted 4 days and was disgusting as all hell)

I of course get all excited and start mapping out when ovulation should occur (if I ovulate at all). I've been peeing on the little damn strips for like a week and a half now and still no ovulation. I've been getting a faint line but never a strong line like the test line is.

My question: Does bleeding after the provera challenge mean that you should start ovulating/having periods like normal? Or is it just a test to tell your doctor that you CAN have a period?

I'm so confused, and dammit, I want to get pregnant!!

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have

 

[mamawanabe21]

So I'd like to start this post with a disclaimer: I've googled the #$*% out of this issue and come up with very little in the way of solid answers. I'm hoping this community will be able to shed a bit more light.

I was on the Depo Provera shot for about 3 years. My last shot was in March of 2012. My husband and I decided we wanted to start trying for a baby

I went to the doctor in september because I had still not had a period and to be honest, I was anxious to get this process started!

October rolls around, still no period. Doctor decides to put me on Provera for 10 days to see if I have any withdraw bleeding (to rule out some possible issues, I guess?)

November 11th, 2 days after stopping the Provera, I did indeed have a period (lasted 4 days and was disgusting as all hell)

I of course get all excited and start mapping out when ovulation should occur (if I ovulate at all). I've been peeing on the little damn strips for like a week and a half now and still no ovulation. I've been getting a faint line but never a strong line like the test line is.

My question: Does bleeding after the provera challenge mean that you should start ovulating/having periods like normal? Or is it just a test to tell your doctor that you CAN have a period?

I'm so confused, and dammit, I want to get pregnant!!

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have

My fertility dr offered this to me just to kick start my cycles after having my implant removal, but I didn't take it because I wanted my body to fix itself naturally. Just remember that not everyone ovulates on day 14, it's just a generalization, and after having BC in your system for so long, you may not have your old cycles either. For example, I used to have regular 28 day cycles and O'd either day 14 or 15. Since bc removal, I now have 35-40 day cycles and I just O'd on cd25. (I didn't have a single period for 2 years since being on bc!)

I would start using your bbt as well as the opks. BBT is more likely to tell you when you've ovulated - some people don't always get a +opk, even though they HAVE o'd. And remember to be patient, because you've had bc drugs in your system for a few years. Your body might just need to heal and get back into the swing of things. I would leave it 3 months of tracking/charting before you go back to see your doctor.

FX and GL to you xx

 

[ClandestineTX]

Two parts to this one - Depo general information and my personal experience.

Depo can delay return to fertility (ovulation) for 4 to 31 months after your last shot. The average is 8-10 months. The delay of return to fertility is independent of the length of time you were on it - for some women, it clears their systems quickly and others, not. It is a long term form of birth control and I know it's frustrating, but it's totally normal - so don't stress it!

I was on Depo for 8 years, I had my last shot in Jul of 2011, switched to progesterone-only mini-pill in Oct of 2011 when my next shot was due. Stayed on those for a year, and stopped them in Oct of 2012 - had a normal period 28 days after my last pill and seem to have ovulated at cd 15, after LMP. I did have hormonal fluctuations (really increased libido for a few days a month), as of Aug of 2012 - which would have been nearly 13 months after my last shot. To reiterate - you're still in the normal range.

Good luck (and don't stress)!

 

[agreenway]

Thanks ladies, it's good that I'm still normal!

I think the most frustrating part for me was that I was never told that any of this was going to happen before getting put on the shot. I smoked at the time and it was basically "well this is your only BC option if you smoke"

Now I'm paying dearly for not doing my research first!!

 

[ClandestineTX]

I was also a smoker (a fat one at that), went on Depo because my blood pressure went through the roof on the combined (estrogen+progesterone) pills. The progesterone-only pills are fine for smokers, for future reference. Both Depo and the progesterone-only pills usually stop periods - the difference is the pills have a different synthetic progesterone hormone and leave your system quickly (must be taken in a 3 hour window each day, or you have to use a back-up method/ abstain from sex for 48 hours to avoid pregnancy). I knew about the Depo delay (I'm a professional researcher) and that's why I switched to the mini-pills a year before we planned to ttc. I know it sucks, as there was a chance I wasn't going to have a cycle until Jan of 2014 (if I was on the 31 month plan) and I dreaded that being possible. I was shocked/ surprised (and excited) when my period showed up at the beginning of Nov. Remember, you are already in the 8-10 month window that is the range for most women to get things back - so things could start working again at any time! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

 

[iiTTCii]

I had my last depo shot in January, ran out in April. Started taking agnus castus straight away and my periods returned within 7 weeks. I took this for 2 months and ovulation returned. I don't think I ovulated my first couple of cycles. Got bfp in September, but sadly had a m/c. So took 5 months from it running out to getting bfp.

 

[esmeralda74]

I'm pretty much in the same situation. Was on depo for 9 year, last injection was June. I had a period mid October then 2 weeks later I started spotting for a few days, one of the days there was a blood clot. Then nothing till last sunday, which I'm classing as a period but it was so light, more than spotting though.

Doctors have told me to go back after 6 months if not pregnant, which I will be in January/February time. I've thought of doing the temperature thing for checking when I'm O'ving but I work shifts and I can't take my temp everyday at the same time.

I just want to be pregnant too

 

[agreenway]

Uhg!! So I had some spotting about 7 days after my 'ovulation date' was supposed to be. 'OMG I'M FREAKIN PREGNANT WOOOOO TRANSPLANTATION BLEEDING'

nope. just my period, like a week and a half early.

at least now I know i can expect periods, even though I have a suspicion that I'm not ovulating on my own. Doctor's appt next monday with an obgyn who actually specializes in women trying to get knocked up

 

[agreenway]

bahahaha transplantation.. too many sci fi books for me.

Implantation

 

[ClandestineTX]

When I first saw your post, I was super-excited for you (thinking you had successfully transplanted )

At least you know your system is working! That's how I felt on Nov 10th, when I got my first real period after 9 years... once the shock wore off! And now, I'm at the tail of my first TWW and trying not to lose my mind/ Google the hell out of... not much in the way of "symptoms."

Good luck and fingers crossed you don't have to wait much longer!