Periods after depo?
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LifeAfterDepo
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I am going to be honest here. Don't assume that you're back to normal.
Depo is exogenous progesterone, meaning hormone not made by your body. Your endogenous progesterone, your body's own, can remain affected for depo even in minute quantities.
With that said, I had my last shot 10/12 after being on it for 2.5 years straight. In December, when it should be expiring, I investigated with dong quai and vitex. I had a period 6 weeks after my shot "expired." After that I have been 30-35 days varing with abnormal uterine bleeding inbetween. Which is still withdrawal bleeding from the exogenous progesterone despite by body trying to regulate it's own.
The obgyn I was at before, threw a generic clomid/estrogren/progesterone (really that was the last thing I needed, but listened). and I did it twice and it was hell.
Then in May, I decided to switch docs. My new doc looked at my calendars and said that he feels I am just now regulating enough to give conception a real chance.
I'll cut to the chase, I had a BFP and M/c all this week. I'm not saying that the depo or the residual affects of it lead to that but I caused myself a lot of unnecessary worrying, stress, strain on my husband and happiness TTC before I had a pattern of cycles to reflect on.
Now that I have experienced a 6 week M/c, I feel more protective of the ladies on here TTC. I don't want you to drive yourself nuts coming off depo.
If you haven't started charting please do. I highly suggest Fertility Friend website/app and taking charge of your fertility. Get familiar with your basal body temp, start checking your cervix, learn its positioning and your CM patterns. Like clockwork I started to realize I was ovulating around CD 17-18, my CM started early. It took me a few months to learn my cervix's changes. But mine are pretty reliable and correlate to my other signs of ovulation. I also noticed I get migraines at the end of my period and around ovulation. My breasts are always sore right after ovulation and not before. I didn't have these clockwork things right off depo, but soon the pattern developed.
Learning these things will empower you to see that the depo is really out of your system and you're becoming regular. If you start charting all those things and its haywire and nuts looking with no pattern, then you know all you can do is BD and cross your fingers. Since depo is progesterone, which is the heat hormone, doing the BBT really is necessary to see what your body is up to. If you don't see a clear rise then you're probably having annovulatory withdrawal bleeding. You will feel so womanly and empowered when you chart! I just hate to see another hopeful TTCer post depo go nuts like I did.
Depo is exogenous progesterone, meaning hormone not made by your body. Your endogenous progesterone, your body's own, can remain affected for depo even in minute quantities.
With that said, I had my last shot 10/12 after being on it for 2.5 years straight. In December, when it should be expiring, I investigated with dong quai and vitex. I had a period 6 weeks after my shot "expired." After that I have been 30-35 days varing with abnormal uterine bleeding inbetween. Which is still withdrawal bleeding from the exogenous progesterone despite by body trying to regulate it's own.
The obgyn I was at before, threw a generic clomid/estrogren/progesterone (really that was the last thing I needed, but listened). and I did it twice and it was hell.
Then in May, I decided to switch docs. My new doc looked at my calendars and said that he feels I am just now regulating enough to give conception a real chance.
I'll cut to the chase, I had a BFP and M/c all this week. I'm not saying that the depo or the residual affects of it lead to that but I caused myself a lot of unnecessary worrying, stress, strain on my husband and happiness TTC before I had a pattern of cycles to reflect on.
Now that I have experienced a 6 week M/c, I feel more protective of the ladies on here TTC. I don't want you to drive yourself nuts coming off depo.
If you haven't started charting please do. I highly suggest Fertility Friend website/app and taking charge of your fertility. Get familiar with your basal body temp, start checking your cervix, learn its positioning and your CM patterns. Like clockwork I started to realize I was ovulating around CD 17-18, my CM started early. It took me a few months to learn my cervix's changes. But mine are pretty reliable and correlate to my other signs of ovulation. I also noticed I get migraines at the end of my period and around ovulation. My breasts are always sore right after ovulation and not before. I didn't have these clockwork things right off depo, but soon the pattern developed.
Learning these things will empower you to see that the depo is really out of your system and you're becoming regular. If you start charting all those things and its haywire and nuts looking with no pattern, then you know all you can do is BD and cross your fingers. Since depo is progesterone, which is the heat hormone, doing the BBT really is necessary to see what your body is up to. If you don't see a clear rise then you're probably having annovulatory withdrawal bleeding. You will feel so womanly and empowered when you chart! I just hate to see another hopeful TTCer post depo go nuts like I did.
babyjan
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Thanks a lot.
Well the bleeding only lasted yesterday and today there isn't any bleeding, it seems my body is obviously messed up from the depo and all confused.
Oh well, I'll just have to be patient and see what happens.
Sorry to hear you had a MC, I hope your ttc journey isn't a long one x
Well the bleeding only lasted yesterday and today there isn't any bleeding, it seems my body is obviously messed up from the depo and all confused.
Oh well, I'll just have to be patient and see what happens.
Sorry to hear you had a MC, I hope your ttc journey isn't a long one x
OpheliaVY
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LifeAfterDepo -- I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage. 
Especially after being off depo and knowing how long it can take to TTC. I am a former depo user and here's a bit of my history with TTC..
I was on Depo from 18-20 and come off and went on the pill. Bled for a straight 25 days and decided not to take the pill anymore. That was in December and fell pregnant in January had a healthy boy who is now almost 7. Went back on the shot a few years ago after having an IUD removed.
Fast forward to today: My last shot was 8-2012.. Lordy I didn't know about the lasting side effects of depo. Nobody told me anything and I didn't ever question it because I was young and I got pregnant right away after coming off the last time.
I'm desperate to have a baby with my new husband. My son is almost 7 and I never thought I'd have kids that far apart. So after coming off depo, and AF not returning after 3 months I got knee deep in the internet researching its devilish nature! I tried Dong quai, vitex chastenberry, EVERYTHING and NOTHING happened. My OB put me on Provera in May to induce period. -Nothing. June - Provera and Premarin -Nothing. (started talking about a die test and freaked me out) last try July - Provera and Premarin. Got AF for 5 days. Relief, no die test! But 21 day BW said no ovulation. August - Clomid (took with no AF) tested with ovulation sticks and got a positive on 8/26 - 8/27. I was super excited that this might be it. AF started 6 days later. (crushed) I still went for day 21 (9/4) to confirm O and waiting until Tuesday for results at f/u appointment.
I guess I've never really had my AF start naturally.. It was medically induced both times. I'm assuming the Clomid started it this last time. Not 100% for sure though. Did you get your BFP from Clomid or natural? Do you think your being on Depo is what caused the miscarriage? I've read and my OB has told me that Depo is out of your system in 3 months but the residule effects from depo is what can last 18 months.
Depo is the devil in my book. I'll never take BC ever again. I was/still am hesitant to keep taking the meds but desperation wins in the end, and I do. Any feed back from anyone who was previously on Depo and TTC is welcome. It's good to know we're not going at it alone.
Especially after being off depo and knowing how long it can take to TTC. I am a former depo user and here's a bit of my history with TTC.. I was on Depo from 18-20 and come off and went on the pill. Bled for a straight 25 days and decided not to take the pill anymore. That was in December and fell pregnant in January had a healthy boy who is now almost 7. Went back on the shot a few years ago after having an IUD removed.
Fast forward to today: My last shot was 8-2012.. Lordy I didn't know about the lasting side effects of depo. Nobody told me anything and I didn't ever question it because I was young and I got pregnant right away after coming off the last time.
I'm desperate to have a baby with my new husband. My son is almost 7 and I never thought I'd have kids that far apart. So after coming off depo, and AF not returning after 3 months I got knee deep in the internet researching its devilish nature! I tried Dong quai, vitex chastenberry, EVERYTHING and NOTHING happened. My OB put me on Provera in May to induce period. -Nothing. June - Provera and Premarin -Nothing. (started talking about a die test and freaked me out) last try July - Provera and Premarin. Got AF for 5 days. Relief, no die test! But 21 day BW said no ovulation. August - Clomid (took with no AF) tested with ovulation sticks and got a positive on 8/26 - 8/27. I was super excited that this might be it. AF started 6 days later. (crushed) I still went for day 21 (9/4) to confirm O and waiting until Tuesday for results at f/u appointment.
I guess I've never really had my AF start naturally.. It was medically induced both times. I'm assuming the Clomid started it this last time. Not 100% for sure though. Did you get your BFP from Clomid or natural? Do you think your being on Depo is what caused the miscarriage? I've read and my OB has told me that Depo is out of your system in 3 months but the residule effects from depo is what can last 18 months.
Depo is the devil in my book. I'll never take BC ever again. I was/still am hesitant to keep taking the meds but desperation wins in the end, and I do. Any feed back from anyone who was previously on Depo and TTC is welcome. It's good to know we're not going at it alone.
LifeAfterDepo
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This was a conpletely natural BFP. I don't think depo is to blame because I started getting + OPk's back in March. And now I know I am fertile.
Doctor put it in the spontaneous category and believes we need to truck on trying. Will add baby aspirin as studies show positives on it.
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Doctor put it in the spontaneous category and believes we need to truck on trying. Will add baby aspirin as studies show positives on it.
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I'm a bit late with this reply-
I had the opposite problem that most of the women coming off depo seem to have- rather than missing out on AF, I bled for over 6 weeks straight (this was the entire month of April '13- My shot was 10/11/12, so should have run out 1/13).
I thought I was normal as soon as the shot was done, because despite spotting my entire time on the shot, it stopped and I had a light period Feb '13. I then thought I might be pregnant because it was 5-6 weeks before my next AF- but no- just going through the horrible side effects (anxiety, emotional, weight gain, nausea, headaches, etc.). After that, the bleeding started and seemed to go on forever. Talked to my gyn about this, and she said she wasn't too concerned yet.
I then had a few 14-15 day cycles, but by the end of July they started getting longer (and my temps started to make it look like I O'd)- most recently I've had 23, 25, and 34 day cycles.
I don't know what normal should be for me- before I got the shot, I had been on the pill for years, and never tracked my cycles before. I've told my husband since I don't plan on using any sort of hormonal BC again!
I agree with LifeAfterDepo- fertility friend has been great for tracking and getting an idea of what my body is doing. I can also see a definite improvement in my temps, which gives me hope! No BFP yet, but I'm hoping it's just a matter of time...
I had the opposite problem that most of the women coming off depo seem to have- rather than missing out on AF, I bled for over 6 weeks straight (this was the entire month of April '13- My shot was 10/11/12, so should have run out 1/13).
I thought I was normal as soon as the shot was done, because despite spotting my entire time on the shot, it stopped and I had a light period Feb '13. I then thought I might be pregnant because it was 5-6 weeks before my next AF- but no- just going through the horrible side effects (anxiety, emotional, weight gain, nausea, headaches, etc.). After that, the bleeding started and seemed to go on forever. Talked to my gyn about this, and she said she wasn't too concerned yet.
I then had a few 14-15 day cycles, but by the end of July they started getting longer (and my temps started to make it look like I O'd)- most recently I've had 23, 25, and 34 day cycles.
I don't know what normal should be for me- before I got the shot, I had been on the pill for years, and never tracked my cycles before. I've told my husband since I don't plan on using any sort of hormonal BC again!
I agree with LifeAfterDepo- fertility friend has been great for tracking and getting an idea of what my body is doing. I can also see a definite improvement in my temps, which gives me hope! No BFP yet, but I'm hoping it's just a matter of time...
OpheliaVY
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Ladies.. I got my 
13 months after getting the last shot without having a natural cycle. Just like Lady I took premarin/provera/clomid and nothing worked. This cycle I started fertility blend and on CD 18 I O'd confirmed with OPK. 9 DPO I believe with all my heart that it was the fertility blend that caused me to ovulate and level out my hormones.
13 months after getting the last shot without having a natural cycle. Just like Lady I took premarin/provera/clomid and nothing worked. This cycle I started fertility blend and on CD 18 I O'd confirmed with OPK. 9 DPO I believe with all my heart that it was the fertility blend that caused me to ovulate and level out my hormones.
babyjan
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Ladies.. I got my
My ttc/depo buddy?!
Yaaay congratulations hun, you give me hope!
Did you say your periods never even returned?
T8ty
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Thanks for posting this thread! I came off the Depo in January.. (Was due march for my next one and didn't take it)
We have decided to start getting ready to try for number 2.. However I have had no periods at all since before conceiving my daughter 3 years ago!
Any help and advice
We have decided to start getting ready to try for number 2.. However I have had no periods at all since before conceiving my daughter 3 years ago!
Any help and advice
babyjan
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Hello
I don't really have much advice as I only had one period 9 months after my shot and nothing since, it will be a year since my shot next month
I'm still breastfeeding but I'm not sure if breastfeeding has anything to do with it as my periods returned 4 months pp waaay before I got the depo shot.
It's all confusing and I've learnt to just be patient, I'm not keen on taking anything to try and see if they'll bring back my periods so just gonna have to wait it out.
T8ty
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We can wait it out together!
It may make it easier! I'm not the most patient of people but I'm trying!!
I stopped breast feeding about 6 months ago which may have made a difference too..!
I'm considering trying the Fertiliy blend that people have mentioned.. Worth a go I guess!'
Silly bodies eh!!
Xx
It may make it easier!
I'm not the most patient of people but I'm trying!!I stopped breast feeding about 6 months ago which may have made a difference too..!
I'm considering trying the Fertiliy blend that people have mentioned.. Worth a go I guess!'
Silly bodies eh!!
Xx
babyjan
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We can wait it out together!
It may make it easier!
I stopped breast feeding about 6 months ago which may have made a difference too..!
I'm considering trying the Fertiliy blend that people have mentioned.. Worth a go I guess!'
Silly bodies eh!!
Xx
Yes we defo can
It apparently takes 6-18 months for your periods to return so it really is a waiting game.
When I got the stupid shot I never knew it can cause these issues, It wasn't until I got home went on google and read all these horrific stories that I said to myself 'What an earth have you done to yourself?!!!'
Never again though.
So you haven't had a period since before you got pregnant?
