girls...contraceptive injection?

LegacyUser

Has anyone used the contraceptive injection, + if so, has there been all those awful side effects like periods for 3 months etc... ???

+ also.. it's over 99 percent effective. Has anyone been using just that injection with a long term partner without using condoms without any problems?

Thanks

(btw, I was thinking about getting the injection, as I was on the pill before+ the injection just seems easier, as there isn't any need to have to take a tablet everyday at the same time)

Victor

injection0000 wrote:

Has anyone used the contraceptive injection, + if so, has there been all those awful side effects like periods for 3 months etc... ???

That would sound very unusual. Where did you hear that?

hmmmm

I am also interested in this as my girlfriend of over 2 years wants to stop using the pill and change to the injection. I have read about the possible side effects and they don't look great.

Nevyn

http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/ic.html

Are there any problems?

* The most common side-effect of injectable contraception, like the progestogen-only pill, is that it may alter your periods. Some women find they have fewer or no periods, especially after one or more injections. A few women experience more frequent light bleeding which may be a nuisance. Lack of periods or irregular periods in relation to this method are not harmful to your health. However, frequent and/or heavy bleeds which might occur can, in a woman with a poor diet (low iron content), lead to anaemia.

* Some women gain weight when using this method, and some experience depression which may or may not be related to Depo-Provera. You should seek your doctor’s advice on these, and other less common sideeffects.

* As the injection lasts three months, you can only reconsider whether or not to use it when the next injection becomes due. In the meantime it cannot be removed from the body and any side-effects may continue.

* Some women find that when they stop injections of Depo-Provera there is a delay of many months before their periods come back again. Return of regular periods and fertility may be delayed for up to a year after the last injection.

* The findings with regard to cancer of the breast and cancer of the uterus (womb) in humans are reassuring. The question of a very small increase in the risk of cancer of the cervix (neck of the womb) remains uncertain. Regular smear tests are advised.

There are sideeffect but you can not know if you will have some of them, all of them or none of them.

There are other options as well like
the contraceptive patch which you wear for a week and then change it, http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/patch.html

the Nuvaring which you insert to get arround the cervix for 3 weeks
http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/nuv.html

the contraceptive implant which the dr places under the skin of your arm.
http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/implant.html

Each has it benefits and side effects and condult with you dr about them.

Anti

My girlfriend is on the injection too. She has to get it every < 3 months. No real side effects for her. Apart from mood swings just after getting it.

LegacyUser

I went on it and it turned me into a maniac. I couldn't control my mood swings at all, I'd fly into a temper over nothing and burst into tears. It also stopped my periods. However I've been fine since I switched to Microlite (combined pill). Don't go on the injection.

Catari Jaguar

I love being on the injection,. It's fuxn brilliant, haven't had periods for almost 2 years. I lost my sex drive and was quite moody and uninterested in my boyf for a lil bit til I got used to depo (lasted about 8 months, only for week or 2 after each shot) I get mad horn just before my next shot is due, so it balances really...

No real weight gain (1/2 stone that won't shift), but breasts went up over a cup size I take calcium supplements to make up for bone density issue caused by depo.

I get injections in college, so only have to pay 15e every 3 months for contraception! Really recommend it.

Oh, I don't use condoms while on it.

Saruman

My wife used it for 6 months... major mood swings... She blew up like a balloon and gained about 5 stone!! And yes.. she had constant bleeding.. no actual period as such though.. just always spotting.

In other words... i would avoid.

Nevyn

Differing types of artifical horrmoanal treatments that
the pill, combined pill, injection, implant, patch and nuvoring are based are not suitible for everywoman.

Some have no sideeffects and some to the best thing to do is consult with your dr and see how things go.

LegacyUser

'My doctor also told me I could only stay on the injection for a few years because it's bad for you to not have periods for so long.'

Anti

Yeah, isnt that something to do with the womb lining not breaking down or something similar ?

Nevyn

girlgirlgirl wrote:

'My doctor also told me I could only stay on the injection for a few years because it's bad for you to not have periods for so long.'

What ?

That is not the case, really maybe you misheard the dr or they are just not up to speed with the current infromation.

Ifact with the first peroid being betwee 10 and 12 years of age and women's diets and fewer pregancy women are on average menstrating for 40 years of thier lives and this is has been some cause for concern on the effect it can have.

anti wrote:

Yeah, isnt that something to do with the womb lining not breaking down or something similar ?

The lying of the womb never builds up so it has no need to break away and be flushed from the body as a period.

dame

If you do want to have kids in the next few years then stick with the pill/patch or whatever, don't go on the injection. It can take up to two years for your cycle to settle down when you come off it and you could find it difficult to get pregnant when you decide you're ready to. Patch is very handy, stick one on, leave it there for a week, do this for three weeks then have a week off during which you have a period. I'm on it for a few years now, no problems. The period is lighter and shorter than it was when I was on pill, but I think that's a good thing.

iguana

Just wondering why no-one has mentioned the diaphragm as an option. While it is a barrier method a properly fitting one can not be felt. It has NO hormonal side-effects and when used with spermacidal cream it is 98% effective against pregnancy. It even offers a degree of protecton against certain std's, (because no matter how confident you are that your relationship is monogamous some of the posts and a lot of the replies on this forum would make you wonder:( ).

Yes it has some down-sides, you have to get it fitted, and should ideally get re-checked once or twice a year, especially if you have weight gain or loss. But it is no more intrusive than a smear test. You have to put it in before sex, but you could be wearing it for 2 hours beforehand, so it doesn't have to be a passion killer. And you have to leave it in for several hours afterward, but as you can't feel it the only problem is remembering to take it out. And if you want to have sex again in that time you just have to use a spermicide capsule.

While obviously life would be easier without having to do these things, to me the benefits far out-weigh the negative. You have no moodiness, no lack of sex-drive, no possible risk of breast cancer, no messing about with your reproductive system, no weight-gain, no tender-breasts, no problems about letting your body re-adjust when you come off it and wish to concieve, no fears that a bout of vomitting or diorreah has left you unprotected for 7 days and no worries if you go on anti-biotics.

lilrayosunshine

I am on depo for 5 years with the exception of a 5 month break.
It works really well for me.
Anti biotics, dodgy tummys etc to not affect it like with the pill.
It does however effect your bone density and that is why you should stay on it for prolonged periods. I was sent for a bone density scan this year before being allowed continue for another year on depo.
I know others who think it's great and some who had far too many side effects and I know one girl who was on it for 3 years and got pregnant as soon as she stopped getting it (as in never got a period). So don't go on other people's stories or opinions on side effects.
Try it for yourself and see if it agrees with you. You get your first injection on the first or 5th day of your period so you are protected immediately.

iguana: I'd say no one has mentioned the diaphragm because this thread is about the injection, not about barrier protection.

iguana

lilrayosunshine wrote:

iguana: I'd say no one has mentioned the diaphragm because this thread is about the injection, not about barrier protection.

Yet lots of people mentioned the pill and nuva ring. There is some weird perception in our society that contraception needs to be chemical and that all risks and side-effects that are associated with it are worth the risk without question. You have to take regular bone density tests because of your contraceptive choice. How is that an acceptable risk to you, have you ever met an elderly woman with osteoperosis? I would far rather take a 1% risk of unwanted pregnancy while in a serious relationship than an unspecified risk of osteoperosis.

But many women are unaware of all their contraceptive choices and in Ireland many doctors tend to push chemical contraceptive very heavily, despite non-chemical alternatives being available. The OP has a right to be fully informed about all options.

lilrayosunshine

iguana wrote:

Yet lots of people mentioned the pill and nuva ring. There is some weird perception in our society that contraception needs to be chemical and that all risks and side-effects that are associated with it are worth the risk without question. You have to take regular bone density tests because of your contraceptive choice. How is that an acceptable risk to you, have you ever met an elderly woman with osteoperosis? I would far rather take a 1% risk of unwanted pregnancy while in a serious relationship than an unspecified risk of osteoperosis.

But many women are unaware of all their contraceptive choices and in Ireland many doctors tend to push chemical contraceptive very heavily, despite non-chemical alternatives being available. The OP has a right to be fully informed about all options.

iguana, depo provera has proved to be the best contraceptive for me..
My risk of osteoperosis is being monitored and I am far from being at risk. I don't intend to be on this forever but I also don't trust myself (at the moment) to insert a diaphragm if I came home with my boyfriend after a long night drinking.. So I prefer to use a chemical contraception at the moment.

iguana

I'm not criticising your choice, but you seemed to have a problem with me suggesting an alternative form of contraceptive to the OP. I have a huge problem with pumping chemicals into my body on a regular basis, and I know that a huge amount of women don't seem to be fully informed about their choices. If you know the risk but are happy with your choice then that's great, that's your choice but don't cricise me for pointing out a side-effect free option.

Btw, inserting a diaphragm is no harder than inserting a tampon. If you are too drunk to insert on you are probably too drunk to have decent sex.

dame

iguana wrote:

Btw, inserting a diaphragm is no harder than inserting a tampon. If you are too drunk to insert on you are probably too drunk to have decent sex.

True! Why bother! If you're that pissed regularly then you might want to think about the injection alright, you'd probably puke and pill wouldn't work anyway. I'd seriously wonder why you go out for hard night's drinking regularly then want to "make love" afterwards, surely not very satisfying!

Seriously though, anything has side effects and pluses, I think the OP is just looking for people's experiences so she can compare and make up her own mind what suits her.

angeldelight

When I went back to my doctor to see about starting on the depo again (only 2 months ago), she told me that she wouldn't be happy with me going on it. She personally has seen a few women in their 30s and quite a few in their 40s with early stages of osteoporosis who had been on depo for a while - way younger than they should have been. Also the current medical research was clearly saying it should no longer be a first line of contraception and should only be considered when all other options had been exhausted, so I started on the pill instead. Not quite as handy but I think long-term the small awkwardness outweighs the risk of 20/30 unbearable years with osteoporosis.

LegacyUser

Thanks for all the replies. I was on the combined pill once and never had any problems... like I took it at the same time etc... it's just the whole 'one week' break thing... I never did that+ used the packets back to back, as I had some stupid thought in my head that if I stopped taking them, I could get pregnant. Also, with the pill the doctor, nurse and pharmacist all said different things about it- if it is ok etc to go straight onto the next packet.. etc. That's why I wanted to avoid it. Anybody who 'should know' about the pill can appear to be just as confused as I was. They were all saying contradictory things, which isn't very reassuring. I think I'll go back in it again, anyway, as the whole osteoporosis thing is rather frightening.

CharLit

If we're suggesting other alternatives to the pill, can I stand up and advocate the IUD? Also not for everyone, but I love my copper IUD: no pills to remember, doesn't need to be replaced for 5 years, and no hormones! Not that I'm against hormonal contraception in principle, but for me personally the pill kept giving me annoying infections, and I discovered once I came off it after 4 years that it also made me somewhat depressed and it suppressed my sex drive. I know plenty of women use the pill and other forms of hormonal contraception without problem though, this was just me. In the end, everyone needs to experiment and settle on what's best for them.

IUD caveats:
- getting it fitted is painful
- longer and heavier periods especially in the beginning
- heightens risks of contracting STIs, so should only be used in committed relationship in which both partners have been tested, or in combination with barrier protection.

Nevyn

In this country for the most part they will only fit an IUD or an IUS to a woman who had had a baby, a late term miscarriage or has had D&C for medical reasons.

CharLit

Thaedydal wrote:

In this country for the most part they will only fit an IUD or an IUS to a woman who had had a baby, a late term miscarriage or has had D&C for medical reasons.

Whoops, sorry, forgot that was the case in many countries... over here it's perfectly normal for women who have never been pregnant to get one.