Depo-Provera?

[Chrysalis]

Okay...now for the most unexciting thread ever!:biggrin1:

Unfortunately, I do need some advice on this.

Here's the scoop: I've been on typical Estrogen/Progesterone Birth Control Pills for 19 years, but am going to have to get off the Estrogen. I recently got a call from my aunt (mother's older sister) saying she's got breast cancer. Here are my family stats:

• Mother contracted breast cancer at age 34, died when I was 14.
• Her breast cancer happened spontaneously in each breast (2 years apart)...the second occurance wasn't a metastasis of the first.
• 6 years ago, her younger sister got breast cancer (caught early...cured w/lumpectomy and radiation.)
• 2 years ago, her younger sister got cancer in the other breast, spontaneously. Also caught early and cured.
• Now my other aunt has cancer. One year ago she had a normal mammogram, but now she has a tumor that has sloughed off enough cells for her to need chemo as well as radiation. Apparently, mammograms won't save me.
• All of these tumors have been estrogen-dependent.
• My great-grandmother E.M.R. died of cancer. She had no daughters. 5 out of six of her granddaughters have now had breast cancer.
• Among my mother and her 2 female siblings, 5 out of 6 breasts have been affected.

Anyway, it has gotten to the point where I can't ignore it anymore. I've been getting yearly mammograms since I was 26, but the other day I saw my doctor and he said that I have to stop putting external estrogen into my body.

For the present, a non-surgical, non-IUD option seems to be Depo-Provera. But I'm not sure what it will do to me. Has anyone else taken this? What did it do to your cycles, moods, and sex drive?

I would appreciate any info you have, as I am being forced to go off the pill, and I do not want children.

Thanks!

P.S. Yes, I am having genetic counseling and testing done. It really sucks to be seeing an oncologist when you don't even have cancer...yet. It's depressing, but I have to face reality.
Now you know why I would rather not spend too much time in the real world.:wink:

 

[snoozan]

I don't know much , but I know Depo can cause very serious depression in some people. If you're at all prone to mental illness, I'd steer very clear of it.

For mental health reasons as well as the amount of cancer in my family, I can't take the pill or use any kind of hormonal birth control. I've used diaphragms which get stuck. I'm getting an IUD (copper) put in when I can get my insurance fixed. There's also the Mirena IUD, which puts out a synthetic progestin.

Is an IUD completely not an option for you?

 

[Gisella]

Okay...now for the most unexciting thread ever!:biggrin1:

Unfortunately, I do need some advice on this.

Here's the scoop: I've been on typical Estrogen/Progesterone Birth Control Pills for 19 years, but am going to have to get off the Estrogen. I recently got a call from my aunt (mother's older sister) saying she's got breast cancer. Here are my family stats:

• Mother contracted breast cancer at age 34, died when I was 14.
• Her breast cancer happened spontaneously in each breast (2 years apart)...the second occurance wasn't a metastasis of the first.
• 6 years ago, her younger sister got breast cancer (caught early...cured w/lumpectomy and radiation.)
• 2 years ago, her younger sister got cancer in the other breast, spontaneously. Also caught early and cured.
• Now my other aunt has cancer. One year ago she had a normal mammogram, but now she has a tumor that has sloughed off enough cells for her to need chemo as well as radiation. Apparently, mammograms won't save me.
• All of these tumors have been estrogen-dependent.
• My great-grandmother E.M.R. died of cancer. She had no daughters. 5 out of six of her granddaughters have now had breast cancer.
• Among my mother and her 2 female siblings, 5 out of 6 breasts have been affected.

Anyway, it has gotten to the point where I can't ignore it anymore. I've been getting yearly mammograms since I was 26, but the other day I saw my doctor and he said that I have to stop putting external estrogen into my body.

For the present, a non-surgical, non-IUD option seems to be Depo-Provera. But I'm not sure what it will do to me. Has anyone else taken this? What did it do to your cycles, moods, and sex drive?

I would appreciate any info you have, as I am being forced to go off the pill, and I do not want children.

Thanks!

P.S. Yes, I am having genetic counseling and testing done. It really sucks to be seeing an oncologist when you don't even have cancer...yet. It's depressing, but I have to face reality.
Now you know why I would rather not spend too much time in the real world.:wink:

:scared2: OMG!!!


Please do not use depo-provera! I did..it was a nightmare...as many ladies experienced it too in the link below.

I was not informed about the side effects of that poison shot (plus I never was into the pill because was not good to me)...I loved my IUD that I used for 3x and condons.

Depo Provera Horror Stories Side Effects of Depo Provera. Where & How To Send Depo Provera Complaints. Depo Provera Class Action Law Suit.

My Doc say or women love Depo-provera or just hate it. I do hate it for sure.

 

[Chrysalis]

I have thought of an IUD, but have the following concerns:

1) Before I went on the pill, I had very heavy periods. I've heard IUD's can make this worse.

2) I don't want my husband to be annoyed by a protruding string.

The other night I was talking to my stepmom's sister, though, who has one and loves it.

Would appreciate any thoughts. Just don't want to go back to the 10-day period.:frown1:

 

[Chrysalis]

I don't know much , but I know Depo can cause very serious depression in some people. If you're at all prone to mental illness, I'd steer very clear of it.

Thanks. Very important. I'm moody to begin with. With the 2 posts I've seen so far (and the web link), I'm considering canceling the appointment I made for the 1st shot...

 

[Ethyl]

I was also wondering if an IUD would be a good option for you. They were once pretty risky but are now much safer. I haven't had Depo-Provera but a friend of mine used it for a few years. She was constantly spotting, her sex drive diminished, and she was an "uber-bitch" the entire time she used it. I've been on Loestrin for several years to combat endometriosis, but it sounds like even the low-hormonal dosage pills aren't an option for you. I'll ask my friend again when I see her what she's using now (the pill isn't an option for her either)

 

[Gisella]

I have thought of an IUD, but have the following concerns:

1) Before I went on the pill, I had very heavy periods. I've heard IUD's can make this worse.

2) I don't want my husband to be annoyed by a protruding string.

The other night I was talking to my stepmom's sister, though, who has one and loves it.

Would appreciate any thoughts. Just don't want to go back to the 10-day period.:frown1:

Chrysalis...in my experiences I had no extra bleeding or had the string bottering my ex-husband (he was a 5"...)

I heard that if extra bleeding happens is just in the first couple of months.

Trully I never heard ay complaints about friends that used it just some talking from people that never used it but heard about rumors...than please get all info that you can about IUD's to meis the most excelent method when you are in steady relationship and etc. And you can have it nowdays for 5 years!!!

:smile:

 

[ArtfulDominant]

I have no knowldege of Depo-provera, but I wonder if you've thoroughly explored your other options.

A long-time partner of mine had an IUD inserted.
I was skeptical of the "foreign-body thing" being put in place. Didn't sound too appealing .. and there have been some horror stories etc ..
But it worked like a charm for her for years with zero side effects. No mood swings, no estrogen worries & always ready for spontaneous sex.
I'd be more inclined to look at the "old-fashioned" type, rather than the ones the drug companies are pushing now with the release of drugs into your system.

You don't want your husband to be annoyed by the protruding string? Please put that in perspective! Your husband will definitely feel the little trailing string a bit , but not all the time as your cervix moves around etc.. They tell you he won't but he will at his size .. and it can be mildly distracting .. it'll feel a bit scratchy at times, but once he realizes it's not really scratching the sensitive skin on his head, it shouldn't diminish his pleasure -- not with what you two have going on! With the reasons you have for making your choice, I'm sure he'll be man enough to adjust to a few harmless lashes from a tiny floppy string.

And you know, it's said that the rhythm method is amazingly effective .... if it's done 100% accurately and properly. Could be worse ...you could do oral on each other when you're in in the fertile part of the cycle ... and with your new-found DT skills, etc etc ...

Just reading about you two today .. your life (the sex part and otherwise) together sounds so idyllic ..If I was reading a novel and you and Toolman were the central characters, I'd have a hard time deciding which of the two of you I'd want to be. Of course there's usually things we don't know going on behind the fairy-tale -- in your case the central role cancer has played in your family. Hope that whatever choice you make, it'll turnout to be a good one for you both.

 

[snoozan]

I have thought of an IUD, but have the following concerns:

1) Before I went on the pill, I had very heavy periods. I've heard IUD's can make this worse.

This is the primary complaint for the copper IUD with no hormones. It's all really dependent on you. I have very bad cramps that put me out for a day or more, and I've decided to do it anyway-- and stock up on ibuprofen. Now, the Mirena IUD that puts out synthetic progestin (no estrogen) can make your periods lighter with less cramping just like OCs do. However, there are the same risks as any progestin.

2) I don't want my husband to be annoyed by a protruding string.

You can get the strings trimmed to a point by your doctor if they are annoying you and your husband. You may want to ask your doctor about this specific problem and see what he/she knows about it. Also, as artfuwilly said, it may be worth it anyway.

Also, they are removable. If you get it and you hate it, get it taken out. You don't have that option with the Depo shot.

You said you don't want kids, have you considered a tubal ligation? It's pretty much permanent and it's a surgical procedure, but it's the right option for many reasons.

Good luck, and I hope you find the best option.

Snooz

 

[snoozan]

.

 

[happyfeet]

I wouldn't do Depo. I've known lots of women who've been on it at some point. First of all, they all got pregnant while on it. Second, they all gained weight. Third, it made some of them feel like crap. And, since you can't just take it out...I wouldn't go there.

Have you looked into Natural Family Planning? I know it gets a lot of flack from ppl (who don't know too much about it), but it really is as effective as the pill, when done properly. You're only ovulating for 24 hours out of each cycle and fertile for a max of 8 days each cycle. It might work for you.

Good luck!

 

[snoozan]

I wouldn't do Depo. I've known lots of women who've been on it at some point. First of all, they all got pregnant while on it. Second, they all gained weight. Third, it made some of them feel like crap. And, since you can't just take it out...I wouldn't go there.

Have you looked into Natural Family Planning? I know it gets a lot of flack from ppl (who don't know too much about it), but it really is as effective as the pill, when done properly. You're only ovulating for 24 hours out of each cycle and fertile for a max of 8 days each cycle. It might work for you.

Good luck!

Everything I've ever read and heard about natural family planning says, uniformly, that it's a good choice for people hoping to space out their pregnancies, not avoid pregnancy altogether. It takes a lot of willpower and work, and unless your cycles are 100% predictable, it's really risky. I understand and have practiced all of the methods (basal body temp, mucus etc.) and it requires a lot of discipline as well as luck. I understand using it if you're Catholic and are using it for religious reasons, but otherwise it's not a good way to prevent pregnancy.

From Natural family planning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :

"The Rhythm Method, the most well known method of NFP, has a perfect-use failure rate of 9% per year, while other types of NFP have lower perfect-use failure rates — between 1%-3% per year. The common usage failure rate is up to 25% per year."

For oral contraceptives, the failure rate with pefect use is 0.1% and with typical usage, 2.15%-8.0%.

For an IUD, the failure rate with perfect use is 0.6% and with typical use is 0.8%.

Regarding Depo-Provera, the failure rate for both perfect and typical use is 0.3%

The difference between perfect and typical/common use is important when looking at these statistics. Yes, in theory, NFP can be almost as effective as OCs or an IUD. But it's been shown that for many reasons, most people using it are unable to do it perfectly-- hence the 25% common usage failure rate. For someone that does not want children, it's a gamble.

With that said, I've been using NFP methods for about 7 years, and I've gotten pregnant once. However, my husband and I both have fertility problems and had to actively try to get pregnant. Still, now that I know I don't want another child for a few years, the IUD is looking like the best option for me.

Just another dose of my 2 cents.

 

[Chrysalis]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm so glad I got up the nerve to bring up this not-so-fun topic. I think you just prevented me from making a huge mistake (Depo.)

ToolMan thanks you also.

I'm going to call my gyno on Monday and set up an appt. to talk about IUD's.

Unfortunately, I can't risk the rhythm method because we absolutely positively do not want children (multiple reasons.)

TM has offered to get a vasectomy, but I won't let him because I would miss his cum (I know that sounds demented, but I really love it the look of it, taste of it, volume of it, etc...it's not something I want to give up.) Seminal fluid alone just wouldn't be the same for me, even if he doesn't mind it.:biggrin1: You should have seen me trying to explain that one politely to my male Doctor. I think I said something like "Um...I don't really want to do that...I enjoy him being...uh...intact that way and if he weren't I would...um...miss it." (BLUSHING FURIOUSLY!)

Anyway, I'm waiting for the results of the genetic testing before I decide whether to have a tubal ligation. My aunt is the first one in my family being tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. About the only relief I can see is if she tests positive and I test negative.

If we both test positive, or both test negative (which would mean another of the many unidentified mutations is at work in my family), I will not only get a tubal ligation, but I will (EEK!) have my breast tissue removed and replaced with implants. I just don't want to live with a ticking time bomb in my breasts, after living my childhood (from age 5 to 14) under the shadow of death.

Difficult decisions, and it will take some time before I get the needed info. In the meantime, I think I will get an IUD.

My sincere thanks for all of your advice.

 

[Chrysalis]

Just reading about you two today .. your life (the sex part and otherwise) together sounds so idyllic ..Of course there's usually things we don't know going on behind the fairy-tale -- in your case the central role cancer has played in your family.

You are right...there have always been things going on behind the fairy tale. Neither one of us has had an easy life, and that's putting it mildly. We are beyond fortunate to have found each other, and to have had the mutual strength to love each other unconditionally (neither of us is a picnic to live with emotionally, I'm afraid.)

But the fact that we can count on each other to be there, no matter what happens, makes the fairy tale all the more powerful, for both of us.

 

[missy7776]

the depo shot made me really moody more pissed off more than anything. I have had very good luck with a product called ortho options conceptrol it's a gel. it comes in a 10 count box. it's healthy for the woman and nice for the man. then he knows everything is safe. my friend's girlfriend said she was on the shot when she wasn't and they now have a two year old. I love the ortho gel it's handy!
sorry to hear about your medical history. remember to do regular checks at home and when you can at a clinic. take care

 

[rich-9.8]

I have thought of an IUD, but have the following concerns:

1) Before I went on the pill, I had very heavy periods. I've heard IUD's can make this worse.

2) I don't want my husband to be annoyed by a protruding string.

The other night I was talking to my stepmom's sister, though, who has one and loves it.

Would appreciate any thoughts. Just don't want to go back to the 10-day period.:frown1:

If you aren't sure how depo-provera would agree with you, then it might me worth trying a progestogen-only pill. At least you can stop it if you don't like the side-effects.


The Mirena IUD is coated with a synthetic progestogen, so you should only experience the local effects of the drug. It will probably reduce your periods, and some women find their periods become much more infrequent. As far as I know, there are no reported pregancies on Mirena, and it is licensed for women who don;t already have kids. (Other IUDs tend only to be used in women with kids).


I hope everything goes well for you.

Rich

 

[DC_DEEP]

Chrysalis, I'm a little confused. I was under the impression that, with vasectomy, you would only be able to notice a difference in his ejaculate if you examine it under a microscope. That procedure should not change the smell, taste, texture, or appearance. only remove the "little swimmers," which contribute very little to the ejaculate volume and chemistry. Did your doctor tell you otherwise?

 

[Chrysalis]

No. I'm getting anecdotal info from my brother-in-law.

I thought the "little swimmers" were what made it white:redface: ...but I watched a video yesterday of Over7 (who has had a vasectomy) and it appears there is plenty of volume and no change in appearance. I do plan to ask more questions, after having seen this.

 

[DC_DEEP]

Thanks, sweetie. Whatever you (as a couple) decide to do, I absolutely wish you both the best.

Really, if you are both absolutely certain that you will never want to procreate, and you have such difficulties with currently available contraception, you should investigate vasectomy.

I am really fairly certain that after his complete recovery, you will not be able to tell any difference at all without microscopic examination. I don't think the sperms contribute a significant amount to the scent, taste, texture, or color of the ejaculate.

 

[va_lk_yr_ie]

A bit late to the game here too. Depo and related medications were a mood-nightmare for me - depression city.

I'm currently have a Mirena - never pregnant, don't plan for kids either - insertion is a bit trickier as your cervix is smaller and it may or may not be an option depending on the size of your uterus (they have to measure before insertion to be sure it will fit). I have very light spotting from time to time, nothing even resembling menstrual bleeding - a great relief as it also lessens endometriosis related pain for me (I mostly hurt when I bleed and am fairly pain-free inbetween).

As far as the threads go - I have one of my endowed lovers that I see without using a condom - we've known eachother for ages and are exclusive to one another in that respect and I trust him. He's roughly 9x6 and yes, he'll feel them from time to time depending on position and where the cervix is located when we're together. Nothing that's too bothersome for him and usually something we can work with by changing what we do.