Myself, I am taking Paxil with Depo Provera. I have informed my doctor of this, and she did not report any side effects from mixing the two medications. So far, one month later, both are working as expected. However, rather than gaining weight on Depo, it has remained constant for me ever since my first injection: a relief to me, for my weight fluctuated quite chaotically in my teenage years! I do weigh about 20 lbs. more than I'd like to, but that is probably more due to lack of sufficient excersize and proper diet rather than the shot. I am still comfortable in my body, and happy that I no longer have periods and cramping!
As to your allegation that Pharmacia & Upjohn has not disclosed all the information: the official booklet that I recieved from my specialist (Planned Parenthood, no less) contained every single conceivable side effect that I had ever heard of in my own private research, as well as other various facts. I will list the published side effects in this reply, and will be happy to reproduce the entire document on this message board, by request.
As I stated earlier, all of the possible combination effects cannot be known until they are discovered! America's scientists would be testing products until well after they are outdated (a century or so) if they had to discover all of the combination effects of every drug before it is released on the market!
From "Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection" insert from Pharmacia & Upjohn:
Risks of Using DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection:
1. Irregular Menstual Bleeding (Details Follow)
2. Bone Mineral Changes (Details Follow)
3. Cancer (Details Follow)
4. Unexpected Pregnancy (Details Follow)
5. Allergic Reaction (Details Follow)
6. Other Risks (Blood clot, stroke, ectopic pregnancy)
Side Effects of DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection:
1. Weight Gain
You may experience a weight gain while you are using DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection. About two-thirds of the women who used DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection in the clinical trials reported a weight gain of about 5 pounds during the first year of use. You may continue to gain weight after the first year. Women in one large study who used DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection for 2 years gained an average total of 8.1 pounds over those 2 years, or approximately 3.5 pounds per year. Women who continued for 6 years gained an average total of 16.5 pounds over those 6 years, or approximately 2.75 pounds per year.
2. Other Side Effects
In a clinical study of over 3900 women who used DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection for up to 7 years, some women reported the following effects that may or may not have been related to their use of DEPO PROVERA Contraceptive Injection:
irregular menstrual bleeding
amenorrhea
headache
nervousness
abdominal cramps
dizziness
weakness or fatigue
decreased sexual desire
leg cramps
nausea
vaginal dischage or irritation
breast swelling and tenderness
bloating
swelling of the hands or feet
backache
depression
insomnia
acne
pelvic pain
no hair growth or excessive hair loss
rash
hot flashes
joint pain