Re: Depo Provera Class Action


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Posted by Shauna on June 1, 2001:
In Reply to: Re: Depo Provera Class Action posted by Stephanie Locricchio on July 5, 2000:
I too have been put through pure hell from using the Depo shot. I began taking Depo in September of 1994 after the birth of my first child. I loved it because I didn't get a period and I didn't risk getting pregnant. I thought that Depo was the best thing that happened to me. My doctor continually told me that not getting a period at all while on the shot was normal and that it was safe. Now I know better......that is a crock of shit. It is not normal under any circumstances, unless you are pregnant, to not get a period! Anyway.....after being on the shot for a while, I noticed some other problems too.....hair growth in the wrong places, weight gain, among other things. My doc said that the hair growth was obviously from a hormonal imbalance, which he said that Depo does not affect, but that weight gain is normal if it is around 10 pounds......he said the other 70 pounds was my fault. Well, I believed him. After 2 years on Depo, I decided that I wanted to try to have another baby. I had my final injection in October 1996 (2 years, 1 month after I began) and I was told to expect my period around February 1997. February comes, and no period. March, April, May....same thing. While these months are passing by, my hubby and I weren't using any protection, since we wanted another baby, so when these months came period free, I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, I got pregnant.....but it didn't happen. After many, many negative pregnancy tests, and no periods, and suffering from severe depression........I decided to see a fertility specialist (May 1998). He put me on fertility drugs, and in August of 1998, I got pregnant! In May of 1999, I gave birth to a healty baby boy. After the birth of my son, I went back to the same routine, no periods.....if I did get them, they were about 4-6 months apart. I enjoyed not having a period, so I didn't worry about it. Then last year (August 2000) I came across an article on the internet that said that it is extremely unhealthy to not have a period. It had a few links, so I clicked away. I came across something called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. I had all the symptoms, no periods or irregular periods, weight gain, diabetes (which I was diagnosed with in 1997), abnormal hair growth in all the wrong places, among other symptoms. I then called my doc and made an appointment to see him and talked to him about this. He said that there is no way. He didn't even do any tests or anything. He also said that Depo would not cause any of these problems. I finally was fed up with him and decided to go with another doctor. This time I went with the best. I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He confirmed that I do indeed have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Although the cause of PCOS is unknown, he did say that the Depo screwed up my hormones, and that is what PCOS mainly is, unbalanced hormones........and it is something that I will have for the rest of my life. With my diagnosis came other horrible news......because I didn't have a regular period until he put me on the pill (which was a total of about 6 years if you include the 2 years on Depo), my endometrial lining was 4 times the thickness it should be, and due to that, I am at an extremely high risk of getting ovarian cancer. He did say that Depo is the reason why I didn't not get a period for so long. I am also at high risk of heart disease. The meds I need to be on can potentially be damaging to the liver, so I need to have my liver monitored.

I don't know if anyone has experienced any of the things that I have, but I find it hard to believe that this just happened to me. I had no health problems whatsoever before Depo, then all of a sudden....I have more health problems than my 80 year old grandfather. I think that Depo causes many different types of problems, and I blame it for mine. I wish someone would start some type of lawsuit out here by me (Chicago) cause I would jump right in. I wish all of you the best of luck and health......and to those people who come across this sight that are thinking about Depo.....if you care about yourself, don't do it! It isn't worth it. Take the advise from those of us who have experienced the dangers of what it can do.






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