Has Anyone Used the "Shot" Method of Birth Control?

It messed me up too (Depo)........birth control in general has messed with me so we are just using condoms until he decides to go get fixed.....I finally feel human again and will not do anymore pills or whatever no matter what.

I have not used it, but my sister and several of my friends have and I would NEVER let anyone I care about use it!! They all had severe bleeding and cramping and the lump where they gave the shot goes away just in time to get the next one. The shot comes with a lot of hormonal changes and eventually you won't get a period at all. At least two of my friends who were on it for several years no longer had a period and when they decided to have kids they had to go on fertility treatments so that they could and even then it took a long time. The are a lot of side effects including gaining a lot of weight and being emotionally unstable like crying all the time. Many of their doctors dismissed these side effects as being minor, but they were not to them and most of the people I know were so unhappy with the shot that they wouldn't get it more than once or twice. I hope this helps, and maybe some other people will have better reports, but I can't recommend it when there are other better options out there. Good luck!

I used it for several years and would NOT recommend it. It wrecked my health. At the ripe old age of 30, I was having full-blown menopause symptoms. Also, it supposedly reduces the risk of endometriosis, but I developed it while on it.
I also developed fibromyalgia while on it. When I got off it, the fibro went away. Turns out that there is a high correlation (which does not mean cause-and-effect) relationship between Depo and fibro. Apparently women who are predisposed to fibro are more likely to develop it while on Depo.

I used Depo back in 1996. I took it for a year and then stopped. My period was terrible heavy for the first three months, then nearly stopped for the rest of the year. I gained ten pounds in that year and I'd dearly love to blame the shot, but it could just be coincidental. I had crazy mood-swings and felt like I was pmsing all the time.

Switched to the pill and I've been taking various versions of that for the last 14 years. Want to get off the hormones completely but won't until after my husband has a vasectomy, which he should have had last year but he farted around about it and now we don't have health insurance and can't afford it.

My cousin (My BFF at the time) did from the time she was 16-20...

Every 3 months.

She was fairly promiscuous (sp?), and didn't get preggo, so I guess it worked! lol.

...worked fine... still no kiddos for her!

She was PSYCOTIC after she got the shots (really pissy and hormonal)... then she would calm down after a few days. She also dropped a fair amount of weight after she stopped with the shots... not sure if that had anything to do with it, but just throwing it out there.

I will add, that she said she liked it at the time she was using it. She went from the shot to the nuva ring, and preferred the ring.

I did it for awhile. I got a shot every three months or so in alternating hip/but muscle area. I had very little spotting, no real periods. I thought that was wonderful, so I kept doing it. Then my boyfriend suggested I stop because he could tell the difference in me. I could tell the difference in me. If this makes sense, I felt less like a woman. It screws with your hormones (which is why the periods stop/slow down). I would never recommend it. The benefits DO NOT outweigh the side effects. (Speaking of 'outweigh'...I also gained some weight.)

I personally would not take Depo Provera. Many women who have taken it complain of prolonged bleeding (months at a time) and weight gain. Depo is Progesterone, which is believed to be the culprit of PMS.
To answer your questions...
How often does it have to be given? every 3 months

How affective is it? very, some women can't get pregnant after

How did it work for you? no personal, but I worked for GYN's

What side affects did you have? see above.

I had it 3 times. I was 21 at the time. It was 1 month before my wedding. With in days of getting it, I started spotting every day for the WHOLE 9 months that I was on it. I was extremly moody. I gained 40 pounds in the first 3 months and I was only at 110 when I got the shot and went to 150!! I was cramping all the time. Sex was horribly painful. Once I got off of it, I lost 20 pounds, but I didn't get my period back for a whole year. The only reason I did get it back was because I went on the pill to get it started again and then I got off of it 4 months later and never took any kind of birth control again. Do not get this shot. It will ruin your hormones!!

Are you talking about Depo shots?
I know several women who have taken them and loved it.
They're married and didn't want to deal with condoms or remembering a pill every day. They got their shot once every 3 months or however long in between and that was that.
It may not be for everyone depending on your medical history, etc, but I only know of positive experiences.

Best wishes.

Oh my gosh! I got the WORSE CASE OF ACNE from the shot! It was horrible! I mean BIG RED pimples all over my face, no whiteheads, just awful pimples that lasted for over 6 months! they didn't go away until I did a body cleanse with stuff from the health food store.

It's called Depo-Provera (the depo shot).

Once every 12 weeks (you might hear 3 months, but technically, 12 weeks.)

99.9% affective. You have to use a back-up method for the first month, I believe. It can take up to a year to several years after going off the shot to become pregnant again, although some people can get pregnant sooner.

Works great, because it's very low maintenance. Once every 12 weeks, a five minute appt with a nurse to get a shot in the butt (which is more like up near your hip.) Depending on how much padding you have (hee hee) it barely hurts...once, I didn't even feel it.

Side effects...well, I don't get my period while using it. Bonus! I've also heard people can suffer weight gain. When I was younger using it, I didn't notice this, but now I think it's manifesting in my struggle to lose the baby weight, which I have yet to lose a single pound of (and baby will be one in a few weeks.)

It was effective for me but caused a lot of side issues. Break through bleeding at weird times. I also had one very heavy bleeding period that panicked my doctor for a minute, (guess I got very pale and woozy in her office). I can't say I would recommend it.

My SIL had the Depo shot. She had her period pretty much the whole time and she gained about 50 pounds. She was miserable. On the other hand, my friend had the Depo shot, had no period at all, and had no problem with weight gain. It all depends on the person.

My friend did Depo too long and it gave her severe osteoporosis. You're only suppose to use Depo for something like 4-5 continuous years and she was on it for 10.

I used regular, "old fashioned" estrogen-based birthcontrol for 10-12 years and never had a problem. You just have to find the dosage that's right for your body; that can take a bit of trial and error (as in, avoiding water retention, acne, mood swings, feeling of nausea; didn't mean trial and error in the sense of pregnancy). I always took it when I brushed my teeth because that is something I do every night; as long as you don't forget to take it, they work. To me, birthcontrol pills are the safest because they've been used (and studied) the longest, so the long-term health effects are known. The newer forms haven't been used for decades yet, so the impact on your body 25 or 30 years from now aren't well documented.

The depo shot isn't too bad. It does completely stop your periods for the most part. I never had a period while on it. It is effective and it's very low maintenance. It does take about a year for your body to get back to normal after the shot. The only bad side effects is that it does make your hormonal. I find that I do get a little grouchier than normal at times. As far as weight gain goes, I have been on the shot since the first period I had after my son was born in November. I have lost 9 pounds from diet and exercise so I dont know if it is a cause of weight gain or not. I would recommend the shot if you aren't planning on having any more kids anytime in the near future. I have heard of people having crazy side effects, but that will happen with any kind of birth control, everyone is different. Good Luck:)

I have been on the Depo for years now, I went off when I wanted to have a baby. I love it, my husband gives me the shot every 3 months and I have had no side affects. I also have no period.

I did it for years and LOVED it! No period, little maintenance and I had no side effects. Greatness :)