Depo-Provera question

[sigmund]

Hi Ladies, can you help me understand more about Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate)? I’m trying to help out a friend of mine.

I’ve read that Depo-Provera often causes weight gain as progestins increase lipogenesis. What I’d really like to know is by what biological process does this take place? Is it due to decreased insulin sensitivity or increased estrogen receptor sensitivity – or both?

Would R-Ala (by increasing insulin sensitivity) or DIM (as a mild estrogen antagonist) be of any use here to counter the sides of the depo?

Is there anything available (or do any of you know of "home-made remedies") to help combat the progesterone induced weight gain?

Thanks

Sig

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Depo is the devil. I would tell anyone woman thinking about getting it to stop thinking about it. Besides the weight gain there is headaches and for me at least there was a total lose of sex drive and normally I am horny bitch. It took 2 years for my drive to come back.

 

[courtneybcca]

yeah I would second not taking it.... I had one shot and I got my period STRAIGHT for 6 fucking months.. that was hell... the doctor claimed that only happens to like 1 in a 1000 people but 2 of my friends had the same problem.. that shit is the devil.. It cases weight gain because it increases your bodies natural hungry pains... another shitty side effect

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Why would you recommend taking ANOTHER hormone (estro antag) to combat the supplementation of another hormone (depo)? Sounds like a lot of UNnecessary hormone manipulation to me.

I would have her SERIOUSLY reconsider depo. There are much better alternatives. The good stories I have heard are 1 in a million. 99% of the stories about Depo are VERY negative.

 

[Gymgurl]

I have heard nothing but horrible things and pounds of weight gain....tell her to try another form of BC

 

[Sassy69]

B/C does NOT need to be a miserable experience-- modern technology is great that way. Depo is notorious for causing weight gain, etc. If it is making her uncomfortable and the weight gain is not worth the goal of pregnancy prevention, then work w/ the OB/GYN to find a dosage that works w/ her body chemistry. I've been on a very low dose estrogen / progesterone pill for several yrs w/ no issues at all -- triphasal.

I recently was looking into other anti-estrogens and just to let you know, most of the things that guys think of as anti-e's are really aromatase inhibitors --i.e they will block the conversion of exogenous testosterone (e.g. prohormones, AAS) to estrogen. The amount of converted estrogen if the lady is taking any of these anabolics is miniscule compared to her natural estrogen production so that whole source of estrogen is sort of a non-issue. What would be a relevent product for a female would be a true "anti-estrogen" that is able to block the path of estrogen as it completes its functions. This however becomes an experiment in wild mood swings, God knows what sort of water weight, and every other thing that are managed by the correct balance of hormones. This gets you back to the whole deal w/ the Depo -- it is creating an imbalance in hormones such that those estrogenic sides such as water retention, etc. are much more pronounced by introducing the Depo estrogen dose.

Better to just manage that better than trying to look for something to add to the mix. Particularly for women it is just a very squirrely thing to mess w/ estrogen levels.

 

[sigmund]

Thanks for all your replies - very much appreciated I've passed on your advice!

Apparently the depo causes her no notable side effects apart from the weight gain (seems she is very lucky in light of what others have said/experienced). She has discussed alternatives at length with her doctor. She is unable to take pill forms of BC as she has a high risk of blood clots (genetic - her mother is the same), to be honest I don't really understand the reasoning behind this but took her word for it.

Daisy Girl - the DIM I suggested is not a hormone, it is a natural (supplement), I incorrectly called it an E2 antagonist, that was wrong - it actually helps metabolize estrogen. Here's some more info on it:

DIM stimulates more efficient estrogen metabolism. Supplementing the diet with DIM increases the specific aerobic metabolism for estrogen, multiplying the chance for estrogen to be broken down into its beneficial, or "good" estrogen metabolites. These "good" estrogen metabolites are known as the 2-hydroxy estrogens. Many of the benefits that are attributed to estrogen, which include its ability to protect the heart and brain with its antioxidant activity, are now known to come from these "good" metabolites.

When DIM increases the "good" estrogen metabolites, there is a simultaneous reduction in the levels of undesirable or "bad" estrogen metabolites. These include the 16-hydroxy estrogens, which are not antioxidants and can actually cause cancer. Greater production of these "bad" estrogen metabolites is promoted by obesity and exposure to a number of manmade environmental chemicals. These "bad" estrogen metabolites are responsible for many of estrogen's undesirable actions in women and men, including further unwanted weight gain, breast cancer, and uterine cancer.

In addition, a slow metabolism of estrogen, which leaves too much unmetabolized active estrogen known as estradiol in the body, can be a problem for both women and men.

Elevated estradiol causes moodiness and breast pain in women and loss of sex drive. By promoting a healthy estrogen metabolism, DIM adjusts the balance of estradiol to its "good" metabolites. This also can result in a more desirable action from testosterone. Testosterone supports energy and mood and helps sustain interest in sex in both men and women. When supplemental DIM is taken along with a program of regular exercise, it can help "good" estrogen and testosterone contribute to top physical conditioning.

 

[bigmann245]

just to add that my wife had the depo shot 7 years ago and it still to this day had messed up her cycle. she was fine until they recommended it to her. our son was born and a few months after they told her that she should go on birth control since she will be extemely fertile after the birth. she said ok and they recommended the depo shot. well her period did last for months on end. she gained a lot of weight and still like i said to this day her period when it starts it goes for months on end. i think the depo messed her up for life because we found out last year that shes not ovulating anymore. i highly recommend against the depo shot. once the fda confirms that it is linked to these problems we are suing the government because we were in the navy when this happened. seriously if you have any question just ask me and i can talk to my wife and get you the answer because she probably has been through it because of this shot.

 

[Gymgurl]

I have been taking Yasmin and love it....no nothing really...most important..no bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness....

 

[medicj]

I was on Depo for 5 years. Crazy thing was --- I didn't have weight gain until I quit taking it. I was fine when I was on it but then I quit and my body went NUTZZZZZ!!! I gained like 15 pounds in 3 weeks, my face broke out and I still wouldn't start my period. 4 months after I quit the depo .. I still was not having a period and my body was going nutz. my doc had to put me on hormones for 2 months to get me back to normal. My weight dropped back off, my face cleared up, I started my period after about one week of the meds. The doc said that me being on the depo for so long and then discontinuing bc all 2gether suddenly, cause some kind of estrogen storm. It sucked.