Depo Provera and Hypothyroid Symptoms

[beachmom915]

I was on Depo Provera for BC for 8 years with no side effects but headaches, which were manageable. Also had no periods, which was great! However, I became ill when I stopped having the injections at age 45. I experienced fatigue, joint pain and swelling, and depression. I was tested for everything from Lyme disease and Lupus, to thyroid conditons - all negative. My Dr. finally gave up and diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue syndrome. My OBGYN ran a bone scan and diagnosed me with osteopenia, and declared me menopausal, since my periods have also not resumed. Now nearly 4 years later I am still miserable - fatigue, depression, headaches, cold all the time, and I suspect hypothyroidism. I also have learned that Depo causes bone density loss so maybe I am not menopausal. I don't mean to sound whiny and pitiful, but I can hardly remember the energetic, optimistic person that I used to be. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! I have been searching the net and find lots of women with lots of side effects from taking Depo Provera, but I am trying to find other women who have experienced problems after QUITTING the injections.

[AussieViv]

The link's not working....

[Tabi0778]

I have been on and off the depo for the past 12 years. I never had an issue with anything other than slight headaches and the occational spotting. I quit smoking cigarettes about 8 months ago then shortly after decided to come off of the depo because I kept gaining weight for no reason. I went to a doctor and he flat out said that I ate too much and that the weight gain had nothing to do with my depo or the quitting smoking, I also questioned my thyroid and he quickly dismissed me with " you eat too much". I then had angioedema and he quickly dismissed the swelling to dental work I had done weeks prior. Last week my legs, ankles and knees swelled up and I could barely walk. I went to urgent care and was seen by another physician, he performed xrays, urine and blood work on me. Nothing was broken, no arthritis, and my urine was fine. I have gained a total of 78 lbs in 8 months. My bloodwork came back and I have hypothyroidism and have been prescribed to synthroid everyday. Honestly at this point I am glad to finally have an answer but wish that they could have just been honest with me and at least looked into my concerns... 8 months it took to find answers now I am in a deep depression, am 80 lbs overweight and am ready to scream!!! So glad to see that I am not alone but sad at the same time!!! There is definatley a connection!!!

[leetram]

I've been on the depo for about 15 years or more straight and I use to get tender breast, weight gain and that is about hit.  I just got tested for menopause and thyroid and my test came back negative.  Even though I have been experiencing sweating through out the day and night, I'm hot the majority of the time, I have mood swings, I get cold spells, constipation, and forget sex but according to my doctor I am not in menopause.  But how can you really tell if you have been on the shot for a long time and your body all of a sudden starts with the symtoms I just mentioned. Oh I'm 43 years old.

[Melanie1964]

It sounds like it could very well be thyroid issues - try going to and endocrinologist and tell him/her that you wanted to be treated based on your symptoms, and not on the results of your lab tests.  The thyroid tests can be very deceiving; they may show normal ranges, but you are still having very obvious symptoms.  I took only one shot of Depo, back in Dec. 2010, and never took another one, because I couldn't stand the side effects.  Now, I am constantly freezing all the time, my hair is falling out by the handfuls, I am gaining weight that I can't lose, I have muscle cramps and pain, constipation, headaches, depression, itchy skin, extremely painful and frequent menstrual periods.  I have had my thyroid tested before, and my results always came back within normal range.  I have had doctors tell me anything from "it's all in your head, accept it" to "you're starting through menopause".  I am hoping to get in to see an endocrinologist very soon so I can get this mess settled once and for all.

[toya037]

I took Depo for about 10 years. At 26 I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. I had 2 surgeries to have my thyroid removed. Since then, while taking synthroid, my thyroid levels have been all over the place. I will be steady with my medication for a while, then out of nowhere my levels will be off. In the last 5 years I've had at least 5 medication increases. This never seems to end, these steady increases can not be healthy.

[rvpmd]

You will get to Normal within three months if you follow Ramdev Baba's breathing yogig's exercise called ( Kapaalabati).  Please learn this technique and follow it for 15 mins initially and increase upto 30 mins a day.

Remember Kapaalabati is only one stop medicine for all diseases.