Depo-Provera Side effects.

  Me and my spouse have agreed not to have children at this point in our lives and we researched the different types of birth control methods.  We decided to have her take a Depo-Provera shot because it was so highly effective.  She has been using it for about 6 monthes and she is haveing her period now.  We were told that this wouldn't happen so we are kinda scared that something is going/went wrong.  is this a common side effect or should we be worried?
Dear Tim:
Although many women have no periods (amenorrhea) on DepoProvera, other ladies have irregular bleeding that can vary between spotting to a full period-like menstrual flow. This bleeding has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the method; the bleeding indicates only that the lining of the uterus has become unstable is being shed away.
Since there is a very small risk for pregnancy, flow that is heavier than a menstrual flow and associated with cramps warrants physician consultation.
If a lady does not receive her injections on time, then escape from the medication can result in menstrual flow.
Keywords: DepoProvera
This information is provided for education purposes and is not a medical consultation. If you have specific questions,please speak with your physician.