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.

[webtraveler]

Look into Cushing's Syndrome.  I've had the same problems & am going to an endocrinologist next month to continue testing for Cushing's.  Initial blood tests showed my cortisol levels 4 times normal.

Been on Depo Provera for about 12 yrs.  Stopped last summer and haven't gotten my period back.  Over the last 4 years I becan to develop symptoms of Cushing's including weight gain (I've never in my life been overweight - then all of the sudden I was), apple-shaped body, thin arms & legs, moon face, flushing + diarrhea, and the Hallmark sign - the bufallo hump (fatty lump on the base of the back of the neck).  I now wear maternity clothes - even though I'm not pregnant.  It's the only thing that fits my body right.  The weight is not distributed throughout the body - just in the abdominal area.

Drs think it's "rare", personally, I think it's just highly underdiagnosed.

[ghays]

I took depo for 10 years and have experienced the exact same thing as you when I stopped taking it.  I gained about 60 pounds in a matter of months (I spent a week with my sister and the pants I arrived couldn't be pulled all the way up when I went home the weight was coming on so fast) and now no matter what I eat or how much I exercise (2x a day 6-7 days/wk for an hour or more...it's basically turned into a part-time job) I can't get it off.  I am exhausted all the time and I have seen so many doctors I am starting to believe them when they tell me it's all in my head.  I am taking synthroid for low thyroid and that helps with the fatigue somewhat but not completely.  I've been off the shot now for 5 years and I still barely have 2 periods a year.  I am overweight, depressed, exhausted and willing to try anything to resolve this and get back to normal.

[stella5349]

I totally agree.

[KCross]

I only took the depo shot for a total of nine months about 5 years ago. I got off of it because I kept gaining weight. I was about 95 pounds and by the time I stopped taking it I was close to 170. I weighed more than my top out weight when I had my son. The doctor I had at the time kept telling me that there was nothing wrong with me and that it was all in my  head. I changed back to son's doctor. She took one look at me and said that it was my thyroid. She did some tests and it came back as hypothyroidism. I've lost close to 40 pounds, but I have yet to be able to lose my stomach bulge. That's where the majority of is, I almost look pregnant. My friend recently began to take it and she's experiencing hair loss. This is a horrible drug that should be taken off the market.

[stella5349]

Recently I just posted an indepth comment to an article an OB-GYN posted here on Medhelp. This may give you some information on the effects. Also to support the information I posted I wrote a personal journal here on estogen domaniance and hypothyroidism.

Here is the article link

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/223919/Bioidentical-Hormones--Sorting-Myths-and-Facts

Look on my profile for the estrogen journal.


I would bet - your TSH is the only thing being evaluated and that definately is not the cycle you want to be in with thyroid. Also the FHS/LH and other hormones most likley is not being looked at in a whole to see exactly where your domanance factors are.

I think after the whole ordeal in your BC history and now having the births you need better evaluation of your hormones to get you feeling well again.

[lpangia]

I took depo for 5 years and stopped taking it when I got engaged so we could start planning a family.  At the time I stopped taking the drug I went from a size 4-6 to a size 14 in a matter of 2 months.  But thyroid kept testing in normal range.  Once my periods returned, we tried for a family and had no sucess.  Eventually we ended up doing IVF and became pregnant with triplets.  I  was very sick during the pregnancy and left the hospital with 3 beautiful girls and 30lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight.  Within 4 months I had gained all the weight back and my size 8 jeans post pregnancy were not fitting again.  I joined a gym about 6 months ago to help shed the weight.  After failing to loose any weight after months, I decided I was really stepping up the process and I go to the gym 10 times a week, on a 1800 calorie diet and run a total of 40 miles a week.  I haven't lost a stinkin pound, yet my thyroid still tests in the normal range.  I swear something is off, but no one will figure it out and I am getting very disgusted with my weight, depressed and fatigued.