Am I pregnant - depo jab!!

[abbymeg]

Hi,I'm new to the site.

I had my second, and last, depo jab on 26th May. I have not had a period since before the injections. My husband and I have stopped using contraception a few weeks ago.

I am tired, emotional (although we have been through major life changes recently, and these are not unusual symptoms), I have sore boobs and I have felt sick on and off. (And - bit gross - have had major discharge.)

I have followed some chat about the depo jab and I realise that it can create phantom symtoms in people, but my due date for last jab was 2 months ago.

I have taken LOADS of tests at all times of day and they are always negative.

Sometimes I really feel pregnant, and other times I think my mind is playing tricks on me. It is starting to get me down.

I would really appreciate any advice

Thanks

Hiya, the date that my last top up should have been was about 2-3 months ago, I have been feeling pretty much the same as you and have tested negative whenever I have done a test.

I have heard from others that it can take a year for periods to come back.

Yep, or even longer. But I've also read about people who have conceived immediately after they stop the injection, and before they get their period. There was a woman who hadn't got her period back after depo, had pregnancy symptoms and yet loads of negative tests, so she went to the doctors and had a scan and was a few months. Bizarre.

I'm starting to think it's my mind playing tricks on me. I'm concerned because I have nights out planned. I know that technically we shouldn't drink when ttc, but I would like to be normal, and not to draw attention to the fact I'm ttc. IF I am pregnant, then I could be putting baby at risk.

I took the depo once in March and had to have an early second injection in May. Am seriously regretting it now.

I know we should wait for periods to come back before we try.. but I'm impatient!

I hate the uncertainty because of the symptoms I'm having.

I used to get the Depo jab and generally felt rough a lot of the time, and yes, felt pregnant sometimes. I think the hormone dose is quite high. Gave up after 6 months. Changed to Mirena, which suited me very well and although periouds stopped completely whilst on it, returned immediately on removal.

Hormonal birth control doesn't affect a pregnancy test result, so highly, highly unlikely you're pregnant.

I'm just finding it difficult because I've been pregnant before, and I've had the depo jab before - then returned to it this year. I've not had symptoms like this at all, especially during the course of the injection. It's weird that suddenly, two months after the last jab is due, I get these things. It is like being pregnant. I would be really happy if it was PMS and the sign of onset of periods, but nothing showing for that either.

Any suggestions of how to get this stuff out of your system faster?

Thanks for all responses so far, it's good to be able to talk to people who understand

I suspect you're having a lot of hormonal changes, and your body is behaving in the same way as it did wehn you were pregnant. It's just not being caused by exactly the same thing. Depo is incredibly strong. If you Google "clearing depo provera from body" or similar you'll get some results. Just seen one site that suggests colonic irrigation and certain herbal stuff. Good luck with it.

Colonic irrigation - nice!!

Thank you for your suggestion, I'll have a look

Felt the same when I came off the jab and especially so when periods were due (which were invariably late/irregular). I'd never had any issues before (pmt etc. and had been regular as clockwork). Gp gave me 3 months of the mini-pill to try and sort my hormones out (can kickstart your system apparently), but it made no difference. Cost me a lot in failed pg tests, but did finally fall pg 15 months after the jabs ran out - after I'd said to dh "let's not worry about it this month". Now expecting ds2 on 20/12!

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

I know it will happen, I just need to avoid getting carried away with it. Already, negative tests are emotionally draining, but realistically it could be months before I fall pregnant.

Dh will be pleased at the prospect of lots of unprotected bd!!

I had my last depo injection Nov 2004 and we are still trying!! Very upsetting but like you have had symptons - tried the mini pill from July 2005 to January 2006 to regulate periods, then from January to May had horrific periods, 42 days etc and full on bleeding, sometimes lasting 2 weeks fully flooding (tmi) finally since June periods were cd 23 July cd 24 Aug cd 25 sept and Oct cd 26 3/4 days on - so seem to be back to getting back to normal, am cd27 tomorrow so am expecting AF again - who knows. Heartbreaking I totally understand - will keep you posted this week! Keep trying though and try to keep smiling

Good luck. I've come home with super intense pains, more than period, and am worried now! On phone to NHS direct on hold!

Message withdrawn

When I came off the depo, I tried to eat soy and linseed products which have phyto-oestrogen (sp?) in them. It's meant to help smooth hormonal imbalances and is one way to help with the menopause so I thought it might help with sorting my bod out. No idea if it really worked, but worth a try, maybe?

Thanks for suggestions. Apparently pains could well be a sign that my periods are coming back - along with pregnancy symptoms.

This is fine, as at least I'll have a way to calculate my cycle again.

So, starting from scratch and officially ttc!

I see a pained look of panic on DHs face!!

Hi Abbymeg, my last depo jab wore off on 5 July and my periods (AF) started on 13 August. I have been on a regular 28 day cycle since then until this time! My AF was due on Sunday 5th and there's been no sign apart from mild cramping and an awful headache on Sunday.

I've decided to buy a test today and try it first thing tomorrow........... I bet my AF turns up today now!!!

Since my periods started back in August I haven't experienced any pregnancy symptoms - so going on my experience I would agree with some of the other ladies that your body is still adjusting - Good luck TTC

i was on depo for 4 years with no problems - or so i thought, til i came off it to try for ds2. It wasnt til it had totally worn off that i realised the vaginal dryness and lack of sex drive (and i mean once a month was too much)that i vowed never to go back on to it. But abbymeg my friend went through the exact same thing as you, and she was son convinced that she was pregnant (even tho all the tests and the doctor told her that she wasnt) she told her parents, her partners parents and even her children that she was pregnant. She eventually had to accept that she wasn't or had ever been pregnant. depo really F with you body and your head.

Af arrived today - so 2 years of ttc now ! and now is a 28 day cycle so hoping that it is just a question of keep trying ! This is for baby #3 so would go back on it again afterwards as there will definitely be no more - wondering whether to go to doctors anyway to see what they say, as have heard progesterone levels become low after using depo ? Not sure...

I've read that they can give you the mini-pill or clomid, depending on which hormone you could be lacking.

I find it so mad that I got pregnant with my daughter in a month yet now I could face a long time waiting for baby no. 2 all because I didn't want my period on my wedding day!! Ahhh, so foolish!

It's lovely how welcoming and supportive everyone is on here!

Good luck to everyone ttc. Hoping that bfps come your way soon

I was on depo for two years. I came off it in the Jan, then met someone in the Oct and we had unprotected sex twice stupid I know. We then split up in the November. I hadn't had a period since coming off the Depo, by the way. By Christmas I ws convinced I was pregnant - painful swollen boobs, feeling sick, mood swings, funny pains, etc. Was shitting myself in case I was preg with someone who didn't want me or a baby. Turns out it was my 1st period making an appearance... I had a month or so of all that 'preg symptoms' palarva then my period showed up in the January - 1 year after stopping the injections.

Anyway, me and the horrible ex boyfriend got back together, he turned out to be not-so-horrible after all and he's now my dh . After we got married we tried for dd1 and got preg within 4 months... and dd2 took 2 years!! So I know how you feel about the frustration of not getting preg when you want to, but Depo is a very powerful thing and can take ages to get out of some women's systems. Good luck anyway!