Thinking about contraceptive injections - advice please!

[LittleB]

I've been on the pill (femodene) for about 20 years - with 2 breaks for my 2 children but I'm considering changing to injections, I suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome and a bad flare up can cause diarrhoea and potentially affect the pill so we then use condoms, but I am now considering a more reliable/longer term solution and thinking about having the injection. We are very happy with 2 children and can't afford anymore - the thought of an unplanned pregnancy scares me as I don't know what I'd do! What experiences do others have of the injection? My GP says I'd be fine as not overweight or smoker or at risk of thrombosis/breast cancer so I'm investigating it!
Thanks

Hi

I have the depo net doctor and I find it works well. The only stress is my GPs appointment system! I have not gained weight and have no periods - big bonus for me. It is very effective and some doctors even rate it higher than sterilisation. Yes it goes in your bottom but you only have to expose a small patch at the top iykwim (not drop your knickers/ trousers) and it is over very quickly - I wish the plaster wouldn't stick so much.

I choose it because I can't get pregnant again - too much risk for the baby rather than me - and my doctor said it was best they could do at my age other than recommend no sex!

Hope that helps.

Hi

I've had the opposite experience with the depo injection.

I've 2dc and can't get pregnant again either, so thought I'd try this whilst waiting for dh's appointment.

I am 10 weeks in and have bled every day. Enough to wear a pad all days and then heavy when my periods are with very bad period pains. My emotions are all over the place, very hormonal and the headaches have been horrendous.

That's the problem with injection if you react badly you still have 12 weeks of it!

Sorry not great. I will say I respond really badly to hormones though!

Thanks for your experiences, sounds like its a bit of a gamble. Although I've always been fine on the pill. Couldn't face constant bleeding though - I work outside, often in remote areas, constant bleeding would be tricky to manage. I will have to research how common that is. Do you have to see your gp for the injection or can a nurse do it? My gp is hard to get appointments with and I often have to wait an hour after my appointment time as he always runs late, couldn't face that every 12 weeks - but nurses are fine!

Have you considered the implant? I'd be worried about having the injection in case your body doesn't agree with it. At least with the implant you can have it removed whereas with the injection you would have to wait it out.

Also I think the implant has a higher success rate?