Contraceptive injection

[Jaffacake007]

Hi

I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to share their experiences with the contraceptive injection? I've been on a variety of different pills for 10+ years and basically I don't think it's right for me anymore so I'm exploring other options.

I have PCOS and was told it may be difficult for me to conceive - I thankfully managed to conceive very quickly after stopping taking the pill for only a few weeks last year and have my daughter.

I read it takes about a year for your fertility to return to normal after having the injection, but this is a concern of mine because I haven't fully decided if we want to try again in the next couple of years and didn't want the injection to make things more difficult. I'm also a bit wary about putting on more weight as I'm overweight already (not helped by lockdown and mat leave) but I'm trying to tackle this.

I was considering the coil but I feel like it's invasive and I've read that it hurts etc. I had a bad experience during examinations in labour so I think I'm trying to avoid having someone rummaging around down there!

Any positive/negative experiences or advice would be most welcome! X

I put on loads of weight and bled a lot and gave up after my 2nd depo injection. Mirena stopped my periods but had to be removed under general anaesthetic when the strings went awol

I've been on depo-provera nearly twenty years now and I love it. No periods, a bit of weight gain which I don't mind at all (I'm fairly hefty anyway so it's no big deal), the occasional mood swing and that's it. It's up there in the best decisions I ever made, but I knew from a young age I didn't want children so staying on it long term and the return to fertility thing wasn't a worry for me.

I know someone who's come off it with zero issues and someone who had about six months of hormonal faff, sore boobs, etc before things settled down.

I don't know if that's helpful or not but I have no plans to come off it - I'm 35 :)

I was on it for a long time, during my time on it I developed an allergy to milk and eggs that ended up with me in hospital on a drip in anaphylactic shock. The allergy completely disappeared after I came off the contraceptive injection.

If you're on it for a while you're supposed to get your bone density checked as it can thin your bones too.

It changed me after having that injection. My mood swings during my time of the month have never settled back down. It made me angry. I would never advise anyone to get it. That was about 4 years ago and I still get uncharacteristically and disproportionately raging over the slightest thing during my period.

@dementedpixie

If you're on it for a while you're supposed to get your bone density checked as it can thin your bones too.

Yes, they recommend every five years or so :)

I put on loads of weight. Really wish I hadn't had it. I have a copper coil now and yes it can cause pain. My 1st one did. This is my 2nd and it's a lot better

Thanks everyone for sharing

I'll have to have a think and weigh up the pros and cons... I don't mind a little weight gain but I do know of a couple of people who went up a few dress sizes.

Annoyingly I'm taking Dianette at the moment and I'm having no issues at all but because my BMI is 37 they've been asking me to lose weight in order to stay on it due to clots etc. Tried different types of pill including the mini pill which I really didn't get on with. I'm pretty sure they're going to tell me it's not 'the best option' anymore and I need to consider something else