Ladies (And male lovers of women, please do feel free to join in) If you're considering going with the Depo Provera Birth Control method please take time to read the information below. No matter what you choose, you deserve the right to make an informed decision based on ALL pertinent information. Because everyone is different, where one may experience horrible side effects, another might experience none, however, there are literally thousands of women experiencing side effects from this drug that have compromised their health, their life, and their relationships in significant ways. For you ladies who are finding yourself in this boat now, I've included some information regarding alternative ways to assist your system, as well as an alternative method of NATURAL birth control. As well, whether you're personally impacted by this drug or not, please take a moment to sign the petition to take Depro Provera off the market. Women are being poisoned every day in the name of PROFIT! (see link below). My story: I had no significant health issues prior to taking Depro, had maintained the same weight, give or take 5 lbs., for many yrs., and had no issue taking the weight off when it did fluxuate. I received my last shot in Nov. of 2006 (I received four shots total) and today am still experiencing many side effects. While taking Depro, my symptoms included excessive weight gain, major circulation issues (my arms would fall asleep repeatedly-very painful), chest pain, dry skin, strange rashes, low sex drive (high libido prior to receiving the shot) body aches, headaches, emotional swings, irregular bleeding, varicose veins, headaches, weakness, dizzy spells, nausea, blurry vision, and visually noticed loss of muscle tone. I gained 25 lbs. in a period of approx. two months despite my already extremely healthy dietary intake (I eat virtually no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, consume very few refined carbs, drink only purified water (no caffeine, no sodas, no juice, no aides), eat plenty of organic veggies, organic low fat lean meats, take supplements, etc.), weight which I cannot seem to take off despite having altered my dietary intake even more & regular exercise; my husband says my mood has been unexplainably tense, my body aches (I feel like a 60 yr. old), i've been bleeding incessantly for prolonged periods of time; at this point, for a month & 1/2 straight (heavy bleeding), i've developed varicose veins, i've noticed that it takes much longer for wounds to heal, am having acne, feel routinely fatigued and weak & must continually battle depression. If I weren't in touch with my spirituality most likely I would be insane by this point, especially after having tried to discuss what's transpiring in my body with doctors who have insisted it's not possible Depro caused these things, even giving me looks (you know that face that indicates "you must not be counting your calories accurately, you must be exaggerating about your bleeding...in other words, maybe you're a nut case), now maybe that was simply my own perception, but, two things are for certain; I listened to the doctor very carefully and read all material given to me regarding depro & the only side effects listed were possible weight gain (which the doctor minimized saying it should only be around 5 lbs., NOT 5-10 lbs. per shot! The only other side effects listed were possible headaches, back pain, & increased risk for osteoporosis, which I was told would be resolved by taking calcium/vitamin d supplements. This drug is poison and needs to be taken off the market. To all of my sisters now suffering from this, may God touch your spirit. Respectfully, while counting calories, eliminating refined sugar from your diet, drinking plenty of purified water, minimizing salt intake, eating lots of green veggies (organically grown), non processed foods, and organic meats (hormone free) is essential to maintaining your health (esp. in light of all the chemicals & synthetic substances being added to foods, many women are experiencing excessive weight gain after having taken Depro that is NOT contributed to dietary intake. Everyone's body is different. Some women may experience weight loss while on the Depro, but, after having scoured over hundreds upon hundreds of testimonies, most are experiencing the opposite effect: excessive weight gain & many of these women are stating that this occurred with no dietary changes. As well, many women are stating that once they stopped getting the shot, they have found it extremely difficult to drop the weight, even after many yrs., even thought they've altered their dietary intake and up-ed the exercise. It can become incredibly disheartening when you're taking a proactive approach to weight issues and the weight still refuses to budge or when you’re receiving strange looks & responses from doctors despite the fact that suddenly you’ve gone from perfect health to a constant battle with fatigue, illness, mood swings, endless bleeding, etc.... so, I think it's extremely important that women have access to information that can help us understand what's happening and why. By the way, did you know that the same drug used in Depro is given to Cancer & AID's patients to assist them with weight gain? And I must not forget to tell you that some states also administer the drug to sex offenders and child molesters to eliminate their libido. I am not anti doctor or anti medication, but, we need to understand the reality of the situation. First off, primarily doctors are able to do two things: 1.) repair and 2.) alleviate symptoms (applying band aids)....in most cases, they are not, however, capable of curing the root of those symptoms. In those cases where they are capable of getting rid of an illness, it is through use of chemicals that reek havoc on your system and leads to other illness (chemo is an ie. of this). If I'm in a car accident and facing a life threatening situation, I want a doctor to sew me up and give me medication to alleviate my pain, if my body gets burned in a fire i want a doctor to administer pain meds and perform skin grafts.....but the reality is, most traditional doctors are not even willing to truly listen to what their patients are saying to them about the side effects they began to experience directly after taking Depro and you can anticipate that your physician will tell you your symptoms could not possibly be due to the shot. Doctors receive financial benefits from manufacturers to promote their drugs...in many cases PROFITS take precedence, NOT the well-being of humanity, particularly when it comes to women (very few research dollars are granted to address women's health issues). http://www.socialism.com/fsarticles/vol20no3/Norplant.htm (note the dates of these articles ladies….this has been ruining women’s lives for years now!!! We must All step up whether we’re personally being affected by this particular drug or not!!! Just think about it for a moment. If you've spoken to your doctor about the illnesses you began experiencing after receiving Depro there must be other patients who have also spoken to that same doctor about it. Yet, many continually maintain that the illness could not possibly be linked to Depro. In my case, as well as in many other cases, doctors attempt to address the symptoms by putting you on another drug, but, the very reason why your hormones became imbalanced in the first place, which is what's leading to all the illness, is because of synthetic hormones (in all birth control except Paraguard IUD). Drug Companies create synthetic hormones because they're not allowed to patent natural hormones (such as Bio Identical Hormones/plant based), they can however patent man made substances And PROFIT BIG TIME, which is precisely why they're pushing this crap. Synthetic hormones are not the same as natural hormones. They are chemicals designed to trick the body into (hopefully) responding in the same manner as it would if the natural hormone were releasing into your system. Here lies the problem. Often times the body is NOT tricked thus resulting in what we call "side effects". In the 80's when manufacturers tested Depro on animals (Rhesus Monkeys, Beagles, and Rats) the side effects were undeniable, however, they pushed the drug regardless, dismissing the side effects away by saying the animals system was different than humans.....yet they conducted their tests on these particular animals, breeds selected based on criteria which serves to match up which animal will indicate the most likely impact the drug will have on human beings). In a trial where they injected 12 Rhesus Monkeys with Depro, almost all of the monkeys developed tumors, something never seen before in Rhesus Monkeys. Not surprisingly, today many woman are developing cysts (endometriosis), fibromygelia, and turmors in their liver. My masters work was in Psychological Research and I can share a few things with you. First off, research is easily skewed. Skewed means that a researcher who is looking to present a particular result can alter their methods in order to show results that support their hypothesis. Secondly, researchers give much consideration to the subjects viability prior to conducting trials. Most of you have probably come across ads in your local paper or weekly "Research study on Nicotine Addiction" Criteria: Must be a smoker! I would find it shocking if the manufacturers of Depro told their researches to simply pick an animal and see what happens. I imagine it's much more likely the animals were carefully selected based on very specific criteria. http://www.ru486.org/depo.html By now you're probably saying "what to do?" Hopefully you’re feeling inspired to discover the ways in which you can free yourself from being used as a human lab rat! We all went on birth control in order to achieve a particular purpose, some, to avoid getting pregnant, others to alleviate symptoms of other illness or dysfunction. What traditional doctors will not tell you however is that there are other alternatives available besides drugs. I went on Depro because my husband and I did not want to have any more children at this stage. When I began experiencing illness, after having been told by my doctor that my "side effects" were not linked to the Depro, I hit the internet to investigate for myself...because I knew it was NO coincidence that my health suddenly declined and my weight suddenly escalated. “According to Sathyamala, Depo-Provera is a long-term, systemic, invasive contraceptive, which acts at multiple levels. Its potency and the ease with which it can be used have been cited as reasons for its promotion in sections with high birth rates and low "motivation" levels. By not taking the women's experience seriously, it is more than likely that important morbidities are being left out, she argues. When a woman reports a symptom while being on Depo-Provera, the general tendency seems to be to "rea ssure" her that the reported symptom is not associated with the use of the contraceptive.†http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1724/17240820.htm When I discovered all of the women's testaments that so closely resembled mine I immediately decided not to ever take another shot, which left me back in the same boat I was in before "how can I avoid pregnancy". The Paraguard IUD seemed like a viable option in that it eliminated the synthetic hormones & I subsequently had one inserted. While I do believe this is a better option, even the Paraguard is not w/out side effects. I continued to experience abnormal bleeding (essentially I've been bleeding for a yr. straight...there have only been three wks. in which I have not bled in some form or fashion. My husband, who has grown increasingly concerned, insisted I return to the doctor & we decided I would have the Paraguard removed. When I went to my doctor, I was told my hormones had become unbalanced (the doctor indicated that this hormonal imbalance was most likely an issue that would need to be addressed regardless of whether I left the Paraguard in or had it removed) and I was prescribed Provera, which I was to take for 10 days a month for 3 months then return to the doctor. I had to press the doctor in order to get an admission that the hormonal imbalance was most likely caused by the Depro. I decided to fill the prescription and return home to do research and discuss this w my husband, who quiet adamantly informed me that if I took that route I would be consenting to more experimentation on my body. Sure enough, Provera has similar side effects to Depro....they're both the same hormone! And, there are testimonies from many women who took Provera and had an increase in bleeding or no discontinuation of bleeding at all. http://www.infertilityworkshop.com/articles/gettingstarted/depoprovera.htm Needless to say, I've learned my lesson. I scheduled an appointment the very next morning and had the IUD removed. After extensive research, I've discovered a number of things one can do to assist their body in removing the chemicals. Because the steroids get into ones liver, among other parts of the system, cleansing the system with natural products is a start. There are MANY products on the market for this. I have tried a few that I didn't care for and am now using products from a company called Global Healing Center www.ghchealth.com and find their products are working effectively and gently (no cramping). I have also considered the Master Cleanse. It involves fasting, which is not easy, however, it may be necessary to give your body a break from digestion, thus allowing for a more effective detoxification www.thelemonadediet.com. As well, I am considering limiting my dietary intake to raw foods exclusively for a time. I have found a number of women who after becoming seriously ill due to Depro took this route and experienced substantial healing. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/rawfood2.htm To address hormonal imbalance (Depro functions to kick the body into a menopausal state) there are natural alternatives. Check into Bio Identical Hormones as well as locating a physician who practices alternative medicine in your area. Serious Health Food stores may be able to provide some recommendations. http://www.minniepauz.com/bio-identical-hormones.html http://www.power-surge.com/educate/naturalhormones.htm An excellent alternative to chemical birth control is the Natural Family Planning Method utilizing Cycle Beads. Despite my hesitation regarding chemical birth control, I didn't believe there was a viable Natural option available to me because the failure rate of the Rhythm Method has been reported to be rather high. Cycle Beads however, is an entirely different method. If I would have known about it & it's effectiveness rate prior to having sought out chemical birth control I never would have chosen chemicals. Turns out, one of the nurses in my doctors office mentioned this method to me after hearing my story & highly recommended it! www.cyclebeads.com Lastly, if you have experienced illness as a result of Depro, please take a moment to sign this petition. This drug needs to be taken off the market & clearly it is up to us to force it's removal. As well, take time to do some research for yourself. Knowledge Empowers! http://www.petitiononline.com/Depo/petition.html Also, although this will take another 5 mns. Of your time PLEASE take time out to file a complaint with the FDA. You may do this online. http://www.fda.gov As well, here is a link to obtain the number of The Attorney General’s office in your state, where you may also file a complaint. Many of them have email addresses. http://www.tobacco.org/Misc/ags.html This is a fantastic site to discover what patients are experiencing upon taking a drug. There is a wealth of information there. www.askapatient.com I know this is rather long, but hopefully enlightening. Personally I feel very angry, but the most constructive thing I can do at this point is to channel my anger into things that will incite change, for myself, for women suffering from Depro, for women collectively, and even for the men who are engaging in these atrocities….educate myself, take matters in my own hands, refuse to be experimented on any longer, contact authorities, take a proactive approach to getting well again and share with others. I have a wonderful husband who has stood by me through all of this and has taken a significant interest in getting me well, but, it has not been without struggle. The constant bleeding has all but destroyed our intimate life and I do battle with depression on a daily basis, but, we must keep hope alive! I want to thank all of you who took the time to share your stories. You're making a difference in the lives of other women! And by the way, it will help things w/in your relationship if you will share information with your spouse or significant other. Send him links or have him read some of the testimonies while you’ve got them pulled up. Knowledge empowers him too. More Related Links: http://www.abcinternetmarketing.com/depo-provera/report_depo_provera.html http://www.pureloveclub.com/chastity/index.php?id=7&entryid=315 Please feel free to email me anytime. Peace & Blessings, Lala lalaluv4u@yahoo.com
