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Depo-Provera III: Take It Off The Market The title is the battle cry of many unhappy Depo-Provera users, along with 'sue them' and 'help us'. From continuous bleeding to severe vaginal atrophy, complaints of problems call out to be heard by their doctors and Pharmacia Corporation (owners of Upjohn), the makers of Depo-Provera. These women and their spouses need help in coping with what Depo-Provera has done to them and their lives. Approximately 75% of all Depo-Provera users stop taking the drug within the first year of use. The majority of the complaints included continuous bleeding, mood swings, headaches and lack of sex drive. What the women that stopped may not have known or even been told, is that the side effects continue even after you no longer receive injections. One of the side effects that affects almost every woman that has used it is delayed return to normal fertility. From here, the side effects increase and get much worse. Osteoporosis, thought of as a disease that 'old' people get, has been linked to Depo-Provera. A woman that has used Depo is encouraged to have her bone density checked. Cervical dysplasia has been reported by many women that have side effects from Depo, along with ..."severe depression, lack of libido, lack of feminine moisture, I was on my period for 8+ weeks straight. I got bladder infections, my hair was falling out in clumps, I couldn't eat because I would get sick. I was always tired, had major mood swing..." and more.
Christina was kind enough to tell me of her experience with Depo-Provera. If her story is not enough to make a woman think twice about using Depo as birth control, I don't know what would be. "I was on depo for 6 years. It wasn't until the sixth year that any doctor mentioned the possibility of a connection between my Depo use and the problems I was having. If I knew when I was 16 what I know now at 26, I would have never have taken the first shot. I was told that the worst side effects where loss of periods, and lowered sex drive!...Depo Provera caused severe vaginal atrophy in me. To a degree that normally wouldn't be seen until post menopause...The atrophy, vaginal infections, various medications, and estrogen decline lead to the development of vulvar vestibulitis, a type of vulvodynia. I finally wound up having surgery in May. A complete vulvar vestibulectomy with vaginal advancement. The hymen was removed, and the perinial skin was grafted and tucked in to prevent further fissuring. Quite a bit of tissue was removed because of the degree of inflammation (glands were 4 inches long instead of the healthy 1cm they should be), and the amount of scar tissue and fibromas attatched to the glands...Right now it is 6 months post operative. I am in Physical Therapy to re-educate the pelvic floor muscles, and I am still coping with recurrent yeast infections." If you have used Depo and suffered severe side effects you can report your experience to the FDA, or to your State Attorney General. Also, sign the Depo-Provera petition, or the Men Against Depo-Provera petition. An attorney has contacted a group about a class action lawsuit against Upjohn. You can contact the attorney through her web site http://www.shainwaldlaw.com and send your contact information by e-mail to Sybil Shainwald. Be sure to give her all of your contact information and let her know that you are interested in the pending litigation against Upjohn for Depo-Provera. Update - I have been unable to reach Ms. Shainwald. If you know of an attorney that maybe interested in a Depo-Provera Class Action Lawsuit, please contact me so I can update the information here. Depo-Provera has obviously injured many women to the point that they can no longer enjoy their lives. Should it remain on the market? No. Because a woman's hormones play such a large part in their health, the FDA should never have approved any birth control that can so adversely affect them. Depo can literally ruin a normal healthy woman, would you be willing to take the risk? I am not.
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