Severe pain after depo-injection?

[Charlie-Chuck]

It has been nearly two weeks since I had my first depo injection (the one that shuts off my ovaries) and I am still experiencing severe pain mainly in my left side, it's duller on my right side. This is my first time on it and although my last lap came back clear of Endo I am still experiencing severe pain and bleeding. The cramps are worse than ever before and although have died down since getting my injection I am still in agony. It literally feels like someone is grabbing my side and squeezing and it is far worse when I sit down.

Has anyone had the injection? Can they tell me more?

I also still have the Mirena coil in, they suggested keeping it in just in case things do regulate when they take me off it. But even still I don't want to be in pain anymore. Please help.

[Impatient]

Firstly is this Depo-Provera you are refering to as depo or one of GnRH drugs? If so which one?

Next question where in the body was your injection?

Was it an implant or liquid dose? Was there bleeding and bruising at the time of the injection and then it

eased off and now returned or has this pain been gradually getting worse since the dose went in?

Your post confused me as the term depo refers to Depo-Provera normally speaking but that doesn't shut down ovaries it reduces the menstrual lining of the womb in much the same way as mirena coil.

Whereas GnRH drugs, like Prostap, Lupron, Zoladex, Decapetyl etc do shut down the pituitary gland in the brain and that no longer produces hormones so the ovaries and the endo and uterus lining fall in to a dormant state until such time as the hormones are being naturally produced or artifically added back with HRT.

What you are describing pain wise sounds like the 'flare stage' of taking GnRH drugs rather than depo-provera. Please thoroughly read the patient advice leaflets freely available online for which ever drug you are taking as they do point out how the drug works and a huge lists of side effects caused by reductions in many different essential hormones that taking these drugs will expose you to.

They are the chemo - hormone drugs, where as Depo-Provera is a contraceptive and period controller drug that is injected every 3 months.

Not knowing for sure which one you are referring to makes it difficult to be specific in answering.

If the name of the drug is not Depo then ideally we need to be told the drug name so we can direct you to the right place for answers.

[Charlie-Chuck in reply to Impatient]

Hello

I'm not sure of the actual name I just know it's the one that shuts off my ovaries but a liquid formula that was injected into my arm that I get every 12 weeks. There was a little bit of bleeding and bruising on my arm and my actual vaginal bleeding has stopped but the pain is mental.

[Impatient in reply to Charlie-Chuck]

Please find out. You should always be given a patient information leaflet with every drug, and if you are not given this, then must remind the nurse or doctor or pharmacist that you are entitled to have a copy and time to read it before going ahead with any new drug - unless obviously youre are incapaciated in a life or death emergency situation.

ask for it and ready it thoroughly before you undertake any drug treatments, but even if you have started then you should still do this at the earliest opportunity.

That way you can double check for contraindications that may be from your previous medical history.

You know the side effects of the drug so are not caught by surprise when they happen.

You can research the history of the drug in terms of long term damage and side effects and law suits etc.

Just because a Doctor precribes it to you doesn't mean they have read your full medical history to make sure it is safe for you, Doctors these days are paid bonuses to promote drugs on to their patients, regardless of whether it is in your best interest or not, but you can bet for many of them the money is talking much louder than ethics.

Call your GP surgery and ask them to confirm to you the name of the drug.

Then google the name of the drug plus the words "patient information leaflet".

Then read through what that says and it could be that your side effects are precisely what is meant to be happening

or might not be and the advice maybe to inform your GP right away.

You should always always always research what is being put in your body. No one else is looking after your best interests and health except you.

[kerry83]

Hi I have been using the depo on and off since I was 16. I'm afraid in my experience it doesn't stop the pain it only stops my periods. so although it doesn't help the pain and only stops my periods, for me it's still worth having so I don't have to deal with the heavy painful periods. Hope this helps

[tania147]

Im exactly the same. Had a heavy bleed, then the pain started to get worse, I have another injection next week. Hopefully this one will work better. I thought it was meant to stop the bleeding.