Pfizer-reported side effects of Depo Provera include:

• Spotting, irregular menstruation and most commonly, no periods at all.
• Loss of calcium stored in bones.
• Weight gain.

 Here are some side effects reported by our readers:

“I had two Depo Provera shots and didn’t like it at all, and never used it again. It caused me to gain weight- about 8 pounds. Because it prevents ovulation, women often will experience a sharp decline in their libido. To me that was a big minus too.

Another side effect I experienced was painful knots in the injection site, and this pain seemed to spread down my entire hip area.”

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I enjoyed the lack of periods and since, coincidentally, I wasn’t sexually active while taking Depo Provera, so it didn’t cause me any concern. However, I had a strange skin problem with a couple of large (and ugly) pimples that would not go away on my skin. When I stopped the Depo Provera (after my doctor told me about the potential bone calcium loss), my skin cleared up.”

The advantage of Depo Provera is that it is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when given on time. Some women also like the fact that they don’t have to think about birth control every day. On the other hand, it does require an office visit to get the shot.

Usually after the second shot, women will not have a menstrual period. Some women report spotting or irregular menstrual cycles.

Depo Provera is known to cause some users to calcium stored in their bones. Pfizer, the creators of the product, only encourage long-term use (2 years or more) of the method “only if other methods of birth control are not right for you.”

In addition, 2 out 3 women in clinical trials reported a weight gain of 5 pounds during the first year of use.