Question:
Is my birth control not working?

Before surgery, I was on the Depo shot for about a year and a half and never had a period. I stopped it a few months before the surgery and started up again a few months after. Now it's been almost 6 months into the Depo treatment. About two weeks ago, i got my period out of the blue (at the most inopportune time). It has been very light and very minimal cramping. However, it has gone on for two weeks! I called the ob/gyn and they said it's because of the weight loss, the hormones being released, you know the drill. So that's fine, cool, in fact. However, I haven't stopped having sex just because of my period, can I get pregnant from this release of hormones causing periods??? Side note, I have PCOS and I never had to worry about becoming pregnant before. This added dimension to my life is confusing and embarrassing.    — Anna F. (posted on December 24, 2001)

December 23, 2001
I\'m sorry I don\'t know the answer to your question I would think your doctor would have advised you to use additional BC if there was question. But I have a question for you. Why did you stop deprovera I had a shot and I haven\'t told my surgeon yet I thought it wouldn\'t matter.
   — Candace F.

December 23, 2001
Candace: He didn\'t ask me to stop, I elected to do so just because I didn\'t want anything in me at all going in. And at the time, I didn\'t have much need for the birth control part, I was using for hormones only (the PCOS problem).
   — Anna F.

December 24, 2001
After a year and some of using the depo I got pregnant with my daughter anyway. I had some breakthrough bleeding so they done a pregnancy test before they gave me my next shot, and low and behold there was my daughter (in a positive pregnancy test anyway)</p> I would consult with your surgeon about this and then again with my OB, my surgeon made sure to cover this ground with me (I\'m fixed now so I didn\'t get all of his lecture).. I would think anytime you\'re having the hormones to have your period , that you would have the hormones to get pregnant.. the concept of depo is that it\'s supposed to make the uterus un-implantable for the fertalized egg.. if you\'re having a period all of the sudden, I\'d deffinately be concerned if you\'re still having sex and don\'t want to have a baby, I don\'t know how many time I\'ve heard of \"extra fertility\" for the ladies after surgery. I don\'t want to \"scare\" you but just ask a second opinion ..
   — [Anonymous]

December 27, 2001
I also have PCOS, and hadn't had a period in 3 years (I'm 23 yrs old). Both my Doc and Ob/gyn told me to GET ON BIRTH CONTROL because as you lose the weight, it pretty much reverses your PCOS symptoms. HOPEFULLY! LOL. So I started BC right after my surgery, and it's been pretty funky ever since, my body getting into the swing of things. I would DEFINITELY worry about getting pregnant, as it's not good to be preg soon after surgery.
   — Christi A.