How to Stop Bleeding from Depo Shot

So many options are now available to prevent unplanned pregnancy. Depo-Provera – a hormone injection – is among many birth control methods. The Depo shot provides you with a high dose of progestin, which is a synthetic version of progesterone. It is important to understand that after taking Depo Provera, your body may stop the production of the hormone and keep your ovaries from releasing an egg. In the absence of an egg, no pregnancy is possible. Depo-Provera is quite effective against unwanted pregnancy and even helps with the treatment of endometriosis. It can cause some complications too, including bleeding, but you can manage things if you know how to stop bleeding from Depo shot.

Is the Bleeding Normal?

It is possible to experience bleeding issues after your first birth control shot, so you should not panic. Most women notice spotting or experience breakthrough bleeding for the first few months. Your period may take a year or so to return to normal, but it is possible to miss your period entirely.

Is There Any Way to Stop the Bleeding?

When learning how to stop bleeding from Depo shot, you need to keep in mind that there is no effective way to stop unexpected bleeding caused by the shot. You can simply stop using the birth control in case the side effects are a little too uncomfortable. Once you get the shot, the hormone stays in your body for at least three months, so you are going to experience its effects for this long at least, even if you have decided not to get your next injection. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you try anything to stop bleeding.

Options You Can Discuss with Your Doctor

If you find your bleeding issues too uncomfortable, you may want to discuss your concerns with your doctor and they will explain how to stop bleeding from Depo shot. The most common options include the following:

1. Try Estrogen Treatments

One way to treat your bleeding issues is to try estrogen supplementation or hormone replacement therapy. Your doctor may use the following:

  • Conjugated Estrogens (Enjuvia, Cenestin, Premarin): You may have to use these combinations of several estrogens to treat your symptoms.
  • Micronized Estradiol (Estrace, Gynodiol): Made from plant sources, these bio-identical estrogens are broken down into little pieces to help make absorption easy.
  • Estradiol Patch (Alora, Climara, Estraderm): Your doctor may recommend a transdermal skin patch that allows your body to absorb the estradiol through the skin.
  • Estradiol Vaginal Ring (Femring, Estring): You can use this flexible ring to get vaginal estrogen. Keep in mind that this is not like the NuvaRing.

Estrogen encourages tissue repair and blood clotting. At the same time, it promotes the growth of uterine line and stabilizes your blood vessels. These effects help prevent bleeding caused by the shot. You can use estrogen therapy along with the shot because it does not compromise the effectiveness of Depo-Provera.

Be sure to discuss all advantages and disadvantages of using estrogen therapy because it is not a suitable option for every woman. Your body may not react in a healthy way to the therapy, putting you at an increased risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and uterine cancer.

2. Tranexamic Acid

Your doctor may prescribe this medication to help treat your bleeding issues caused by the Dep injection. Fibrinolysis is a normal body process that helps prevent blood clots, and Tranexamic Acid helps keep this process from taking place, which in turn treats your bleeding issues.

3. Other Treatment Options

Here are some additional treatment options for anyone looking for how to stop bleeding from Depo shot.

Options

How It Helps and Possible Side Effects

Mefenamic Acid

You have to take a dose of 500mg twice a day for 5 days to notice positive effects of this medication.

Unfortunately, it is not an effective long-term treatment option mainly because it's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and hypertension.

Mifepristone

Commonly known for its ability to cause abortion, it may help treat bleeding issues caused by Depo shot when taken in low doses. Unfortunately, the only available dose in the United States is 200mg – it is used in medical abortion. Moreover, there are certain side effects associated with the use of mifepristone, even when taken in low doses. It may complicate your bleeding issues when not taken in the right doses and may lead to severe infections.

Valdecoxib

Your doctor may give you 40mg of valdecoxib, once a day, for five days to treat bleeding issues. It helps increase the duration between consecutive bleeding episodes. Many women get positive results within the first week of using valdecoxib.

The downside is that valdecoxib is not an FDA-approved medication because it is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Valdecoxib is not currently available in the United States.

4. WARNING

It is important to point out that there certainly are treatment approaches to help treat bleeding issues, but certain misconceptions are also associated with some treatment options. For instance, some women think they can treat their bleeding issues by increasing the frequency of their injections. Getting your next shot earlier than recommended can cause serious complications. You should do it only if your doctor has suggested it; otherwise, you should stick to your scheduled appointments and try other treatment options.

 
 
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