Depr Provera next step

I have been "lurking" on this site for awhile and now have some questions i haven't seen addressed.
Oct 14th I had a diagnostic lap due to heavy periods and painful intercourse. (here's some of my history) Started periods at age 11, very heavy, and very painful. Would miss school at least one day a cycle. Went on for about 7 years. (mother died when i was 11 and dad not much help with this problem) Finally old enough to go Planned Parenthood. Went on Ortho Novum 777. Took care of heavy bleeding and pain. Up until about 1 1/2 years ago. Started cramping and clotting again, then insult to inury painful intercourse.(i am now 36) Never been preganant nor do i want to.
Found out about maternal history:5 aunts and Grandma: 5 have had hyterectomies due to fibroids, endo,prolapse. So there is some history issues.
1 OBG went to said ablation or hysterectomy-just like that. Really scared me time for 2nd opinion.
2nd OBG (current) explained that a lap would be the best place to start, due to family and my personal history. Well NO ENDO!!
some adhesions, retroflex uterus slightly boggy.
Went today for another consult, possible hysterectomy.(my thoughts)
He told me my next step had to be DEPO PROVERA and if it didn't help THEN we will do hysterectomy.
My question is can anyone share their experiences with DEPO, today is my first day and I am nervous about the possibilities of the unpredicatble bleeding or an increase ( as if it isn't enough already)
One more thing, my blood counts where normal but on the lower end of the scale, I am a smoker and one of the things my Dr said about smoking besides QUIT was that it contains carbon monoxide and it does something to make the blood look less anemic ???
I am sorry for taking up anyones time with this since it really isn't as extreme as having a hysterectomy but this was the only place i felt that someone could help.
MANY THANK YOU'S in advance for any advice or experiences.
Lois

This was posted in a "read only" forum and has been moved here where it should receive some replies.

Hi Lois I had my hyst for a completely different reason (prolapse), but I wanted to share my experience with depo provera. I used it for about three years, maybe ten years ago. I felt great on it! No side effects whatsoever except that it stopped my periods for the whole time I was using it after an induction period of a month or two, until almost a year after I stopped using it.

I'm sure you'll also hear from women who have had trouble with it... we are all different, and the only way to find out how you'll do is by trying it. I hope it works for you and enables you to avoid having to have surgery.

s,
-Linda

I was put on Depo Provera late August. I think it helped my endo, but made my adeno worse. I was a bit moody, started having trouble sleeping, and had some hot flashes. I think we are all different and react in different ways to these meds. I didn't start my period for 2 months and then went for 1 month. That had never happened to me before. It is suggested it be started 5 days into a period and my Dr had me inject 8 days before my period. I'm not sure if their intention was to treat an endometrioma, but it ruptured 2 weeks after starting DP. I had flank pain before and that went away. Never hurts to try these drugs as medical treatments. Hysterectomy is usually the last resort. I think it is safe to say the DP did me some good. Will be interesting to see what my innards looks like after being on it for 3 months. I was successful for many years using BCP. Best of luck to you.

I took Depo Provera injections in an attempt to stop, or at least slow, my hemorrhaging periods. My doc used a double dose, once a month as she felt this offered the best chance for being effective. She predicted that by the third month, my periods would stop completely.

It worked for a while, but never totally stopped my periods. Then, I started having clots again during the third month. I took one more double dose for the fourth month but, I still had a heavy period.

At that point, I was no longer willing to take such a heavy dose of Provera because it has an immunosuppressant effect and I have had kidney cancer. Also, I was losing my hair, which is a known (but less usual) side effect of Provera. It definitely seemed related in my case.

Once I stopped the monthly double doses, my period returned with a vengeance. I really was afraid that I could bleed to death. Also, scans for my kidney cancer follow-up had revealed an large ovarian dermoid cyst. Standard procedure dictates removal of those. So, with the fibroids causing the hemhorraging periods, with the dermoid thrown in for good measure, hysterectomy just became the best choice.

All that aside, if the Provera had worked for me like it was supposed to (especially at the normal dosage every three months instead of a double dose once a month), I would have stayed on it. I had no side effects other than the hair loss. I guess if the hair loss had gotten really bad, I'd have quit the Provera because of it. I'm not cute enough to be bald. But, if I hadn't been on such a heavy dose of Provera, I might not have had any hair loss at all. Again, I had no other physical or emotional side effects. I felt fine.

If you decide to use the Provera, I really hope it works for you. I'm told, though, that my experience with it and fibroids is common: that it will work for a while and then the heavy bleeding returns.

Still, you won't know unless you try and your insurance may not cover a hyst unless you try Provera (or something like it) first. And, you'll feel more like you've excercised all your options before resorting to an irreversible surgical procedure.

Best of luck to you.