What causes difficulty in getting pregnant after having Depo shot?
Patient: Hi, My name is Kelly. I was just wondering if anyone could help me understand why it s taking so long to get pregnant after the depo shot. I ve been off of it for 9 months now and I have recently seen dark brown spotting but only once and it hasn t come back. I was on the shot for about 4 years. My husband and I would really love to have a kid. Please helps. Tia (: Doctor: Hello, and I hope I can help you today.Unfortunately, Depo-Provera is a very long-lasting contraceptive. For convenience sake, having to only worry about birth control every three months is extremely helpful. However, in some women, normal ovulation can take many months to come back some even up to one year. The reason for that is that the hormone that is in Depo-Provera is designed to be long-lasting and different people metabolize the drug differently. Also, the fact that you had been on Depo for four years and likely you did not get your period during that time is a sign that your estrogen levels also had been suppressed by the medication.If at one year since stopping the Depo-Provera you do not have any sign of real menstruation, I would recommend that you and your partner see a gynecologist for evaluation. They could do an analysis of your hormones, and medication to help stimulate you to ovulate again may be a possibility.So I know it is difficult, please try to be patient if at the end of three months you still have not resumed normal menstrual cycle, I would recommend evaluation by a gynecologist or endocrinologist to evaluate why you are not menstruating. It may be recommended also for your partner to do a semen analysis, as most doctors want to know that there is no male factor involved in your fertility issues.I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today, and that this information was helpful.Best wishes,Dr. Brown