Expert: Bob Kambic - 4/23/2007

Question
hi, im 17 years old and decided to take the shot on my birthday..after reviewing all the facts i only remembered not having the period. i remember them saying i would gain weight but did not pay attention to it..so taking it on my 17th birthday was exciting to me..after 2 months both my mother and my husband stated that i was getting bigger.after noticing i no longer was able to fit in my pants decided to weight myself.i had went from 110 to 153.with stretch marks all over my body..is it normal for that to happen? and gain so much weight in a short period of time? is there any possible way to get rid of the stretch marks of reduce them? please help..i cry more than every now wondering if i will ever be able to go back to my normal weight..

Answer
Women generally gain weight on the shot. Some women such as yourself may gain a lot of weight. I suggest talking to your provider about another method when the three months are passed. Ask them about weight gain on the pill. Some women gain weight on the pill. You may have to think about using barrier methods or natural family planning. Check http://www.irh.org/nfp.htm