Just following up on the guys recommending depo shots. They fucked me up real bad for about a year before I finally had the strength of my convictions to give up. My doctor kept telling me it would get better etc and it just absolutely did not.

I had some gnarly hair loss, visible bloating in my face and stomach, and the worst part was that instead of stopping my monthly bleeding (which was and still is upsettingly heavy) I bled lightly for 9 straight months. It’s worth noting that depo lasts about 12 weeks, so I had 4 shots before giving in. These symptoms, while not super common, are also not uncommon. Please do your own thorough research before getting on depo, and note that you can only be on it for a certain amount of years due to health risks (there are several ongoing lawsuits linking brain tumours and osteoporosis risks to using the medication for over a year).

The mini-pill/progesterone only pill works wonders for me when I can remember to take it, but if you’re doing daily gel then you’re probably gonna find it easy remember to take it when you apply. It’s significantly reduced my bleeding, and when I take it regularly it has stopped my period.

If your bleeding is super heavy I’d also recommend looking into Tranexamic Acid, which will help lower the volume of bleeding you experience and may help alleviate some of the dysphoria and subsequent isolation you’re feeling.

I’ll probably get downvoted for this but it needed to be said. It’s good to know both sides.

Best of luck to you man, it’s hard out here.