Did you ever take Depo-Provera?

I know... I know... We hear there is no correlation between the pill/contraceptives and breast cancer. So I am trying to be specific here. This isn't to say I am not interested in other methods. I know there are risks associated with the patch and the pill. Maybe someone who's used one and knows the names better then I can google and see what they come up with.

For Depo-Provera they have rather recently found out that during the use it will cause an increase in risk. It will apparently increase your existing risk factors "with a 2.2-fold increased risk of invasive breast cancer".

They also found after it was on the market a number of years that there were issues with bone density lowering.

I took Depo-Provera from 97-01, as well as provera in a pill form a couple times after. I am currently being evaluated for massive problems in my breasts (MRI tomorrow), and keep mention of the hot spot in my arm to myself as my Dr I have been seeing thinks I am a hypochondriac due to age and me being aggitated by the symptoms I have (she's a charmer) at 31.

I guess what brought be to finding out about the connection during use was having a 'light dawns on marble head' moment last night when I realized the hot spot is where I got my injections... Nearly the majority of my breast issues increasing (i.e. the thickening, or indentations, or even the original size increase on one side) all coincide with when progesterone is rising during my monthly cycyle. I kind of put two and two together in my head and wondered if I really had four so I searched Depo-Provera Beast Cancer and blam. There is the study over and over. The most concise article I found was the one I linked above.

They've done the study showing the risk drops after discontinuing the Depo but I look back and wonder because I am full aware that when I stopped they had figured out any more than 2 years and you risked the bone issue, or the long term conception issues. Many of us who startedin 97 or 98 didn't get told it was 2 years. If anything they were likely told what I was... 5 years on, take 6-12 months off and I could go back on.

I know there appears to be a risk in younger women getting diagnosed, and that we are much more likely to be prone to invasive and/or aggressive cancer.

So as of this morning I am making this post because it has left me wondering (goodness knows I am undiagnoised as of this point but most here have one so I feel compelled to ask):

Are any of you former Depo-Provera users? 

If so then how many years did you get the injections?

Were you taking them when diagnosed?

How long after stopping did you get a diagnosis?

Did you have an elevated risk prior to taking Depo-Provera?

What was your Diagnosis?

Shell