"this shot is very effective for birth control, but the side effects are not worth it. i gained 17 pounds, had horrible mood swings, was constantly crying and moody, and i had the worst constant breakouts. i started it at 20 years old and had never had any acne in my life and had never had any problems with my weight. i immediately had bad side effects after starting the shot but decided to stick with it. i was on the shot for 9 months, and i thought that the side effects would go away, but they never did. it took me over a year and a half for my skin to get back to normal. if you try this shot and it does not work for you,  i do not recommend staying on the injections because it takes forever for the medication to leave your system."