Depressed Gelding

[Roberta Jo Lieberman <woik@home.com>]

Tracey wrote:
<I gave my gelding, Toc a Depo-Provera shot about three weeks ago, in an
effort to curb his aggression towards other horses, and his proclivity
for standing on his back legs.  So far, his behaviour has been impeccable.
I am becoming concerned, however, that he is becoming depressed....
Do you think it is a result of the hormone injection, or is there
something else I should consider? ... It's funny - it's not as if he
feels unwell, it's more like he takes no joy from what he's doing
anymore - he's just going through the motions.>> 
 
Tracey,
Well, it certainly is known for causing all manner of side effects in
the women who take it, including shortness of breath, fatigue, chest
pain, high blood pressure and bloating as well as depression.

Depo-Provera is a form of synthetic progesterone called
medroxyprogesterone acetate. It is labeled as a contraceptive injection.
This form of progesterone is also available as Provera and combined with
estrogen as Prempo and has been a fixture of "Hormone Replacement
Therapy" (HRT) for perimenopausal women for many years. Fortunately, the
use of medroxyprogesterone is now declining with the advent of more
user-friendly micronized formulas as well as bioidentical progesterone
creams from plant sources.

Depression is listed on the label of Depo-Provera as one of the side
effects. The complete list of contraindications and side effects can be
found on the web site for the drug.

Your description is interesting...sounds as if he's not lethargic but
displaying a classic sign of depressive disorder -- "no joy in life." On
the other hand, maybe you're just not accustomed to seeing him so
'well-behaved'... I believe the half-life is rather long since the
injectable is given to women only every three months to "inhibit the
formation of gonadotropins."

Or maybe Toc is just depressed because he's gettting "female hormones"
and the other horses found out about it...

Bobbie