Provera (medroxyprogesterone) is a form of the female hormone progesterone used to treat secondary amenorrhea; abnormal bleeding from the uterus due to hormonal imbalance and not due to fibroids, or cancer; and to prevent endometrial hyperplasia in postmenopausal women who have not undergone a hysterectomy and are receiving conjugated estrogens. Provera is used for contraception and for treating endometrial or renal cancer. A generic version of Provera is available.
The dose of Provera varies depending on the indication. Provera inhibits fertility at high doses.
What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Provera?
Provera may interact with other drugs. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Avoid smoking while taking Provera due to a greatly increased risk of blood clots.
Provera During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Provera passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
Additional Information
Our Provera Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.
Provera Consumer Information
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
vaginal bleeding if you have already gone through menopause;
a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
a breast lump;
symptoms of depression (sleep problems, dizziness, mood changes, headache);
fever;
jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet;
heart attack symptoms--chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;
signs of a stroke--sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
signs of a blood clot in the lung--chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood; or
signs of a blood clot in your leg--pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs.
Common side effects may include:
spotting or breakthrough bleeding;
changes in your menstrual periods;
vaginal itching or discharge;
breast tenderness or discharge;
headache, dizziness, feeling nervous or depressed;
bruising or swelling of your veins;
premenstrual type symptoms (bloating, fluid retention, mood changes);
sleep problems (insomnia);
itching, rash, acne, hair growth, loss of scalp hair;
stomach discomfort, bloating, nausea;
weight gain; or
vision changes and difficulty wearing contact lenses.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely
varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a
drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another
drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The following adverse reactions have been reported in
women taking PROVERA tablets, without concomitant estrogens treatment:
Genitourinary System
Abnormal uterine bleeding (irregular, increase,
decrease), change in menstrual flow, breakthrough bleeding, spotting,
amenorrhea, changes in cervicalerosion and cervical secretions.
Breasts
Breast tenderness, mastodynia or galactorrhea has been
reported.
Sensitivity reactions consisting of urticaria, pruritus,
edema and generalized rash have occurred. Acne, Sensitivity reactions
consisting of urticaria, pruritus, edema and generalized rash have occurred.
Acne, alopecia and hirsutism have been reported.
Hypersensitivity reactions (for example, anaphylaxis and
anaphylactoid reactions, angioedema), rash (allergic) with and without
pruritus, change in weight (increase or decrease), pyrexia, edema/fluid retention,
fatigue, decreased glucose tolerance.
The following adverse reactions have been reported with
estrogen plus progestin therapy.
Genitourinary System
Abnormal uterine bleeding/spotting, or flow; breakthrough
bleeding; spotting; dysmenorrheal/pelvicpain; increase in size of uterine
leiomyomata; vaginitis, including vaginal candidiasis; change in amount of
cervical secretion; changes in cervical ectropion; ovarian cancer; endometrial
hyperplasia; endometrial cancer.
Increase or decrease in weight; reduced carbohydrate
tolerance; aggravation of porphyria; edema; arthalgias; leg cramps; changes in
libido; urticaria, angioedema, anaphylactoid/anaphylactic reactions; hypocalcemia;
exacerbation of asthma; increased triglycerides.
&Copy; Provera Patient Information is supplied by Cerner Multum, Inc. and Provera Consumer information is supplied by First Databank, Inc., used under license and subject to their respective copyrights.