Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Provera WorksUsesBefore TakingDosageSide EffectsWarnings/Interactions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Provera Works
Uses
Before Taking
Dosage
Side Effects
Warnings/Interactions
Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) is a prescription medication used to treat some causes of female hormone imbalance that lead to menstrual cycle disruptions or heavy bleeding. Provera will bring on a period between three and seven days after you finish taking a five- to 10-day course of treatment.
kyoshino / Getty Images
After taking Provera, your period will become more regular. Some people experience lighter periods than usual when taking this medication. Taking Provera may also significantly reduce or stop bleeding.
Provera is used to regulate periods and can also be used to delay periods. You will not have a period while taking Provera, however, your period should start three to seven days after your last dose of Provera.
Your symptoms should improve in the first month that you take Provera, but it can take two to three months to gain the full effects.
What It’s Used For
Is Medroxyprogesterone a Birth Control Pill?
Off-Label Uses
Provera is also used for conditions it hasn’t received FDA approval for, including:
What Does Provera Do for PCOS?Provera is used to treat menstrual cycle irregularities in people living with polycystic ovary syndrome. It regulates hormone activity to reset and restore regular periods. Treatment for PCOS is important because it’s a known risk factor for endometrial cancer.
What Does Provera Do for PCOS?
Provera is used to treat menstrual cycle irregularities in people living with polycystic ovary syndrome. It regulates hormone activity to reset and restore regular periods. Treatment for PCOS is important because it’s a known risk factor for endometrial cancer.
Before Taking Provera
Provera may be a treatment option for certain conditions, especially if you can’t take estrogen.
As part of the diagnosis and treatment process, your healthcare provider will likely perform a pelvic exam and may order numerous tests.
You might have tests for hormone levels, including:
Imaging studies used in the diagnostic process may include:
The specific tests your healthcare provider orders depend on your symptoms and stage of life (e.g., premenopausal or postmenopausal).
If you’ve never taken estrogens, your healthcare provider may prescribe it first for certain conditions. If you don’t tolerate estrogen or it’s not effective enough, you may be switched to Provera or have Provera added to your estrogen regimen.
Talk to your healthcare provider about all medications, supplements, and vitamins that you currently take. While some drugs pose minor interaction risks, others may outright contraindicate Provera use or should be used with caution.
Provera Is Only For Those With a UterusIf you’ve had your uterus removed with ahysterectomyprocedure, you have no need for progestin and won’t be prescribed Provera or other drugs in its class.
Provera Is Only For Those With a Uterus
If you’ve had your uterus removed with ahysterectomyprocedure, you have no need for progestin and won’t be prescribed Provera or other drugs in its class.
Precautions and Contraindications
Provera isn’t safe for everyone. You shouldn’t start taking it if you have:
Any vaginal bleeding in a postmenopausal female with a uterus should be evaluated to rule out cancer.
Before taking Provera, be sure to tell your healthcare provider:
These issues may affect whether you can take Provera or if a break from the medication may be necessary, such as before surgery.
Conditions that may require close monitoring while you’re taking Provera include:
How to Take Provera
Your healthcare provider will instruct you to take Provera on certain days during your menstrual cycle. When used to treatamenorrhea(missing periods), Provera is taken for up to 10 days during the second half of the planned menstrual cycle.You should take Provera at the same time every day. Do not take more or less of this medication than instructed.
Provera is available in three dosages:
Dosages may not be established for off-label uses. Always follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for prescription medications.
Modifications
If you have significant liver impairment fromalcoholiccirrhosis, Provera is discouraged. If it is prescribed, your dosage may be lower than the standard dose.
If you take thyroid replacement hormone, your dosage of that medication may need to be adjusted after you start Provera. Also, your healthcare provider may want you to get more frequent lab work to check your thyroid hormone levels.
How to Take and Store
Provera has to be taken at certain times, so be sure to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for taking it.
If you forget to start Provera when you’re supposed to, if you miss a dose, or if you have any questions about dosage or timing, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist for guidance.
Provera should be stored at room temperature (between 68 degrees and 77 degrees Fahrenheit).
What Happens if Provera Doesn’t Induce a Period?If you haven’t begun bleeding after taking a prescribed course of medroxyprogesterone, talk to your healthcare provider. This could happen because you have very low estrogen levels or because there is some kind of blockage in your uterus, such as adhesions or scarring.
What Happens if Provera Doesn’t Induce a Period?
If you haven’t begun bleeding after taking a prescribed course of medroxyprogesterone, talk to your healthcare provider. This could happen because you have very low estrogen levels or because there is some kind of blockage in your uterus, such as adhesions or scarring.
Provera Side Effects
Provera can cause side effects in some people. Some of these are common and not considered dangerous, while others are cause for calling your healthcare provider right away.
Common
Provera use may lead to common side effects that don’t require immediate medical care, but you should contact your healthcare provider if any of them become severe, don’t go away after you’ve been on the drug for a while, or are a significant problem for you. These side effects include:
Does Provera cause weight changes?Both weight gain and weight loss are listed as possible side effects of Provera.
Does Provera cause weight changes?
Both weight gain and weight loss are listed as possible side effects of Provera.
Severe
Other, less common side effects may be more serious. Call your healthcare provider immediately or seek emergency medical attention if you experience:
If you take Provera with estrogen, be sure you’re aware of the estrogen side effects, as well.
Inactive Ingredients in ProveraTell your healthcare provider if you’re allergic to any of these Provera ingredients:Calcium stearateCorn starchFD&C Yellow No. 6 (found only in the 2.5-milligram tablet)LactoseMineral oilSorbic acidSucroseTalc
Inactive Ingredients in Provera
Tell your healthcare provider if you’re allergic to any of these Provera ingredients:Calcium stearateCorn starchFD&C Yellow No. 6 (found only in the 2.5-milligram tablet)LactoseMineral oilSorbic acidSucroseTalc
Tell your healthcare provider if you’re allergic to any of these Provera ingredients:
Warnings and Interactions
When Provera is combined with estrogens, the FDA has required that the following serious warnings be included with packaging information:
Provera may interfere with the results of certain lab tests, including:
Drug Interactions
Provera shouldn’t be taken with CYP3A4 inducers/inhibitors, as they may alter the way your body responds to progestins.
Other drugs may pose problems as well. Be sure your healthcare provider knows everything you’re taking, including over-the-counter drugs and nutritional supplements. Using the same pharmacy for all of your prescription medications can help you avoid negative drug interactions.
Summary
Provera is a prescription medication that can help regulate your menstrual cycle. It is typically taken for five to 10 days at a specific time during your menstrual cycle. Most people will have a period between three and seven days after they finish a course of treatment.
Provera is prescribed to treat irregular menstruation and conditions like PCOS and endometrial hyperplasia. It also may be used to treat other diseases, such as endometrial cancer.
If taking Provera, do so as directed and watch for any symptoms or side effects.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.NHS.Common questions about medroxyprogesterone tablets.Bender RA.Medroxyprogesterone acetate for abnormal uterine bleeding due to ovulatory dysfunction: The effect of 2 different-duration regimens.Med Sci Monit. 2022;28:e936727. doi:10.12659/MSM.936727Prescribers' Digital Reference: PDR.Provera.Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera CI: Highlights of prescribing information.National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the treatments for endometriosis?American Cancer Society.Hormone therapy for endometrial cancer.Food and Drug Administration.Menopause: Medicines to help you.Okamura Y, Saito F, Takaishi K, Motohara T, Honda R, Ohba T,et al.Polycystic ovary syndrome: early diagnosis and intervention are necessary for fertility preservation in young women with endometrial cancer under 35 years of age.Reprod Med Biol.2016 Dec 5;16(1):67-71. doi:10.1002/rmb2.12012.Cancer Research UK.Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera).Pfizer.Provera Contraindications.Pfizer.Provera patient information.National Library of Medicine.Medroxyprogesterone.Klein DA, Paradise SL, Reeder RM.Amenorrhea: A systematic approach to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(1):39-48Pfizer.PROVERA Warnings and Precautions.Additional ReadingFood and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets, USP).
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.NHS.Common questions about medroxyprogesterone tablets.Bender RA.Medroxyprogesterone acetate for abnormal uterine bleeding due to ovulatory dysfunction: The effect of 2 different-duration regimens.Med Sci Monit. 2022;28:e936727. doi:10.12659/MSM.936727Prescribers' Digital Reference: PDR.Provera.Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera CI: Highlights of prescribing information.National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the treatments for endometriosis?American Cancer Society.Hormone therapy for endometrial cancer.Food and Drug Administration.Menopause: Medicines to help you.Okamura Y, Saito F, Takaishi K, Motohara T, Honda R, Ohba T,et al.Polycystic ovary syndrome: early diagnosis and intervention are necessary for fertility preservation in young women with endometrial cancer under 35 years of age.Reprod Med Biol.2016 Dec 5;16(1):67-71. doi:10.1002/rmb2.12012.Cancer Research UK.Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera).Pfizer.Provera Contraindications.Pfizer.Provera patient information.National Library of Medicine.Medroxyprogesterone.Klein DA, Paradise SL, Reeder RM.Amenorrhea: A systematic approach to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(1):39-48Pfizer.PROVERA Warnings and Precautions.Additional ReadingFood and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets, USP).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
NHS.Common questions about medroxyprogesterone tablets.Bender RA.Medroxyprogesterone acetate for abnormal uterine bleeding due to ovulatory dysfunction: The effect of 2 different-duration regimens.Med Sci Monit. 2022;28:e936727. doi:10.12659/MSM.936727Prescribers' Digital Reference: PDR.Provera.Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera CI: Highlights of prescribing information.National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the treatments for endometriosis?American Cancer Society.Hormone therapy for endometrial cancer.Food and Drug Administration.Menopause: Medicines to help you.Okamura Y, Saito F, Takaishi K, Motohara T, Honda R, Ohba T,et al.Polycystic ovary syndrome: early diagnosis and intervention are necessary for fertility preservation in young women with endometrial cancer under 35 years of age.Reprod Med Biol.2016 Dec 5;16(1):67-71. doi:10.1002/rmb2.12012.Cancer Research UK.Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera).Pfizer.Provera Contraindications.Pfizer.Provera patient information.National Library of Medicine.Medroxyprogesterone.Klein DA, Paradise SL, Reeder RM.Amenorrhea: A systematic approach to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(1):39-48Pfizer.PROVERA Warnings and Precautions.
NHS.Common questions about medroxyprogesterone tablets.
Bender RA.Medroxyprogesterone acetate for abnormal uterine bleeding due to ovulatory dysfunction: The effect of 2 different-duration regimens.Med Sci Monit. 2022;28:e936727. doi:10.12659/MSM.936727
Prescribers' Digital Reference: PDR.Provera.
Food and Drug Administration.Depo-Provera CI: Highlights of prescribing information.
National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the treatments for endometriosis?
American Cancer Society.Hormone therapy for endometrial cancer.
Food and Drug Administration.Menopause: Medicines to help you.
Okamura Y, Saito F, Takaishi K, Motohara T, Honda R, Ohba T,et al.Polycystic ovary syndrome: early diagnosis and intervention are necessary for fertility preservation in young women with endometrial cancer under 35 years of age.Reprod Med Biol.2016 Dec 5;16(1):67-71. doi:10.1002/rmb2.12012.
Cancer Research UK.Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera).
Pfizer.Provera Contraindications.
Pfizer.Provera patient information.
National Library of Medicine.Medroxyprogesterone.
Klein DA, Paradise SL, Reeder RM.Amenorrhea: A systematic approach to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(1):39-48
Pfizer.PROVERA Warnings and Precautions.
Food and Drug Administration: FDA AccessData.Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets, USP).
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
