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What is medroxyprogesterone?
Medroxyprogesterone is a progestin (a form of progesterone), a female hormone that helps regulate ovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary) and menstrual periods. Medroxyprogesterone is used to treat conditions such as absent or irregular menstrual periods, or abnormal uterine bleeding. Medroxyprogesterone is also used to decrease the risk of endometrial hyperplasia (a condition that may lead to uterine cancer) while taking estrogens. Medroxyprogesterone is also used to prevent overgrowth in the lining of the uterus in postmenopausal women who are receiving estrogen hormone replacement therapy.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of medroxyprogesterone?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;

• sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;

• chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, fast heart rate;

• pain or swelling in one or both legs;

• chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;

• vaginal bleeding if you have already gone through menopause;

• 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); or

• swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet.

Less serious side effects may include:

• spotting or breakthrough bleeding;

• changes in your menstrual periods;

• vaginal itching or discharge;

• breast tenderness or discharge;

• mild itching or skin rash;

• increased acne, hair growth, loss of scalp hair;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• changes in appetite or weight,

• mild stomach pain, bloating, nausea; or

• skin color changes.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take medroxyprogesterone?
Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Medroxyprogesterone is usually given for only a few days in a row each month. You may need to start taking the medication on a certain day of your menstrual cycle, depending on why you are taking medroxyprogesterone. Follow your doctor's instructions. Have regular physical exams and self-examine your breasts for lumps on a monthly basis while using medroxyprogesterone.

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What is the most important information I should know about medroxyprogesterone?
You should not use this medication if you are pregnant, or if you have liver disease, a hormone-related cancer such as breast or uterine cancer, a history of stroke or blood clot, or abnormal vaginal bleeding that has not been checked by a doctor. Medroxyprogesterone will not prevent heart disease, breast cancer, or dementia, and may actually increase the risk of developing these conditions in post-menopausal women. Medroxyprogesterone may also increase the risk of uterine or ovarian cancer in some women. Long-term treatment with estrogens and progestins (such as medroxyprogesterone) may also increase your risk of heart attack, blood clot, or stroke.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect medroxyprogesterone?
There may be other drugs that can interact with medroxyprogesterone. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Oral medroxyprogesterone has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. The intramuscular, or depot, form has been assigned to pregnancy category X. Progestational agents have been used in the first trimester of pregnancy to reduce the risk of spontaneous abortion. However, due to a lack of adequate data to support the use of medroxyprogesterone in this setting and a possible association between first trimester progestin use and genitourinary anomalies, medroxyprogesterone is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Intramuscular medroxyprogesterone is considered contraindicated during pregnancy.

In the Collaborative Perinatal Project involving 50,282 pregnancies, 866 first trimester exposures to progestational agents were documented. Of these, there were 130 exposures to medroxyprogesterone. The incidence of cardiovascular defects was significantly increased, with a standardized relative risk of 1.8. While not statistically significant, data also suggested an increased risk of hypospadias among offspring of women treated with progestational agents in the first trimester. In the Michigan Medicaid Birth Defects Study involving 229,101 pregnancies from 1985 to 1992, there were 327 first trimester exposures to medroxyprogesterone (written communication, Franz Rosa, MD, Food and Drug Administration, 1994). Overall, 15 cases of birth defects were observed (13 cases expected). Seven cases of cardiovascular defects occurred compared with 3 cases expected, representing a significant increase in the incidence of cardiovascular defects. Of interest, in all seven cases, the indication for maternal treatment with medroxyprogesterone was amenorrhea and not threatened spontaneous abortion. No cases of hypospadias occurred. Other studies have failed to find an association between first trimester use of progestational agents and congenital anomalies, including cardiovascular and genitourinary defects. In addition, follow-up studies have concluded that use of medroxyprogesterone during pregnancy does not affect the long-term growth and development of children. There are data which suggest an increase in the frequency of low birth weight among infants of accidental pregnancies during contraception with intramuscular medroxyprogesterone.

Medroxyprogesterone is excreted into breast milk. Lactation does not appear to be adversely affected by contraceptive use of medroxyprogesterone. Medroxyprogesterone is considered compatible with breast-feeding by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The excretion of medroxyprogesterone into breast milk was evaluated in 10 women who received medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg intramuscularly for contraception. Mean medroxyprogesterone milk concentrations ranged from approximately 8 ng/mL at one week to approximately 0.5 ng/mL at 12 weeks after the injection. The milk to maternal serum concentration ratio ranged from 0.12 to 2.60 (mean 0.88). Contraceptive use of medroxyprogesterone does not adversely affect the content or volume of breast milk. In addition, progestin use during lactation may promote longer duration of lactation. Long-term follow-up studies of up to eight years duration have failed to document adverse development effects due to exposure to medroxyprogesterone in breast milk.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Active thrombophlebitis, current or past history of thromboembolic disorders, or cerebrovascular disease.
• Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding.
• Known or suspected pregnancy.
• Liver dysfunction or disease.
• Known or suspected malignancy of the breast.
• Known hypersensitivity to medroxyprogesterone or any ingredient in the formulation.
• Use as a pregnancy test.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, breast tenderness, dizziness, drowsiness, or vaginal bleeding.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking medroxyprogesterone?
FDA pregnancy category X. Medroxyprogesterone can cause birth defects. Do not use if this medication you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. You should not use this medication if you are allergic to medroxyprogesterone, or if you have: abnormal vaginal bleeding that has not been diagnosed; a hormone-related cancer such as breast or uterine cancer; liver disease; or a history of stroke or blood clot. If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication. Before using medroxyprogesterone, tell your doctor if you have:

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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