MedroxyprogesteroneMedroxyprogesterone Acetate

About Medroxyprogesterone

Medroxyprogesterone acts like progesterone: the tablets change an estrogen-primed uterine lining so it sheds in a withdrawal bleed when they stop, and the injections block the hormone signals that lead to ovulation. Provera tablets treat periods that have stopped (secondary amenorrhea) and abnormal uterine bleeding from hormone imbalance rather than fibroids or cancer, usually 5 or 10 mg a day for 5 to 10 days, and protect the lining in postmenopausal women with a uterus taking daily conjugated estrogens, at 5 or 10 mg a day for 12 to 14 days a month. Depo-Provera CI, 150 mg, is a deep injection into the buttock or upper arm every 3 months (13 weeks); depo-subQ provera 104 goes under the skin of the thigh or abdomen every 12 to 14 weeks and also treats endometriosis pain. A health professional gives both, the first during the first 5 days of a normal period.

The injections’ boxed warning: they can cause significant bone loss that grows with longer use and may not fully reverse, and their effect on peak bone mass in teenagers and young adults is unknown, so they are not recommended beyond 2 years unless other methods are inadequate. In December 2025 both injection labels added a warning about meningioma, a usually benign brain tumor, reported mainly after long-term repeated use; the shots are stopped if one is diagnosed. They are not used with current or past blood clots or stroke, breast cancer, significant liver disease or unexplained vaginal bleeding. Irregular bleeding is the most common effect, with weight gain, headache, abdominal pain, nervousness, dizziness and lower sex drive, and fertility returns slowly: the median time to conception after the last Depo-Provera CI injection is 10 months.

The Provera tablet label still carries a boxed warning for estrogen plus progestin therapy: it is not for preventing heart disease or dementia; the Women’s Health Initiative found more blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and invasive breast cancer, and more probable dementia in women 65 and older; and the lowest effective doses are used for the shortest time. In February 2026 the FDA approved the first six menopausal hormone therapy labels without those statements; Provera was not among them, and its label, last revised in March 2024, keeps the box. The tablets are not taken in pregnancy or with breast cancer, past clots, stroke or heart attack, liver disease or unexplained genital bleeding.

Taking Medroxyprogesterone

How to take it

Tablets: once a day on the days of the cycle the prescriber sets; a withdrawal bleed usually starts 3 to 7 days after the last tablet. Injections are given only by a health professional, and the patient information says calcium, vitamin D and daily exercise may lessen bone loss.

If you miss a dose

Tablets: take a missed dose as soon as you can, but skip it if the next is almost due; do not take two doses at once. Injection: after more than 13 weeks (Depo-Provera CI) or 14 weeks (depo-subQ provera 104), pregnancy is ruled out before the next shot, so ask what birth control to use until then.

Storage

Tablets at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C), away from moisture and heat, out of reach of children. Depo-Provera CI vials are stored upright at room temperature, and the depo-subQ provera 104 syringe is kept at room temperature, never refrigerated.

Interactions to know about

Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, barbiturates, felbamate, topiramate, rifampin, griseofulvin, bosentan and St. John’s wort can make the injection less reliable, so the Depo-Provera CI label advises a backup or different method with them; some HIV medicines raise or lower progestin levels.

This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.

Why the cash price for Medroxyprogesterone differs from pharmacy to pharmacy

The tablets are an old generic that costs pharmacies little, and courses are often short, so the dispensing fee is much of the price; a prescription that names Provera and blocks substitution is quoted at the brand price. The 150 mg injection has generics from several makers, and a pharmacy may stock only some of them, while depo-subQ provera 104 is priced as a brand. If the injection is filled at a pharmacy and taken to the clinic, the quote covers only the medicine, not the visit.

Ways to pay less for Medroxyprogesterone without insurance

• For tablets, ask for generic substitution and for the number of tablets your course needs.
• For birth control, ask the prescriber whether the generic 150 mg intramuscular injection would suit you, since depo-subQ provera 104 has no generic.
• Ask whether the clinic giving the injection stocks it or needs you to bring it before choosing where to fill.
• Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.

Questions to ask your pharmacist about Medroxyprogesterone

1. 1.Is my prescription for the intramuscular or the subcutaneous injection, and is there a generic for it?
2. 2.When is my next injection due, and what should I do if I am late?
3. 3.Should I take calcium and vitamin D to protect my bones?
4. 4.On which days of my cycle do I take the tablets, and when should bleeding start?

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