Provera Tablets

Provera contains the active ingredient medroxyprogesterone acetate which is a progestogen.

A progestogen is a man made version of the natural female sex hormone progesterone, and you can use it as a way to delay your period.

You may want to delay your period with Provera because:

• you’re going on holiday
• there’s a big event coming up, like a graduation day or a wedding
• you’re going to an event where you may need to be in water, like swimming or a water park

Period delay is an off label use of Provera. This means that doctors have found this is a safe and effective use of the medication, but it is not listed as a licensed use by the manufacturers. Provera is usually recommended as a safer alternative to other period delay medications such as norethisterone (Utovlan) for women who can not use them.

Other reasons you may need to use Provera include managing:

• endometriosis
• heavy periods
• painful periods
• irregular or absent periods
• menopause, in combination with oestrogen, for hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

To delay your period, you should start taking Provera 2 to 3 days before you expect the first day of your period.

For each day that you want to delay your period, you should swallow one Provera tablet with a glass of water 3 times a day. Do not take more than 3 Provera tablets in one day.

You should aim to leave 6 to 8 hours between each Provera tablet, so you’re taking it evenly throughout the day. If you forget to take a Provera tablet, take it as soon as you remember, but do not take 2 tablets at the same time to make up for the tablet you missed. Missing too many Provera tablets may lead to breakthrough bleeding.

Your period should start 2 to 3 days after you stop taking Provera.

Provera is not a type of contraceptive pill (birth control) and will not protect you from pregnancy, even though it stops your period. So you must use another form of contraception, such as condoms, while you’re taking Provera.

How long can you take Provera to delay your period?

You can take Provera for around 5 to 10 days to delay your period.

Provera works by giving your body progesterone in the form of progestogen. This means you will not get a period.

Normally, your period happens when your progesterone levels drop during your menstrual cycle. By taking Provera, you top up the amount of progesterone in your body, so your body cannot tell that your natural levels of progesterone are dropping. This is why you will not get your period until you stop taking your Provera tablets.

Provera is an effective way to delay your periods, as long as you begin taking it a few days before your period starts.

You need to make sure you take 1 Provera tablet 3 times a day for it to be effective.

If you take Provera tablets this way, you should not get your period until you stop taking them.

You may experience some side effects when taking Provera.

Common side effects include:

• headache
• nausea
• unusual vaginal bleeding
• skin rash
• breast tenderness
• allergic reaction
• mood changes
• difficulty sleeping
• dizziness
• temporary weight gain
• acne
• feeling tired

Uncommon side effects of Provera include:

• facial hair growth
• discharge from breast
• oedema (fluid retention)

For other possible side effects, please read the patient information leaflet that comes with your Provera tablets. If you experience any side effects while taking Provera, get in touch with a doctor straight away.

You can take Provera if you have regular menstrual periods.

But you should not take Provera if you:

• are allergic to medroxyprogesterone acetate, progestogens, or any of the other ingredients
• are pregnant
• think you may be pregnant
• have ever had breast cancer
• have ever had blood clots in your veins or arteries
• have liver problems
• have porphyria
• are breastfeeding, as it can enter your breast milk

Speak to your doctor before taking Provera if you have:

• recently had an operation
• a personal or family history of blood clots
• intolerance to some sugars, such as lactose
• epilepsy
• migraines
• asthma
• heart problems
• kidney problems
• depression
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• liver problems
• gallstones
• systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• hearing problems

If you’re not sure whether you can take Provera to delay your period, speak to your doctor or a healthcare professional for advice. For more information about who can take Provera, please read the patient information leaflet that comes with your Provera tablets.

Provera may interact with other medicines or supplements you might be taking. So you should tell your doctor if you are taking, or have recently taken, any other medications to check for any drug interactions.

Some medications that may affect how Provera works include those for:

• a condition called Cushing’s syndrome, such as aminoglutethimide
• thinning the blood, such as warfarin
• epilepsy, such as phenobarbital, phenytoin and carbamazepine
• ritonavir and nelfinavir, for HIV
• infections, such as rifampicin, rifabutin, nevirapine, efavirenz
• low moods such as St John’s Wort

For more information, you can read the patient information leaflet that comes with your Provera tablets.

If Provera is not right for you, there are alternative treatments that you can take to delay your period.

One alternative treatment is called Utovlan, which works in a similar way to Provera, but contains a different progestogen called norethisterone. Norethisterone is the generic form of Utovlan and is slightly cheaper.

Another alternative is that if you’re already taking a combined contraceptive pill, you can take two strips of 21 tablets back to back to delay your period. This means you will miss your 7 day break where you normally have a withdrawal bleed. But, you should check the patient information leaflet that comes with your combined pill for full details, or speak to a doctor for advice on if you can do this with your particular pill.