PROVERA Medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets 2.5mg, 5mg, 10mg, 100 mg, 200 mg tablets What is in this leaflet establish a regular menstrual breast cancer or breast lumps cycle not diagnosed by your doctor This leaflet answers some common bleeding or discharge from questions about PROVERA. It does certain types of cancer including your nipples not contain all the available cancer of the breast, kidney and information. It does not take the endometrium (the lining of the miscarriage place of talking to your doctor or womb). pharmacist. cancer of the womb or ovary PROVERA, in combination with an uncontrolled high blood estrogen containing medicine, is All medicines have risks and pressure. benefits. Your doctor has weighed used to relieve symptoms of the risks of you taking PROVERA menopause in women with an intact Do not take PROVERA if you are against the benefits it is expected to uterus. This is called hormone pregnant or intend to become have for you. replacement therapy (HRT). pregnant. PROVERA is used to protect the If you have any concerns about lining of the uterus while the PROVERA may affect your taking this medicine, ask your estrogens relieve the symptoms of developing baby if you take it doctor or pharmacist. Keep this menopause. PROVERA is not during pregnancy. leaflet with your medicine. suitable as a HRT treatment in women who have undergone a Do not take PROVERA if the You may need to read it again. hysterectomy. packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. Do not take Your doctor may have prescribed PROVERA after the expiry date What PROVERA is PROVERA for another purpose. (EXP) printed on the pack. used for Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about why If you are not sure whether you PROVERA is a progestogen which PROVERA has been prescribed for should start taking PROVERA, comes from progesterone, a natural you. contact your doctor. sex hormone. PROVERA works in a similar way to progesterone. This medicine is available only with Before you start to take it a doctor's prescription. PROVERA is used to treat: You must tell your doctor if you have any allergies to any other Before you take medicines or any other endometriosis – a condition in PROVERA which tissue similar to the substances, such as foods, lining of the uterus (womb) preservatives or dyes. grows outside the uterus, When you must not take it causing pain and bleeding. Do not take PROVERA if you Before prescribing PROVERA for PROVERA helps to stop the have an allergy to you, your doctor may conduct a growth of this tissue medroxyprogesterone acetate or physical examination which may any of the ingredients in include breast examinations or a amenorrhoea (a lack of PROVERA listed at the end of mammogram and a Pap smear. menstrual periods) not due to this leaflet. Tell your doctor if you have or pregnancy. PROVERA with or without an estrogen helps to re- Do not take PROVERA if you have had any of the following establish a regular menstrual have or have had any of the medical conditions: cycle following medical conditions: heart problems kidney problems abnormal bleeding from the a stroke, blood clots or uterus, when the lining of the pulmonary embolism migraine uterus breaks down during the severe liver problems menstrual cycle rather than at epilepsy the end resulting in vaginal unusual or irregular vaginal asthma spotting or bleeding. bleeding or blood in your urine PROVERA helps to re- that has not been diagnosed by diabetes your doctor depression unusual or irregular vaginal How to take PROVERA Breast cancer - the recommended bleeding daily dose is 400 mg to 1500 mg. genital or breast cancer. Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist How to take PROVERA Talk to your doctor about how to carefully. Swallow the tablets whole with a avoid these diseases. They may differ from the full glass of water. Clinical studies suggest a slightly information contained in this leaflet. increased risk of developing ovarian When to take it cancer when using PROVERA If you do not understand the Take PROVERA at about the same combined with an estrogen instructions in this leaflet, ask time each day. Taking it at the containing medicine to relieve your doctor or pharmacist for same time each day will have the symptoms of menopause in women help. best effect. It will also help you with an intact uterus. remember when to take it. How much to take If you have any concerns about this, How long to take it please discuss it with your doctor. Your doctor will tell you how much PROVERA to take. This will vary Continue taking your medicine While the effect of PROVERA on depending on the condition for the amount of calcium stored in for as long as your doctor tells which you are being treated. you. your bones is unknown, clinical PROVERA should be used at the studies have shown that use of other lowest effective dose to treat your If you forget to take products with the same active condition. PROVERA ingredient as PROVERA (e.g., If it is almost time for your next DEPO-PROVERA) may result in a Your doctor may tell you to take PROVERA every day or in dose, skip the dose you missed and decrease in the amount of calcium repeating cycles with a break in take your next dose when you are stored in your bones. This could between. meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon increase your risk of developing as you remember, and then go back brittle bones (osteoporosis), which Endometriosis - the recommended to taking PROVERA as you would can lead to bone breakages in later dose is 10 mg of PROVERA three normally. life. times a day for 90 days starting on the first day of your menstrual Do not take a double dose to make Talk to your doctor if you have cycle. up for the dose that you missed. any concerns over the risk of developing osteoporosis. Amenorrhoea - the recommended This may increase the chance of getting unwanted side effects. Taking other medicines dose is 2.5 to 10 mg daily for 10 days. Tell your doctor if you are taking If you are not sure what to do, ask any other medicines, including Abnormal uterine bleeding - the your doctor or pharmacist. medicines you buy without a recommended dose is 2.5 to 10 mg prescription from a pharmacy, daily for 5 to 10 days. Treatment is If you have trouble remembering supermarket or health food shop. usually repeated for two-three to take your medicine, ask your Some medicines may interfere with cycles in a row. pharmacist for some hints. PROVERA. These include aminoglutethimide, a medicine used Your doctor may also ask you to If you take too much to treat breast cancer. This take a medicine containing (overdose) medicine may affect how well estrogens together with PROVERA PROVERA works. You may need tablets. Immediately telephone your different amounts of your medicine doctor or the National Poisons or you may need to take different Menopause symptoms together Information Centre (telephone medicines. Your doctor will advise with an estrogen containing 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766) or you. medicine - the recommended dose go to Accident and Emergency at is 10 to 20 mg per day for at least your nearest hospital. Do this Your doctor or pharmacist may 10 to 14 days of each cycle, or even if there are no signs of have more information on 2.5 mg to 5 mg per day discomfort or poisoning. medicines to be careful with or continuously for 28 days of each avoid while taking PROVERA. cycle. You may need medical attention. Kidney and endometrial cancer - the recommended daily dose is 100 – 600 mg. While you are taking Do not take PROVERA to treat sweating other complaints unless your doctor PROVERA tells you to. irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting or unusual changes in vaginal secretions Things you must do Things to be careful of Take PROVERA exactly as your lack of menstrual periods Be careful driving or operating doctor has prescribed. machinery until you know how nausea or vomiting PROVERA affects you. If you become pregnant while you PROVERA generally does not breast tenderness are taking PROVERA, tell your cause any problems with your doctor. unusual secretion of breast milk ability to drive a car or operate machinery. fever If you develop unexplained or persistent pains in the head, chest, change in weight (increase or However, PROVERA may cause stomach or legs, you should see decrease) dizziness, drowsiness or fatigue in your doctor immediately. some people. Make sure you know tremor how you react to PROVERA before constipation or diarrhoea Tell all doctors and pharmacists driving a car or operating who are treating you that you are machinery. dry mouth taking PROVERA. breast tenderness If you are about to start taking Side effects any new medicines, tell your changes in sexual drive Check with your doctor or doctor and pharmacist that you leg cramps are taking PROVERA. pharmacist as soon as possible if you have any problems while taking fluid retention If you are going to have any PROVERA, even if you do not think the problems are connected impotence (mainly in cancer laboratory tests, tell your doctor treated patients). that you taking PROVERA. with the medicine or are not listed in this leaflet. Tell your doctor as soon as PROVERA may interfere with the possible if you notice the results of some tests. Like other medicines, PROVERA following: can cause some side effects.