medroxyprogesterone acetate at a glance
Medicine class
Synthetic progestogen
Important distinction
Tablets are not contraceptive; the depot injection is.
Administration
Tablets are swallowed; the depot injection is given into a muscle by a healthcare professional.
What is medroxyprogesterone acetate used for?
Selected products are licensed for different purposes:
Depot intramuscular injection: female contraception.
Lower-strength tablets: dysfunctional anovulatory uterine bleeding, secondary amenorrhoea and mild-to-moderate endometriosis.
Higher-strength tablets: specialist treatment of endometrial carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and breast carcinoma in postmenopausal women.
How does medroxyprogesterone acetate work?
It activates progesterone receptors. In the womb it changes the lining. The depot injection also suppresses ovulation and thickens cervical mucus. Its progestogenic activity can slow some hormone-responsive cancers.
medroxyprogesterone acetate preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 2.5 mg, 10 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg
How to take medroxyprogesterone acetate
Use the formulation exactly as prescribed; instructions differ by indication.
Swallow tablets with water, with or without food.
If prescribed for particular days of a menstrual cycle, follow the label carefully.
The selected depot product is given as a deep intramuscular injection by a healthcare professional and cannot be immediately reversed after administration.
medroxyprogesterone acetate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Changes in vaginal bleeding, including spotting, irregular bleeding or periods stopping
- Headache
- Nausea or abdominal discomfort
- Weight change
- Breast tenderness
- Mood changes
- Dizziness or tiredness
- Injection-site discomfort with the depot formulation
Get urgent medical advice
- Symptoms of a blood clot, including a painful swollen limb, sudden breathlessness, chest pain or coughing blood
- Sudden loss of vision or significant visual disturbance
- Severe allergic reaction
- Jaundice or signs of liver dysfunction
- Severe or persistent abnormal bleeding
- Painful redness or swelling suggesting injection-site infection
- New neurological symptoms requiring assessment for meningioma, particularly after prolonged high-dose exposure
medroxyprogesterone acetate in pregnancy
Tablets and contraceptive injections should not be started during pregnancy. If pregnancy occurs during tablet treatment, stop the tablets and contact the prescriber. If discovered after an injection, contact the clinician; the injection cannot be removed. Accidental early exposure does not automatically mean harm has occurred.
medroxyprogesterone acetate while breastfeeding
It is generally compatible with breastfeeding and only small infant exposure is expected. Timing after birth and use of higher-strength tablets for cancer should be discussed with the relevant prescriber or specialist.
medroxyprogesterone acetate interactions
Tell the prescriber or pharmacist about all medicines, supplements and herbal products.
Rifampicin or rifabutin
May reduce medroxyprogesterone exposure and require review of treatment effectiveness.
Carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital or primidone
May reduce progestogen exposure; specialist review may be needed.
Common questions about medroxyprogesterone acetate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Are the tablets contraceptive?
No. They do not reliably prevent pregnancy; use the contraception agreed with your clinician.
How can it affect periods?
Bleeding may become irregular, lighter, heavier or stop, depending on formulation and reason for treatment. Persistent or unusually heavy bleeding needs assessment.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.