Last checked September 2026 against 17 sources · Editorial policy
Medroxyprogesterone (Provera)
Medroxyprogesterone acetate, sold as Provera and generics, is a synthetic progestin that works like progesterone but more strongly. The 2.5, 5 and 10 mg tablets treat missed periods and abnormal bleeding from hormonal imbalance, and protect the uterine lining in women taking estrogen HRT. For missed periods, the usual dose is 5 or 10 mg daily for 5 to 10 days, with a bleed 3 to 7 days after stopping. It isn't a contraceptive.
Medroxyprogesterone is a synthetic progestin used to bring on periods, treat abnormal bleeding and protect the uterus on HRT. Doses and side effects.
Medroxyprogesterone: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“Medroxyprogesterone is the same thing as natural progesterone”
What the evidence shows
It acts on the same receptors but is synthetic and stronger, with different effects elsewhere in the body. It's the progestin used in the WHI trial, where estrogen plus medroxyprogesterone raised breast cancer risk (hazard ratio 1.24). In a French cohort, estrogen with synthetic progestins was linked to higher breast cancer risk (1.69) than estrogen with micronized progesterone (1.00).
What medroxyprogesterone is used for and how it works
What is medroxyprogesterone used for?
In the US, Provera tablets are approved for secondary amenorrhea, abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance when there's no fibroid or cancer, and preventing endometrial hyperplasia in postmenopausal women taking estrogen. The NHS also lists heavy periods, endometriosis, PCOS and hot flashes from prostate cancer treatment. Much higher-dose tablets are used for some cancers.
How medroxyprogesterone works
It works like the body's progesterone but with a stronger effect. For period problems, it thins the uterine lining and controls the timing of your cycle, delaying bleeding until you stop the tablets, then triggering a lighter, shorter period. In HRT, it stops estrogen from overgrowing the lining. Symptoms usually improve in the first month, but it can take 2 or 3 months to work fully.
Medroxyprogesterone dose for missed periods and bleeding
For missed periods, Provera is given as 5 or 10 mg daily for 5 to 10 days, and can start at any time; 10 mg for 10 days is the dose that best prepares a lining primed by estrogen. For abnormal bleeding, 5 or 10 mg daily for 5 to 10 days starts on day 16 or 21 of the cycle. A withdrawal bleed usually comes 3 to 7 days after the last tablet.
Learn more →Medroxyprogesterone in HRT
With estrogen, the Provera label gives 5 or 10 mg daily for 12 to 14 days a month. UK guidance uses 10 mg for 12 to 14 days in sequential HRT and 2.5 to 5 mg daily in continuous HRT with low to medium estrogen doses. It was the progestin in the WHI and in Prempro. Women’s Health Concern says micronized progesterone may carry less risk for blood clotting and breast cancer, though the evidence isn’t strong.
Learn more →Medroxyprogesterone and blood clot risk
In a UK study of 80,396 women with blood clots, conjugated estrogens combined with medroxyprogesterone carried the highest clot risk of any HRT combination (odds ratio 2.10), while estradiol with dydrogesterone had the lowest. The Provera label lists a history of blood clots, stroke or heart attack as reasons not to take it.
Learn more →Medroxyprogesterone side effects
Common side effects, affecting more than 1 in 100 people, include headaches, nausea, irregular bleeding or spotting, weight gain, breast tenderness, feeling nervous or depressed, trouble sleeping, feeling hot, dizziness, tiredness, itchy skin and acne. Because it's usually taken in short courses of up to 3 months, the NHS says you're unlikely to gain more than a small amount of weight.
Who shouldn't take medroxyprogesterone
Tell your doctor first if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have had breast or another hormone-sensitive cancer, liver problems, a blood clot, a meningioma, heart attack or angina, or have high blood pressure, migraines, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, gallstones, lupus or past mental health problems. It doesn't work as contraception.
Medroxyprogesterone tablets vs Depo-Provera
The same drug also comes as an injection, Depo-Provera, used as contraception. Tablets and injection aren't interchangeable: the tablets don't prevent pregnancy. Brand-name Provera 2.5 mg and 10 mg tablets are being discontinued by Pfizer, according to the FDA shortage database. Your pharmacist can tell you which version you’re getting.
Medroxyprogesterone by the numbers
2.5, 5, 10 mg
3–7 days
1.69
2.10
The cohort and case-control figures are observational and compare combinations, not medroxyprogesterone alone.
Taking medroxyprogesterone: practical tips
Take it the same time each day
First stepSwallow tablets with water, with or without food. If you feel sick, take them with food and avoid rich or spicy meals.
Stick to the right cycle days
First stepFor period problems, take it on the days your doctor gives, often starting 16 to 21 days after your last period began. Taking it on the wrong days can cause spotting.
Use contraception
First stepMedroxyprogesterone tablets don't prevent pregnancy; use condoms or another method.
Related guide →Consider micronized progesterone for HRT
Strong evidenceIf you need a progestogen long term, ask about micronized progesterone or a hormonal IUD, which may carry lower breast cancer and clot risk.
Related guide →
When to call a doctor about medroxyprogesterone
No period after finishing a course
Talk to your doctor in case you're pregnant.
Headaches lasting more than a week or severe
Talk to your doctor; your dose may need changing.
Low mood that doesn't improve
Talk to your doctor; call or text 988 if you have thoughts of self-harm.
Urgent: Leg pain or swelling, chest pain or sudden breathlessness
Call 911; these can be signs of a blood clot.
Medroxyprogesterone (Provera): questions women ask
What is medroxyprogesterone used for?
To bring on missed periods, treat abnormal bleeding from hormonal imbalance, and protect the uterine lining during estrogen HRT. In the UK it's also used for heavy periods, endometriosis and PCOS.
What is medroxyprogesterone acetate?
A synthetic progestogen, the full chemical name of the drug in Provera. It acts like the body's progesterone but has stronger effects.
What is medroxyprogesterone 10mg used for?
Often to bring on a period: 10 mg daily for 10 days, with a bleed 3 to 7 days after stopping. It's also used for 12 to 14 days a month in sequential HRT.
What is the dosage of medroxyprogesterone?
For missed periods or abnormal bleeding, 5 or 10 mg daily for 5 to 10 days. For HRT, 5 or 10 mg for 12 to 14 days a month, or 2.5 to 5 mg daily in continuous UK regimens.
How does medroxyprogesterone work?
It mimics progesterone: it thins and stabilizes the uterine lining and controls when you bleed. When you stop the tablets, the drop in hormone triggers a period.
Does medroxyprogesterone stop periods?
It delays bleeding while you take it and then brings on a period after you stop, usually within 3 to 7 days. It can make periods lighter and shorter.
Related →Is medroxyprogesterone the same as progesterone?
No. It's a synthetic progestin. It works on the same receptors but is stronger and has different effects on the breast, heart and blood clotting than micronized progesterone.
Related →Does medroxyprogesterone cause weight gain?
Some people gain weight, and it's listed as a common side effect. Because it's usually taken in short courses, the NHS says you're unlikely to gain more than a small amount.
Related →Can medroxyprogesterone be taken with estrogen?
Yes. That’s one of its main uses: 5 or 10 mg for 12 to 14 days a month protects the uterine lining in women taking estrogen HRT. Prempro combines conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone in one tablet.
Related →What is medroxyprogesterone 5mg used for?
The same conditions as 10 mg, at a lower dose: 5 mg daily for 5 to 10 days to bring on a period or treat abnormal bleeding, or 5 mg for 12 to 14 days a month with estrogen HRT. Your doctor chooses the dose by condition and response.
Sources
- Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets). US prescribing information, DailyMed.
- NHS. About medroxyprogesterone tablets.
- Stanczyk FZ, Hapgood JP, Winer S, et al. Progestogens used in postmenopausal hormone therapy: differences in their pharmacological properties, intracellular actions, and clinical effects. Endocr Rev. 2013;34(2):171-208.
- Manson JE, Chlebowski RT, Stefanick ML, et al. Menopausal hormone therapy and health outcomes during the intervention and extended poststopping phases of the Women's Health Initiative randomized trials. JAMA. 2013;310(13):1353-68.
- Fournier A, Berrino F, Clavel-Chapelon F. Unequal risks for breast cancer associated with different hormone replacement therapies: results from the E3N cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008;107(1):103-11.
- NHS. How and when to take medroxyprogesterone tablets.
- NHS. Common questions about medroxyprogesterone tablets.
- British Menopause Society. Tool for clinicians: HRT practical prescribing.
- Prescribing information: Prempro/Premphase (conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate). Wyeth/Pfizer, 2026. DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine.
- Women's Health Concern / British Menopause Society. Fact sheet: HRT types, doses and regimens.
- Vinogradova Y, Coupland C, Hippisley-Cox J. Use of hormone replacement therapy and risk of venous thromboembolism: nested case-control studies using the QResearch and CPRD databases. BMJ. 2019;364:k4810.
- NHS. Side effects of medroxyprogesterone tablets.
- NHS. Who can and cannot take medroxyprogesterone tablets.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Drug Shortages database, searched for estradiol and progestogens (data as of September 26, 2026).
- NHS. Utrogestan (micronised progesterone): common questions.
- Federal Communications Commission. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
- National 911 Program. 911.gov.
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