Depo-Provera

You should not take Depo-Provera if you have ever had an allergic reaction to it or to any of its ingredients.

Special warnings about Depo-Provera

Call your doctor immediately if any of these problems occur after an injection of Depo-Provera: sharp chest pain, coughing of blood, sudden shortness of breath, sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, problems with your eyesight or speech, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, severe pain or swelling in the calf, unusually heavy vaginal bleeding, severe pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area, migraine headache, or persistent pain, pus, or bleeding at the injection site.

Studies indicate that using Depo-Provera may make you more prone to osteoporosis. Bone loss becomes greater the longer Depo-Provera is used, and may not be reversible.

Studies of women who have used Depo-Provera for a long time have found virtually no increased risk of cancers of the breast, ovaries, liver, or cervix (mouth of the uterus). Some studies do show a slight increased risk of breast cancer in women younger than 35 years old who have taken Depo-Provera for a short time, but the increase is about three additional cases of breast cancer per 10,000 women. At the same time, Depo-Provera helps reduce the chance of cancer of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus.

Depo-Provera may cause fluid retention, so if you have conditions that may be worsened by fluid retention, such as epilepsy, migraine headaches, asthma, heart disease, or kidney disease, make sure the doctor is aware of it.

Depo-Provera tends to alter levels of blood sugar, so diabetic women need to be carefully observed by their doctors when taking Depo-Provera.

If you develop jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by liver disease), you probably should not receive Depo-Provera again.

Most women gain weight while they are using Depo-Provera.

Depo-Provera should be used for more than 2 years only if other birth control methods are not adequate.