Provera question - Menopause Message Board

resolution09 · 10-05-2008, 03:56 PM

Hi -

At the start of the year my gyn gave me a prescription for provera. It had been about 3 months since I'd had a period and I've had issues before that led to a D&C and I wanted to avoid that happening. Due to some other health issues I suspected this gap was not actually menopause related. So I took the provera, had a period in January and regular ones until mid-July.

For about a week I've felt very heavy in my lower stomach like I'm going to have a period. I'm due for my annual in December and I hate to have
to go to the gyn early. If nothing happens naturally in the next few days, is there any danger to doing a 10 day run of the provera? The earlier prescription had a refill and I personally don't think there would be any issue with taking it and seeing if it will induce a period but I thought I'd ask if there's something I'm missing.

My assumption is that if my body doesn't need to have a period, it's just that nothing would happen. Is that a correct assumption?

If necessary I will trot off to the doc but would rather just wait until December. I'm not having any other problems right now. Things have gone amazingly smoothly so far. (Frantically knocking wood....)

BTW, I'm 50.

marymk · 10-06-2008, 10:44 AM

Hi resolution09,

Your situation sounds similar to mine. Last year I was on a round of Provera to control bleeding that would not stop - it regulated me for about 6 months, then I started missing periods and the ones I did get were very light. I thought I was going to finish menopause for good. I went in August for my annual GYN check-up ( I always get an ultrasound also) and I had a thick endometium, so she had me come back in one month for another check and a biopsy. My endometrium was even thicker and the biopsy showed hyperplasia.

I had a D&C a few weeks later and am now on Provera for 5 months. I didn't realize it, but I felt heavy in the lower stomach also - now after the D&C, it seems to have gone away. Hyperplasia is a pre-cancerous condition and the Provera is supposed to treat it. I will need another biopsy in February to see if it's gone - if not I may need a hysterectomy.

I'm not saying that this is what you have, and it's probably OK to wait unitl December - if it were me I would call the GYN and ask if you can take the Provera now, and then come in December for your checkup.

Hope this helps. BTW - I'm 50 also.

Mary

Chantal231 · 10-06-2008, 11:56 PM

Hi Ladies,

I'm confused. I thought Provera was to keep the endometrium from over growth thus preventing hyperplasia.

Also if you, Mary, had built up such a thick endometrium why didn't your body just shed it instead of letting it build or did you just take the Provera for a short period of time?

I'm on the Climara Pro patch which is estrogen and a progestin. The progestin is supposed to keep my endometrium from thickening. That said I'm still cycling on it.

Chantal

P.S. Mary are you having regular bleeds now?

marymk · 10-07-2008, 02:10 PM

Hi Chantel,

I took provera for about 6 months in mid 2007 - then my GYN took me off of it. I was having irregular periods from when I stopped until August of 2008. I then had a biopsy that showed hyperplasia (I previously had two biopsy's in 2005 and 2007 that were normal).

She did a D&C in September and I'm back on the provera. It's only been a month, but I already had a period and it seemed normal. She is going to check me again in February - another biopsy and if the hyperplasia is not gone, I may either do more provera or just get a hysterectomy.
I'm only on Provera - no estrogen. My GYN say's my estrogen is high eneough and my progesterone is very low.

Mary