What are the possible side effects of Depo-Provera CI?
Depo-Provera CI can cause serious side effects, including:
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- Effect on the bones: See "What is the most important information I should know about Depo-Provera CI?".
Teenage years are the most important years to gain bone strength. The decrease in calcium in your bones is of most concern if you are a teenager or have the following problems:- •
- bone disease
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- an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa)
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- a strong family history of osteoporosis
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- you take a drug that can lower the amount of calcium in your bones (drugs for epilepsy or steroid drugs)
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- you drink a lot of alcohol (more than 2 drinks a day)
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- you smoke
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- If you need a birth control method for more than 2 years, your healthcare professional may switch you to another birth control method instead of using Depo-Provera CI. If you continue using Depo-Provera CI, your healthcare professional may ask you to have a bone test, especially if you have other risks for weak bones.
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- When Depo-Provera CI is stopped, your bones may start to regain calcium. However, in a study of teenage girls who used Depo-Provera CI for more than 2 years, their hip bones did not completely recover by 5 years after they stopped using Depo-Provera CI. Taking calcium and Vitamin D and exercising daily may lessen the loss of calcium from your bones.
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- possible increased risk of breast cancer. Women who use Depo-Provera CI may have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer compared to non-users.
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- blood clots in your arms, legs, lungs, and eyes
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- stroke
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- a pregnancy outside of your uterus (ectopic pregnancy). Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency that often requires surgery. Ectopic pregnancy can cause internal bleeding, infertility, and even death.
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- allergic reactions. Severe allergic reactions have been reported in some women using Depo-Provera CI.
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- loss of vision or other eye problems
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- migraine headaches
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- depression
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- convulsions or seizures
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- liver problems
Call your healthcare professional right away if you have:
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- sharp chest pain, coughing up blood, or sudden shortness of breath (indicating a possible clot in the lung)
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- sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, problems with your eyesight or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (indicating a possible stroke)
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- severe pain or swelling in the calf (indicating a possible clot in the leg)
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- sudden blindness, partial or complete (indicating a possible clot in the blood vessels of the eye)
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- unusually heavy vaginal bleeding
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- severe pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area
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- persistent pain, pus, or bleeding at the injection site
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- yellowing of the eyes or skin
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- hives
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- difficulty breathing
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- swelling of the face, mouth, tongue or neck
The most common side effects of Depo-Provera CI include:
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- irregular vaginal bleeding, such as lighter or heavier menstrual bleeding, or continued spotting
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- weight gain. You may experience weight gain while you are using Depo-Provera CI. About two-thirds of the women who used Depo-Provera CI in the clinical trials reported a weight gain of about 5 pounds during the first year of use. You may continue to gain weight after the first year. Women who used Depo-Provera CI for 2 years gained an average of 8 pounds over those 2 years.
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- abdominal pain
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- headache
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- weakness
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- tiredness
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- nervousness
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- dizziness
Tell your healthcare professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of Depo-Provera CI. For more information, ask your healthcare professional or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1- 800-FDA-1088.