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Provera and Bleeding: What Users Say

Bleeding: mentioned by 108 users (34.2%)

Based on user experiences from 316 Provera reviews, the following table shows the most commonly mentioned side effects.

All user comments are moderated by Drugs.com. Each review is verified for relevance and screened for inappropriate content. Side effects are user-reported and not clinically verified.

bleeding 34.2%
cramps 23.7%
blood clots 11.7%
headaches 7.6%
spotting 6.3%
pain 5.4%
nausea 4.7%
heavy periods 4.4%
tiredness 3.8%
bloating 3.2%

Reviews for Provera

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Lin...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 23, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been taking Provera 10 mg once a day since March 20, 2021 because I have irregular bleeding and 2 fibroids. My period has not stopped or slowed down at all. Last month it was just seven days, but this month, it's been on for two weeks. It seems like it wants to stop but then I'll have spotting before full-on bleeding, and it seems to happen after I take the pill. I was told this medication would stop my period and correct the irregular bleeding, but it has done nothing of the sort. I feel, if anything, it's causing me to continuously bleed."

1 / 10
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300 Report
  • Mis...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • February 28, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on this med several times, I am 48 years old going through menopause and have had abnormal bleeding off and on for 2 years. From what I understand, 10 days on this med is not going to make you stop bleeding. What it does is 'clean' you out first before it thins the lining enough to stop the bleeding. When I take it, I bleed worse for a couple weeks, clots come out and then it stops and stays stopped so all the ladies taking it for 10 days give it more time, please. The cramps are bad during the 'cleaning' phase also but trust me it will get better."

10 / 10
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374 Report
  • Ove...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 31, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been currently taking Provera 10mg for about 28 days now. At first it stopped the bleeding altogether for the first week. Then I started to spot again and bleed. Now the bleeding is getting progressively heavier and the clots are getting larger, like they are huge. This is a nightmare. I'm having to empty my 25ml menstrual cup every hour or two. Hoping to get a hold of my OB by Monday. I'm feeling very weak and I have lots of cramping."

2 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Ove...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 31, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been currently taking Provera 10mg for about 28 days now. At first it stopped the bleeding altogether for the first week. Then I started to spot again and bleed. Now the bleeding is getting progressively heavier and the clots are getting larger, like they are huge. This is a nightmare. I'm having to empty my 25ml menstrual cup every hour or two. Hoping to get a hold of my OB by Monday. I'm feeling very weak and I have lots of cramping."

2 / 10
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177 Report
  • Bel...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 7, 2021

For Amenorrhea "So let's talk about Provera. I was put on this for not having a period for 10 months. Just remember that during the time you don't have a period in most cases, your body is still producing that lining. I took it for a week (10mg a day) and got my period 3 days later. It is by far the worst period I've ever had. This is worse than any period I've had, even the ones I had directly after giving birth. I've bled through pads and tampons multiple times, and I'm only on day 4! I'm feeling nauseous, dizzy, and weak, normal daily functions are hard at this point. I also feel very angry and withdrawn to the point of where I just want to be by myself and sleep. Oh, not to mention the huge clots I've been passing. If this were considered a 'normal period,' I would have gone to the hospital by now. The cramps are horrendous also. I will say if you are trying to get your period, it does the job, just be prepared for one nightmarish period."

3 / 10
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  • Sad...
  • April 19, 2021

For Amenorrhea "I'm trying to get pregnant for more than 8 years. My fertility doctor said I have a polyp in my uterus. My husband's sperm count is low too. I have normally regular periods. I'm 35 years old now. I had heavy bleeding that lasted more than 14 days. Then my fertility doctor gave me Provera 10mg for 14 days on Feb 11, 2021. My last pill was on Feb 25 or 26. Period should come back in a week after Provera. Two months passed, no periods, no symptoms, 3 negative pregnancy tests. I'm worried about what is going on with me."

4 / 10
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67 Report
  • Mrs...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • March 26, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I had been having spotting for 3 months, so I went to my doctor for a transvaginal ultrasound, where they found I had a large polyp. Fast forward a couple of weeks, I had a hysteroscopy and had the polyp removed. I was prescribed 10 mg Provera for 14 days in order to kick start my cycle back into normal rhythm. My period arrived 3 days after I stopped taking them, and I am still bleeding 10 days later. The bleeding has been the heaviest I’ve ever had, with huge clots. I was changing my sanitary product every 30 mins, so I phoned my GP, who prescribed Tranexamic acid to help slow the bleeding. I am on day 10, still bleeding and with horrific cramping. When will this ever stop???"

5 / 10
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  • Gru...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 7, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I am 52 years old and clearly have been through the change of life. I've had no period for years. All of a sudden, I have some spotting, so I go to my doctor. He does a surgical procedure to scrape the lining of my uterus and then puts me on 2, 10 mg Medroxyprogesterone a day for 20 days. Four days after my last pill, the bleeding started. I have NEVER had such a bad period in all of my 52 years of life! I have had 3 children, and this is worse than the labor of all three!! I will NEVER take that medicine again!! They can do a hysterectomy and take the womb I haven't needed in decades. I can't even leave the house because when I stand up, I gush blood!! Roll over in bed, gush blood!! Not Happy!! Why didn't my doctor warn me about this?????"

2 / 10
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92 Report
  • Ree...
  • May 4, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I took Provera 5 mg for abnormal uterine bleeding. Basically, my period went on for almost three weeks. I went to the hospital (had an ultrasound & everything was fine). They told me to take the pills for 7 days once a day. I took 2 a day for 3 days & the last pill on the 4th day. I'm a heavyset girl, so 10 mg wouldn’t have hurt me. The first day I took them, I took them in the morning & by the afternoon, the bleeding stopped. Throughout my taking the medication, I had no bleeding. Three days after the last pill was taken, my period came on. I just woke up one morning & I was spotting. By that night, I was bleeding very heavily. I wanna say the heaviest I have ever been, but most of it was blood clots. All sizes. That went on for about 5 days, then the 6th morning it almost instantly stopped. I was spotting very lightly & by that night it completely stopped. I’m a 20-year-old, by the way. I have not been diagnosed with PCOS or anything of the sort."

8 / 10
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69 Report
  • Ove...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 14, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started bleeding July 15, and it’s now Sep 14. I went to my doctor, they did an ultrasound, they said everything looked fine, blood work came back fine, and that sometimes it’s just the way it is, not knowing why I’m bleeding so much! Anyways, I threw a fit with the doctor, told her bleeding during intercourse and so much is not normal! She tried to tell me it was the positions we were doing, and I said no, I just want to know why. So she prescribed Provera 10 mgs, 1 tablet a day for 10 days. I am now on day 6, and the bleeding went from a little to so heavy I am changing my pads every hour! My cramps are unbearable, and there are so many blood clots! I just emailed my doctor to see what she says, fingers crossed that she can help give me answers!"

2 / 10
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62 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 7, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Good evening, I stated my cycle like normal, only it lasted over a month. I freaked and went to the doctor because I was going insane. Got given a 14-day course of Provera, and I've been taking it for 2 days now, and the bleeding has stopped completely. I'm scared that if I stop taking it, I'll start to bleed again. I have to go back to get the ultrasound to figure out what happened. I've always had irregular periods, but normally I just would skip 3 or 4 months and start lasting 4-5 days most of the time, it's stress. This time it started and was beyond heavy. Not a lot of pain, though. I wish everyone hope for the madness we all share. Thanks for the comments. It's helped me a lot."

10 / 10
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54 Report
  • SHa...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 24, 2020

For Amenorrhea "Taking Provera was the worst decision I ever made. My period was very heavy. I was told by my OBGYN that it was going to delay my period, but it made me worse than I was before taking it. Day 5 of my period and still a heavy flow. Still have pain. I found out after taking it I will have another period 3-7 days after having a 10-day cycle. I can’t have this much bleeding."

1 / 10
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42 Report
  • Lee...
  • June 12, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I'm 41 years old. I've been taking Provera for a month now. It stopped my bleeding the first month, but then it came back in full force, and I haven't stopped bleeding yet, and it's been a month. I was put on it because of my anemia and fibroids because my blood was low due to the loss of blood. I have been feeling very weak, bleeding heavily, and having horrible pain, going back to the doctors due to the pain and bleeding. I cannot take the pain, and I stopped taking the pill."

1 / 10
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44 Report
  • Pan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 1, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was prescribed these to delay my period for 3 weeks while on holiday, they delayed it for about 7 days, but I still got my period, then had heavy, irregular bleeding for approximately 2 months. I have PCOS, so my periods are extremely irregular but only last 5 days and are light to normal. This medication wasn't any good for me at all, and along with the spontaneous, heavy bleeding, I had terrible pain and large clots. I'll never take them again. I've had northisterone in the past to delay my period, and they were brilliant. This is just my experience, and every woman is different."

3 / 10
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41 Report
  • Pan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 1, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was prescribed these to delay my period for 3 weeks while on holiday, they delayed it for about 7 days, but I still got my period, then had heavy, irregular bleeding for approximately 2 months. I have PCOS, so my periods are extremely irregular but only last 5 days and are light to normal. This medication wasn't any good for me at all, and along with the spontaneous, heavy bleeding, I had terrible pain and large clots. I'll never take them again. I've had northisterone in the past to delay my period, and they were brilliant. This is just my experience, and every woman is different."

3 / 10
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41 Report
  • Pan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 1, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was prescribed these to delay my period for 3 weeks while on holiday, they delayed it for about 7 days, but I still got my period, then had heavy, irregular bleeding for approximately 2 months. I have PCOS, so my periods are extremely irregular but only last 5 days and are light to normal. This medication wasn't any good for me at all, and along with the spontaneous, heavy bleeding, I had terrible pain and large clots. I'll never take them again. I've had northisterone in the past to delay my period, and they were brilliant. This is just my experience, and every woman is different."

3 / 10
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41 Report
  • Ove...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 21, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "It’s a good medicine overall. I had really heavy bleeding and got sent to the hospital, and they put me on this, which was 10 mg for 20 days, and I stopped bleeding 12 days into it. But after reading some of these comments, it makes me so worried because once I stop it, I’ll have the “breakthrough” bleeding. So my thing is, how are you going to put someone on something for so long, then when they stop taking it, it’ll come rushing again? Hmm."

5 / 10
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  • Ree...
  • July 25, 2016

For Amenorrhea "I was on Depo Provera shot for 1.5 years before wanting to change to natural family planning. After getting off the shot, I had no period for 1 year. Doc prescribed Provera. I did not bleed. Three months later, I became pregnant. I miscarried around 5 weeks. It was a natural miscarriage. Waited two months, still no period. Went back to doc. Prescribed Provera 10 mg for 10 days (again), currently bleeding on day one after the last pill. I recommend this medicine. It does jump-start the cycle. And I believe that helped me ovulate during the first cycle even though I did not have a period with it. Never lose hope if you are trying to conceive or simply just bring back a regular cycle so that you can feel like a 'normal' woman."

8 / 10
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52 Report
  • Ano...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 7, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Provera did not work for me. When I had my last period, before the operation to get fibroids removed, I had some really heavy period bleeding, I could not leave home. I had to go to A&E, where a GP prescribed Provera to me. The drug calmed the bleeding down for a few days, but it never stopped it. On some days, I would have really heavy bleeding with massive clots. During 2 weeks, I had to visit A&E a couple of times again, trying to explain that the drug was not working. I was assured again and again that since my operation was taking place in a couple of weeks, there was no point in changing the drug. In my third week of bleeding, it became extremely bad, it was pouring out non-stop for hours. I ended up in A&E again, where I collapsed at the reception and was admitted to the hospital. I was given an injection of Tranexamic acid that stopped the bleeding, and I was prescribed Norethisterone instead, which worked much better!"

2 / 10
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35 Report
  • Amy...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 16, 2020

For Amenorrhea "I was missing my period after taking the Plan B pill. So after waiting for 45 days for my period to come, the doctor prescribed me Provera 10 mg for 10 days. I took the pill for 9 days and somehow missed taking it on the 10th day. Three days after stopping my pill, I got my period. It was not very scary. Yes, I bled a little heavier on the third day, but it was manageable. I had aches in my thighs and my back. I would suggest buying panties with pads in them because it'll be easier to use and dispose of."

10 / 10
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33 Report
  • cca...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 9, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on Provera 10 mg for about a month. I was initially diagnosed with uterine polyps and had a DNC done to remove the polyps, and my OBGYN prescribed Provera to stop the bleeding. It stopped for maybe 5 days but then started again and was way heavier with more clotting and cramping. My OBGYN, in turn, prescribed mefenamic acid in combination with the Provera, and it still hasn't stopped the bleeding. I've been bleeding heavily for almost 10 days now. I've started to see a slowing in the amount of blood, but it's not stopping altogether. It has been about 3 months of bleeding. Next step for me is a hysterectomy. I'm 34 years old and do not want to do that. I'm hoping this will work. It hasn't so far, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

3 / 10
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24 Report
  • Tka...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 20, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Thanks to everyone who shared. I’m 43, no history of menstrual irregularity. Missed a period in August, it arrived in early October, and I’ve bled since then. Very heavy with clots. To the point I struggle with working and can’t exercise. Pelvic ultrasound normal. Doc wants me to have a hysteroscopy. I’m terrified it’s something sinister. Reading all your stories has given me hope."

5 / 10
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30 Report
  • Koo...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • July 16, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I'm a 31-year-old diagnosed with PCOS. I've been having irregular periods since the age of 15. They put me on birth control, which regulated them. Now, older, they are worried about my blood pressure and blood clots. The longest I've gone without a period is a year and a half. The last 3 months, I've had spotting every day. The doctor put me on Provera, 10 pills every 3 months. I got my period on the 4th day of taking the pills and am now dealing with debilitating cramps, heavy bleeding, and clotting bigger than quarter size. I bleed through a tampon and pad every hour. Had to leave work early today because I bled through my pants in a matter of 30 minutes. It's been like this for 3 days and is unbearable. When will it end?"

2 / 10
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48 Report
  • Mum...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 28, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "At first, I went in to get treatment for uterine bleeding, which I’ve had for over 3 weeks. I was prescribed Provera 10 mg once a day for 10 days (which stopped the bleeding instantly). Soon after, during my 5th day of taking the pill, I started to cramp with slight bleeding. By the 3rd day into my “menstrual cycle,” I started to bleed heavily. Now, I’m on my 7th day, and there’s no sign of slowing down. The doctor told me it typically will last 2 weeks, and if I’m still bleeding heavily, I’ll need to see her. The doctor also said if I’m not changing no more than 2 pads per hour, it’s normal. I’m kinda irritated and scared."

10 / 10
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35 Report
  • Mum...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 28, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "At first, I went in to get treatment for uterine bleeding, which I’ve had for over 3 weeks. I was prescribed Provera 10 mg once a day for 10 days (which stopped the bleeding instantly). Soon after, during my 5th day of taking the pill, I started to cramp with slight bleeding. By the 3rd day into my “menstrual cycle,” I started to bleed heavily. Now, I’m on my 7th day, and there’s no sign of slowing down. The doctor told me it typically will last 2 weeks, and if I’m still bleeding heavily, I’ll need to see her. The doctor also said if I’m not changing no more than 2 pads per hour, it’s normal. I’m kinda irritated and scared."

10 / 10
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35 Report

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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.