Petogen injection Side Effects

Home › Contraception Side Effects › Petogen injection

Answer side-effect and tolerability questions around petogen injection, including expected changes, warning signs and safe escalation guidance.

Part of contraceptive injections side effects.

What is Petogen injection?

Petogen-Injection contains the active ingredient Medroxyprogesterone acetate.

• Active ingredient — Medroxyprogesterone acetate
• Registration number — E/21.8.2/114
• Registration holder — Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd

It is approved for:

• Endometriosis (a condition resulting from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the uterus and causing pelvic pain)
• As a contraceptive to prevent you from becoming pregnant
• In the treatment of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the womb)
• In the treatment of renal cancer (cancer of the kidney(s) in men and women)

Interactions and medicines to check

The approved leaflet names these interactions.

• Always tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicine
• (This includes all complementary or traditional medicines.) Tell your doctor or health care provider if you are taking a medicine called aminoglutethimide (medicine used to treat Cushing’s syndrome and certain breast and prostate cancers) as this may affect the way DEPO-PROVERA works

Who should take extra care

The approved leaflet identifies the following cautions and factors.

Do not use it at all if

• if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to medroxyprogesterone acetate or any of the other ingredients of DEPO- PROVERA (listed in section 6)
• if you have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• if you have unexplained blood in your urine
• if you have unexplained abnormalities with your breast(s)
• if you have, or have previously had inflammation of the veins (thrombophlebitis)
• if you have liver problems
• if you are, or think you may be pregnant
• if you have known or suspected breast cancer
• if you have depression which is not well controlled with treatment
• if you have had depression with previous use of hormonal contraception

Use with care, and tell your doctor, if

• if you have risk factors for osteoporosis including bone disease, excessive alcohol and/or tobacco use, a low body mass index (BMI) or eating disorder (e.g., anorexia or bulimia), strong family history of osteoporosis or chronic use of medicines that can reduce bone mass density such as anti-epileptics (used for seizures) or steroids
• if you have a history of blood clots (e.g., in your lungs or your veins); tell your health care provider immediately if you experience signs of a blood clot such as pain, swelling and redness along a vein when using DEPO-PROVERA
• if you have a history of brain and/or spinal cord tumour or abnormal growths
• if you have a history of problems with the blood vessels or nerves in your eyes; tell your health care provider immediately if you experience a sudden change in your vision (blurry vision or a partial or complete loss of vision) when using DEPO-PROVERA
• if you have a history of abnormal or unexpected vaginal bleeding as you may need additional examination or testing before using DEPO-PROVERA
• if you are on treatment for depression
• if you have had depression with previous use of hormonal contraceptives
• if you have a substance abuse problem
• if you have an underlying psychiatric disorder such as post-traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder
• if you have a family history of mental disorders
• if you have a history of physical or sexual abuse
• if you suffer from diabetes as DEPO-PROVERA may cause higher than normal blood glucose (sugar) levels
• if you have a condition that may be affected by weight gain or fluid retention as DEPO-PROVERA may cause these conditions to worsen (e.g., epilepsy, migraine, asthma or problems with your heart or kidneys) Before starting treatment with DEPO-PROVERA, you should undergo a complete medical examination that may include your blood pressure, breasts, abdominal and pelvic organs and a pap smear. Hormonal contraceptives, including DEPO-PROVERA, may cause mood changes and depression, which may be severe. Severe depression is associated with a higher risk of suicidal thoughts/behavior (e.g. talking about suicide, withdrawing from social contact, having mood swings, being preoccupied with death or violence, feeling hopeless about a situation, increasing use of alcohol/drugs, doing self-destructive things, personality changes) and suicide. If you experience mood changes and depression, contact your doctor for advice. The use of DEPO-PROVERA may cause a decrease in the amount of calcium and other minerals in your bones. This can increase risk of developing brittle bones (osteoporosis) which can lead to bone breakages in later life. Your health care provider will assess this risk before giving you DEPO-PROVERA and if you continue using DEPO-PROVERA for more than 2 years. it is recommended that you have adequate calcium and vitamin D intake while using DEPO-PROVERA. It is important to be aware that your menstrual cycle may be disrupted during treatment with DEPO-PROVERA and up to 28 months following your last injection. At the beginning of your treatment, DEPO-PROVERA may cause irregular bleeding and spotting. This usually decreases until complete absence of any bleeding, as such, the onset of the menopause may be missed. Discuss with your doctor if you experience any abnormal vaginal bleeding. The results of some laboratory tests may be affected if you are using DEPO-PROVERA. It is important to tell the health care provider you are using DEPO-PROVERA if any medical tests and/or samples are being taken. DEPO-PROVERA does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV infection (AIDS). Using DEPO-PROVERA as directed will not expose you to STIs as it is a sterile injection product. Practising safe sex (i.e. using condoms) can lower the risk of STI transmission, including HIV, through sexual contact

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, please consult your doctor, pharmacist or other health care provider for advice before using this medicine
• DEPO-PROVERA should not be used if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant
• DEPO-PROVERA may cause harmful effects to the unborn child including low birth weight

Common side effects of Petogen injection

Not everyone gets side effects. The effects below are those listed in the South African approved leaflet, grouped using the leaflet’s own frequency wording.

Frequent side effects

• increased weight
• tremors
• increased sweating
• swelling of feet and ankles
• fluid retention

Less frequent side effects

• rounded appearance of the face (‘moon-face’)
• inflammation of the veins
• irregular and/or increased/decreased menstrual bleeding or spotting
• fever

Frequency not known side effects

• osteoporosis (decrease in bone strength) including osteoporotic fractures
• abnormal liver function test
• severe depression with a higher risk of suicidal thoughts/behaviour and suicide
• loss of fat tissue
• injection site reactions including pain or tenderness at site of injection, persistent indentation or dimpling, lump or nodule at site of injection

Bleeding, cycle and hormonal changes

Changes to bleeding and to the menstrual cycle are among the most commonly reported experiences with hormonal contraception, and they are one of the main reasons people stop a method. Knowing what pattern to expect with Petogen injection makes it easier to tell an expected change from one worth checking.

Bleeding patterns can include lighter or shorter periods, irregular spotting between periods, or periods stopping altogether. Which of these is expected depends on the method, and on how long it has been used.

Serious side effects and warning signs

This leaflet does not set out a separate list of serious side effects. The general warning signs below apply to any medicine.

General warning signs that apply to any medicine

How long can side effects last?

How long a side effect lasts depends on the effect, the product, how long it has been used, and the person. Some effects ease within days as the body adjusts. Others continue for as long as the product is used. A few can persist after stopping, and some need review rather than waiting.

• Settling effects — mild effects that ease over the first days or weeks of use
• Ongoing effects — effects that continue while the product is being used and improve after stopping
• Persistent effects — effects that continue after stopping and need medical review
• Delayed effects — effects that appear after weeks or months rather than immediately

Which of these applies to a particular effect is a clinical question. If a side effect is not settling, is getting worse, or is affecting your daily life, that is worth a conversation with a pharmacist or doctor regardless of how long it has been going on.

What happens after stopping or changing the method?

What happens after stopping or changing Petogen injection depends on the method. Some methods stop working as soon as they are removed or discontinued; others take longer to clear. This matters both for side effects and for whether you are still protected against pregnancy.

Contraceptive cover

If you are changing method, there is often a window where you need additional protection. Getting that timing right is the single most important part of switching — ask a pharmacist, nurse or doctor to confirm it for your specific change rather than working it out from a general description.

Side effects and cycle after stopping

Side effects linked to a hormonal method usually ease once the hormone clears, though the time this takes varies by method. Cycles may take several months to settle into their own pattern, and that pattern may not be the same as before the method was started.

When to contact a healthcare professional urgently

Some symptoms need medical attention straight away rather than an appointment in a few days. Do not wait to see whether they settle.

Get same-day medical advice if you have

• A high fever, or a rash together with feeling generally unwell
• Yellowing of the eyes or skin, or unusually dark urine
• Unusual bruising or bleeding that you cannot explain
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, especially if you cannot keep fluids down
• A sudden change in mood, or thoughts of harming yourself
• Any symptom that is rapidly getting worse

How to report a suspected side effect in South Africa

South Africa has an official system for reporting suspected side effects, run by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Reports from the public and from healthcare professionals are how safety signals get detected after a product is already in use.

Who can report

Anyone can report — you do not have to be a healthcare professional, and you do not need to prove that the product caused the problem. A suspicion is enough. Patients, caregivers and family members can all submit a report.

What to have ready

• The name of the product, its strength and form, and the batch number if you have it
• Why it was being used, and when it was started and stopped
• What the suspected reaction was, when it began, and how long it lasted
• Any other medicines, supplements or remedies being used at the same time
• Basic details about the person affected — age and sex are usually enough

How to report

SAHPRA accepts adverse reaction reports through its e-Services reporting system and through the Med Safety mobile app. Healthcare professionals can also report through the same routes. Current forms and access points are published on the SAHPRA site.

• SAHPRA Health Products Vigilance — the main vigilance and reporting hub
• SAHPRA e-Services — current adverse reaction reporting access

For a fuller walkthrough see how to report an adverse drug reaction.

Related pages

• Depo Provera side effects

← Back to more contraception side effects.