Any advice about Provera?

[hope114]

I went to my doctor yesterday b/c I am 2 weeks late for my period. My husband & I have been trying to conceive for over 6 months now & I quit taking birth control for over a year now. This is the first time I have been this late for my period. For the past 6 months my period has been right on time. I should have had my period on Nov 5th and on the 6,7, & 9th I had the tiniest spot of blood when I wiped (just once on each of those days) which I thought could be implantation bleeding.I experienced a throbbing in my left ovary for about a week following when I should have had my period and felt bloated and tired. Yesterday I had bloodwork to rule out being pregnant & my thyroid levels, and prolactin levels are normal. I have no idea what could have caused me to miss my period, no new stress or major changes on my part. I have been prescribed prevera to take for 10 days to re-start my period but I am nervous about taking it. Is there anything else that I should have tested before taking this medication?  Will prevera help me be able to conceive in the near future? I'm really confused. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If your preg test was negative (I assume it was if they gave you provera) and your period was late, the most likely thing is that you just didn't ovulate this month.  Every once in a while, there's a dud!
I like to use Natural Progesterone (Prometrium) to induce the period in a case like yours, because of that little nagging worry about what if I am pregnant?  If you take natural progesterone while you are pregnant, it is actually GOOD for the pregnancy---Your body would already be producing it anyway so no harm no foul.  If it does induce the period it definitely means that you weren't pregnant anyway or else it wouldn't work.

You may wish to have some other tests at this stage--I'd think about a semen analysis (for him of course) and a HSG(hysterosalpingogram) for you to check to see if the tubes are open.

You could ask your doctor for something to help you ovulate, but it sounds like normally you do a pretty good job on your own.

Good luck--its worth the time and effort to keep trying!

Dr B

[hope114]

Would there be any harm in just waiting? If I didn't ovulate this past month & have had a pretty regular cycle would my cycle possibly just start again this upcoming month. I have read online that although unlikely some women have been pregnant and the hcg was not high enough for the blood test and they later discovered they were pregnant. I am fearful of taking Provera because I saw it can miscarriage or cause birth defects if I were indeed pregnant. I don't have any strong pregnancy symptoms but I have been VERY sensative to smells & very slightly nauseous from time to time as well as experienced some fatigue. Also, do I need a rx for Natural Progesterone? Thanks for your help!