title: No adverse effects of medroxyprogesterone treatment without estrogen in postmenopausal women: double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether cyclic medroxyprogesterone treatment given without estrogen causes adverse symptoms in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial of 10 days/month of medroxyprogesterone and placebo treatments given during 2 consecutive months in random order. Participants recorded their physiologic and emotional experiences on a 0-4 scale using a daily diary form. Eleven postmenopausal women aged 43-63 completed the study. The subjects were not taking hormones. Height, weight, and serum estradiol concentration were measured once. In each woman, the sum of scores for the 10 days of medroxyprogesterone was compared to the sum of scores for the 10 days of placebo using nonparametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in scores were found between the 10 days on medroxyprogesterone and the 10 days on placebo. The median and range for the composite scores for premenstrual-like symptoms were 26 (20-67) during medroxyprogesterone and 25 (19-40) during placebo (P = .39).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medroxyprogesterone given alone does not cause adverse symptoms in postmenopausal women. Therefore, medroxyprogesterone therapy, by itself, cannot explain the side effects reported by postmenopausal women taking combined hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alojado
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Vigna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause
chemical_list: D008525:Medroxyprogesterone