A 49-year old patient presented with symptoms of adrenal suppression following an attempt to
withdraw Depo-Provera or Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) injection. She had
been receiving DMPA injections for the past 16 years for contraception. She was initially
prescribed DMPA by her gynaecologist but later on began obtaining the medication directly
from a private pharmacy without prior consultation from her gynaecologist. Clinically, she had
been experiencing significant weight gain and appeared cushingoid. Blood investigations
confirmed partial adrenal suppression with presence of an adrenal incidentaloma. This case
reports a known side effect of DMPA but occurring at a much lower dose than previously
described. It also highlights the need to increase the awareness of the insidious side effect of
DMPA and to avoid unsupervised use of the drug.