depo-provera tumor
hey everyone, wanted to hop on here to raise awareness about a potential Depo-Provera side effect.
my mom has been on the shot for 5-6 years now, and recently got an MRI (originally for vertigo) that found a small tumor in her brain. she's in her late 40s and had never experienced vertigo before starting the shot. it's only been an issue since, and it's been noticeably impacting her day-to-day life for years. we're still waiting on more details to confirm exactly what type of tumor it is, but given her timeline, meningioma is a real possibility we're looking into. she started suspecting there was something wrong due to this bbc article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles
in December 2025, the FDA approved a label update for Depo-Provera adding an official warning about increased meningioma risk (a type of brain tumor) tied to long-term use. multiple studies over the last couple years found significantly higher rates of meningioma in long-term users. the label update only came after years of research and lawsuits, and other countries had already required similar warnings before the US caught up.
my mom was never told this was a possible risk, because it wasn't on the label at the time. had she known, she may have made a different choice. that might be the same story for hundreds of other women.
meningiomas are common and often benign, so please don't panic if you're on this shot. but if you've been on Depo-Provera long term and are dealing with vertigo, headaches, vision changes, or anything unusual, bring it up with your doctor.
please, please, be safe and be aware. <3