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Makena Side Effects
In studies, the most common side effect of Makena was pain at the injection site, occurring in up to 34.8 percent of women. However, most women were able to receive the drug without any problems. Other reactions you may experience during treatment include swelling, hives, and itching. Contact your doctor immediately if you develop any potentially serious side effects, such as jaundice.
Just like any medicine, Makena™ (hydroxyprogesterone caproate) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who uses the medication will have problems. In fact, most women tolerate it quite well. If reactions do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are treated easily by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Makena. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list with you.)
Makena has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials. In these studies, one group of women received Makena, while another group was given a placebo (an injection with no active ingredients). As a result, it was possible to see what side effects occurred, how often they appeared, and how they compared to the placebo.
In clinical trials, the most common Makena side effects included:
- Pain at the injection site -- in up to 34.8 percent of women
- Swelling at the injection site -- up to 17.1 percent
- Hospital admission for preterm labor not resulting in preterm birth -- up to 16 percent
- Hives -- up to 12.3 percent
- Preeclampsia or high blood pressure -- up to 8.8 percent
- General itching -- up to 7.7 percent.
Other common reactions (occurring in 2 to 6 percent of people) included:
- Gestational diabetes
- Low amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios)
- Itching at the injection site
- Nausea
- A lump at the injection site
- Diarrhea.
Some of these common side effects could also be classified as serious side effects, which the following section describes. In addition, Makena appeared to slightly increase the risk of miscarriages and very slightly increase the risk of stillbirth, but it is unclear if the small differences are statistically significant or not.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD