Norethisterone Tablets for Period Delay

Buy norethisterone tablets for period delay

You can buy norethisterone tablets as long as they’ve been approved and prescribed by one of our clinicians.

Are you planning a holiday, wedding, or special occasion and are worried about your period arriving at the wrong time? Norethisterone tablets can help you take control of your cycle and delay your period when you need to.

How norethisterone tablets work

Norethisterone belongs to a group of medicines called progestogens. These are female hormones similar to the progesterone your body naturally produces.

During your normal menstrual cycle, progesterone levels fall and cause the lining of your womb to shed, which is when your period starts. Taking norethisterone tablets keeps your hormone levels stable and prevents them from dropping. This stops the lining of the womb from shedding, meaning your period won’t start.

How long does norethisterone take to work?

It usually takes three days for norethisterone to start working and for your period to be delayed.

How long after taking norethisterone does your period start?

For most people, your period will begin two to three days after taking your last tablet, though it can sometimes take up to four days. The bleeding may also feel different to usual. It may be lighter, heavier, longer, or shorter. This is completely normal.

If your period hasn’t started within a week of stopping the tablets, speak to your GP or prescriber for advice.

How effective is norethisterone?

Norethisterone is very effective at delaying your period when it’s taken as directed. However, a small number of women may experience breakthrough bleeding or spotting, or their period may not be as delayed as long as expected.

How to take norethisterone tablets

You should begin taking norethisterone three days before your period is due to start. If you start them too late, they’re less likely to work.

Take one 5mg tablet, three times a day. You should take one in the morning, one in the afternoon, then one in the evening, spacing them out as evenly as possible throughout the day.

Swallow the tablets whole with water. You can take them with or without food, though taking them with food may help if you find you’re struggling with an upset stomach.

You can take norethisterone for up to 20 days, depending on how long you need to delay your period. Your prescriber will advise you on this.

Always check the patient information leaflet before taking norethisterone.

Can you take norethisterone during your period?

No, norethisterone won’t stop your period once it’s already started.

Norethisterone works by maintaining the high levels of progesterone in your body, which prevents the womb lining from shedding and a period beginning. Once your period has started, taking norethisterone won’t be able to reverse it or stop the bleeding.

Norethisterone side effects

Common side effects of norethisterone may include:

• vaginal bleeding or spotting
• shorter periods
• headaches
• nausea
• swelling
• absence of period

Side effects after stopping norethisterone

After stopping norethisterone, you may notice some side effects as your body adjusts. These include:

• ·       period changes (heavier, lighter, longer, or shorter)
• ·       hormonal symptoms (mood swings, feeling emotional or tearful, breast tenderness, bloating, and headaches)
• ·       spotting or irregular bleeding
• ·       tiredness
• ·       mild stomach upset
• ·       changes in appetite

When to avoid norethisterone

Do not take norethisterone tablets if you are allergic to any of the ingredients or if:

• ·       you have ever had a problem with your blood circulation, e.g. a blood clot in the legs or lungs, a heart attack or stroke
• ·       you have any symptoms of a blood clot e.g. chest pain, unexplained sudden shortness of breath and/or a cough
• ·       you have any conditions that put you at a higher risk of a blood clot
• ·       you have ever suffered from a migraine with visual disturbances
• ·       you have or are recovering from a liver disease, and blood tests show that your liver is not yet working properly
• ·       you have or have ever had liver tumours
• ·       you have diabetes with damaged blood vessels
• ·       you have a type of cancer that might be made worse by exposure to female sex hormones
• ·       you have problems with genital bleeding, and the cause is not yet known
• ·       you have endometrial hyperplasia, which has not been treated
• ·       you have had jaundice during pregnancy
• ·       you have had pruritus of pregnancy

Alternative period delay tablets

Another option for delaying your period is medroxyprogesterone, which you might know by its brand name, Provera. It works in the same way as norethisterone but comes in a 10mg tablet (compared to norethisterone's 5mg).

The difference is that norethisterone is officially licensed for period delay, while medroxyprogesterone is prescribed off-label. However, this is usually only prescribed to those with a BMI of 30 or more.

Don't worry—off-label prescribing is completely safe, legal, and very common. It simply means prescribing a medication for a purpose other than what it was originally approved for.

Although not technically a period delay tablet, the combined contraceptive pill can be taken back-to-back to effectively delay your period (instead of having the seven-day break). The POP contraceptive (mini pill) should also stop you from having a period if taken continuously without a break, which works similarly to norethisterone.