Norethisterone

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Reviewed on Jan 30, 2025. by Mr Craig Marsh Independent Prescriber Registered with GPhC (No. 2070724) Next review due on January 30, 2028.

Last updated on Jan 30, 2025.

Product info

Norethisterone can delay your period for up to 17 days.
It helps regulate heavy, painful, or irregular periods and endometriosis.
It’s a generic period delay tablet, so it’s cheaper than the branded version.

Price checker

Prices include:

Express shipping
24 hour shipping by secure courier.
Consultation + Access to our clinicians
Ask our experts anything you like, any time you want.
Total
£48.95

Save £0.00 each order

Norethisterone: essential info
Norethisterone: instructions
Important stuff you need to know
FAQ

How to take Norethisterone

How you take Norethisterone will depend on what you’re using it for. It’s important to follow the instructions your prescriber gives you when taking it.

How to take Norethisterone for period delay

Take one tablet three times a day, three days before your period is supposed to start. You should take them around the same time each day. You could, for example, take one with breakfast, one with lunch, and one with dinner, or set three separate alarms on your phone if you don’t tend to eat regular meals. Once you’ve stopped taking Norethisterone, you’ll usually have your period within three days of stopping.

How to take Norethisterone for heavy or painful periods

Take one tablet three times a day for 10 days. To stop your period from causing any more issues, your clinician might tell you to take Norethisterone for a few days after your next two periods. You’ll usually take one tablet twice a day for 8 days. You will need to start taking these tablets 19 days after your last period began.

How to take Norethisterone for endometriosis

For endometriosis, take one tablet three times a day, for at least six months. This is a longer-term treatment, to stop the cells from your uterus from growing in places they’re not supposed to. Your clinician can discuss with you exactly how long to take it for. If you feel you need a higher dosage to control your symptoms, you can send us a message online.

How long does it take Norethisterone to work?

Norethisterone starts working very quickly. It reaches peak concentration in your blood within one to three hours of taking it.^[1] Remember that if you’re taking it for period delay, it will need two to three days to work. It’ll need time for the effects to show, so make sure to take it as our clinician tells you.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Norethisterone?

There are a few different ways to take Norethisterone, so always take it at the advice of your clinician.

If you forget to take a pill, take it as soon as you remember and then carry on your treatment as normal. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. If you take too much Norethisterone, you should seek medical attention right away.

Treated trusted sources:

Wockhardt UK Ltd (2024). Norethisterone 5mg Tablets – Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) – (emc). www.medicines.org.uk.

This page was written by The Treated Content Team.

This page was medically reviewed by Mr Craig Marsh on January 30, 2025. Next review due on January 30, 2028.

How we source info.

When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.

FAQ: Norethisterone

Have something specific you want to know? Search our info below, or ask our experts a question if you can’t find what you’re looking for.

Can I get pregnant on Norethisterone?

Answer:

Norethisterone isn’t a contraceptive because you only take it for a short amount of time. If you don’t want to get pregnant while taking it, you should combine Norethisterone with another method of contraception like a condom. Norethisterone doesn’t affect fertility, so it’s safe to use if you’re planning to get pregnant in the near future, but you shouldn’t use it while trying to conceive.^[4]^[5]

Do I need a prescription for Norethisterone?

Answer:

You will need a prescription for Norethisterone. A clinician needs to check that it’s safe and the best treatment for you. If you talk to one of our experts about your health, they can take you through the different options.

Can I take Norethisterone to delay my period if it’s already started?

Answer:

No, once your period has started it can’t be stopped. Norethisterone can help reduce excessive bleeding or prolonged periods, but it can’t halt them if they’ve already begun. If you’re worried you’ll forget to take Norethisterone two to three days before your period, you could try tracking your period with an app and setting a reminder on your calendar.

How effective is Norethisterone?

Answer:

Norethisterone has shown to work for controlling heavy or painful bleeding and symptoms of endometriosis. When treating heavy periods, Norethisterone was shown to reduce bleeding by 87%.^[1] For people with endometriosis, using Norethisterone for six months reduced ovarian endometriomas – abnormal growth that causes pain and heavy bleeding – by 37.2%.^[2]

In a clinical trial of women looking to delay their periods, Norethisterone was much more effective than the combined pill. Only 8% of women in the Norethisterone group had a small amount of spotting, compared to 43% of women on the combined pill. The women taking Norethisterone also preferred their treatment and were more likely to recommend it.^[3]

Which dose of Norethisterone should I use?

Answer:

The dose of Norethisterone you take will depend on what you’re using it for and your symptoms. For stopping your periods, it’ll usually be one 5mg tablet three times a day. For endometriosis and heavy or painful periods, you might start on a lower dose, or raise it if your symptoms are still troubling you.

Is Norethisterone similar to any other treatments?

Answer:

There’s a branded form of Norethisterone called Utovlan. They contain the same active ingredient in the same dosage, so they work in a very similar way. Whether you use Norethisterone or Utovlan is really up to you. The main differences are that Norethisterone is usually a bit cheaper and might not always look the same.

There’s also a 350mcg injection with the same active ingredient as Norethisterone that’s used for contraception, called Noriday. This won’t be right for you if you’re looking to delay your period or control bleeding.

Treated trusted sources:

Irvine, G.A., et al. (1998). Randomised comparative trial of the levonorgestrel intrauterine system and norethisterone for treatment of idiopathic menorrhagia. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 105(6), pp.592–598.
Taniguchi, F., et al. (2017). Efficacy of Norethisterone in Patients with Ovarian Endometrioma. Yonago acta medica, 60(3), 182–185.
Dean, J., et al. (2019). Norethindrone is superior to combined oral contraceptive pills in short-term delay of menses and onset of breakthrough bleeding: a randomized trial. BMC women’s health, 19(1), p.70.
Fotherby, K., et al. (1984). Return of ovulation and fertility in women using norethisterone oenanthate. Contraception, 29(5), pp.447–455.
Wardle, P.G., et al. (1986). Norethisterone treatment to control timing of the IVF cycle. Human Reproduction, 1(7), pp.455–457.