Norethisterone

Norethisterone is a period delay tablet used to help symptoms of endometriosis or heavy periods, or just delay your period temporarily. It contains a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone as its active ingredient. If you have a holiday or event planned but your period is due, taking Norethisterone can help you enjoy it fully.

Norethisterone is a generic period delay tablet, so it’s cheaper than the branded version. It’s a bit different to the regular mini or combined oral contraceptive pill, because you only take it short term – and it won’t prevent pregnancy. If you want to avoid getting pregnant while using Norethisterone, you’ll need to use another form of contraception (like a condom).

Norethisterone is a type of medication called a progestin. Progestins are lab-made versions of the natural female hormone progesterone and they work in almost the same way in the body.

Progesterone is the hormone which makes your womb lining thicken to prepare for pregnancy. Your period happens at the point in your menstrual cycle when progesterone levels drop and this lining sheds. So taking progestins can delay your period if it hasn’t started, or make it less heavy and painful if it has.

You can only get one dose of generic Norethisterone – Norethisterone 5 mg. Norethisterone 5 mg tablets can be used for endometriosis, heavy or painful periods and period delay.

There is another dose that’s used as a mini pill, called Noriday. This contains 350mcg of norethisterone, so is a lower dose, but you’ll take it every day because it’s a long term contraceptive pill (not a one off period delay tablet. Like most mini pills, it’s quite common to have reduced bleeding or no bleeding at all when you’re taking it.

Norethisterone acetate tablets have also shown to be able to help those suffering from certain breast cancers. A trial where 154 people with advanced breast cancer were treated with norethisterone, 41% of people achieved remission^[1]

How you take Norethisterone period delay tablets will depend on what you’re using them for. It’s important to follow the instructions your prescriber gives you when taking it. If you’re not sure about anything, take a look at the patient information leaflet provided, or drop our clinicians a message.

If you’re taking Norethisterone 5 mg tablets for period delay, you should start them two to three days before your period is supposed to start. To know when your period is due, you could use an app or mark your previous menstruations on a calendar. Your menstrual cycle lasts from the first day of your period to the day before the next period. Once your next period starts, a new menstrual cycle begins. So you should take Norethisterone two or three days before your next menstrual cycle starts to delay your period.

Most women need to take a Norethisterone 5 mg tablet three times a day at around the same time. You could take one with breakfast, lunch and dinner, or set alarms on your phone. Once you’ve stopped taking Norethisterone, you’ll usually have your period three days afterwards.

If you’re taking Norethisterone 5 mg for heavy or painful periods, you’ll usually take it for between five and ten days of your cycle. This will depend on how long and heavy your bleeding is and the input from your clinician. Your clinician will also tell you when to start taking it, for example on days 5 to 14 of your menstrual cycle. You can measure this easily, as the start of your period is the very first day.^[1]

For endometriosis, take one tablet of Norethisterone 5 mg three times a day, everyday. 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 if you’re using our service. One of our experts will listen to your concerns and reply as soon as possible.

Norethisterone works 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.

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. If you’re using our service, you can send us a message with any questions you have and our experts will get right back to you.