It's common to want to delay your period – maybe you're going on holiday, to a wedding, or you want to avoid the additional stress for a few days. We can help by prescribing Norethisterone or advising how to use your combined pill to skip a period.

Our period delay treatment Norethisterone is a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone. It works by mimicking your natural progesterone levels, keeping them raised which stops your womb lining from shedding and delays your period.

Norethisterone shouldn't be used regularly and does not work as a contraceptive when taken for period delay.

When will my period start again?

Your period should start within three days of finishing treatment.

Do period delay tablets change your cycle?

Some reported side effects of period delay tablets include potential changes to your cycle, including:

• Bleeding and spotting between periods
• Lack of a period
• Cycles where you don't ovulate

For a full list of side effects see Norethisterone’s patient information leaflet. If you experience any of these side effects, please talk to your GP.

Our period delay tablet clinic

Request the pack size you require and complete your consultation questionnaire. We will use this information to assess whether a period delay treatment is safe and suitable for you to take.

When to take period delay tablets

It’s recommended that you begin taking your period delay tablets three days before your period is due to start. After treatment finishes, you should expect to start your period within three days.

If you start the course fewer than three days before your period is due, it might not work and you’ll still have bleeding or spotting.

How to take period delay tablets

You should take one period delay tablet, three times a day. If you take more tablets than you should, get in touch with your GP as soon as possible.

If you’ve forgotten to take your period delay treatment, take the tablet as soon as you remember and return to your normal schedule. Do not take multiple tablets at once to ‘make up’ for the dose you’ve missed.

Is it safe to take period delay tablets?

Period delay tablets can be suitable for occasional use but should not be taken regularly.

We will check your suitability when you request the treatment, so it's important that you answer the questionnaire fully and honestly.

Period delay side effects

Period delay treatment may cause side effects including breast tenderness, nausea (feeling sick), headache or disturbances in mood. 

The treatment should not be used if you have a history of blood clots. This is why before prescribing Norethisterone, you will need to have your blood pressure, height and weight checked and let us know the results during your consultation.

Can you get pregnant on period delay tablets?

Yes – even if you’re currently taking period delay tablets, there is the chance you might get pregnant. Norethisterone does not act as a contraception when taken for period delay. It is important to consider this if you need alternative contraception such as condoms. However, it should not be used if you are already taking the combined pill. 

In this case, you could take two packs of combined contraceptive pills back-to-back to skip a period, this will vary depending on the type of combined pill you use.