Whether you’re booking a last minute getaway or your holiday was planned years in advance, it can be pretty annoying when you realise your menstrual cycle is scheduled to ruin your choice of bikini.
Fear not, however, because there are plenty of things you can do to delay your period these days, and we offer one of the most effective period delay medications, Norethisterone, here on our website with free first class delivery.
Period delay the natural way
Women have been trying to alter their menstrual cycle long before pharmaceutical drugs, and many people still use natural techniques today.
You could try using one these methods if you react badly to Norethisterone, but It’s worth noting that there’s little scientific evidence that they work, and we wouldn’t recommend any of them unless you’re really trying to avoid pharmaceuticals.
This Healthline blog does a good job of outlining some of the more popular natural techniques to delay or induce your period, from vigorous exercise to a Chinese herb called dong quai. This stuff is hit or miss at best, but if you’re into natural remedies and you’re willing to experiment a little bit, you might find something here that works for you.
- Don’t let your period ruin your plans, medications like Norethisterone can help.
Taking the pill back-to-back
This is a very common method (which doesn’t work with the progestogen-only pill), but what actually happens when you take the pill back-to-back? Is it safe?
Well, taking more pills than you normally would in a 21 day run won’t lead to a build-up of hormones or anything like that, and delaying periods this way hasn’t been shown to impact fertility at all, although not all doctors recommend it.
Traditional birth control pills are designed to mimic a natural menstrual cycle. A traditional pill pack contains 28 pills, but only 21 of them are actually active, i.e. they contain hormones that suppress your fertility. The bleeding that occurs during the week you take the inactive pills is called withdrawal bleeding.
Withdrawal bleeding usually takes place during the last week of your birth control cycle because of the change in the hormone dosage your body is used to. Not having any hormones during week four can cause the lining of your uterus to weaken just enough to allow for some bleeding to occur, but this is not the same as a true period.
If you skip the inactive pills and start a new pack of active pills right away, you won’t have this withdrawal bleeding and you should be able to enjoy a period-free holiday!
Norethisterone
That’s all very well, but what if you’re not on the pill? That’s where Norethisterone comes in.
Norethisterone is a synthetic hormone designed to stop your period before it starts by mimicking progesterone. Normally, throughout the month your hormone levels will change, but Norethisterone prevents this, ensuring your body won’t shed its lining and your period won’t start.
This is a completely safe option for the vast majority of women, but those who suffer from certain conditions including migraines or blood clots affecting the legs or lungs (or a family history of these blood clots) should not use hormonal treatments such as Norethisterone or oral contraceptives.
PostMyMeds offer a 5mg dose of Norethisterone, which is designed to be taken three times a day, starting three days before the expected onset of your period.
You then continue for up to a maximum of 27 days, and then your period will begin within 2-3 days of stopping treatment. While this is a great way to delay the onset of your period, they don’t work as an effective contraceptive. You have been warned!
You can safely and discreetly purchase Norethisterone tablets on our website. You’ll be asked to fill out a short online consultation form and from there you’re only a few clicks away from getting your meds in the post without having to fit a visit to the GP into your busy schedule.
If you have any questions about Norethisterone, you can use the chat window on our website or visit our dedicated team of pharmacists at our premises in Twickenham. Enjoy your holiday!