“The Period Delay Pill has been available on our Online Doctor service previously and now introducing it in our pharmacies and nurse clinics with a consultation and questionnaire allows women to make the choice easily and quickly should they choose to delay their period.”
Michael Henry, healthcare director for Superdrug.
Reported Side Effects
Asthma; cardiac dysfunction; conditions that may worsen with fluid retention; diabetes (progestogens can decrease glucose tolerance—monitor patient closely); epilepsy; history of depression; hypertension; migraine; susceptibility to thromboembolism (particular caution with high dose).
When used for contraception
Active trophoblastic disease (until return to normal of urine- and plasma-gonadotrophin concentration)—seek specialist advice; arterial disease; functional ovarian cysts; history of jaundice in pregnancy; malabsorption syndromes; past ectopic pregnancy; sex-steroid dependent cancer; systemic lupus erythematosus with positive (or unknown) anti-phospholipid antibodies with intramuscular use for contraception disturbances of lipid metabolism; history during pregnancy of deterioration of otosclerosis; history during pregnancy of pruritus; possible risk of breast cancer.
Cautions, further information
A possible small increase in the risk of breast cancer should be weighed against the benefits.
The product literature advises caution in patients with history of thromboembolism, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and migraine; evidence for caution in these conditions is unsatisfactory.
Read NICE guidelines about norethisterone.
“Like the contraceptive pill, period delay pills are not side-effect free. Norethisterone is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone progesterone and, like the other synthetic hormones in contraception, it can cause breast tenderness, nausea, headaches, low libido and, crucially, ‘disturbances in mood’. What the NHS likely means by this is mental health side effects which can range from ‘feeling a bit low’ to full-blown depression and anxiety. No two women are the same and so no two women will respond to a pill in the same way.”
Read Why no one’s talking about the worrying side effects of period delay tablets on Metro, 10 Aug 2019.