Norethisterone

Norethisterone 5mg tablets to delay your period by up to 17 days for special occasions. Available to buy online from Dr Fox.

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Buy Norethisterone online in UK

How to order Norethisterone online for UK delivery:

  1. Read medical information about period delay
  2. Answer medical questions to check for eligibility
  3. Reviewed by doctors - posted from UK pharmacy (tracked 24hr service)

Prices

Medicine Quantity Cost
Norethisterone 5mg 30 tablets (delay period up to 7 days) £12.90
Norethisterone 5mg 60 tablets (delay period up to 17 days) £21.80

Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.

Compare prices: Dr Fox prices are 25%-50% lower cost than other online clinics.

Prescription fees

Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.

Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.

Order value Prescription fee
up to £10 £1.00
up to £20 £2.00
up to £40 £3.00
over £40 £4.00

If you have your own private paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).

Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.

Compare prices of norethisterone 5mg from UK online clinics (02 September 2022) - qualifying notes
*Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in table above.
  1. The prices shown are listed by the online clinics named after a customer first enters consultation information and is offered prescriptions. It is possible these clinics may have special offers or lower prices for repeat supplies.
  2. Prices may change and are, to the best of our knowledge, accurate on the date stated. All products in stock and new condition.
  3. Dr Fox does NOT claim to provide a superior service to any of the online clinics listed. All the clinics listed, as far as we can tell, comply with all regulation and, as far as we can tell, operate to high ethical standards.
  4. Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in the table (between £1 and £4 depending on value of the order).
  5. To amend the information in this table please contact us
  6. The prices listed in the table do not identify the cost of prescription medicine as online clinics charge a single fee to cover services which includes advice, consultations, prescriptions and dispensing and supply of treatments.
  7. Where services include free delivery this is using the slowest delivery option available. Dr Fox uses Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Period delay tablets Dr Fox* Lloyds Pharmacy Med Express Superdrug Express Pharmacy
Norethisterone 5mg x 30 £12.90 £24.99 £15.99 £16.99 £18.99
Norethisterone 5mg x 60 £21.80 £28.95 £25.99 £24.99 £27.99
UK delivery £2.90 Collect in-store £2.90 included included

Delivery charges

UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail Tracked 24 Signed For (1-2 working days with tracking).

Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.

Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.

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About norethisterone

Norethisterone and the contraceptive pill

Women currently taking a contraceptive pill should not use norethisterone to delay their period.

If using the combined contraceptive pill continuing a new packet straight after your last month's packet will delay your period. However, you cannot do this if taking progestogen-only contraceptive pill (mini pill) or a combined pill which contains dummy (non-active) pills at the end of the pill pack. The way to delay your period depends on the type of combined pill you take - read NHS - How can I delay my period? for further information.

Norethisterone is NOT a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy. It should not be taken in pregnancy.

Norethisterone and other contraceptives

Norethisterone can be used with any non-hormonal contraceptive e.g. coil (IUD) or barrier methods such as condoms and caps.

It should not be used alongside any hormonal contraception including pills, patches, the vaginal ring, implant, contraceptive depot injection, and hormone releasing coils. Consult your own GP or contraception advisor about delaying periods whilst taking these contraceptives.

What is norethisterone?

Norethisterone is a man-made form of progesterone, a naturally occurring female sex hormone and is used for a number of medical conditions. It cannot be used as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Medium-strength tablets can treat heavy periods and are even used for some female cancers, such as breast cancer.

Norethisterone is no longer under patent and is produced by many pharmaceutical companies.

How does norethisterone work?

In a natural female cycle the menstrual period (monthly shedding of the womb lining) is triggered by a drop in female hormone levels. Norethisterone keeps the hormone levels high and delays the period until after the norethisterone tablets have been stopped and hormone levels drop.

When should you take norethisterone?

Norethisterone 5mg tablets can be taken three times daily to delay periods. Start tablets at least 3 days before the expected start of a period and continue for as long as needed. A period bleed will normally start 2 to 3 days, and possibly longer, after stopping norethisterone.

For how long should I take norethisterone?

Dr Fox can supply a maximum of 60 tablets to delay a period for up to 17 days. Fewer tablets are required to delay periods for less than 17 days.

Norethisterone is only designed to be taken occasionally and should not be requested more than once every 3 months. If you need to delay a period for more than 17 days, or more often, you should consult your GP.

Possible side effects of norethisterone

All medications are prone to causing side effects and you're more likely to suffer them if you take norethisterone long-term, but the most common side effects are:

  • Bloating
  • Breast tenderness
  • Loss of libido
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin due to liver disease)
  • Fluid retention which may worsen pre-existing migraine, high blood pressure, epilepsy, or asthma

In rare cases norethisterone can cause a severe allergic reaction. Early symptoms of this include difficulty breathing, wheezing, feeling faint, swelling of the tongue or face, intense and itchy skin rash, and swelling of the hands and feet. Seek emergency medical care immediately - telephone 999 in the UK.

You can read more about potential side effects in the manufacturer's patient information leaflet supplied with norethisterone tablets.

Taking other medications

Consult your doctor before taking norethisterone if you regularly take any of the following, as the effectiveness of either medication may be affected:

  • Medicines to treat epilepsy (e.g. phenytoin, carbamazepine)
  • Antibiotic medicines to treat an infection (e.g. tetracyclines, rifampicin, co-trimoxazole)
  • Antiviral medicines to treat HIV (e.g. ritonavir, nelfinavir)
  • Anticancer medicines
  • Herbal preparations containing St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
  • Ciclosporin (for suppressing the immune system)
  • Non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treating pain and inflammation
  • Medicines for high blood pressure

Other cautions to consider

Blood clots in the veins or legs are a common risk for all women and these risks are slightly increased when taking norethisterone, especially if you're very overweight, have suffered previous blood clots in the veins or lungs, have relatives with blood clots, have been immobile for long periods (after an operation, or a long haul flight, for example), have suffered serious injury or major surgery, or have a history of repeated miscarriage, or are travelling to high altitude.

Many women prefer to take Provera for period delay as the increased blood clotting risk is lower than with norethisterone.

Norethisterone should not be taken during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.

There are a few other conditions where it may be advised against using norethisterone for period delay. Checks are carried out in the online assessment. Please consult your GP if you are unsure.

Patient Information Leaflet

Illustration of patient leaflet from medicine packet

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine and must be read before taking the medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine.

Norethisterone 5mg Patient Leaflet

Dr Tony Steele

Authored 11 April 2014 by Dr Tony Steele
MB ChB Sheffield University 1983. Former hospital doctor and GP. GMC no. 2825328

Reviewed by Dr C. Pugh, Dr A. Wood, Dr B. Babor
Last reviewed 04 April 2023
Last updated 19 January 2024

References

Recent Norethisterone reviews

Norethisterone rated 4.83/5 in 140 product reviews

See over 40,000 service reviews of Dr Fox

Norethisterone 5mg

Worked well does what it says

Mon/01/2024 21:51
Anonymous Verified

Norethisterone 5mg

Worked great

Tue/01/2024 22:58
Anonymous Verified

Norethisterone 5mg

Really useful when I needed to delay my cycle

Sun/12/2023 18:03
Anonymous Verified

Norethisterone 5mg

Delayed period as required - perfect

Sun/08/2023 20:27
Anonymous Verified

Norethisterone 5mg

Very good and works fine

Mon/07/2023 10:52
P. FORBES Verified

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