What medications are there for period delay?
There are a few different period delay treatment tablets such as Norethisterone, which is also sold as Utovlan or Primolut N.[1]If your BMI is 25 or above, or if you’re a smoker, you can get Provera instead of Norethisterone.
Provera is prescribed off-label for period delay, but that doesn’t mean that the medication is unsafe in any way. Clinicians and experts have found it to be suitable and effective for period delay purposes. It’s prescribed off-label simply because the manufacturer hasn’t extended the license for use in period delay.
Provera and Utovlan both work in the same way in your body to delay your period, and they’re both made by Pfizer, but they’re slightly different from each other. They both contain different types of progesterone: Provera’s got medroxyprogesterone acetate in it, whilst Utovlan contains norethisterone.
If your BMI is below 25 and you’re not a smoker, you’re likely to be given Utovlan initially. But if you end up showing sensitivity to it and it triggers unpleasant side effects, you will be given Provera as an alternative. And vice versa.
If you end up reacting negatively to both Provera and Utovlan, our clinician will discuss with you alternative methods of treatment that are safe for you to use. The availability of period delay medications might vary depending on which state you’re in, so we’ll advise you about all your options and help you choose the most suitable one.
Is there a ‘best’ treatment for period delay?
There isn’t a ‘best’ treatment as such. It depends on you and your body. If you’re more prone to side effects with certain types of progesterone, this will affect which period delay treatment tablets are recommended for you.
There’s also the possibility that you’re allergic to a certain ingredient in a specific treatment. If this is the case, our clinician can advise you on other treatments that are safe for you to take, and which don’t contain the ingredient you’re allergic or sensitive to.
Can you delay your period naturally?
There is no natural way to delay your period yet, but there are other ways besides taking period delay treatment tablets. For example, you can delay your period by taking two packets of the contraceptive pill back to back, skipping the usual break, or skipping the inactive pills you normally take if you’re using Every Day pills.
If you’re thinking of taking the pill continuously to delay your period, you should speak to our clinician first, to make sure that it is safe for you to do so. Since the pill isn’t prescribed for this purpose in the first place, it can cause some side effects like nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and vaginal bleeding.
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