Are Norethisterone Effective In Delaying Periods?

Posted on Wed, 21 Dec 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 Answered on

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : I asked my doctor to prescribe a pill to postpone my period by a few days for this upcoming thursday. She prescribed norethindrone .35mg once a day. i have seen nothing online stating that this medication would be effective in quickly postponing an upcoming period and at this dose. norethisterone/norethindrone 5mg 3 times a day is supposed to be effective. i've also read that 5mg once a day also works. am i safe to take this dosage while i wait for the new script to be filled.

Answered by Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Norethisterone 5mg 1-0-1

Detailed Answer:
Hi there,

Thanks for writing in.

Yes, Some doctors do prescribe norethindrone .35 mg for delaying periods.

However, in my clinical practice , I usually prescribe PRIMOLUT-N (Norethisterone) 5mg, one tablet twice daily 5 days before the expected date of periods and medicine to be continued till the day they dont want to get their periods. It usually works effectively for most patients, provided they have regular menstrual cycles and can calculate their expected date of periods precisely.

Hope this information wa helpful to you.

Regards,
Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Veerisetty Shyamkumar