Period Delay

Period delays

If you wish to delay your period while on holiday you should speak to your GP. If you are taking the combined contraceptive pill, you may be able to take two packets back-to-back (skipping the usual seven-day break between them), or you may be able to start taking the combined contraceptive pill if you are not already using contraception (but this needs to be several weeks before you are going away to make sure it’s working properly).

Otherwise, you may use our online consultation to buy a medicine called norethisterone to delay your period. Usually you need to take the norethisterone tablets three days before you expect your period to begin and take three tablets a day for a maximum of 20 days – Your period will then start two or three days after you stop taking the tablets.

Norethisterone isn’t suitable for everyone – such as those with a history of blood clots. It also isn’t a form of contraception, so people still need to use condoms, or another form of contraception, to prevent pregnancy. Some women get side effects while or after they take norethisterone, including irregular periods, breast tenderness, nausea, headaches and mood changes. Women shouldn’t take norethisterone regularly. If they want to delay their periods more often, they will need another approach, such as taking the combined contraceptive pill back-to-back (as mentioned above) or considering an intrauterine system (IUS).