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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Period delaying pills - is it now normal ...

128 replies

Figmentofmyimagination · 29/05/2015 11:00

...for young people to use these to delay their period so they can eg "swim while on holiday"? I'm pretty shocked to be assured this is now normal - (and of course taxpayer funded, as they are in education).

This is not a contraceptive. According to NHS choices, it is a pill available on the NHS to treat menstrual disorders, also used when treating some breast cancers.

Perhaps unsurprisingly its listed uses do not include "delaying your period to have a nicer holiday".

OP posts:
WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 29/05/2015 11:03

What is your aibu?
And what medication are you actually talking about?

EponasWildDaughter · 29/05/2015 11:09

Norethisterone you mean? It's been available on prescription for years as a pill to delay periods for various reasons.

EponasWildDaughter · 29/05/2015 11:10

Or to treat heavy periods.

WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 29/05/2015 11:10

Why shouldn't woman delay their periods for any reason they want anyway? Whats it to you if they do?

JaneFonda · 29/05/2015 11:12

How can you bring yourself to even care a tiny bit about what other people use to change the timing of their period?

Why specifically 'young people'? What's the problem OP?

AuntieStella · 29/05/2015 11:14

It has to be prescribed, so presumably the OP is aimed at any MNers who happen to be GPs?

And no, it's not widely used, as not everyone wants to medicate for this purpose. But for those who have extremely heavy periods it can seem heaven sent (been there, got the bloody t-shirt).

I think that if you have never had heavy periods, you just don't realise what it is like to live with flooding.

YBR · 29/05/2015 11:15

I'm on the pill for contraceptive reasons. I use them to shift my periods to avoid swimming days (weekly during term) and run packs together to avoid periods (and associated misery) on holiday.
It's normal to me and has been for years. Not sure about taking pills specially though.

Original poster
Figmentofmyimagination · 29/05/2015 11:19

OK I guess I am just old fashioned. When my 18 year old DD said she was doing this and that it was normal, I must admit I was a bit surprised. It struck me as a bit of a trivial reason for wanting to interfere with her cycle, but I am obviously not with the picture.

It's also a bit of a waste of taxpayers' money IMHO - if resources are limited, which they are, I'd rather they were spent e.g. on making sure every child can access an NHS dentist.

OP posts:
RedandYellow24 · 29/05/2015 11:19

You can buy them over counter or online if you fill in form or speak to someone to check it's ok for you. But if your under 16/18 then think it's reasonable to get a weeks supply of pills once a year if having your period on holiday would ruin it restrict what you can wear or do.

You cant say it's a waste of money when plenty of other conditions and treatments could be considered to support lifestyles eg giving smokers antibiotics for chest infection when they still smoke and going take twice as long to get better.

TheNumberfaker · 29/05/2015 11:20

I'm in my forties and I was offered it (at the doctors for a completely unrelatedy matter) when I mentioned that I'd be on holiday with my period. I don't like taking hormones unnecessarily so refused it but I can see why some women would. Some women have really light periods, others really do have floods!

RedandYellow24 · 29/05/2015 11:22

Agree it's not just a period of your flooding through a super tampon every 40mintues and really restricted what you can wear then sitting on a beach or pool side is going make things so miserable you might as well stay home!

However if your someone who can stick on a pad and run around all holiday still in your white shorts good for you

WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 29/05/2015 11:22

It's very cheap, and not widely prescribed. If your concern is money, there are a million more important ways the nhs wastes money, this is not one of them.
Women having control of their own bodies is not trivial, its essential.

Skiptonlass · 29/05/2015 11:23

I don't understand the problem with it.... Can you explain why it offends you?

I can assure you there's no medical or biological reason not to delay/skip a period. It has perhaps even a slight protective effect against some hormonally driven cancers.

The rather sexist attitude with the first pills was that there had to be several pill free days, or the little women would freak out they didn't bleed! I hope we are a little more enlightened these days and realise that periods are a biological oddity that can be exceedingly inconvenient. If men had them, etc etc.

I had a mirena for a few years and one of the blissful side effects was no sodding periods. When I was on the pill I used timings to shift it for exams, holidays, all sorts of stuff. It's absolutely fine to do so. I'm a responsible adult who takes care of, and is in charge of, her own body.

Also, free contraception pays back multiple times in saved taxpayer cash. It's about the least wasteful use you can think of (along with early intervention/sure start programs, which also pay back a zillion fold in saved cash.)

happygirl87 · 29/05/2015 11:23

I took norethisterone for a school ski trip in 2000 (feel old!) My periods are horribly heavy and painful and I didn't want to be in pain or confined to bed during a very expensive trip abroad. Would also have been very embarrassed to flood or similar.
So it's certainly not new.

The alternative is going on the pill to be able to self regulate cycle, but that's far more hormones over a longer period of time.

Namelesswonder · 29/05/2015 11:25

I remember my mum getting me some tablets to delay my period when I was 14 and on a school trip abroad, 30 odd years ago - so hardly a new thing! I would do the same for my DD.

DuelingFanjo · 29/05/2015 11:25

I've never done this. I always thought, for me, it was a bit weird.

I have done several Glastonbury Festivals while in full flow - not pleasant but I wouldn't take a pill to delay it.

I also know loads of people who just run their pill into each other and never have a period but it seems a bit unnatural to me.

It's not just young people who do it BTW, I am in my 40s and lots of my friends do it.

Fourarmsv2 · 29/05/2015 11:26

I've done this. I have hellish periods though. I hadn't seen DH in 6m. Was flying out to meet him somewhere sunny for 4 days. Wanted to enjoy them not be doubled over with cramps.

However, the downside was upon stopping taking the tablets I had THE WORST period ever. Wish I'd taken them until I got home. Please advise your daughter to do this.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 29/05/2015 11:26

I was doing this with normal pills 25 or so years ago, as YBR describes, it wasn't officially condoned by doctors back then, but I was aware that there are newer drugs that are licensed for this use, yes.

bridgetjonesmassivepants · 29/05/2015 11:27

I deliberately take a type of contraception that stops my periods. I haven't had a period since 2006. Do you disagree with this too?

I think it's obvious to stop your periods if you can and you are not trying to get pregnant.

Thurlow · 29/05/2015 11:27

Surely for a lot of people, including young girls, it's not simply "I can't be bothered to pack Tampax", it's "I don't want to spend my entire holiday flooded and in pain"?

helenahandbag · 29/05/2015 11:28

I would definitely do it if it was going to arrive for my wedding/honeymoon/an expensive holiday, etc. I don't understand why this warrants a thread - who wants to have cramps and heavy bleeding on their wedding day or while abroad?

SoupDragon · 29/05/2015 11:29

YANBU. I had to suffer with periods on holiday when I was a teenager so the current lot can damn well suffer too. Hmm

Norethisterone was a revelation. No more worrying about whether I'm leaking through my swim suit. Marvellous!

DorothyL · 29/05/2015 11:30

I didn't even know this existed - could I get it for my 11 year old? She's going to France with school next month and I'm worried how she'llcope.

PenguinsAreAce · 29/05/2015 11:31

I took it 18 years ago for exactly this. GP clearly thought I wanted to have sex and lectured me about contraception. I was Blush and explained I just wanted to swim while away.

LordEmsworth · 29/05/2015 11:32

I think you're all missing the point. Why shouldn't women and girls be made to suffer and not enjoy a (presumably, occasional and expensive) holiday? Hmm

A couple of years ago I was having problems with my periods and the GP prescribed me a couple of weeks of norethisterone to give me a break from permanent on/off bleeding. I hadn't realised how distressing I was finding it until she did it, and then I could have cried in gratitude... Presumably the OP also thinks I'm a shameless harlot "interfering with my cycle" as if that's a bad thing, and thinks I should have soldiered on regardless.