Norethisterone

[GeorgieBe]

Hi I read about taking Norethisterone to prevent your period happening during a holiday. However its a synthetic progestin. I have had negative side effect from taking another synthetic progestin, the depo-provera injection. I only had the depo injection once and my doctor told me it would stop or minimise my periods, but for me it actually made me have a constant period for the whole 3 months. I never went back for another injection due to the side effects . Now I know that the depo-provera works great for lots of people, does anyone know why it didn't work for me? Has anyone had a similar experience with the depo- provers and also does anyone knows whether the Norethisterone is likely to have the same effect on me as the injection with it being a similar ingredient as I was hoping with it being a lower dose over a shorter timeframe that it may work ok for me? Also if I was to go for it and take the norethisterone for the days ahead of my period being due and noticed bad side effects straight away would it be possible to just stop taking them and what would happen if I did? I am of course going to contact my doctor over the next week but was hoping someone out there may have had a similar experience as I would love if I didn't have to have my period to worry about on our first family holiday. Thanks

I doubt if the few days you would take it would cause bad side effects- likely you won't take more than 10 days.
Main side effects are like PMS- feeling a bit irritable and maybe a bit bloated. I took it for 5 years as part of HRT and felt okay mainly.

I had problems with the depo injection, but none when I took norethiserone.

I bled for 12 weeks straight when I had drop but I'm taking northingummy now as I'm on holiday and it's been great apart from a bit of water retention.

Norethisterone sent me batshit.

Hi thank you for all the replies, they are very interesting and kind of what I wanted to hear . I'm not so worried about the pmt as I currently have the copper coil which already makes my periods and pmt very regular, so I'm willing to accept that probably would still arrive at the time I would have had it anyway but the coil makes my periods so heavy that I think it would be awful in the hot weather running around after two little ones, and I won't be able to go in the pool with them. If I took the norithisterone for the days before periods due and then started to feel unmanageable kind of hormonal would it be possible to just stop taking it and would that just mean that my regular period would be likely to start as usual or would I actually be causing a heavier period to happen? Am I risking much by just going for it and trying it out?

Huffletuff was the craziness short lived? Did it resolve soon after you stopped the norethisterone?

Thanks for all of your input I was worried the doctor won't take the time to answer my huge list of questions.

I took Northisterone for 12 months to stop my heavy periods. The only side effect I had was it made me gain weight and when I stopped taking them occasionally I'd feel very emotional.

They have been a godsend to me during the past year. I had a hysterectomy at the beginning of June and have lost 9lb, but if your only taking them short term that won't affect you.

It takes about 2/3 days for them to start or stop working.

In the past I took it for holidays with no problems. Last year I took it for the same and actually bled the whole time. Not much but enough to be very annoying. I wouldn't bother again. A period would've lasted a few days not the whole 2 week holiday!

No, it wasn't short lived. My mental health has been in bits ever since. I've had to leave my job as a teacher due to debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. The consultant has admitted it can cause this in some cases. It wouldn't be worth the risk to me - I am a shadow of my former self.

O dear borntofly and huffletuff sorry to hear of both of your situations, these are exactly the possible problems I think I would encounter. When I took cerazatte oral contraception before it had the effect you have described huffletuff

Huffletuff how long did you take the norethisterone for?

About a month I think.

I think experiences such as Huffles are very very rare.
Millions of women use Norethisterone all the time - it's the main progestogen in HRT and so some women use it daily for years.
If it caused permanent damage in terms of anxiety it would be withdrawn I'm sure.

I used it for 5 years for HRT prescribed by a top Harley St consultant and these side effects were never mentioned - and would have been if necessary as the consultant has practised for over 30 years.

I'm not saying what Huffle experienced is incorrect but it's something that would be hard to prove and must be extremely rare.

Not according to my GP and gynae. Apparently they see it constantly with Norethisterone and the mini pill.

What exactly do they see- major breakdowns and anxiety that last long term?

It's certainly not on the side effects list and legally it would have to be, even if it was 1: million.

It can cause PMS type symptoms but they stop as soon as the drug is stopped.

Feelings of depression and confusion are on the side effects list. Also, there are many scholarly articles about its effects, a quick Google shows other people's experiences and it's even been in the press.

well if there are, they have to be listed as side effects- legally.
They cannot be frequent because it would come with a warning- for example like Roaccutane.

I am sorry you were affected but I think it's giving a skewed picture to the OP because the vast majority of women do not have this- certainly not with using it for 3 days to stop a period.

I would definitely only be taking it for the minimum possible number of days as I'm not keen on hormonal contraceptives etc anyway but am willing to consider with it being such a temporary thing. I'm going to discuss it with my doctor, but I will definitely raise the concerns mentioned above and see what his opinion and advice is. Thank you everyone you've all been so helpful.

Hi to update I've been docs he didn't seem to think that my reaction to the depo provera had been unusual which surprised me as I hadn't heard any bad stories about depo at the time. He said that the Norethisterone shouldn't work the same as the depo provera did, he also said it wouldn't be a problem for me to start the course and if I felt it wasn't suited I could just stop taking it and my period would swiftly arrive. So I trust my docs judgment and have decided I am going to try them out. I will be back to let you know how I got on in case it proves useful info for anyone else considering it.

Hi all, I started taking the norethisterone on Saturday as I was due Tuesday, so far I am on day 8 of these and they have worked, no sign of period and also I haven't noticed any negative effects. My doctor had told me that day before would be ok but I went with the packet advice of 3 days before to make sure it worked.

Hurray!

I'm considering this to delay having a period on my wedding day. Is it better to delay that period or the one before incas it screws me up? How are your periods afterwards, back to regular/normal?

This is the first time I have used them and I have found them to work perfectly. Thanks to everyone for the advice . Unikorn it says on the pack that your period after taking them can be very heavy and last longer and also possible for period to not settle back down straight away so the period before your wedding might not be the ideal period to test them out? Perhaps you could try them out for a period which is a couple of months before the wedding if possible so it gives you time to settle back down if you don't like them.