On social networks, many Internet users praise the merits of a drug aimed at delaying menstruation: norethisterone. A promise that appeals to some young women as the summer season approaches. Is its consumption safe?
The approach of the many bridges in May and the summer season is accompanied by an air of vacation. A season appreciated by many to enjoy good weather and a relaxing stay. But these moments of well-being can be easily spoiled by painful periods, so much so that some women are looking for solutions to delay their menstrual period. On TikTokmany videos posted with the #delayperiod (to delay the rules in French, NDR) make the promotion of a miracle molecule capable of granting the wish of those who wish to take full advantage of their holidays this summer.
This drug, which is sometimes found under the name norethisterone, is indeed very successful on the platform in view of its promise. The latter is also explicitly displayed in the slogan of this formula which has already invaded the shelves of British pharmacies: “So you can delay your period, not your plans.”
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Simulate a pregnancy
The secret of norethisterone? Trick your body into believing you are pregnant. Across the Channel, these pills are sold in boxes of 30 and allow, for the sum of 18 pounds sterling, to delay twice the rules of the one who swallows them. To obtain one, all you have to do is fill out an online form. But is its consumption really effective and above all safe? Norethisterone is actually a progestogen that has been used in medicine for regarding fifty years.
“These pills were once used, among other things, as a pregnancy test. If your period was missed, you took a progestogen for five days. If your period still did not come following stopping treatment, you were pregnant.”explains gynecologist Wilfried Gyselaers to our colleagues from 7sur7. This progestogen pill is therefore a synthetic form of the pregnancy hormone which feigns the body by simulating the start of a pregnancy.
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What are the side effects ?
If the formula makes it possible in certain cases to delay the rules, it does not however constitute a universal remedy. The doctor thus reports a limited effectiveness in the majority of women. Although norethisterone does not theoretically represent a particular danger, the gynecologist calls for a reasoned consumption of this molecule, which is not a contraceptive.
Among the side effects, the specialist notes abdominal pain or even weight gain and bloating during prolonged use.. Adverse effects which do not represent a considerable danger but the doctor calls for vigilance, recalling that it is better to do without a drug which one does not need. He advises considering a method of contraception for those who wish to delay their periods more often.