Period Delay

This service is suitable for you if:

• You are aged 17 years or older.
• You are female (birth sex).
• You want to delay your period by up to 14 days.
• The period you want to delay is not due to start for at least 5 days.

If you’re unsure whether you’re suitable or have any questions, please send us an email at info@careoncall.ie

This service is not suitable for you if you:

• Are under 17 years of age.
• Are male (birth sex).
• Are using combined hormonal contraception.
• Are pregnant, possibly pregnant or trying to conceive.
• Are breastfeeding.
• Are using certain medications 
• Have ever had a blood clot.
• Have a history of or a diagnosis of certain cancers (ovarian, breast, liver).
• Have cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, angina, stents).
• Have significant liver disease (including jaundice in pregnancy).
• Have porphyria.

Period delay pills contain a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone.

During your menstrual cycle, your progesterone levels rise and fall. When they fall, your period starts. By keeping the levels high with medication, you can delay your period by up to 14 days.

Please be aware, this is not 100% reliable and some women do spot or bleed when using this medication.

We can issue a prescription for progesterone tablets subject to clinical suitability.

Take one tablet, three times daily. You will need to start this medication 3 days before your period is due to start and can continue for up to 14 days, depending on how long you want to delay your period.

When you stop taking the period delay medication, your progesterone levels will fall and your period will usually start within 3 days.

Please note: If you start the medication less than 3 days before your period is due to start, it is unlikely to work.

This medication is not 100% effective; it might not delay your period or you may have spotting.

If your period does not start within 3 days after you stop this medication and you have had sex, you should exclude pregnancy and speak with a doctor.

The most common side effects are bleeding/ spotting, headaches, bloating, breast tenderness and nausea. The longer you are taking this medication, the more likely you are to experience side effects, especially bleeding or spotting.

For full details on potential side effects of this medication, please ensure that you read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication before you start to use it.

If you are concerned that you are developing side effects, we advise that you seek medical advice.

This medication DOES NOT provide contraceptive cover. If you do not have contraceptive cover you will need to use barrier contraception.

If you are using a combined contraceptive pill (which contains oestrogen and progesterone hormones) you can skip your pill-free break and start your next pill packet (‘back-to-back’ your packets) to delay your period. Period delay medication should not be required.

If you feel it is, you will need to speak with a doctor. This service is not suitable in these cases.

If you have questions about this or would like to discuss this further, please make an appointment for a GPlive video consultation.