When might you want to delay your period and what are the side effects?
Whilst periods are a natural part of a menstruating individual’s monthly cycle, they can sometimes be inconvenient. On average, a woman will spend 2,535 days of her life menstruating. There are certain occasions in which periods can be an annoyance, such as when you are going on holiday, to an important social function or are competing in sporting challenges. Did you know that you can take medicine to delay periods? You can buy period delay tablets over the counter which can postpone menstruation to a more convenient time for you. Can you delay your period? For many people, it’s extremely liberating that it is possible to have delayed menstruation and allow it to happen at a time which is more convenient for them.
Can you delay your period?
The answer is yes, however it is not guaranteed. Hormonal tablets are safe for consumption as the hormones contained in the pills are naturally produced in the body. Essentially, period delay tablets manipulate the existing hormonal balance in your body. Before you buy period delay tablets it’s essential that you know that this medication does cause side effects. Common side effects include dizziness, abdominal discomfort, breast tenderness, nausea, mood changes, irregular vaginal bleeding and the possibility of your regular cycles being delayed for longer than expected. There are no long term consequences to taking period delay medication. It’s important not to misuse period delay pills. There is no danger in consuming this type of medication in order to bring on delayed menstruation. Issues only arise when they are taken without proper knowledge, for a longer period than should be taken, or at high doses.
How to delay your period
What can delay a period? During the end of the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels in the body decrease, causing uterus lining to shred. This is the cause of menstruation. Utovlan is the most common medicine to delay periods. Period delay tablets work due to the active ingredient in them being norethisterone, a hormone which keeps progesterone levels high enough to prevent ovulation and maintain the uterus lining. It’s a similar bodily process to what happens during pregnancy. This causes delayed menstruation. Once women stop taking the pills, their period will arrive within 2-5 days. Sometimes, period pains are worse than normal after period delay medication. It’s important to note that medicine to delay periods does not prevent pregnancy, so it is important to still use protection if you are taking these tablets.
How often can you delay your period?
Manipulating your monthly cycle should not be done regularly. Frequently consuming pills which delay menstruation can mask or hide symptoms of other diseases, like uterine infections or cervical cancer. This may lead to a delay in diagnosis.
It’s important to understand your monthly cycle before deciding to take hormonal pills to delay menstruation. There is a possibility of contraindications – sometimes an individual should not take a certain form of medication as it may complicate another condition instead of making it better. In some cases, this can lead to complications. For example, tablets containing oestrogen should not be given to people with high blood pressure, liver diseases, hypertension or women who are obese. This is because women with these conditions will already have higher oestrogen levels in their body and taking even more can lead to worsened symptoms of existing health conditions. It’s also unsuitable for women who are currently using hormonal contraceptive methods, such as the patch, the implant or the pill.
There are other slightly more long-term methods of how to delay your period, such as the combined contraception pill or other forms of hormonal contraception. If you’d like to find out more information about period delay tablets or hormonal contraception methods, contact your GP. Knowledge of medicines which are being consumed is vital in helping women make informed decisions about their bodies and their health. Delayed menstruation is possible, but it’s important to know about the side effects and different options available.
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