Hi Nat, I suggest you go and see your GP, Im sure he/she could give you some tablets to delay the inevitable, thats if he or she is a simpathetic GP. Cheers Jayjan

jay jan, if you are on the pill you can take your next packt without a break, a quick call to your practice should confirm this. there is usually something you can take to delay it even if youre not on the pill, i think its norethisterone, but you would have to see your doctor for that. just as a word of warning though, it can also be used to bring on periods, so make sure you take it properly

Yes, Your gp should be able to prescribe something such as primolut. See him asap as you need to start taking it a few days before your period's due.

Norethisterone worked well for me last year.

You must start taking it before your period is due though and ensure you take it at the correct times every day. If you don't, your period will begin and will probably be heavier than usual.

Pippy

I've tried Northisterone twice and both times had bad side effects. These ranged from lethargy, terrible headaches and nausea. At one point I couldn't even bring myself to open my mouth and talk.....the energy just wasn't their

It's a shame because I know friends who swear by them, at the end of the day I suppose they're suppresing something that's supposed to happen naturally and my body certainly doesn't like them

Norethisterone worked fine for me several times. Pleased to say I don't have to bother now - one of the advantages of getting older!

I have used them twice now, and the 3 months after were horrible for me, I was a state, it was like pmt really really bad!!!

Mood swings, shouting, crying, very snappy, and it took a while for my regular cycle to get back to 28 days.

I've taken primolut for a couple of times over my summer holiday and haven't had any problems. They're a real help.

I just carry on taking my Pill if I know there would otherwise be a 'problem' on my holiday, but obviously my 14 year-old daughter isn't on the Pill, and her cycle is still somewhat unpredictable - is there anything the doctor would give a 14 year old with an erratic cycle?

Cyberspacecadette

I don't think a Doctor would do anything for a 14 year old. My Daughter was the same and the Doctor just said let nature take it's course and it will settle in time. It did after about 18 months but as you say not much fun when your on holiday.

I always used to carry on taking the pill in cases like this i.e. when going on holiday but since having breat cancer 12 years ago I was told I cannot take it any more so had a Marina Coil fitted. Was very dubious as I had heard bad things about coils but can honestly say that this make is the best thing since sliced bread - it's like an early menopause without the side effects - have had nothing for 12 years. Apparently they use this make because it stems the flow in women who are normally quite heavy so in someone who has a 'normal' period hey presto - nothing.

Regards Jackie

Regards Jackie

My daughter was 14 when we went to Egypt last year and our GP prescribed Norethisterone for her as well as for me. No problems, no side effects, no periods!

Pippy

Not too sure about the side-effects I've heard about from Norethisterone - daughter's mood swings are bad enough already We go away at Easter next year and again in August, I'll wait and see if things settle down.

Just to add, although these hormone pills are safe if you take the pill or any other Oestrogen based contraceptive however if like me you can not take the pill then basically there is nothing to stop a period, i just have to put up with it

Whether a GP will or won't prescribe Norethisterone for a 14 yr old will largely depend on how long she's been having her periods for. If they're well established then they will consider it but if she started them less than 2 years previously then they might be reluctant. And when she started will largely depend on her weight - puberty is triggered by weight not age and it can take up to 2 years after the first period for regular ovulation to be established and most GPs will be reluctant to consider prescribing either Norethisterone or any contraceptive pill SOLELY for the purposes of controlling periods for a holiday before the girl's own hormone cycles have become regular and stabilised.

As a teenager who dived competitively at school level, I had no option really other than to get used to using tampons at a younger age than most because no GP at that time would prescribe pills to postpone/stop periods at that age or that frequently and it wasn't really that much of a problem. My Mother's blunt advice that it might be uncomfortable the first time and to grit my teeth and just shove was as good as any really and after the first time it really wasn't a problem and I've used them ever since. Though hopefully for not too many years more now :-)

SM

Looks like we'll have to leave the hormone pills then - she only started this year and her cycle is still very erratic and unpredictable (just like I was at that age). She has used tampons - she had an unexpected "problem" on the last 2 days of our holiday this year, and luckily I had some in the suitcase, but she still refused to go in the pool, and it was just lucky we only had 2 more days to go and her friends had gone home 2 days earlier. Fingers crossed for our next holiday

Just to add, although these hormone pills are safe if you take the pill or any other Oestrogen based contraceptive however if like me you can not take the pill then basically there is nothing to stop a period, i just have to put up with it

Loulou,

I would check with your doctor before dismissing Northisterone. I too cannot take the pills you mention above and have been prescribed Northisterone 3 times in the past (see above post as to why I don't use now though ) Northisterone is actually a synthetic form of the naturally occurring female sex hormone, progesterone so you would be okay as it doesn't contain any Oestrogen

Miss
Ive asked for it before and was told i was not allowed it because of my reaction to the combined pill, the progesterone part im ok with, im ok to take the mini pill so should by rights be able to take this. Maybe its to do with the dosage i would need to take to stop my period.

About the Tampax, i started my periods at 11 and used to do a lot of swimming so needed to use them, i was fine once they were in place but found it very uncomfortable to get them there until my mum told me to put vaseline on the applicator, doesnt touch the tampon inside and is much easier to insert.
Sorry for Too much info

Donna

i cant take the pill cos it makes my migraines worse but i take northisterone for 2 weeks every month as im having problems with heavy periods since having my last child and possible start of early menapause grr, these are helping me a fair bit and if i dont want a period ie a holiday etc then i carry on taking them 3 times a day , ive had no side affects

It's worth bearing in mind that, yes, Norethisterone is a synthetic form of Progesterone which women produce in their ovaries in varying quantities according to the stage in their menstrual cycle but Progesterone is itself a form of Testosterone which is the hormone that makes men manly and also causes male pattern baldness as well as hair growth elsewhere! It's thus not to be taken lightly and depending on an individual's own natural levels can be contra-indicated. I'm answering this quickly in a break at work and don't have the time to do a proper check but, for example, it's probably not a good idea for someone who has polycystic ovaries to be topping up their Progesterone/Testosterone levels even more.

SM