There are many types of drugs that help delay a period so that women can conveniently participate in important events. Here is basic information about the popular period delay drugs recently and precautions when using them.
1. What are menstrual delay medication?
Menstrual delay tablet (also known as menstrual-suppression medication) is a tablet containing progesterone. The drug is usually taken about 3-4 days before the expected period date.
The mechanism of the drug is as follows: Estrogen produced in the first half of the menstrual cycle stimulates the development of the endometrium. Progesterone produced in the second half of the menstrual cycle supports the development of the endometrium. When progesterone decreases, the endometrium will shed, leading to menstruation. However, when you use a menstrual delay tablet containing progesterone, the progesterone from the outside will not allow the endometrium to shed, helping to delay the menstrual cycle.
2. Commonly used menstrual delay drugs
There are many types of menstrual delay tablets available on the market. However, drugs containing progesterone are the most commonly used, as they are more effective and safer than other tablets. Other common menstrual-suppression medications include: Oral contraceptives (not commonly used) and norethisterone (a progesterone-based pill).
2.1 Norethindrone (norethisterone)
Norethindrone (norethisterone) is a medication used for the purpose of contraception and delaying menstruation. This menstrual delay medication containing progesterone helps prevent the uterine lining from shedding for the red light day to be delayed as desired.
With this medication, users can take it about 3 - 4 days before the expected period date. When stopping the medication, menstruation will usually begin 2 - 3 days later.
A caution with this menstrual delay method is that you should consult the doctor to know the appropriate dosage. In addition, when delaying menstruation in this way, you may also experience some side effects such as: Headache, nausea, breast tenderness and mood disorders.
2.2 Daily contraceptive pills
If you are taking daily birth control pills, delaying your period is quite simple. If you are using 28-pill contraceptive pills, to delay your period you just need to take 21 pills in the direction of the arrow on the pill pack and discard the 7 pills that are a different color from the rest, and continue taking the next pack. If you are using 21-pill contraceptive pills, you do not need to take a 7-day break, just continue taking the next pack.
For those who have not used daily birth control pills, you can use 21-pill pills, start taking 1 pill/day continuously at a certain time from the first day of your period and use it for 3 weeks. Then, you continue taking it for another week to delay your period as desired. After stopping the pills, your period will occur a few days later. This is the type of menstrual-suppression medication that is mostly used.
3. Precautions when using menstrual delay medication
Some notes you need to remember when using menstrual-suppressing drugs:
- You should consult your obstetrician-gynecologist before taking the medicine. Based on your weight, menstrual cycle and health problems, your doctor will prescribe you the appropriate dose and duration of medication;
- When you stop taking the medicine, menstruation may appear immediately (after a few hours) or it may take up to 10 - 15 days. However, if you do not see your period after 15 days of stopping the medicine, you should see a doctor to determine the exact cause of the delayed menstruation;
- Using menstrual delay medication is not harmful, but you should not make this a regular habit because these drugs inhibit the body's natural hormone cycle. You should only use the medicine in case of emergency, and should return to normal as soon as possible. In addition, using these drugs can also lead to severe pain;
- Menstrual delay medicine does not affect ovulation, so it does not prevent pregnancy;
- Menstrual delay pills containing progesterone have some side effects similar to excess progesterone such as: bloating, acne, mood swings,... due to hormonal imbalance in the body.
In addition to the two drugs mentioned above, there is information that ibuprofen can help delay menstruation. However, if you use ibuprofen to delay menstruation, you will have to take more than the recommended dose. Therefore, this method is not recommended to delay menstruation.
4. Some ways to naturally delay menstruation
In addition to using menstrual delay tablets, there are some natural ways to delay menstruation that are less harmful than using drugs. However, there is no research proving the effectiveness of natural menstrual delay methods. Therefore, if you intend to apply them, you should consider the effectiveness. Here are some natural ways to delay menstruation that women can try:
- Use apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar has the effect of clearing toxins from the body and losing weight. Many researchers have found that the high acid content in apple cider vinegar can delay menstruation. However, there is no reliable evidence to prove this conclusion. To apply, you can dilute 1 - 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, drink 2 - 3 times/week for 10 - 12 days before menstruation. You need to apply the correct dosage above, dilute apple cider vinegar, avoid drinking too much to avoid damaging teeth, gums and throat;
- Gelatin: Some ancient Chinese remedies claim that drinking gelatin dissolved in warm water can delay menstruation for a few hours. However, there is currently no scientific evidence to prove this effect. To delay menstruation this way, you can dissolve 1 small packet of gelatin in warm water, drink again after a few hours to delay menstruation for about 4 - 5 hours;
- Mung beans: Folklore has it that eating raw mung beans can delay menstruation. The reason is that mung bean shells contain flavonoid compounds that inhibit ovulation. However, there is no scientific basis for this delaying menstruation method. If you want to try it, eat 9 raw mung beans 2-3 days before your period;
- Lemon juice: The abundant citric acid content in lemons is said to have the effect of delaying the menstrual cycle. With this method, you can drink unsweetened lemon juice or eat 1-2 thin slices of lemon every day before your period. However, you should avoid overusing this method because the acid in lemons can harm your teeth and stomach;
- Exercise: Exercising brings many health benefits. Some people believe that exercising more than usual (150 minutes/week) 1-2 weeks before menstruation can help delay menstruation. However, this method does not have a clear scientific basis. In addition, you should not try to apply it for a long time because it can cause hormonal imbalance, temporary amenorrhea, fertility,...
In general, if you want to delay your period, you should consult the doctor to choose the most suitable method: Use menstrual delay medication or apply natural methods. Natural methods are safe but there is no research to prove their effectiveness. When choosing to use medication, it’s necessary to strictly follow the doctor's instructions on dosage, usage, time of use, etc.
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