Noriday

Noriday contains the active ingredient norethisterone. It is sometimes recommended to people who can’t take a combined hormonal contraceptive (pill, ring, or patch) for any reason.

You shouldn't take Noriday if you:

• are or think you may be pregnant
• have or have had hormone-dependent cancer of the breast, cervix, womb or vagina
• have or have had a blood clot (thrombosis)
• have inflamed veins
• have or ever had acute or severe chronic liver disease such as liver tumours or jaundice
• have active liver disease
• have heart disease
• have had a stroke
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• have never had a period or have missed periods regularly (amenorrhoea)
• have experienced itching of the whole body during pregnancy (pruritus)
• experienced jaundice during pregnancy where the cause was not identified
• have fat metabolism disorders
• are allergic to norethisterone or any of the other ingredients of Noriday.

Noriday might not be recommended to women with certain medical conditions. Before you start taking Noriday, you should talk to your doctor if you have or have ever had:

• multiple sclerosis
• diabetes (or you have a family history of diabetes)
• epilepsy
• migraine headaches
• depression
• heart problems
• kidney problems
• liver disease
• high blood pressure
• asthma
• varicose veins
• porphyria (a rare inherited blood disease)
• gallstones
• muscle twitches (tetany)
• otosclerosis (an inherited form of deafness).

If you wear contact lenses, are obese, or have history of pre-eclampsia and are more than 35 years of age you should tell your doctor before taking Noriday.

Certain medicines may interact with Noriday and reduce its effectiveness. Some medicines used to treat conditions including depression, epilepsy, HIV infection, AIDS, bacterial and fungal infections, sleep problems, and anxiety may interfere with Noriday.

If you take any of the following medicines, your doctor may advise you against taking Noriday, or tell you to use an additional form of contraception such as condoms or recommend another form of contraception. Make sure you tell your doctor if you take any of these medicines:

Medicines used to treat epilepsy:

• carbamazepine
• oxcarbazepine
• phenytoin
• primidone
• topiramate
• phenobarbital (also used to treat insomnia and anxiety).

Medicines used to treat HIV and AIDS:

• nelfinavir
• nevirapine
• ritonavir
• efavirenz

Medicines used to treat bacterial infections:

• rifabutin
• rifampicin
• griseofulvin (fungal infection)

Medicine to treat narcolepsy (falling asleep during the day):

• modafinil

Emergency contraception (EllaOne® - Ulipristal) also interacts with Noriday. So, if you need to take EllaOne, make sure you follow your doctor’s advice on how to take it.

Tell your doctor if you are taking corticosteroids (used to treat inflammatory conditions) as Noriday might affect how well they work.

Take Noriday exactly as instructed by your doctor.

To get the maximum protection against pregnancy, start taking Noriday on the first day of your next period, as you will immediately be protected against pregnancy. If you start it any other day, you should use an additional form of contraception such as condoms for the first two days. In this case, make sure you are not pregnant before starting the pill.

Noriday must be taken around the same time every day, within a three-hour (maximum) window, and swallowed whole with water.

To help you remember to take your pill every day, each pack of 28 Noriday contraceptive pills is printed with the days of the week. Once you’ve finished one pack, start the next one the following day. You don’t have to take a break between packs to have your period.

If you forget to take your pill and don’t remember until over three hours after you should have taken it, take one as soon as you remember then carry on taking one at the same time each day as normal. If this means taking two pills in one day, that is fine. In this case, you could think about taking emergency contraception. Also, make sure that you use an additional barrier contraceptive such as a cap with spermicide or a condom for the next seven days when having sex.

Vomiting or diarrhoea after taking the pill may reduce its effectiveness, so you should continue taking the pill and use an additional form of contraception like condoms for the next 7 days.

Noriday is 99% effective against pregnancy when correctly taken every day.

As with all medicines, Noriday can cause side effects in some people, though not everyone will have them.

Some side effects of Noriday can be serious, and if you experience any of the following symptoms while taking the tablets, stop taking Noriday and seek medical help straight away. The following symptoms could be the warning signs of a blood clot (thrombosis) which can be extremely serious if not treated:

• a sudden and severe pain in the chest
• breathlessness
• a severe headache that lasts for a long time
• a one-sided swelling or severe pain in your calf
• visual disturbances
• muddled speech
• weakness or numbness in any part of your body
• fainting or collapsing.

Also, get immediate medical help if you notice your skin or the whites of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice).

It has been reported that women who take oral contraceptive pills may have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, compared to women who do not take the pill.

However, scientists do not know for sure if taking contraceptive pills actually increases the risk of developing breast cancer or whether it is just identified sooner because women on the pill have more medical check-ups.

Before you start Noriday, it is important you get informed of all contraceptive options. This way you will be able to choose the one most suitable for you.

If you are thinking about using a contraceptive method for a long time, but would not like to take a pill regularly, long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) could be a good solution.

The implant, the injection, the intrauterine device (IUD or coil) and the intrauterine system (IUS, or hormonal coil) are LARC. You can discuss these contraceptive options with your doctor, who will be able to explain how they work, further.