Noriday

Noriday is a contraceptive pill you can use to prevent pregnancy. You take it by swallowing 1 pill at the same time every day.

Noriday contains norethisterone, which is a progestogen that is similar to the hormone progesterone.

Progesterone is a female sex hormone found naturally in your body and is involved in regulating your menstrual cycle. When you have high levels of progesterone, your body is less likely to release an egg through ovulation. This is how Noriday prevents pregnancy.

Start the first strip of Noriday pills on the first day of your period. You will need to use extra contraception, such as condoms, for the first 7 days of taking Noriday.

Each blister strip is marked with the days of the week. The arrows along the foil will help you to remember to take a pill each day.

To take Noriday, make sure you:

• swallow 1 pill each day with a glass of water
• take the pill at the same time each day

Once you’ve finished a strip of Noriday pills, you can start the next one the following day. You will not need to take a break between strips and you will take Noriday throughout the time you would normally have your period.

You might experience some breakthrough bleeding or light spotting while taking Noriday.

What if I miss a pill?

If you forget to take your Noriday pill, you’ll need to take the missed pill as soon as you remember and continue taking your pills as normal. This might mean taking 2 pills on the same day.

You should use extra contraception if it has been more than 3 hours since you forgot to take your pill. Use condoms for the next 7 days after a missed pill. If you have had sex since you forgot to take your pill then you may want to consider using emergency contraception.

If you’re sick or have diarrhoea you can continue to take Noriday as normal. You should use a condom during the time you are unwell if you plan on having sex, and for the next 7 days after.

Noriday works to prevent pregnancy by:

• thickening the fluid at the entrance to your womb (cervix), making it hard for sperm to get through
• stopping a fertilised egg growing in your womb
• stopping your ovaries from releasing eggs

It’s important to remember that Noriday does not prevent you from getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To protect against STIs, you should use condoms.

Noriday is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when you take it perfectly every single day.

It’s not always easy to remember to take a pill every day. If you have missed a pill and have followed our missed pill advice, Noriday is around 91% effective in preventing pregnancy.

Some possible side effects of Noriday include:

• an upset stomach
• weight changes
• breast tenderness
• headaches
• changes to your sex drive
• migraines
• tiredness
• changes in your mood
• irregular periods
• high blood pressure

You are less likely to experience these side effects when taking Noriday than if you are taking the combined pill.

Contact 999 right away if you experience:

• severe chest pain
• shortness of breath
• an unusual or severe headache
• difficulty speaking
• fainting
• severe calf pain
• disturbances to your vision

These symptoms can be a sign of a blood clot.

For more information about the side effects of Noriday, read the patient information leaflet. If you are unsure about any of these side effects, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

You can take Noriday if you are a woman looking for a convenient way to protect yourself against pregnancy.

Do not take Noriday if you:

• are pregnant or think you may be pregnant
• are trying to get pregnant
• are allergic to any of the ingredients
• have ever had liver disease, such as jaundice
• have had jaundice or pruritus during pregnancy
• have a lipid metabolism disorder
• have unexplained or abnormal vaginal bleeding
• have never had a period
• have a lack of periods
• have inflamed veins

If you are breastfeeding, speak to your doctor before taking Noriday.

Some health conditions can change the type of contraception you can use.

Speak to your doctor before taking Noriday if you have ever had:

• epilepsy
• multiple sclerosis
• diabetes
• gallstones
• migraines
• liver disease
• depression
• high blood pressure
• asthma
• varicose veins

You can read the patient information leaflet for a full list of health conditions that may affect how you use Noriday.

If you’re not sure whether you can take Noriday, get in touch with your doctor.

Certain other medications can interact with Noriday and make it less effective.

These include:

• treatment for epilepsy, such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, topiramate
• treatment for HIV, such as nelfinavir, nevirapine, ritonavir
• antibiotics, such as rifabutin, rifampicin, ampicillin, doxycycline
• antifungal medications, such as griseofulvin
• a herbal product called St. John’s wort
• narcolepsy treatment, such as modafinil

If you’re taking or have recently taken any other medication, speak to your doctor before taking Noriday.

There is a wide range of alternative contraceptive pills you can take. It can take some time to find the right contraceptive that works for you and you can switch pills at any time.

ZAVA offers several different progestogen-only pills, including:

• Cerelle
• Cerazette
• Norgeston

If you can take products that contain oestrogen, you may consider taking the combined pill. These include Gedarel or Levest.

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you are looking for a suitable alternative to Noriday, or fill out an online form with ZAVA today.