Noriday pill

Noriday is a contraceptive pill you can use to prevent pregnancy. You take 1 pill orally (by mouth) at the same time each day.

What type of pill is Noriday?

Noriday is a mini contraceptive pill. It contains norethisterone, which is a progestogen that is similar to the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is a female sex hormone found naturally in your body which regulates your menstrual cycle.

Noriday tablets prevent pregnancy by thickening the cervical mucus at the neck of your womb, making it more difficult for sperm to enter it. It also stops the lining of your womb thickening, so fertilised eggs do not grow there.

The Noriday POP is used by people who are at risk of unwanted pregnancy. It does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea or genital warts. It only contains progesterone, so it’s useful for those who cannot take oestrogen. Some people also take the pill to stop or reduce heavy periods. In addition, the mini pill may help relieve oestrogen dermatitis, which is a skin condition related to the menstrual cycle.

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

These effects are reversible. If you stop taking Noriday, your chance of getting pregnant goes back to normal.

Remember that Noriday does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Only condoms can protect you against STIs. Contact a doctor or visit a sexual health clinic if you think you may have an STI. You can also request STI test kits from ZAVA.

How long does Noriday take to work?

If you start taking Noriday during the first 5 days of your menstrual cycle (the first 5 days after you start your period), you will be protected straight away and will need no additional contraception. However, if you have a short menstrual cycle, you should use additional contraception (such as condoms) for 2 days.

If you start Noriday on any other day of your cycle, you should use additional contraception (such as condoms) for 2 days.

You should take the pill daily at the same time, without a break. If you take Noriday more than 3 hours late, you need to use additional contraceptive protection.

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

The Noriday effectiveness can be reduced, though, if you:

• miss a pill
• take the pill at a different time than usual
• vomit
• have severe diarrhoea
• take certain sedatives, antibiotics, and antiepileptics
• take the herbal remedy St John’s wort

Also, it’s not always easy to remember to take a pill every day. Real-life data shows that Noriday is around 91% effective in preventing pregnancy.

If you have missed a pill, you should follow our missed pill advice.

If you have vomited (been sick) or have persistent, severe diarrhoea, Noriday may be less effective. If you vomit within 2 hours of taking the mini pill, you should take another pill as soon as possible. If you do not take a pill within 3 hours of your usual time, you should use another form of contraception for the remainder of your illness and for 2 days after recovery.

If you use condoms while taking Noriday, your chances of pregnancy will be extremely low.

Taking the Noriday mini pill particularly suits those people who:

• can remember to take a pill at the same time every day
• want to use a birth control method that does not interrupt sex
• do not require protection against infection or disease OR who are happy to use additional methods to protect against diseases
• have painful periods

It does not particularly suit people who:

• need protection against sexually transmitted diseases
• experience severe side effects when taking hormonal contraception
• struggle to remember to take pills at the same time each day
• are on certain medications or who have particular conditions (see above for more detail)

If any of these apply to you, you may wish to consider a different type of contraceptive method.

Because it contains only progesterone, Noriday can be prescribed for people who:

• cannot take oestrogen
• are over 35 and smoke
• have just given birth
• have certain health conditions that include a history of blood clots in the legs or lungs, high blood pressure or heart conditions

The Noriday mini pill contains only one hormone; progesterone, so has fewer side-effects than the combined pill, which also contains oestrogen.

➤ See our best contraceptive pill page to help find a pill that’s right for you.

Contraceptive mini pills are available via the NHS, from your GP, contraception clinics, sexual health clinics, pharmacies and some young people’s services. However, you will need to speak to a doctor or health worker before Noriday is prescribed.

If you would prefer to request Noriday without visiting a doctor, it is available from reputable online doctors such as ZAVA.

How to order Noriday online?

You can request Noriday pills for contraceptive treatment online at ZAVA.

It’s very simple:

• you’ll answer a few easy questions about your health
• one of our doctors will review your answers and confirm your suitability
• you’ll pay using our secure, discreet checkout
• your medication will arrive in discreet packaging via Royal Mail, or you can pick it up at a Post Office

Can you buy Noriday over the counter?

Noriday is only available on prescription, so you can’t buy it from a pharmacist. There are, however, brands available to buy over the counter (OTC). Hana and Lovima are desogestrel pills, which are progestogen only (POP), and you can buy these in pharmacies or online after a short consultation with a pharmacist or online doctor.

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 2 days of taking Noriday if you start using it after day 5 of your cycle.

Each strip of tablets 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 should not 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.

Who can take Noriday?

You can take Noriday if you are 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, ask your doctor.

Can I start Noriday at any time?

Yes. However, it is recommended to start Noriday on the first day of your next cycle (meaning the first day of your period).

You can take Noriday POP up to 21 days after giving birth and you will be protected immediately. If you start later than this, you should take additional contraceptive precautions for 2 days. If you have had a miscarriage or abortion you can start taking the pill straight away and will be immediately protected.

When is the best time to start Noriday?

If you start Noriday during the first 5 days of your menstrual cycle, you will be protected immediately, so this is a good time.

The pill needs to be taken at the same time each day, so take it:

• when you know you will always have a ready supply to hand
• when you won’t be doing anything else
• when you are most likely to remember; first thing in the morning, at lunch time or at bedtime

Some women find that it helps to set a reminder in their phone or an alarm to help them remember to take the mini 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 2 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 condoms during the time you are unwell if you plan on having sex, and for the next 2 days after.

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 Noriday side effects, read the patient information leaflet. If you are unsure about Noriday pill side effects, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

The active substance in Noriday is norethisterone. Each pill contains 350 micrograms. The other ingredients in each tablet are maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate and lactose monohydrate.

Certain groups of people should not take the Noriday pill. Your GP or our online doctors can advise whether you can take the combined pill.

Noriday contraindications

You should not take Noriday if you:

• are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant
• have liver disease
• have had acute or severe chronic liver diseases
• have had breast, genital or hormone-dependent cancer
• have a history during pregnancy of idiopathic jaundice or severe pruritus
• have had lipid metabolism disorders
• have abnormal vaginal bleeding
• are taking certain medications which interact with Noriday

If you have any underlying health conditions, speak to your doctor to find out if Noriday is suitable for you. You can also message us through your patient account.

Your doctor will be able to check if Noriday is suitable for you to take. If not, they may recommend a different type of contraception.

Certain other medications can interact with Noriday tablets and make them 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 the Noriday mini pill.

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 – you can switch pills at any time.

ZAVA offers several different mini pills that are Noriday alternatives 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. Find more about Noriday vs Cerazette and Noriday vs Cerelle at our guide to contraceptive pill brands.

Switching from Cerazette to Noriday

Cerazette is also a progestogen-only-pill (POP). However, Cerazette contains 75mcg of the progestogen desogestrel rather than norethisterone.

You may wish to switch from Cerazette to Noriday if you:

• are allergic to an ingredient in Cerazette
• want a cheaper form of contraceptive mini pill
• are experiencing side effects on Cerazette

If you wish to switch from Cerazette to Noriday, you should speak to your GP or to one of our online doctors. Find out more about coming off the pill.

Noriday vs Cerazette

Differences between Noriday and Cerazette include:

Cerazette:

• you have a 12-hour window in which to take your pill
• is more expensive than Noriday
• active ingredient is desogestrel
• inactive ingredients are silica; colloidal anhydrous; all- rac-a-tocopherol; lactose monohydrate; maize starch; povidone; stearic acid; hypromellose; macrogol 400; talc and titanium dioxide (E 171)
• is regarded to contain a less-androgenic progestogen

Noriday:

• you have a 3-hour window in which to take your pill
• is cheaper than Cerazette
• active ingredient is norethisterone
• inactive ingredients are maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate and lactose monohydrate
• is regarded to contain an androgenic progestogen

If you wish to switch from one mini pill to another, you can go straight from one to another: you should finish one packet of one brand of pill, then take the first tablet of the new brand the following day. Provided you use each pill precisely according to instructions, you do not have to use additional contraception.

For a lot of patients it is helpful to see how others rate and review contraceptive pills. There are several websites that allow you to do just that. They are a good resource to compare experiences and opinions.

For example, Noriday is rated 2.8 out of 5 on thelowdown.com.

If you want to have a look at how ZAVA’s service is rated, you can do so on Trustpilot. Almost 80% of reviewers have awarded us 5 stars there.

Noriday is a safe, effective form of birth control, provided it is used according to the instructions.

It particularly suits those people who:

• are relatively organised and can remember to take a pill at the same time every day
• want to use a birth control method that does not interrupt sex
• do not require protection against infection or disease OR who are happy to use additional methods to protect against diseases
• cannot use oestrogen-based hormonal contraception

It does not particularly suit people who:

• need protection against sexually transmitted diseases
• experience severe side effects when taking hormonal contraception
• struggle to remember to take pills at the same time each day
• are on certain medications or who have particular conditions (see above for more detail)

You may wish to consider a different type of contraceptive method in these cases.