Norethisterone Acetate
About Norethisterone Acetate
Norethisterone Acetate is used to treat heavy, painful, or irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disorder in which the uterus's tissue lining (endometrium) grows on the ovaries, bowel, or tissues lining the pelvis.
Norethisterone Acetate contains Norethisterone, which mimics the activity of the natural hormone progesterone. Thereby, it restores hormone levels in the body and regulates the growth and shedding of the womb lining.
Common side effects include unusual vaginal bleeding or spotting, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, breast pain, and tenderness. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention. However, if the side effects persist, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Norethisterone Acetate or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Norethisterone Acetate is not recommended for pregnant women as it may harm the unborn baby. If you are breastfeeding, consult a doctor before taking Norethisterone Acetate. It is advised to use effective non-hormonal contraceptives such as condoms to avoid pregnancy while taking Norethisterone Acetate.
Uses of Norethisterone Acetate
• Heavy, painful or irregular periods: Norethisterone Acetate helps to treat heavy, painful, or irregular periods by regulating hormonal balance, reducing bleeding, alleviating pain, and stabilizing menstrual cycles.
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): Norethisterone Acetate can alleviate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), such as mood swings, tension, bloating, and breast tenderness, by regulating hormonal fluctuations.
• Endometriosis: Norethisterone Acetate can manage endometriosis symptoms by reducing menstrual bleeding, alleviating pelvic pain, and shrinking endometrial tissue growth, providing relief from this chronic condition.
• Breast cancer: Norethisterone Acetate may be used in some cases as part of hormone therapy for breast cancer treatment, particularly for hormone receptor-positive tumors, helping to slow disease progression.
Medicinal Benefits
- Norethisterone Acetate contains Norethisterone, a synthetic hormone that mimics the activity of the natural hormone progesterone.
- It restores hormone levels in the body and regulates the growth and shedding of the womb lining. Thus, it helps treat menstrual disorders.
- Norethisterone Acetate is also used in the treatment of breast cancer.
Directions for Use
- Norethisterone Acetate can be taken with or without food, or as advised by the doctor.
- Follow your doctor's instructions regarding dosage and timing to ensure optimal effectiveness.
- Swallow Norethisterone Acetate whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, chew, or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Norethisterone Acetate
- Unusual vaginal bleeding or spotting
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain/cramps
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Breast pain and tenderness
Drug Warnings
- If you are allergic to Norethisterone Acetate or any other medicines, please tell your doctor.
- Norethisterone Acetate is not recommended for pregnant women, as it may harm an unborn baby.
- If you are breastfeeding, consult a doctor before taking Norethisterone Acetate.
- It is advised to use effective non-hormonal contraceptives such as condoms to avoid pregnancy while taking Norethisterone Acetate.
- You are advised to stop smoking while taking Norethisterone Acetate, as it may increase the risk of adverse effects.
- If you are about to undergo any surgery, please inform your doctor that you are taking Norethisterone Acetate as it may increase the effect of certain anesthetics.
- If you experience sudden shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, sudden, severe, sharp pain in the chest, or cough up blood, stop taking Norethisterone Acetate and consult a doctor immediately, as these might be signs of a blood clot in the lungs.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Norethisterone Acetate may interact with anticonvulsants (carbamazepine, phenytoin), antiviral drugs (nelfinavir, ritonavir), a medicine used to treat Cushing’s syndrome (aminoglutethimide), antibiotics (co-trimoxazole, rifampicin, tetracycline), immunosuppressant (ciclosporin).
Drug- Food Interaction: Norethisterone Acetate may interact with St. John’s wort (herbal medicine used to treat depression). Also, limit the intake of grapefruit juice with Norethisterone Acetate as it may increase the levels of Norethisterone Acetate in blood.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Avoid taking Norethisterone Acetate if you have vaginal bleeding, blood clots, severe itching, porphyria (blood disorder), liver problems, angina (chest pain), or if you ever had a heart attack, jaundice, or pemphigoid gestationis (an itchy rash that develops into blisters). If you have asthma, migraine headaches, epilepsy (fits), kidney or heart problems, inform your doctor before taking Norethisterone Acetate.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
consult your doctorThe interaction of Norethisterone Acetate with alcohol is unknown. Please consult a doctor before consuming alcohol while using Norethisterone Acetate.
Pregnancy
unsafeNorethisterone Acetate is a category X pregnancy drug and is not recommended for use during pregnancy as it may harm the unborn baby. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
consult your doctorNorethisterone Acetate is given to breastfeeding women only if the doctor thinks benefits are greater than risks. Please consult a doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
safe if prescribedNorethisterone Acetate usually does not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Liver
unsafeNorethisterone Acetate is not recommended if you have liver disease. However, if you have any concerns regarding this, please consult a doctor.
Kidney
cautionTake Norethisterone Acetate with caution, especially if you have a history of kidney disease. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeNorethisterone Acetate is not recommended for use in children under 18 years.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid fried and processed foods.
- Include fibre-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.
- Avoid refined carbohydrates that are high in sugar.
- Replace animal proteins (like eggs, fish, and meat) with vegetable protein sources (nuts, seeds, and beans).
- Avoid drinking excess alcohol or caffeinated drinks, as they can worsen the symptoms.
- Maintain a healthy weight, and do moderate exercise regularly.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol intake.
Special Advise
Norethisterone Acetate may interfere with certain laboratory tests. Therefore, inform your doctor that you are taking Norethisterone Acetate before undergoing any tests.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): It is a condition in which a group of symptoms occurs between ovulation and menstruation. Symptoms of PMS include mood swings, fatigue, food cravings, breast tenderness, and irritability.
Endometriosis: It is a disorder in which the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium) grows on the ovaries, intestines, or fallopian tubes. The most common symptom is pelvic pain. Other symptoms of endometriosis include lower back pain, painful periods, heavy menstrual bleeding, pain following sexual intercourse, or discomfort with bowel movements.
Breast cancer: It is a type of cancer that develops in the breast when the breast cells begin to grow abnormally. The tumor cells invade other healthy breast cells and can travel to lymph nodes which are a primary pathway for the cancer cells to move to other parts of the body. Symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in the breast or tissue thickening which feels different than the normal surrounding tissues, breast pain, redness, swelling, nipple discharge other than breast milk, bloody discharge, unexplained change in shape, size, or appearance of the breast, peeling, flaking or scaling of the skin, and a lump or swelling under the arm.
FAQs
Norethisterone Acetate is used to treat heavy, painful, or irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and endometriosis. Additionally, it may be used in the treatment of breast cancer.
Norethisterone Acetate works by mimicking the activity of the natural hormone progesterone. Thereby, it restores hormone levels in the body and regulates the growth and shedding of the womb lining. Thus, it helps to treat menstrual disorders.
Norethisterone Acetate may be used to delay periods. Norethisterone Acetate keeps progesterone levels high and prevents shedding of the womb lining. However, please consult a doctor if you have any concerns.
Norethisterone Acetate may increase the risk of a blood clot in the veins of the leg, especially if you are overweight, smoking, or have a history of a blood clot in the lungs or veins, repeated miscarriage or had major surgery, serious injury, or systemic lupus erythematosus (autoimmune disease). Therefore, please inform your doctor if you have any of these conditions before taking Norethisterone Acetate.
You are not recommended to take Norethisterone Acetate with rifampicin as it may decrease the levels of Norethisterone Acetate in blood and reduce its effectiveness. However, please consult a doctor before taking Norethisterone Acetate with other medicines.
Periods usually resume within 3 days of discontinuing Norethisterone Acetate. However, please consult a doctor if you have any concerns regarding this.
Norethisterone Acetate may cause changes in blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is advised to regularly monitor blood sugar levels while taking Norethisterone Acetate. Inform your doctor if you have diabetes before taking Norethisterone Acetate.
No, Norethisterone Acetate is not a contraceptive on its own.
No, Norethisterone Acetate is unlikely to cause weight loss.
The recommended dosage can vary greatly depending on the reason for taking the medication. It's crucial to follow your doctor's instructions precisely. Taking an incorrect dosage can lead to ineffective treatment or adverse side effects.
No, Norethisterone Acetate does not cause miscarriages. However, it is not safe to take Norethisterone Acetate during pregnancy.
Norethisterone Acetate can generally be taken either before or after a meal. There is no strict requirement regarding the timing of food intake.
Norethisterone Acetate contains Norethisterone acetate (NETA), a second-generation progestin.
The duration of Norethisterone Acetate use can vary depending on the specific medical condition being treated.
Yes, Norethisterone Acetate treats irregular menstrual cycles.
Even after taking Norethisterone Acetate and having unprotected sex, one can get pregnant. However, Norethisterone Acetate is a category X pregnancy drug. It is not recommended for use during pregnancy as it may harm the unborn baby. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy.
Common side effects of Norethisterone Acetate may cause unusual vaginal bleeding or spotting, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, breast pain, and tenderness. Most of these side effects of Norethisterone Acetate do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
Yes, Norethisterone Acetate can lead to weight gain in some persons. However, it's crucial to remember that this isn't a common adverse effect. The potential risk of weight gain varies based on the individual and the dosage. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned about weight gain or have any other questions regarding norethisterone acetate. They can provide personalized information based on your circumstances.
Limited research is available. Seek medical attention from your doctor if you have any questions. Remember that self-medication can be risky. Always consult with a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Yes, bleeding may occasionally occur while taking Norethisterone Acetate. If you're experiencing bleeding while on Norethisterone Acetate and you're concerned, it's important to consult with your healthcare provider. They can determine if the bleeding is normal or if there's another underlying issue.
Norethisterone Acetate usually stops irregular bleeding within a few days. If bleeding persists or worsens, consult your doctor.
The duration of Norethisterone Acetate use depends on your specific medical condition and the reason for taking it.
The exact dosage and schedule for norethisterone acetate will vary based on your individual health needs. It's essential to follow your doctor's instructions to ensure effective treatment and minimize side effects.
If you forget a dose of Norethisterone Acetate, take it as soon as possible. If it's been more than 12 hours, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule or as directed by the physician.
Yes, Norethisterone Acetate can interact with other medications. It's important to avoid taking Norethisterone Acetate with any medications without consulting your doctor first. They can assess the potential risks and benefits and recommend alternative treatments if necessary.
Store in a cool and dry place away from sunlight. Keep Norethisterone Acetate out of reach and out of sight to children.
Norethisterone Acetate can be used to treat long-term disorders like endometriosis. But you should talk to your doctor about the long-term advantages and risks.
