Noriday 350mcg - 84 Tablets (3 month course)

Contraception Doctor Service

Noriday is an oral contraceptive pill used to prevent pregnancy. Noriday is a progestogen-only contraceptive pill called ‘POP’ for short and it doesn’t contain oestrogen.

Noriday contains the active substance norethisterone.

Noriday helps to prevent you becoming pregnant. It does this in several ways:

• It thickens the fluid at the entrance to your womb and this makes it hard for sperm to travel through and enter the womb
• It also changes the lining of your womb so that a fertilized egg cannot grow there
• Sometimes it stops your ovaries releasing an egg

Noriday tablets are not recommended for use in adolescents under 18 years. The safety and efficacy of this contraceptive tablet in this age group has not been established.

Which pill is right for me?

Prescribers will take a thorough medical history before choosing the right contraceptive pill for you. For most people, the combined contraceptive pill works best. For those who are over 35, smoke, suffer from migraine or have other risk factors your doctor will look into, the Progesterone-only pill may be more suitable.

Can Noriday help you lose weight?

Noriday is a hormonal contraceptive which may affect your appetite as a side effect. Everyone is affected differently. For some people it causes an increased appetite and resulting weight gain and for some it causes appetite reduction and weight loss. It is common, however, to gain weight while taking the contraceptive pill.

Do I need to use a condom with Noriday?

Although you will not need to use a condom to prevent pregnancy while using Noriday, it is still advisable to use one to prevent sexually transmitted infections. The contraceptive pill does not protect you from infections such as Chlamydia or gonorrhoea.

I am experiencing bleeding when taking Noriday, what do I do?

It is possible that you experience irregular vaginal bleeding when taking Noriday. This does not mean that it is not working, and you should continue to take your pills as normal. You may need to use a tampon or sanitary pad.

If the bleeding is heavy and persistent however, please notify your GP.

What do I do if I have a stomach upset or I am sick?

Noriday may not work if you are sick or have diarrhoea. Continue to take your pills as normal but use a condom while you are ill and for the next seven days.

What do I do if I am having an operation?

If you are going to have an operation, or if you are ill or injured and there may be a risk of blood clots, please mention to your doctor that you take Noriday. Noriday should be discontinued 4 weeks prior to surgery and can normally be re-started 2 weeks following surgery. Your doctor will discuss what is relevant for you.

What to do if you miss a dose of your contraceptive pill?

This may happen with this type of pill. If you have taken all your pills properly, you are very unlikely to be pregnant. Take your next pack as normal. If you miss a second period see your doctor or healthcare professional at once.

We recommend that you consult the NHS missed pill guide.

What do I do if I am changing pill brands?

Take the first pill of your new pack on the day after you finish your old pack. Do not leave any break at all.

What do I do if I want a baby?

Stop taking Noriday if you want to have a baby. It is helpful to wait until your regular periods return before you try to get pregnant. Therefore it is recommended that you stop taking Noriday tablets three months before a planned pregnancy. You can use another type of contraceptive, such as a condom until then. Once you have had a period it will be easier to work out when the baby is due. However, if you get pregnant as soon as you stop taking Noriday, this is not harmful. If you wish to become pregnant, you should contact your doctor or healthcare professional about stopping Noriday.

What do I do if I have just had a baby?

You can use Noriday after having a baby whether you are breast-feeding or not. You can start taking the pill from day 21 after childbirth. This protects you as soon as you have taken the first pill. If you start later than this you may not be protected until you have taken the pill for another seven days. If you have had a miscarriage or abortion you can start taking the pill straightaway and will be protected immediately.

What do I do if I have had a miscarriage or abortion?

You can start taking the pill straight away and will be protected immediately.

Like all medicines Noriday can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. While side effects are usually uncommon and mild in nature, it is best to be aware of any that may occur.

Some of the side effects to be aware of are listed below. For a full list, make sure you read the patient information leaflet which comes with your medication.

Reasons to get medical help immediately

Stop taking the pills at once and tell your doctor if:

• You become jaundiced (your skin or the whites of your eyes look yellow)

Also seek medical attention immediately if:

• You have a sudden, severe pain in your chest
• You suddenly become short of breath
• You have an unusual, severe or long headache
• Your sight is affected in any way
• You find it difficult to speak
• You collapse or faint
• Any part of your body suddenly feels weak or numb
• You have a severe pain in one of your calves

These could be warning signs of thrombosis (a blood clot).

For a full list of side effects, read the Patient Information Leaflet.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, our Rightdose pharmacists or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed.

You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Patient Information Leaflet Noriday 350 microgram Tablets (3x28 Tablets)

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility

Pregnancy

If you think you may have become pregnant whilst using Noriday, tell your doctor immediately. If you become pregnant while you are taking this type of pill there is a slightly higher chance that it could be an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy developing outside the womb).

Do not take Noriday if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

If you miss two consecutive periods while you are taking Noriday, tell your doctor or pharmacist. You will need to have a pregnancy test before you continue to take Noriday.

Breastfeeding

Noriday does not prevent the breast from producing milk. However, it is better for the baby that for the first few weeks after birth its mother’s milk contains no trace of any medicines, including Noriday.

Sexually transmitted diseases

Noriday helps to prevent you from becoming pregnant. It will not protect you against sexually-transmitted diseases, including AIDS. For safer sex, use a condom as well as your usual contraceptive.

Driving and using machines

No effects on the ability to drive or use machines has been seen with Noriday.

Smoking

Smoking increases the risk to your health and increases some of the risks of the combined pill. It is not known if these risks also apply to the progestogen-only pill. It is recommended that you give up smoking.

Noriday contains lactose monohydrate

Lactose is a type of sugar. If you have been told by your doctor that you have intolerance to some sugars contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

How to store Noriday

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

• Keep the blister in the outer carton in order to protect from light and moisture.
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and on the blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Do not store above 25°C
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

How to take Noriday

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

• Start on the first day of your next period. This is ‘day one’ of your cycle, the day when bleeding starts
• Take one pill each day and swallow the pill with water
• You can take the pill at any time that suits you, but you must take it at about the same time each day
• The pack is marked with the days of the week to help you remember to take your pills
• Follow the direction of the arrows on the pack and take a pill every day until the pack is empty. When you finish the first pack, start a new pack on the next day. This means that you will be taking pills through your period
• There must be no breaks between packs •
• For the first seven days of the firstpack you should also use a condom, or a cap and spermicide
• If you are three or more hours late taking your pill, follow the instructions under ’What do I do if I forget to take a pill?’

What do I do if I forget to take a pill?

• If you are three or more hours late taking your pill you may not be protected from pregnancy
• Take the pill as soon as you remember, and take the next one at the normal time
• This may mean taking two pills in one day
• Continue to take your pills as normal but also use a condom for the next seven days

What do I do if I miss a period?

This may happen with this type of pill. If you have taken all your pills properly, you are very unlikely to be pregnant. Take your next pack as normal. If you miss a second period see your doctor or healthcare professional at once.

What do I do if I take too many Noriday pills?

If you take more than one pill there should be no problems, but you may experience feeling sick or actually being sick, breast enlargement and vaginal bleeding. If you take too many pills or you find out that someone else has taken a lot of pills, contact a doctor immediately.

Do not take Noriday if you:

• are allergic to norethisterone or any of the other ingredients of this medicine
• are or think you may be pregnant
• have had, or think you may have hormone-dependent cancer of the breast, cervix, vagina, or womb •have or ever had acute or severe chronic  liver disease including:
• past or present tumours
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) and other types of jaundice such as Dubin-Johnson Syndrome and Rotor Syndrome
• active liver disease or liver tumours
• have had the following during pregnancy:
• pruritus(itching of the whole body)
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) for which your doctor could not find a cause
• have disorders of lipid (fat) metabolism
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• have never had a period or suffer from lack of periods(amenorrhoea)
• have inflamed veins (thrombophlebitis)
• have thrombosis (blood clots)
• have heart disease, or you have had a stroke

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before taking Noriday if you suffer from or have ever suffered from:

• multiple sclerosis
• epilepsy
• porphyria (a rare inherited blood disease)
• tetany (muscle twitches)
• otosclerosis(an inherited form of deafness which sometimes gets worse during pregnancy)
• diabetes or have a family history of diabetes
• gallstones
• impaired carbohydrate tolerance
• migraine headaches – if you develop migraine headaches you should consult your doctor
• heart or kidney problems
• depression
• liver disease
• varicose veins
• high blood pressure
• asthma

Psychiatric disorders

Some women using hormonal contraceptives including Noriday have reported depression or depressed mood.

Depression can be serious and may sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts.

If you experience mood changes and depressive symptoms contact your doctor for further medical advice as soon as possible.

Before you take Noriday you should also tell your doctor if you wear contact lenses. If you are obese or have history of pre-eclampsiaand are more than 35 years of age, your doctor will discuss the risk/benefit of using oral contraceptives as compared to other methods of contraception due to additional risks.

What Noriday contains:

The active substance is norethisterone. Each pill contains 350 micrograms of norethisterone.

The other ingredients in each tablet are maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate and lactose monohydrate.

What Noriday looks like and contents of the pack

Noriday pills are white, round tablets and have 'SEARLE' debossed on one side and 'NY' on the other side.