Norethisterone Acetate
About
Norethisterone Acetate belongs to the class of progestogens used to treat heavy, painful, or irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and endometriosis. Additionally, Norethisterone Acetate may be used in the treatment of breast cancer. Endometriosis is a disorder in which the uterus's tissue lining (endometrium) grows on the ovaries, intestines, or fallopian tubes. The most common symptom is pelvic pain.
Norethisterone Acetate contains Norethisterone acetate that 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.
Take Norethisterone Acetate as prescribed by your doctor. You are advised to take Norethisterone Acetate for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience unusual vaginal bleeding or spotting, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, 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.
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. You are advised to stop smoking while taking Norethisterone Acetate Norethisterone Acetate as it may increase the risk of adverse effects.
Uses of Norethisterone Acetate
Medicinal Benefits
Norethisterone Acetate belongs to the class of progestogens used to treat heavy, painful, or irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and endometriosis. Additionally, Norethisterone Acetate may be used in the treatment of breast cancer. Norethisterone Acetate contains Norethisterone acetate, a synthetic hormone that 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. Thus, it helps to treat menstrual disorders.
Directions for Use
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
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
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 anaesthetics. 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
cautionThe 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
cautionNorethisterone 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
cautionPlease consult a doctor if you have any concerns regarding the usage of Norethisterone Acetate in children.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid fried and processed foods.
- Include fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.
- Avoid refined carbohydrates that are high in sugars.
- 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, 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 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.
