Private period delay tablets in Treherbert
Bute Clinic by Treherbert Pharmacy provides discreet private consultations for eligible patients aged 16 and over who want to postpone an expected period for a holiday, wedding, exam, sporting event, pilgrimage or another important occasion.
Treatment starts from £20. A trained and authorised clinician will assess your cycle, health, medicines and risk factors before deciding whether norethisterone can be supplied. Booking does not guarantee treatment.
Book a period delay consultation
Appointments take place at Bute Clinic, above Treherbert Pharmacy. You can also call 01443 776133 or use the general booking page.
What are period delay tablets?
This service uses norethisterone 5 mg tablets, a prescription-only hormone medicine used to postpone menstruation temporarily. It works by maintaining hormone levels so bleeding is usually delayed until after treatment is stopped.
Norethisterone must normally be started three days before the expected period. It is taken three times daily when supplied under this service, and menstruation usually begins within three days of finishing the course.
Norethisterone is not a contraceptive. It does not protect against pregnancy, and the response can vary between individuals.
When might delaying a period be useful?
People choose period delay tablets from Treherbert Pharmacy when the timing of menstruation would be particularly inconvenient. Your reason for requesting treatment does not affect the need for a full clinical safety assessment.
- Holidays and travelIncluding beach, swimming or activity holidays.
- Weddings and honeymoonsFor your own celebration or another important event.
- Exams and performancesWhen you would prefer greater predictability around the date.
- Sports and competitionsIncluding swimming, races, tournaments or endurance events.
- Festivals and social occasionsFor planned events where access to facilities may be limited.
- Pilgrimage or religious travelIncluding period delay for Umrah or another planned pilgrimage.
Who may be suitable for period delay tablets from Treherbert Pharmacy?
The service may be suitable for patients aged 16 and over who have a reasonably predictable expected period and want to delay it for a particular situation. Suitability is confirmed during the consultation.
- Book before the expected period. The medicine needs to be started three days beforehand, so leave enough time for assessment and supply.
- Know your expected date. Bring the first day of your last period, usual cycle length and the date you expect your next period.
- Share your full medical history. This includes migraines, blood pressure, clotting history, smoking, BMI, liver problems, mental health, planned surgery and periods of immobility.
- Tell us about every medicine and supplement. Some anti-epilepsy, antibiotic, antiviral, cancer and herbal medicines, including St John’s wort, can make treatment unsuitable.
What happens at your appointment?
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Book a private consultation
Choose an appointment online or call the pharmacy. The booking is for clinical assessment and does not guarantee a medicine supply.
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Cycle and safety assessment
We review your expected period, pregnancy risk, medical history, medicines, allergies and factors that may increase the risk of a blood clot or another adverse effect.
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Clear treatment advice
If suitable, the clinician explains when to start, how to take the tablets, what to do if a dose is missed, possible side effects and when to seek medical help.
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Supply where clinically appropriate
Norethisterone can normally be supplied directly at the appointment when the PGD criteria are met and stock is available.
When to take period delay tablets and maximum treatment length
Usual doseOne 5 mg tablet, three times daily
Start three days before the expected onset of menstruation.
Maximum through this serviceUp to 27 days’ delay
More frequent use than once in six months should be discussed with your GP.
The medicine is not guaranteed to prevent all bleeding. Spotting or breakthrough bleeding can occur, and the timing of the next period may vary.
When this private service is not suitable
Norethisterone cannot be supplied under this PGD in several situations. The clinician will complete the full assessment, but important exclusions include:
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding, or when pregnancy is suspected.
- Current or previous blood clots, recent arterial clotting disease, a strong unexplained family history of thrombosis or prolonged immobilisation.
- Hypertension, diabetes with vascular complications, or certain significant cardiovascular risk factors identified during assessment.
- Migraine with focal neurological symptoms, undiagnosed irregular vaginal bleeding or some significant mental health conditions.
- Liver dysfunction or liver tumours, or a known, previous or suspected hormone-dependent cancer such as breast cancer.
- Interacting medicines or an allergy to norethisterone or an ingredient in the tablets.
If the service is unsuitable, we will explain why and signpost you to your GP or another appropriate service where needed.
Period delay tablet side effects and urgent warning signs
Possible side effects include changes to bleeding, breast tenderness, headache, nausea or other digestive symptoms, mood changes, fatigue, rash, appetite change and weight change. The clinician will provide the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet and explain what to do if symptoms occur.
Seek urgent medical help for possible blood-clot symptoms
- Painful swelling in one leg
- Sudden chest pain
- Sudden or unexplained shortness of breath
Stop treatment and seek medical advice if you develop jaundice, a new migraine-type headache, a significant rise in blood pressure, sudden vision or hearing changes, or think you may be pregnant. Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency or use NHS 111 Wales for urgent advice when it is not life-threatening.
Meet the Bute Clinic team
Frequently asked questions
Will period delay tablets from Treherbert Pharmacy definitely stop my period?
No medicine can guarantee complete suppression. Norethisterone is generally effective when started on time, but spotting or breakthrough bleeding can still occur.
Can I take norethisterone if I use hormonal contraception?
Tell the clinician exactly which contraceptive you use. People taking some combined contraceptive pills may be able to delay a withdrawal bleed by changing how packs are taken, while other methods need different advice.
What happens if my period does not return after the tablets?
Menstruation usually follows within three days. If bleeding does not occur, consider pregnancy and seek clinical advice before taking another course.
Can I use period delay tablets more than once?
The current PGD permits treatment to delay one period in any six-month period. Speak to your GP if you want to delay periods more frequently or need longer-term menstrual suppression.
Can I buy period delay tablets over the counter?
No. Norethisterone is a prescription-only medicine. Suitable patients can obtain it from Bute Clinic following a private pharmacy consultation and clinical assessment.
Can I get the tablets on the same day?
They can usually be supplied at the appointment when you meet the PGD criteria and stock is available. Book early enough to start treatment three days before your expected period.
Plan ahead for your holiday or important event
Arrange a confidential period delay assessment at Bute Clinic. Treatment starts from £20 and may be supplied when it is clinically suitable and there is enough time to begin before your expected period.
Book a private period delay appointment in Treherbert
You can also call 01443 776133.
Areas served
Bute Clinic welcomes private period delay patients from Treherbert and surrounding South Wales communities.
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- Treherbert
- Treorchy
- Cwmparc
- Ton Pentre
- Ystrad Rhondda
- Llwynypia
- Tonypandy
- Trealaw
- Porth
- Rhigos
- Hirwaun
- Aberdare
- Blaencwm
- Blaenrhondda
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Rhondda
Related pharmacy services
These are separate services with their own charges, eligibility criteria and clinical assessments.
- Bute Clinic private servicesView the wider range of private clinical appointments available above Treherbert Pharmacy.
- Travel clinicArrange travel vaccinations and malaria prevention advice as part of your wider holiday planning.
- Morning-after pillAccess confidential NHS emergency contraception; period delay tablets do not prevent pregnancy.
- Treherbert Pharmacy NHS servicesExplore NHS pharmacy consultations and support available downstairs at Treherbert Pharmacy.
Contact Bute Clinic by Treherbert Pharmacy
Page information
Written by: Jonathan James, Independent Prescribing Pharmacist, GPhC number 2066318
Clinically reviewed by: Thomas Harries, Superintendent Pharmacist, GPhC number 2210031
Published: 01/11/2023
Last reviewed: 17/06/2026