This service is suitable for you if:

• You are aged 17 years or older.
• You are Female (birth sex).
• You want to delay your period by up to 17 days.
• The period you want to delay is not due to start for at least 4 days.

If you are not sure if you are suitable or you have any questions send us an email to info@webdoctor.ie

This service is not suitable for you if you:

Are less than 17 years of age.

• Male (birth sex).

• Are using combined hormonal contraception.

• Are pregnant, possibly pregnant or trying to conceive.

• Are breastfeeding.

• Have ever had a blood clot.

• Have a history of or a diagnosis of breast cancer.

• Have cardiovascular disease (stroke, heart attack, angina, stents).

• Have significant liver disease.

• Have porphyria.

We can issue a prescription for Provera 10 mg tablets (medroxyprogesterone), a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, subject to clinical suitability.

Take one tablet, three times daily. You will need to start this medication 3 days before your period is due to start and can continue for up to 14 days, depending on how long you want to delay your period (17 days treatment in total). 

When you stop taking the period delay medication, your progesterone levels will fall and your period will start within 3 days. 

Please note:

• If you start the medication less than 3 days before your period is due to start, it is unlikely to work.

• This medication is not 100% effective; it might not delay your period or you may have spotting

• If your period does not start within 3 days after you stop this medication and you have had sex, you should exclude pregnancy and speak with a doctor.

The most common side effects of Provera are bleeding/ spotting, headaches, bloating, breast tenderness and nausea. The longer you are taking this medication, the more likely you are to experience side effects, especially bleeding or spotting.

For full details on potential side effects of this medication, please ensure that you read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication before you start to use it.

If you are concerned that you are developing side effects, we advise that you seek medical advice.

If you are using a progesterone-only pill, you can continue to take this with Provera for contraceptive cover.

If you are using a combined contraceptive pill (which contains oestrogen and progesterone hormones) you can skip your pill-free break and start your next pill packet (‘back-to-back’ your packets) to delay your period. Provera should not be required.

If you have questions about this or would like to discuss this further, please make an appointment for a GP video consultation with one of our GPs.