I am 18 years old. Is delaying menstrual periods safe? Should I consult a gynaecologist or can I simply ask for the pills in medical shop? Which medicine should I ask for? Before how many days of beginning of menstrual cycle can I take medicine? Does it have any side effect?

— Anonymous

It all depends for what purpose one is delaying one’s menstrual cycle meaning if it is really imperative like for a sporting event, religious function, et cetera then it’s permissible as long as one does not make a habit of it because the cycle of menstruation is best left to its natural ways.

Well, in case one has to do it then ideally one should take this medication 7-10 days before your scheduled period date starts till the date you would want it to commence. The medicine prescribed is actually a hormone, namely, progesterone marketed by the name of Norgest which is taken once a day at a strength of 10mg. Important thing is not to miss one’s daily intake till the date of scheduled period commencement. Every medicine being a chemical has some side effect in one per cent of the population involved and the common side effects of progesterone are bloating, nausea, vomiting, headache, breast tenderness, hair loss, skin changes, weight /appetite changes among others.

Obviously, it is better to consult a gynaecologist than to take it as an OTC (over the counter) pill. There are issues like whether one is maintaining a normal cycle regarding pain, duration, associated clots, et cetera before the pill intake and to at least have an abdominal ultrasound done just to make sure that one has normal female reproductive configuration with respect to the uterus and ovaries. All said and done, as stated earlier, do not make this a regular habit.