If Norethisterone is taken continuously for years, will it affect menopause?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 57 year old female, and I have been taking Norethisterone for years. When I stop taking the tablet, my period comes, and I immediately start taking the pills again. I take them because I am terrified of bleeding. My doctors say that I have to come off them, and I am terrified of what effect it will have on my body. What will be my periods be like? The doctor thinks that the pills are affecting my menopause. I am so scared of what the bleeding will be like, and I cannot cope.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I really do not see any reason for you to worry. I feel you are taking those pills unnecessarily. By 50 to 54 years, all ladies enter their menopause. This is a time when all follicles in the ovaries are exhausted and the hormone supply to the inner lining of the uterus is so low that bleeding will not occur at all.This is menopause. But if you keep having these tablets,you are artificially increasing the thickness every month and artificially bleeding by stopping every month. Nothing will happen, just stop the pills, you may have one normal period due to the tablets, then as your body is not producing any further hormone, the inner lining will stay thin and you will not have any more periods.

To confirm this, after 2 to 3 weeks of periods, without taking any medications, get a pelvic scan done and note the endometrial thickness. Any thickness of less than 4 mm is normal. I am sure it will be so. You will not have any periods thereafter. To confirm the same in blood, you can test serum AMH (anti-mullerian hormone), the normal level is 1.1 to 3.5 ng/mL. But, if there are no follicles to produce any hormones, blood values will be less than 0.5 ng/mL. If there was some other cause for heavy bleeding, you would not have succeeded in stopping the bleeding with just Norethisterone. So, just cheer up. Just stop the medication, you will do fine.I would advise you to start Calcium and Vitamin D3 tablets to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which is a risk in every lady after menopause.

Hope I have clarified your query, do write back if any more queries. All the best.