Norimin is a combined birth control pill that is manufactured and marketed in the UK by Pfizer pharmaceutical company. It is based on two active ingredients, synthetic hormones ethinylestradiol and norethisterone which can mimic the activity and functions of naturally-occurring sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. As a 21-days pill, Norimin is supposed to be taken continuously for the first three weeks of the 28-day menstrual cycle, with the remaining seven days without any pills.

What’s on this page?

How reliable is Norimin?

Just like most other birth control pills available on the UK market, Norimin is advertised as 99% effective when it comes to preventing pregnancy. However, in order to ensure maximum level of protection, you have to be especially careful regarding various medications, remedies and foodstuffs that have been known to have an adverse impact on the efficiency of Norimin.

If you cannot avoid consuming these remedies, you should make sure to use barrier contraceptives for as long as they are present in your system. The information provided in the official patient information leaflet contains a full list of substances that can impair the protection provided by Norimin alongside estimates regarding how long the impairment might last. The substances in question include:

  • Epilepsy medications
  • Bosentan
  • Antibiotics
  • HIV medications
  • Aprepitant
  • Fosaprepitant
  • Modafinil
  • Barbiturates
  • St John’s wort
  • Metoclopramide
  • Medical charcoal
  • Colesevalem
  • Ciclosporin
  • Slegiline

How does Norimin prevent pregnancy?

Hormonal birth control pills all rely on synthetic, man-made versions of naturally-occurring sex hormones, progesterone and oestrogen. The active ingredients of Norimin, ethinylestradiol and norethisterone, will effectively mimic the natural hormones and via that mechanism of action, they will interfere with the natural processes related to menstrual cycle, but also to various preparations for pregnancy that female body goes through during every cycle, regardless of whether conception will actually take place. However, the aforementioned sex hormones play different roles in the female body and as such, the compounds mimicking them will act to decrease the chances of unwanted pregnancy in different ways.

The role of progesterone and norethisterone

Naturally occurring progesterone is absolutely crucial in timing and triggering ovulation, the process during which an egg cell is released by the ovaries to the fallopian tubes where it can get fertilised by sperm. If the conception takes place, the fertilised egg cell will travel to the womb and implant into the uterine wall where it will continue to develop. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that synthetic progesterone, in this case norethisterone, acts by tricking the body into wrongly detecting that the ovulation had already taken place, thus preventing the ovaries from releasing egg cells.

The role of oestrogen and ethinylestradiol

On the other hand, synthetic oestrogen – ethinylestradiol in the case of Norimin – will provide additional protection in case the primary one, stemming from synthetic progesterone. It will contribute to the thickening of the cervical fluids and changes in the conditions alongside the uterine wall. These processes will help prevent unwanted pregnancy in different way – the change in consistency of cervical fluids will make it harder for the sperm to reach the egg cell and the changes in the uterus will make it less likely for the fertilised egg cell to implant.

Can I buy Norimin online in the UK?

For many it is often hard to find time to make an appointment with a doctor, ask for a prescription and then wait in endless lines at the pharmacy. Luckily, 21st century and the informatics age finally presented an answer to this issue – online clinics allow you to obtain prescription and order the medication you need without ever leaving your home. In this way, you can also buy Norimin online, using any of the online clinics operating within the UK.

However, you will still have to go through consultations with a doctor and get a valid prescription, but this can be done fairly easily. In most cases you will be asked to fill in a detailed medical questionnaire that the doctor employed at the online clinic will use to determine your suitability for using Norimin. If everything is in order, the prescription will be issued and used that same moment to have the medication delivered from the partner pharmacy to the address you provided. Alternatively, the doctor will provide you with the information regarding your other options, such as Norinyl-1 for example.

How to take Norimin?

In order to ensure maximum protection when taking Norimin, you should always precisely follow your doctor’s instructions as well as take the pill in line with the instructions outlined in the official patient information leaflet that is issued within every pack of Norimin. It is important to note that the text bellow should never be used as a substitute for the official information or the doctor’s instructions. Instead, it is here for illustrative purposes, so you can get a better idea of what taking Norimin might look like. When you commence your treatment, always follow the official information.

  • Always use exactly as instructed and in line with the official guidelines
  • You should take one Norimin pill daily at the same time each day
  • Take Norimin continuously for 21 days, followed by a week without pills
  • After that week, continue the treatment again
  • Take the tablets whole and do not chew or break them
  • Never change the prescribed dose
  • If you forget to take a pill, never attempt to compensate by taking a double dose; instead, consult the leaflet about how to proceed
  • If it is your first time using Norimin, consult the leaflet about when and how to start taking the pills

What are Norimin side effects?

As is the case with all birth control pills, certain side effects are possible when using Norimin, especially in women who are especially susceptible to them. This is why it is advisable to get familiar with what could go wrong prior to commencing treatment – that way you will be able to act accordingly if something unpredicted happens and to differentiate uncomfortable, but benign side effects and those which can be rather dangerous and will require you to halt treatment and seek immediate medical assistance.

The latter group includes:

  • Allergic reaction
  • Signs and symptoms of a blood clot
  • Sudden onset of migraines
  • Dizziness and fainting
  • Sight and speech issues

Other documented side effects include:

  • Moderate headaches
  • General malaise
  • Upset stomach
  • Fluctuations in weight
  • Changes in appetite
  • Hypertension
  • Mood swings and depression
  • Swollen and sore breasts
  • Changes in libido
  • Worsening of disorders of the reproductive system
  • Irregular menstrual bleedings

Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list of all documented side effects. For a more comprehensive overview, please refer to the official patient information leaflet that you can find within your pack of Norimin.