Does the Plan B Pill Affect Your Menstrual Cycle?
Plan B is taken when you have been sexually active but you are unsure about your protection. Taking Plan B is ideal for when the condom breaks, or when you have missed a day of your birth control pills. Plan B is a pill for occasional use only that is available at a pharmacy without a prescription if you are 18 and older. If you are younger than 18, you will need to go to your doctor or a Planned Parenthood clinic for a prescription. Plan B is to be taken within three days of being sexually active. Plan B is not always 100 percent effective, but the sooner you take it, the more effective the pill will be.
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History
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Emergency contraception, or EC, was first tested on humans in the late 1960s. Scientists hoped that EC could be a long-term solution for birth control. The first EC available on the market was a five-day cycle of pills that were very high in estrogen. Because this created side effects in female emotional balance, EC containing only progestin was soon introduced to the public. Today, most emergency contraceptives are made with progestin as opposed to estrogen.
Time Frame
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Take Plan B as soon after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure as possible. You can wait up to three days (or 72 hours) to take EC if necessary. You will be instructed by your physician or pharmacist to take one Plan B pill with food and water on a day when you can get a good amount of sleep--for example, a weekend or a time when you do not have to work. About one out of four users will experience mild to extreme nausea after taking Plan B, so try to go to sleep immediately after taking your first dose and take Dramamine or another anti-nausea medication if needed. Twelve hours later, take the second pill for Plan B. You may experience some cramping, bloating and nausea throughout the course of the two pills.
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Effects
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Taking Plan B will affect your menstrual cycle. By taking EC, you are forcing the lining out of your uterus prematurely. You will probably experience spotting and bleeding immediately after taking Plan B. This is completely normal and it means that the pill has worked. Do not be alarmed if you don't experience bleeding, but you should always take a pregnancy test a week after taking Plan B just to make sure. Do not be alarmed if you experience menstruation-like bleeding after taking Plan B--but if it lasts for longer than your normal period, see a doctor immediately.
Misconceptions
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Plan B should not be taken as regular birth control. If you are having regular intercourse, the best protection is to take birth control as well as use a condom every time you have sex. Plan B is to be used only in emergency situations and it is only approved by the FDA for occasional use. Plan B is not an abortion pill, nor is it any type of emergency contraceptive. Emergency contraception will flush any potential egg as well as the uterine lining out of your system to avoid an egg being fertilized.
Warning
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Do not take Plan B or any emergency contraceptive if you are already pregnant. Always take a pregnancy test before taking Plan B. Although Plan B states that taking the pills will not harm the baby if you are already pregnant, you should absolutely not take the pill if you think you are already pregnant. If you experience any strange or heavy bleeding that is not common with your regular period, see a doctor. Plan B may also cause vomiting. If you vomit 24 hours after taking Plan B, it may not be effective. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you have vomited between or after doses of Plan B.
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