4 Plan B Side Effects That May Make You Feel Like Crap & How To Minimize The Discomfort
The morning-after pill can be a complete savior. Even when we
have the best of intentions, any of us are capable of slipping up when it comes
to birth control. And when that happens, it's a massive relief to know there's
an over-the-counter option that safely prevents any chance of pregnancy. Plan B
is an essential tool for reproductive safety, but what are the Plan B sideeffects, if any, and how can you minimize any potential discomfort
after taking the pill?
The first thing you need to know is that morning-after pills are not 100
percent effective. They hover around a success rate of 95 percent if you take
them in the first 24hours after having had unprotected sex, and if you wait longer,
the success rate drops to around 58 percent. The faster you find and take
emergency contraception, the better it will work, so time is very much of the
essence when you're considering this option.
The biggest myth surrounding Plan B, though, is in its perceived
danger. I remember someone telling me that if you take Plan B more than three
times, you're at risk of becoming infertile. So, let's just make something
clear that Past Me probably would've liked to know: Taking Plan B in general
will not hurt
you in any long-term sense. Despite those ever-circulating scary articles on
the internet, there's no scientific proofthat Plan B hurts your fertility or future pregnancies.
So, if you know you had unprotected sex and you're concerned
about what your options are, keep this in mind: The morning-after pill is a
concentrated dose of the same hormones you get from birth control — no more, no
less. If you're worried about what the experience of taking it will be like,
rest assured that the symptoms are mild. Here are four possible side effects
you may experience after taking Plan B, as well as ways to minimize any
potential discomfort.
1. Nausea And Vomiting
In the 24 hours after you take the morning-after pill, it's
totally normal to feel a little nauseous, and even to vomit. If you start throwing up
within an hour of taking Plan B, though, there's a chance that your
body didn't properly metabolize the pill, in which case you might want to give
your doctor a call and consider a second dosage.
If the nausea and vomiting persists for several days, that's
also a potential cause for concern, and you should definitely consult your
doctor about it.
For mild nausea, consider taking an
anti-nausea medication an hour before
popping the Plan B pill.
2. Changes In Your Period
If you startbleeding after taking the morning-after pill, don't freak out. This
is a completely normal side effect, as is a slight change in your upcoming
menstrual cycle.
Plan B is essentially a super dose of the same hormones you take
in your birth control pill, so it makes sense that your period might be a
little wacky for the month after you take it.
Light bleeding, heavy bleeding, spotting, and changes in the
duration of your period are all regular symptoms that you should monitor,
absolutely, but there's no need to lose sleep over it. Irregular bleeding is
the main symptom that can persist for days after taking emergency
contraception, whereas everything else should disappear after the first 24
hours.
3. Breast Tenderness And Cramps
Similar to when you get your period, it's completely normal to have especially tender breasts or uncharacteristic cramping in the 24 hours following emergencycontraception. However, this should subside pretty quickly, so if you're feeling anything unusual in your breast tissue, or if your cramps won't go away and are disrupting your daily life, you should call your doctor ASAP.
4. Headache, Dizziness, And Fatigue
For the cramps, you can take your favorite pain reliever, or
maybe throw a heating pad on your stomach if you have the option to remain
horizontal. There's not too much to do about the breast tenderness, but it'll
help if you avoid exercise and tight clothing for the time being.
Source: Internet
