How Effective is the Morning After Pill?
The morning-after pill is a kind of contraception used in an emergency. Fundamentally, emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy for women whose birth control method has failed or who have engaged in unprotected sex. However, the morning-after pill shouldn’t be used as your main form of birth control; it’s only meant to be a backup. Keep reading to find out more and learn about the morning-after pill side effects in Bury.
Why use the morning-after pill?
The morning-after tablets may be able to help you avoid becoming pregnant if you:
– Had unprotected intercourse
– Didn’t use birth control
– Skipped a pill or your method of birth control failed
– Were a victim of sexual assault
However, a pregnancy that has been implanted cannot be terminated with morning-after pills. They mostly function by postponing or inhibiting ovulation.
What are the risks?
Emergency contraception is a viable choice for preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. However, it is not advised for normal usage because it is not as effective as other forms of contraception. The morning-after pill also has a risk of failure even with proper use, and it provides no protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
There are some people who should not take the morning-after pill. Avoid taking the pill if:
– You have an allergy to one or more morning-after pill ingredients.
– You’re taking a medication that can make the morning-after pill less effective.
There are some signs that the morning-after pill won’t work as effectively to prevent pregnancy in obese or overweight people as it does for women who aren’t obese.
How long do the morning-after pill side effects last?
Side effects of the morning-after pill normally last for a few days. They might include:
– Bleeding between periods or heavier menstrual bleeding
– Nausea or vomiting
– Fatigue
– Breast tenderness
– Headache
– Dizziness
– Lower abdominal pain or cramps
Preventing or relieving the morning-after pill side effects
Speak with your pharmacist if you are concerned about side effects or have a history of EC adverse effects. They might be able to point you in the direction of over-the-counter (OTC) remedies for nausea and headache relief.
However, some over-the-counter anti-nausea medications may make you feel more exhausted. Resting and slowing down for a few days after using EC may help you prevent weariness.
Lie down if you get nausea or dizziness after taking EC. This will aid in preventing vomiting. If you vomit within an hour of taking it, you will need to take another dose of the pill.
Who can use the emergency pill?
Most women can use the emergency contraceptive pill. This includes women who can’t use hormonal contraception, such as the combined pill and contraceptive patch. Similarly, girls under 16 years old can also use it.
However, you may not be able to take the emergency contraceptive pill if you’re allergic to anything in it, have severe asthma, or take any medicines that may interact with it, such as:
– The herbal medicine St John’s Wort
– Some less commonly used antibiotics (rifampicin and rifabutin)
– Medicine to make your stomach less acidic, such as omeprazole
– Some medicines used to treat epilepsy, HIV, or tuberculosis (TB)
If you are already on one of these medications, you should not take ellaOne since it might not work. Levonelle may still be taken, however, a higher dose could be necessary.
Consequently, if you let your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist know what medications you’re taking, they can let you know if taking the emergency contraceptive pill with them is safe. Read the patient information leaflet that is included with your medication for further information.
You should take emergency contraception within 120 hours of unprotected sexual activity for optimum effectiveness. You can use an emergency contraceptive pill at any moment throughout your menstrual cycle.
Can the morning-after pill side effects damage your body?
Taking the morning-after pill in any form is not known to cause any significant dangers or lasting negative effects. The majority of symptoms go away in a day or two.
How the morning-after pill works
Levonelle
The active ingredient in Levonelle is levonorgestrel, a synthetic (artificial) substitute for the ovary-produced progesterone hormone.
It functions by preventing or postponing the release of an egg during the ovulation process. To prevent getting pregnant, you should take this pill three days (72 hours) after having unprotected sex. Additionally, it’s important to note that your regular method of contraception won’t be affected.
ellaOne
Ulipristal acetate, a component of ellaOne, prevents progesterone from functioning correctly. ellaOne functions by suppressing or delaying the ovulation process, just like Levonelle.
Essentially, to prevent pregnancy, you must either take ellaOne within 5 days (120 hours) or as soon as you have unprotected intercourse.
Visit Pimhole Pharmacy today to get emergency contraception and learn more about the morning after pill side effects in Bury.
This blog post was written on behalf of Pimhole Pharmacy by Pharmacy Mentor.