What are the side effects of emergency contraceptive pills?
Almost all women can safely use emergency contraception (EC). The only absolute contraindication to use of EC is confirmed pregnancy, simply because EC will not work if a woman is pregnant. If a woman takes EC and is already pregnant, her fetus will not be harmed. There are no long-term or serious side effects from using EC. About half of women who take combined EC (such as high doses of certain birth control pills) feel sick to their stomach and some vomit. Feeling sick to your stomach and vomiting are much less common with progestin-only EC (Plan B). If vomiting occurs within 1 hour after taking a dose, some clinicians recommend repeating that dose. You may want to take an anti-nausea medicine like meclizine (Dramamine), which is available over-the-counter, if you tend to get sick to your stomach easily. Other side effects of EC include fatigue, headache, dizziness, and breast tenderness. These usually go away in 24 hours.
Emergency contraceptive pills (also known as “morning after pills” or “day after pills”) have no long-term or serious side effects, and emergency contraception is safe for almost every woman to use. In general, progestin-only emergency contraceptive pills – like Plan B – have fewer side effects than combined emergency contraceptive pills. You might find yourself feeling queasy and some women throw up after taking emergency contraceptive pills. You might also get a headache, feel tired or dizzy, have some lower abdominal pain, or find your breasts are more tender than usual. If you do feel this way, it should stop within a day or two. Some women also find that the female hormones in the pills (either progestin alone or a combination of progestin and estrogen) cause unexpected bleeding; this is not dangerous and should clear up by the time you have your next period. The pills might also cause your next period to come early or late. (For more information about how emergency contraception
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