How Do I Know If Plan B Has Worked
Like we mentioned, Plan B is not 100% effective, and its effectiveness goes down the longer you wait to take it.
Youll know that taking Plan B worked if you get your period.
Your period may be a bit delayed, but if its later than one week, you should take a pregnancy test.
Plan B can cause slight changes to your menstrual cycle. The morning after pill could cause your period to be heavier or lighter than normal, and it may come early or late. You may also experience spotting between your periods.
How Do I Talk To My Friend Family Member Or Partner About Taking Plan B
Not sure how to bring up the topic of taking Plan B? Try the tips below.
Natural Supplements And The Pill
Certain natural supplements dont mix well with birth control, the main one being St. Johns Wort, which is used for its anti-inflammatory and antidepressant properties. Also known as hypericum, its a yellow flower used in herbal remedies, but research has shown that it interacts with oral contraceptives and is likely to increase the risk of unintended pregnancy.
A 2005 study, published in the journal Contraception, found that women taking St. Johns Wort daily had 15% less contraceptive hormones in their bloodstream, increased breakthrough bleeding and increased possibility of ovulation. Pharmacists were told to warn women of the potential interactions and offer non-hormonal replacements.
Research has also highlighted concerns that other herbal remedies such as Vitex, Dong Quai, Red Clover and Black Cohosh could also compromise oral contraceptives.
References
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More Myths About Emergency Contraception
Apart from the interactions between plan b and antibiotics, there are other unexplained myths circulating the emergency contraception. Here are ten myths and facts about Plan B or emergency contraception.
Myth 1: Emergency contraception can cause abortion.
Fact: emergency birth control or EC pills do not in any way cause abortion. The pill has an efficacy of 52-94% every time it is used correctly in preventing any unwanted pregnancy. The pill does not induce or cause an abortion, but it prevents the release of ova and the interaction of the spermatozoa with the eggs. The pills do not work when a fertilized egg is already attached to the wall.
Myth 2: Emergency contraception has horrifying side effects.
Fact: Research shows that emergency contraception does not have any significant side effects. Although the pill may have a higher concentration than the regular birth control pills, they do not have more serious side effects. But mild side effects are seen, such as tiredness, breast tenderness, headache, dizziness, and nausea.
Myth 3: Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy for a long time.
Fact: The morning after pill can’t guarantee that you won’t get pregnant if you continue having unprotected sex for days after taking the pill. The EC only works when it is taken after sex.
Myth 4: Alcohol or drugs in the bloodstream mean you can’t take emergency contraception.
Myth 5: Emergency contraception can be taken any time after having unprotected sex and can still be effective.
How Antibiotics Might Affect Birth Control
Some types of antibiotics have the potential to affect birth control because they can alter the bodys hormone levels. Hormonal birth control methods that these antibiotics might impact include:
- The pill
- The ring
- The shot
All four of these birth control methods contain the hormones estrogen and/or progestin which thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to fertilize an egg, and thin the lining of the uterus to reduce the chance of getting pregnant. The methods that contain estrogen also prevent you from ovulating, while progestin-only methods stop ovulation but not consistently. Certain antibiotics can lower the levels of estrogen and progestin in your body, potentially to the point of affecting your birth control.
Theoretically, antibiotics might also reduce your birth controls efficacy by interrupting the recirculation of estrogens in the body a process called enterohepatic circulation. They do this by killing the bacteria in the small intestine that help break the hormone down and redistribute it within the body.
For these reasons, many manufacturers have historically placed warnings on antibiotic labels to inform women about this risk. Over the years, scientists have done many studies on various types of antibiotics effects on hormonal birth control to determine which ones you should and should not take at the same time.
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Slection Des Donnes :
Recherche dans Medline des articles publiés entre 1975 et septembre 1998 inclusivement. Il sagissait de rechercher notamment les mots-clés « antibiotic », « oral contraceptive » et « pregnancy ». Les articles publiés, de même que les références accompagnant ces articles, ont été passés en revue. Les articles faisant état des mécanismes de linteraction entre les antibiotiques et les contraceptifs oraux ont été inclus dans létude.
The Iud As Emergency Contraception
The intrauterine device is a small, T-shaped contraceptive device made from plastic and copper. Its inserted into the uterus by a trained health professional. It may prevent an egg from implanting in your womb or being fertilised.
If youve had unprotected sex, the IUD can be inserted up to 5 days afterwards, or up to 5 days after the earliest time you could have ovulated to prevent pregnancy.
You can also choose to have the IUD left in as an ongoing method of contraception.
Most women can use an IUD, including women who have never been pregnant and those who are HIV positive. Your GP or clinician will ask about your medical history to check if an IUD is suitable for you.
You should not use an IUD if you have:
- an untreated STI or a pelvic infection
- certain abnormalities of the womb or cervix
- any unexplained bleeding from your vagina for example, between periods or after sex
Women who have a heart condition should speak to their GP or cardiologist before having an IUD fitted.
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Can You Take Plan B And Antibiotics At The Same Time
Preventing unplanned pregnancy is a concern for every adult. There are numerous sayings posted online and on social media about the interactions between plan b and antibiotics. There is actually no scientific research to back up the claims. But if you find that your birth control pills are not as effective as usual or you need to take certain new medications, inform your doctor and consult about the possible interactions between the medicine and your birth control pills.
What Are My Options
Most types of emergency contraception are pills, often called the âmorning afterâ pill. Depending on the brand and dose of emergency contraception pills, you might get one pill or two. These include:
Hormone-based emergency contraception pills. These contain a hormone called levonorgestrel. Levonorgestrel pills are specifically packaged as emergency contraception and do not require a prescription. They include Plan B One-Step and Preventeza, as well as the generic levonorgestrel pills My Way and Take Action.
Ella . Ella is a nonhormonal pill. It contains ulipristal, a nonhormonal drug that blocks the effects of key hormones necessary for conception. It is available only by prescription.
Birth control pills. These can also be used as emergency contraception, but you have to take more than one pill at a time to keep from getting pregnant. This approach works, but it is less effective and more likely to cause nausea than levonorgestrel pills.
Do not take regular birth control pills this way unless you talk to your doctor first. If you are interested in this option, check with your doctor to make sure you are taking the correct pills and dose.
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Do Antibiotics Affect The Morning After Pill Ask Ella
At ellaOne, we want to make sure you get accurate, medically informed answers to your most searched questions we think thats what everyone deserves.
Have a question we havent answered? Give us a shout on social media using the hashtag #AskElla.
If youre wondering whether its okay to take the morning after pill while youre on antibiotics, youve come to the right place.
Lou Brack*, Head of Nursing at Brook Sexual Health charity, filled us in on which medicines can interact with emergency contraception.
What Medicines Affect How Well Plan B Works
These medicines or supplements can make Plan B and other levonorgestrel morning-after pills not work as well:
The antibiotic Rifampin
The antifungal Griseofulvin
Certain HIV medicines
Certain anti-seizure medicines
The herb St. Johns Wort
You can ask a nurse, doctor, or pharmacist about any medications youre taking, and they can help you figure out if Plan B is a good option for you.
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Whats The Short Answer
Its really quite simple: No morning-after pill works during ovulation, as theyre designed to delay it.
If ovulation is already happening, Plan B will have failed before its even begun. But knowing whether youre ovulating can be tricky.
If there could be a risk that Plan B fails, the copper intrauterine device is your best bet. Not only is it a highly effective emergency contraceptive, but it can also be used for long-term contraception.
The best way of preventing pregnancy throughout your cycle is to use a long-acting form of contraception.
There are several methods to choose from, including:
Barrier methods, such as condoms, are also an option. Although these methods are less effective than the above. Of course, youd need to be using these before you have sex.
If you have sex without adequate contraception during ovulation, the copper IUD is the safest emergency contraceptive .
Youll need to have it inserted within 5 days after sex or ovulation for it to work.
Once in, the copper makes it difficult for sperm to reach the egg, reducing the chance of pregnancy by more than 99 percent.
Plus, you can keep it in for use as a regular contraceptive for up to 10 years.
What If Plan B Doesnt Work
Unfortunately Plan B doesnt always work. If you do become pregnant, even after taking Plan B, know that its not your fault.
If pregnant, youll need to consider your options. Because youll be watching for your period, youll most likely be able to detect pregnancy very early on, which gives you more options in terms of abortion, if thats what you plan to do.
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How To Prevent Birth Control Ineffectiveness
Always talk with your doctor about birth control interactions before taking new medications, including vitamins or over-the-counter medications. Ask if the medication or supplement will interfere with your birth control effectiveness. Even if more research is needed, its generally better to err on the side of caution. You can use backup forms of birth control in addition to oral contraceptives when taking medications that interfere with the effectiveness.
If you forget to use a backup method, you can take over-the-counter emergency contraception for up to five days after intercourse. For long term medications, such as retrovirals, diabetes medications, or anticonvulsants, it is best to talk with your provider about other contraception methods, such as long-acting reversible contraception or injectable progesterone.
How Long After Having Sex Will Emergency Contraception Still Work
The sooner you take emergency contraception, the more effective it will be. Studies show that if you take emergency contraception within 72 hours of sex, you have only a 1% to 2% chance of getting pregnant.
Plan B One-Step and generic levonorgestrel work best if you take them within 3 days after sex, but they may work up to 5 days after sex. Ella and the IUD can work up to 5 days after sex. However, those are only averages.
What really matters is where you are in your cycle. If you have sex when you’re fertile, waiting several days to take emergency contraception could be too late. That’s why experts say you should use it as soon as possible after having sex.
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Do Antibiotics Affect Birth Control
In short, some antibiotics affect hormonal birth control, and some dont. There are lots of different kinds of antibiotics, and like all prescription drugs, they have to pass rigorous tests and trials. Figuring out how common drugs interact with each other is an important part of ongoing drug safety assessment, so we have good evidence to show which medications work well or poorly with each other.
Clinical trials on most common antibiotics have shown that the risk of getting pregnant while taking hormonal contraceptives and antibiotics is no different than the risk of getting pregnant while using the hormonal contraceptive without antibiotics.
A large epidemiological U.S. study involving more than 43,000 women concluded that there is no connection between antibiotic use and a decrease in the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. Additionally, a systematic review in 2016 based on 29 studies showed no difference in the occurrence of suppressed ovulation and breakthrough bleeding while taking non-rifamycin antibiotics and hormonal contraceptives.
Here are some of the types of antibiotics which do not seem to affect hormonal contraceptives:
- Ampicillin
What If I Take A Medication That Messes With Hormonal Birth Control
There are many highly effective types of birth control that are not affected by these medications, including all IUDs, the implant, and the shot. Barrier methods like condoms are also effective regardless of what medication youre taking.
In general, its good to remember that medicines can have powerful interactions with each otherand hormonal birth control is just another type of medicine. If a new medicine is prescribed for you, make sure to tell your health care provider about all of the medicines, herbal and vitamin supplements you regularly take.
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What Is Emergency Contraception
Like other forms of birth control, emergency contraception stops you from getting pregnant. The difference is that you can take it after you had sex.
Emergency contraception is different from drugs used to end a pregnancy. If you’re already pregnant, they will have no effect as a contraceptive method. Unlike the medication RU-466, emergency contraception doesnât induce abortions.
Emergency contraception can work well, but it’s not a substitute for regular birth control. Regular birth control works better, has fewer side effects, and costs less. As the name suggests, emergency birth control is for emergencies, not something to use all the time.
What Should I Do If I Need To Take 2 Or More Medicines
If youre on a short course of a supplementary medicine, then its advisable to use a temporary form of contraception that wont be affected. These include condoms, the coil or the progesterone-only injection. Your alternative contraception may need to be in effect for anything from 7 to 28 days after finishing the medicine that interacts with the pill.
For long-term treatment, it may be preferable to avoid medicines mentioned above, but its always advisable to speak to your GP when starting or stopping any course of medication.
If you arent sure whether your contraception interacts with any other medicine, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
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Antibiotics That Can Affect Birth Control
Researchers have only proven that two types of antibiotics can affect the efficacy of your birth control:
- Rifampin: Health care providers prescribe this medication to treat tuberculosis. Rifampin causes the enzymes in your liver to break estrogens down faster than normal, lowering those hormone levels in your body and possibly reducing your birth controls efficacy. Some women might experience spotting between their periods while taking rifampin, but this doesnt mean their birth control isnt working.
- Rifabutin: Health care providers prescribe this medication to prevent an infection called mycobacterium avium complex in HIV patients, as well as to treat tuberculosis. It, too, reduces the levels of birth control hormones that suppress ovulation but to a lesser degree than rifampin.
Both of these medications belong to a class of antibiotics called rifamycins. Scientists have not been able to prove that any other rifamycins, however, affect birth control.
How Does Plan B Work
It is possible to take the Plan B pill up to 3 days after unprotected sex, even though many people call it the morning-after pill. However, the sooner a person takes Plan B following unprotected intercourse, the more effective it is in preventing pregnancy.
The Plan B pill contains 1.5 milligrams of the hormone levonorgestrel. Levonorgestrel is a synthetic chemical that mimics the natural hormone progesterone. It triggers several responses in the body that prevent pregnancy.
Levonorgestrel ensures that the body is:
- Preventing ovulation, the process by which the ovary releases an egg. If there is no egg to fertilize, pregnancy is not possible.
- Thickening the mucus in the cervix, which helps prevent sperm from reaching the uterus and combining with an egg.
- Thinning the uterine lining, which reduces the likelihood of a fertilized egg attaching to the uterus.
There are many misconceptions regarding how the Plan B pill works. The pill is not an abortion pill as it does not destroy or damage a fetus. Instead, it prevents a pregnancy from occurring in the first place. Once an embryo has implanted in the uterus, Plan B will not disrupt it or cause an abortion.
Anyone who has had unprotected sex or failure of their birth control method can take the Plan B pill. This pill is available without a prescription and has no age restrictions.
Some people should avoid taking Plan B, including those who are:
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