Emergency Contraceptive Pill Side Effects

There can be several reasons as to why unprotected intercourse may have occurred. Whatever may be the cause, a woman has the alternative remedy to protect herself from an unwanted pregnancy. While this remedy is available off the counter, it does not justify the act of promoting unprotected intercourse. All women can prevent an unplanned pregnancy by taking the morning after pill. Though the term morning after is simply a slang term or saying. The pill must be had as soon as possible, and therefore you must not waist for the morning to come specifically. These pills produce synthetic hormones, which disrupt the ovulation process within the uterus.

However, it should be known that the morning after pill is not to be used as a form of contraceptive. It is not a daily pill. Also it has no effect, once the woman is already pregnant, as the pill cannot be substituted in place of medications meant for medical abortion. The morning after pill is therefore different from the abortion pill. It should also be known that the morning after pill does not protect people from sexually transmittable diseases, such as HIV, HVP etc.

Nonetheless, the side effects of emergency contraceptive pills are very minor and do not harm most women. However, this rule does not apply when abused regularly or used as a substitute for daily contraceptive pills or protection. If used only during an unprecedented and rare occasion, morning after pills pose no threat to the health of women and is thus safe. In US, morning after pills can be bought without prescription by males and females above 17 years of age. Few of the safest OTC pills are Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, Ella, etc.

Minor Side Effects

• Some women feel drowsy and extremely sleepy after taking the pill.
• While some complain of nausea and headaches.
• while in extreme cases some have reported experiencing painful stomach aches.
• While some women feel breast tenderness and heaviness in the body.
• A common side effect of the morning after pill, is experiencing vaginal bleeding similar to the ones experienced during periods or menstrual cycles. Some women discharge watery blood which is translucent or not very thick. This bleeding is normal and does not pose a threat. Though it may cause the next periods to either come a few days later or earlier than the expected date.

In case the symptoms become aggravated or are too unbearable then you should not take the medication again as the ingredients are not suiting your body. Consult a gynecologist and explain your symptoms to her so that she can prescribe an alternative medication just in case you may need the pill ever again.

Though, if nausea is the only symptom and in case you happen to vomit, you will need to take the morning after pill again. Have the next pill after eating some food, and then have an anti nausea medication soon after. Speak to your doctor about which medicine would be the best to have. If you prefer you may instead have natural herbs so that they do not interfere with your system, health and the effectiveness of the pill.

Best Time to Have the Pill
It is said that the emergency pill is effective for the next 3-5 days or (120 hours) since the last unprotected intercourse, however; it has been reported to be the most effective within the first 24 hours. The pill essentially consists of progestin levonorgestrel. While there are some that need to be taken within the first 72 hours of the intercourse. Contraception is not meant merely for protecting one self against an unplanned pregnancy, it is also a shield that helps reduce the chances of contracting venereal diseases. While no contraception is 100% they still offer a 98% safety shield. Women who are on the daily pill are also advised to wear protection through diaphragm or insisting that their sexual partner wear a condom. It is also safer to avoid multiple sexual partners, as there can be no guarantee as to the sexual history and habits of each partner.

Like it has been stated before in this article, the side effects from these pills are minimalistic in nature. That being said, they must never be taken without due restrain and control. The long term repercussions may vary from one case to the other. It is believed that continued abuse of contraceptive pills drastically reduces the chances of future pregnancies in some cases.