Birth Control Pills As Emergency Contraception
Regular birth control pills that contain levonorgestrel plus an estrogen may be used as emergency contraception. For this method, you would need to take a certain number of these pills shortly after you have unprotected sex. Be sure to talk with your doctor to get their approval and specific instructions before using this method.
Is Bleeding Normal After Taking Plan B
According to the drugs package insert, Plan B can cause fluctuations in your period. That means you might get your period at an unexpected time, or it might be longer or shorter than usual. Most women who take Plan B dont bleed heavily, but its possible.
In a 2006 study of 232 women, only 14.7 percent of participants spotted or bled between periods after taking the morning-after pill.
While light-to-moderate bleeding is normal, you shouldnt be bleeding heavily.
We cleared up 21 other reasons for spotting between periods here.
How Common Are Blood Clots
Blood clots are generally rare, but they can occur even in otherwise healthy people, including those who are not taking hormonal birth control. Out of every 10,000 women who are neither pregnant nor using hormonal birth control between 1 and 5 will experience a blood clot every year. Women using hormonal birth control with the combined hormonal contraceptive feature have a slightly higher risk: between 3 and 9 in every 10,000 CHC users experience a blood clot in a given year.
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Cannabis And Birth Control
At this point, theres insufficient data to suggest that cannabis influences the effectiveness of birth control. Although some sources say that marijuana can temporarily elevate your heart rate and blood pressure, theres just not enough research to showcase a similar relationship like with cigarettes and nicotine.
If youre currently using marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes and want to take birth control, consider speaking with your doctor to review potential health risks and the right options for you.
Does Flying Make Blood Clots Worse
A prolonged lack of movement increases the risk of a blood clot forming. In addition, the lower air pressure during flight also increases this risk. For this reason, the recommendation is if youve had a blood clot recently, you shouldnt travel for at least 4 weeks. Blood-thinning medications used to treat DVT need time to help the clot break and reduce symptoms. In some cases, your doctor may want you to wait longer.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms
Some people experiencing a blood clot have no signs or symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, depending on where the blood clot is located in the body, people may experience some or all of the following:
- faster than normal or irregular heartbeat
- chest pain or discomfort
- very low blood pressure, light-headedness, or fainting
People experiencing any of these symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
Precautions While Using Plan B
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow for your dosage to be adjusted and for any unwanted effects to be detected. These visits will usually be every 6 to 12 months, but some doctors require them more often.
The Prometrium® capsules contain peanut oil. If you have an allergy to peanuts, make sure your doctor knows this before you take this brand of progestin.
Progestins may cause some people to become dizzy. For oral or vaginal progesterone, dizziness or drowsiness may occur 1 to 4 hours after taking or using it. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert.
Unusual or unexpected vaginal bleeding of various amounts may occur between your regular menstrual periods during the first 3 months of use. This is sometimes called spotting when slight, or breakthrough menstrual bleeding when heavier. If this should occur, continue on your regular dosing schedule. Check with your doctor:
- If unusual or unexpected vaginal bleeding continues for an unusually long time.
- If your menstrual period has not started within 45 days of your last period.
Missed menstrual periods may occur. If you suspect a pregnancy, you should stop taking this medicine immediately and call your doctor. Your doctor will let you know if you should continue taking the progestin.
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Women Who Should Avoid These Options
Some women should avoid using the copper IUD. For example, women who are pregnant shouldnt use it because it raises the risk of infection. The copper IUD should also be avoided by women who have:
- distortion of the uterus
- infection of the cervix
- an older IUD that has not been removed
Certain women should also avoid using ECPs, including those who are allergic to any of the ingredients or those who take certain medications that may make ECPs less effective, such as barbiturates and St. Johns wort. If youre breastfeeding, you should not use ella. However, levonorgestrel ECPs are safe for use while breastfeeding.
Contraceptive Pills With Drospirenone
Also known as Beyaz, Slynd, Yasmin, Yaz
Drospirenone is a kind of progestin. But unlike other types of progestin, it may make you more likely to get clots.
The research isn’t clear though. Some studies show no greater risk. Others suggest that the chance of blood clots is higher than other birth control pills.
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How Long After Unprotected Sex Should I Wait Before Taking The Morning
You don’t need to wait until the next morning to take the morning-after pill. Emergency contraception pills are most effective at preventing pregnancy when theyre taken as quickly as possible after unprotected sexual intercourse. The amount of time you have can vary between different medications.
- Progestin-only pills : For these medications, you typically have about a three-day window of time when Plan B will still be effective. It becomes less effective at preventing pregnancy the longer you wait. If you take a progestin-only medication within five days of unprotected sex, it can be moderately effective.
- Ulipristal : This type of emergency contraception pill is more effective for a longer period of time. With this medication, you have up to five days after unprotected sex where its still effective at preventing pregnancy.
- Combined birth control pills: Combining birth control pills that contain progestin and estrogen can be used as emergency contraception for up to five days after intercourse. There can be a lot of variety between different brands of birth control pills, so its a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about the exact timing and dosage.
Risk With Cardiovascular Problems
Some womens doctors may have told them not to use birth control pills because they are at risk of stroke, heart disease, blood clots, or other cardiovascular problems. However, using an ECP is different from using birth control pills. One-time use of emergency contraceptive pills does not carry the same risks as taking oral contraceptives every day.
If your healthcare provider has said you should absolutely avoid estrogen, you can probably still use one of the ECPs or the copper IUD. However, you should talk with your doctor about which contraception options are safe for you.
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Other Types Of Contraception
The pill may be the most popular type of contraception among women, but there are many other options if its not right for you. If you have trouble remembering to take your pill, or if you simply dont want to have to think about contraception, consider a long-acting reversible method.
LARCs available in the UK are:
- The copper coil lasts five to 10 years
- The intrauterine system or hormonal coil lasts three to five years
- The implant lasts three years
- The injection lasts eight to 13 weeks
- The coil, IUS, and implant all have to be fitted and removed by a healthcare professional. Injections should also usually be given by a healthcare professional.
Are There Any Types Of Birth Control That Can Be Taken While Smoking Or Vaping
Yes. If you plan to take birth control while continuing to smoke cigarettes, its really just combined hormonal birth control methods so the pill, patch, and ring that should be avoided.
ACOG suggests alternative non-hormonal contraceptives like intrauterine devices , specifically the copper IUD since it uses copper instead of hormones to prevent pregnancy. If the pill is still your first choice, speak with your doctor about progestin-only options: the minipill, the hormonal IUD, and the shot.
You might also consider the barrier methods of birth control: spermicide, condom, sponge, diaphragm, and cervical cap. Although slightly less effective than some of the previously mentioned options, they dont contain hormones so shouldnt pose an increased cardiovascular health risk.
Birth control aside, however, it’s important to understand the risks of smoking cigarettes in general. In addition to the well-documented health effects , smoking also speeds up egg-loss rate and reduces the chances of conception each cycle. If you’re thinking about having kids in the future, quitting before trying to get pregnant will be beneficial.
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Are Blood Clots Normal After Taking Plan B
Plan B, also called the morning-after pill, can stop you from getting pregnant, but it may come with side effects like bleeding. Its normal to have some bleeding after taking Plan B, but if your bleeding is especially heavy or lasts longer than a few days, you may need to see your doctor.
Can Plan B cause blood clots?
Yes, most women can safely use emergency contraceptive pills even if you have been told that the hormones found in oral contraceptives could increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, heart disease, or other cardiovascular problems.
Whats The Difference Between Morning
The so-called âabortion pillâ contains different hormones than the morning-after pill. Those hormonesâââmifepristone and misoprostolâââcan actually terminate a pregnancy thatâs already started. With Plan Bâââif youâre already pregnantâââthe pill isnât going to do much for ya.
So letâs put the rumors to rest once and for all: emergency contraception pills like Plan B are safe to take in moderation without worrying about infertility, blood clots or permanent damage.
Just remember: itâs an emergency contraceptive for a reason. Save it for those âOh, shitâ mornings. Anyways, itâs not worth the trouble to rely on it, since there are literally so many other ways to prevent pregnancy.
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Obesity And Smoking Added To Risk
byRandy Dotinga, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today September 7, 2021
The use of birth control pills appeared to boost the risk of blood clots in women undergoing simple knee arthroscopy and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, a new study found.
The risk of post-surgery venous thromboembolism more than doubled in this population , and obesity and smoking increased the risk even more , reported Harris Slone, MD, of Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues in a poster presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting.
The findings were previously published in the journal Arthroscopy earlier this year.
The researchers conducted their study after seeing several young, healthy women develop clots either after orthopedic surgery or between the time of an injury and the planned surgery, Slone told MedPage Today. “We know that the estrogen and progesterone in combination oral contraception pills increase the risk of clots,” he said. “And we know that clots are problematic following orthopedic surgery, especially surgery around the pelvis, hip, and knee. But there has been little research to date quantifying the risk of oral contraception plus orthopedic surgery.”
They found that the risk of VTE increased with oral contraception compared with no oral contraception in all patients , for those who underwent ACL reconstruction , and for those who underwent non-ACL knee procedures .
Disclosures
Preventing Blood Clots During Other Forms Of Travel
Whether in the air or on the ground, long periods of time spent in a confined space may increase your risk of blood clots.
- Plan scheduled breaks to stretch your legs or take short walks if you travel by car.
- If you are on a bus or train, standing, stretching, and walking in the aisles can help. You can also walk in place at your seat if you have enough room, or take a few minutes in the lavatory to stretch your legs or walk in place.
- swelling in the legs
PE symptoms are a medical emergency requiring immediate care. Your doctor may perform a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis before treatment.
Read on for answers to more questions about blood clots and flying.
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Is There An Alternative Morning
Similar to Plan B, ella also prevents pregnancy if taken up to 5 days after sex. Some reasons to consider ella:
- Its 85 percent effective when taken within 5 days of sex.
- Its doesnt become less effective over the course of those 5 days.
- Its more effective for folks who weigh 155 to 195 pounds.
Like Plan B, it may cause period irregularities. Your period may show up earlier or later or be heavier, lighter, or spotty.
Heres everything you need to know about the Plan B morning-after pill.
The Combined Pill And Blood Clots
When we talk about the pill and blood clots, were referring to the combined contraceptive pill. This is the the only type thats associated with a risk of blood clots.
Combined contraceptives contain synthetic versions of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which in combination are very effective at preventing pregnancy. However, oestrogen has an effect on the blood, making it more sticky and therefore slightly more likely to form clots.
Combined hormones are also used in the contraceptive patch and the vaginal ring, which means these types of contraception are also associated with a slightly increased risk of blood clots.
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Why Are Blood Clots Dangerous
In general, clotting is the typical function of the blood. But if it happens inside your blood vessels, it can limit the flow or cause a blockage. This is called thrombosis.
Your blood needs to move freely. Blood transports oxygen to the brain, so if theres a full or partial blockage, your brain will not get what it needs to keep your body working as it should.
When this occurs in the vein, it is called venous thromboembolism . VTE includes DVT and PE. DVTs usually occur in the limbs.
A PE can happen when the blood clot travels to the lungs. It ultimately
a blood clot due to a long flight. In addition, when youre in an airplane, youre sitting in an area with reduced air pressure. This causes you to take in less oxygen when you breathe.
This is known as hypoxia. This oxygen loss is mild in most cases. However, it can slow blood flow, increasing the risk of a blood clot forming. In some cases, the blood clot can progress to DVT or PE.
Your doctor will help determine if you should fly or if it makes sense to postpone your travel plans. Many factors will play into this decision, including:
- your health history
You can take several steps to help reduce your risk for blood clots while flying.
These include:
According to the 2021 guidelines by the American Society of Hematology , preventive medication and wearing compression socks are remedies more appropriate if you know you are at a higher risk of developing a blood clot.
Other things you can do include:
Does The Generic Plan B Pill Work
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.
What will happen if I take my pill twice in one day?
If youve accidentally taken any extra pills, carry on taking the rest of your packet as normal at the same time you usually take it each day. For example, if you usually take your pill at 8am every day: on Monday, you take your normal pill at 8am, but then take an extra pill by mistake at 8.15am.
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What Are The Symptoms Of A Blood Clot
Although it’s very unlikely that your combined contraceptive will cause a blood clot, its still a good idea to familiarise yourself with the symptoms so you can get medical help if you need it.
Blood clots usually develop in the lower legs, so you may initially notice symptoms there, including:
- Throbbing, cramping pain or full ache
- Redness and warmth
A blood clot thats travelled to the lungs may cause sudden breathlessness, chest pain, and coughing that brings up blood.
If you experience any of these symptoms you should call 111 immediately for advice.
Combined Contraceptives And The Covid
There has been lots of reports in the news around the links between the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and rare blood clots. Despite these links, the FSRH still advises that people taking combined contraceptives such as the combined pill, patch or ring, should go for their COVID-19 vaccine when theyre offered it.
People on combined contraceptives shouldnt stop taking these when theyre called for their vaccine. It wont help and means you could risk getting pregnant.
If youre worried about blood clot risk in general with combined contraceptives, you can speak to your GP or send us a message in your Patient Record about switching your contraception.
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