Bleeding after taking the morning after pill
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Light bleeding or spotting after taking the morning after pill is relatively common, with 21% of lowdown reviewers saying they experienced spotting
Any bleeding or spotting you experience should only last until your next period
If you have heavy or excessive bleeding, or it won’t stop, speak to a healthcare professional to rule out other causes
You can buy the morning after pill directly from The Lowdown
Common morning after pill side effects
First things first: the morning after pill is safe to use and has no long term effects on your health, including your fertility. Most people won’t experience side effects from the morning after pill, and for those that do, they are mild and short lived. According to the NHS¹, common side effects of the morning after pill can include:
- Headache
- Stomach ache
- Changes to your period: it can be heavier, lighter, earlier, later or more painful than usual
- Nausea or vomiting – vomiting can reduce the effectiveness of the morning after pill. You will need to take another dose if you’ve vommed within 2 hours of taking levonorgestrel and 3 hours of taking ellaOne. Or, consider having a copper IUD fitted
All of these side effects are temporary. Changes to your menstrual cycle after using the morning after pill are common as it delays ovulation, which will alter the timing of your natural cycle. This should only affect your next period, after which, your cycle will return to normal.
Can the morning after pill make you bleed?
Some people do report light bleeding (that isn’t caused by their usual menstrual cycle) or spotting when using the morning after pill. One study looked at bleeding patterns after using the levonorgestrel morning after pill, like Plan B.² Of 232 participants 14% experienced irregular bleeding as well as changes in menstrual cycle length, period length and menstrual appearance compared to what was normal for them.²
Bleeding may be because the lining of the womb sheds irregularly following a one off dose of the synthetic hormone in the pill, which can lead to bleeding and spotting.Âł
It’s important to remember that the morning after pill is NOT an abortion pill (abortifacient), so any bleeding that occurs after taking the pill is not due to miscarriage. The morning after pill delays ovulation – and without ovulation, you can’t get pregnant.
If you do find yourself bleeding, Modibodi or WUKA period pants are a great item to be able to put on and feel reassured that any bleeding isn’t visible!
Bleeding a week after taking the morning after pill
As we know, light spotting and bleeding after the morning after pill is common and should last a few days at most. If the bleeding continues for more than a week you should get some medical advice.
The morning after pills are also known to cause irregular bleeding so this could be why you’re experiencing some bleeding a week after. They can also interfere with your period so alternatively, it could be your period coming early, late or on time.
Heavy bleeding after the morning after pill
If you do experience heavy bleeding or prolonged bleeding after using Levonorgestrel, Levonelle, LoviOne, Ezinelle, Plan B or ellaOne, speak to your healthcare provider as there may be another underlying cause.
Any bleeding lasting more than a week, soaking through pads or with clots should be looked at by a medical professional!
Can the morning after pill cause spotting?
It’s not uncommon to experience irregular spotting after taking the morning after pill, but this should only be temporary and last until your next period². 21% of Lowdown reviewers said they experienced spotting after using the morning after pill, and 25% reported no change at all. If you experience spotting or bleeding that’s heavy, excessive or doesn’t stop, speak to your GP.
Is bleeding after the morning after pill my period?
Due to the extra hormones in your system, a regular side effect is light spotting or bleeding. This is not the same as your period. This type of bleeding is generally light and lasts a few days. As we know during a period, you bleed for around 5-7 days and lose about 50-80 ml of blood.
Does bleeding after the morning after pill mean it worked?
If you have spotting or bleeding after using the morning after pill, or have a period, this does not automatically mean that you are not pregnant. Likewise, as the morning after pill can make your next period later than usual, don’t assume that it hasn’t worked if your period hasn’t arrived!
How to tell if the morning after pill has worked
It’s best to take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after you use the morning after pill to see if it’s worked, instead of relying on your period alone. Pregnancy tests are 98-99% accurate and can give you a more definitive answer if you are pregnant or not. You can buy a Clearblue pregnancy test from Amazon to be sure (this is an affiliate link).
Likewise, as the morning after pill can make your next period later than usual, don’t assume that it hasn’t worked if your period hasn’t arrived!
You can use our missed pill calculator if you are worried or unsure:
If you want to know more, check out our complete guide to the morning after pill and emergency contraception.
Georgia Gallant
Georgia is The Lowdown’s Social & Content Lead. Having worked across editorial, social, PR and comms roles for the last five years, Georgia focuses on growing The Lowdown’s online presence and creating exciting content across the company’s digital channels. She also hates writing bios.
Our medical review process
This article has been medically reviewed for factual and up to date information by a Lowdown doctor.
