I wanted to share my experience with Plan B in hopes it will calm some fears of others who were in my position.
I had protected sex, with a condom, when it slipped off while being withdrawn. This was after he ejaculated. Not being sure if any sperm had leaked out or somehow presented itself, I took action into my own hands. My partner claimed I had nothing to worry about, but I wasn't so sure. I was never one for charting my ovulation, nor was I highly aware of it, BUT the night this happened I could have been ovulating. I panicked. I did not want to have a baby, so I rushed to my local 24 hour drugstore. I picked up Plan B. It ran me $50 and it's now found on the shelf in the family planning aisle. It was Plan B one step. I took the one pill about two hours after we had had sex. Then the waiting began...
The night I took it, I felt pretty decent. Next day, nothing. It wasn't until about a week after taking Plan B, that nausea, little hot flashes, dizziness, and breast tenderness started setting in. The second week after taking Plan B, my breasts got so sore, I couldn't barely put a bra on, shower water hitting them was like daggers, it was awful! I was pretty concerned as it's normal for me to experience tender breasts about a week before my period but my period was still a while away and my breasts had NEVER been this sore. But I dealt with it, and reassured myself that I was okay. At the end of the second week, I started feeling cramps, really really bad cramps, spotting occurred, brown at first, then pink, then about two days later I broke out into a full bleed. I bled straight for 4 days, pretty much the length of my normal period, however this one seemed more heavy, and more bright red blood than I was used to, but on the 4th day of it, it stopped.
So to recap, I took Plan B around the possible time of ovulation. I experienced symptoms within a week, VERY sore breasts that lasted about three weeks, cramps, bloating, zits, dizziness, just awful. However I received my period 3 days earlier than when it was due.
Did I feel relief? Yes. Did I think this ordeal was over? Not quite. Even after my "period" had ended I ended up being the worry wart I am, taking a pregnancy test. First morning urine, about 3 weeks after the sex had happened, negative. At that point I was convinced Plan B had caused my bleeding and that I could consider that my period and the pill worked.
So when do you count your next cycle from? Well I ended up counting my next cycle from the day the new bleeding started from taking Plan B. My cycle is usually 30 days and I'm pretty regular. I am also NOT on any additional birth control, I only use condoms. So I sat here waiting or my next period to show, the next period after you have already bled once on Plan B. Now I know cycle changes are one of the side effects from Plan B and can go on for months, but again, what girl isn't worried about her health? And if you are like me, you want to be double, triple, quadruple sure you are okay?
So 30 days since I bled after taking Plan B, I had NO signs of my period coming. Very light soreness in my breasts, a twinge of pain in my abdomen, but nothing like what usually indicated it was coming. Day 30 came and went, nothing. Day 37, nothing, I was panicking! I took more home pregnancy tests even though probably not needed but to ease my mind I did. They were negative. I got so worked up that something was wrong I actually went to a free clinic for testing and they only did urine samples, negative. No one could really give me a real answer if Plan B was causing this and they seemed to have no information for me, just telling me everyone woman is different. Which I understand, but the last thing you want to hear when you are in full out panic mode is an, "I don't know, come back in two weeks", I mean this ordeal has been going on for almost two months now and the immature guy I was with jumped ship the moment I even tried to tell him I was a bit fearful of being pregnant. So lesson learned. If your partner is decent enough to stick around, bravo. I just wanted to share with him what I was going through and he did not even want to hear it.
Moving on though, so I sat with my negative pregnancy tests, being alone and scared, with no health insurance not knowing what my next move was. I have done the internet searches, I have read many of these message boards. So many girls in the same position as me, grasping for answers, yet they never seem to get one of people don't come back to tell their story after they have gone through something. So that's what I'm here for, I want to help others, because man I have been through the gauntlet with this Plan B.
So to wrap it up, here I sit, 45 days into my second cycle after taking plan b, which makes me roughly about two weeks late and I had the worst cramps, and I had mild spotting, but it looks like I have finally gotten my period and maybe now i can finally get my life back on track and focus on my life again instead of worrying about peeing on a stick.
So to recap -
Can Plan B bring on your period late or early?
Yes, after taking Plan B, I actually ended up bleeding fully two and a half weeks after taking it. I took it during the time I was ovulating and the day I got my period after taking Plan B was three days earlier than I would have expected.
Side effects?
I hate VERY sore breasts, alarmingly sore for almost three weeks, cramps, dizziness, very bad breakouts on my face which I'm still dealing with and some weight gain / bloating.
Second period after Plan B, showed almost no symptoms and more than two weeks late?
YES! My second period showed no signs it was even approaching, I drove myself nuts taking pregnancy tests, all negative, FINALLY i got my period after 45 days in between the time i bled after Plan B and now. The cramps are pretty bad I will admit. Stronger than I'm used to.
hope this helped someone out there! lesson learned for me, I'm glad as a female I have options like Plan B, very glad it's there, but wow it does work over your system pretty good so lesson learned and take caution!
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Add a Comment288 Comments
Thank you so much for saring! This helped reassure me a lot.
I'm a lot like you. Worry when there's probably nothing to worry about.
The condom broke on us about two weeks ago and we immediately went to the drug store. I've had bleeding and other things that I've read other people have had that they take as signs that the pill worked but Im still rather paranoid.
My period shouldn't come for another week and I'm worried it won't because I already had the other bleeding. If it doesn't I'll probably be going to get pregnancy tests which I know is probably uneccessary but still.
My breast just started hurting this morning. I know the pills symptoms can mimic pregnancy symtoms so I feel like it's just that but still... it feels different than usual. Basically everything I've never noticed before I'm noticing and wondering if it's a symptom now. Inspecting my breasts and any discharge.
Im definitely going on birth control after this. I cant deal with the stress uf this happens again.
January 28, 2016 - 11:06amThis Comment
Hey... I'm going through something very similar! Were you pregnant?
May 18, 2016 - 1:51pmThis Comment
I am about a week late and I am freaking out! I feel as if I gained weight and I have a bloated tummy that appeared right away. Last month (DECEMBER13) I was a bit shocked that I got my period earlyFWI (i did get bad cramps and alot of breast pain that i had to take off my bra before starting. ) I had just had it on November 20th. A couple weeks ago. Before all this I took about 2 plan b pills on September and October they kinda did mess my period up. They came early. And a few days late. I haven't taken Plan b since October. I really hope I am not pregnant again. My baby is only 6 months old.
January 16, 2016 - 3:49pmThis Comment
Ah thank you for this. I'm only a little over a week in and I'm already stressing.
I got my period on the 25th of December and we had sex the the 29th when I still had my period but it was light. The condom broke and even though there's a slim chance of getting pregnant with your period, we bought the pill the next morning just in case and took it which was 11 hours later. Even after a week of the period (mine normally last a full week), I was still spotting for another 5 days. I'm taking this as a good sign but now, a little over a week from taking the pill, I'm nauseous and I just threw up. I'm hoping it's just nerves and me worrying or even late effects from the pill and not a pregnancy. I mean the odds are low because period plus the pill, but I stress too much. Ugh I just want to get my period back so I know I'm good.
January 8, 2016 - 10:43pmThis Comment
Just wanted to leave an update from two months later (Jan 7th) in case anyone else is stressing and was in a similar boat. I got my period! I got my period nearly 2 weeks late in February but it was only heavy for 2 days. I was still worried because while it lasted a week, I'm normally heavier than that. So I waited again for next month's period, and it was right on time. Similar period where it was only heavy for two days, but it was more than last month so I'm not stressed anymore. So don't worry all, be patient and don't stress yourself out more than you should :)
March 7, 2016 - 5:47pmThis Comment
Thank you so much for this post. At the end of November the condom broke. I took plan b immediately and got my period on time. This month I was waiting for it and freaking out of course and I finally started today. I have always had bad periods but these cramps are the absolute worst thing I have ever felt in my life. Is that a side effect as well?
January 5, 2016 - 5:25pmThis Comment
I definitely think so. Bleeding is so heavy but didn't last as long, did anyone else think this??
January 6, 2016 - 5:40amThis Comment
Just want to also share my experience as I found this post to be a bit of reassurance to FINALLY come across someone with a similar situation to mine after hours of being trapped searching Google only causing me to worry more, I've wasted hours looking for comfort online for the last few months but it really just scared me more every time!!
I'll try and keep this short...
Basically I had an accident with a broken condom in October, took plan b about 9 hours after, I felt fine after it and then a week later I had a shorter lighter bleed (which I was confused was this my period or not... more stressing and Google searching!).
3 weeks after that bleed I had a heavy period, along with the worst cramps I ever experienced... But at least I was finally happy that I probably wasnt pregnant and that my month of panicking and stressing was over! I actually was a bit ill but think I managed to make myself sick from stress!! (but of course I kept freaking out that these were pregnant symptoms!)
I'm actually a pretty chill person before you all think I'm crazy but somehow I worked myself into a total panic over all this, maybe cause I only started having sex recently (I'm 21 btw, at uni and totally not Reay for a baby!). Also should add I did a home preg. test which was negative just before the proper period.
But that's not the end, about 2 weeks after this period, another condom disaster happened! But after all the plan b stress of the last time, really not wanting to upset my hormones even more, and knowing that it was well before ejaculation that we realised I didn't take it again and was pretty confident all was fine and I would get my usual next period. Fast forward a few days I'm now worrying a bit and wondering if I shouldve taken the plan b, but still pretty sure my period would come.
Come the day it was due, nothing. Still nothing 3 days later so I took a test, negative. Another 4 days it is now a week late I took another (got poundworld ones now, they're fab btw as they can cost £8 some places!) = negative. Right now I'm worried. Another week passes and still no period, a few more negative tests, back to my friend Google where I find stories of women claiming pregnancy tests didn't work on them, so now I'm panicking I'm one of these girls, maybe I should get a blood test? Another few days later my period is 18days late, my nipples are suddenly really painful to the touch, even a light tap hurts bad and my boobs are huge (never had this before at all) ... This pain lasts until my period is 3 weeks late. I'm convinced I must be pregnant, all these signs are so unusual and my period is never more than 2 days late!! So this morning I woke up, period officially 3 weeks and 2 days late, but my boobs seem to have calmed down, what does this mean? Decide I will book a doctors appt. this afternoon as I'm so worried :( went to the bathroom and I've never been so pleased to have stained underwear in my life!!!!!!! (along with the worst cramps I've ever had btw, it's now 1am and they've been horrendous all day and I've been taking painkillers)
WOW just saw how long this comment is. Oops.
January 4, 2016 - 5:48pmTo summarise, I think the pill threw my hormones all out of whack causing my super late period, sickness, tummy pains for weeks, and I'm gonna say the anxiety too ;) even though my first one after it came okat, the second was 3 weeks late.
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I tooked the pill just last night an this morning the lower part of my stomach started to hurt and I felt light headed and then I been continuously urinating.I need answers please....
January 3, 2016 - 7:53pmThis Comment
This is really helpful! Thank you
January 3, 2016 - 2:48amI am in the same boat. I had unprotected sex on the day I think I was ovulating (Dec 20), took the post pill by 9am the day after. My period is due to come today, Jan 3 but I haven't seen it yet. I know the pill can make your period late, so I am hoping if it doesn't come today, it comes soon. My breasts are still sore but my bloating has reduced. I really pray my period comes soon cos I am not ready to be a mum.
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