A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Okay... On Dec 6, I posted a question asking about emergency contraception. (I'll include it at the end of my question) I now have a follow up of sorts (if you can call it that) and additional questions. (in a nutshell, my guy and I were messing around (no actual sex though) and, realizing I was close to ovulation time, I took the morning after pill because I didn't want to take any chances or risks.) For those of you who said my chances are slim, ...I really, really hope that you are right. Logically it makes sense that the chances are low, but my body is now giving me a different story. So, I have a new question. Can emergency contraception cause pregnancy-like symptoms? I ask for two reasons. The first of which is that I have read that EC pills can have more longer-term side effects which can run longer than just one menstrual cycle. I wish they told me this. Some women report bleeding/spotting right away, others went three months without bleeding, and various other stories. Is it possible that it can cause a hormonal imbalance that will throw you off and give you anything from pregnancy symptoms to several months of an irregular cycle? And it isn't just the EC pills, I have a similar theory about birth control. For the first 4 months that my best friend was on the birth control pills, her body *thought* she was pregnant- even though she had not yet had intercourse. She was sick to her stomach off and on, sluggish, and unusually irritable.I am digressing. Reason #2: As to what is now going on with me-- I was getting mild cramping similar to pre-menstrual pains. I usually get warning pains that get gradually worse until I start bleeding. (I suffer from very, very severe menstrual pains.) Only these cramps I am currently getting are actually...not so bad. I am also getting acne (I usually get a few spots right before I start my period), and breast tenderness, but this time it's as though it's amplified. I am also seeing veins. My areolas are darker. My sense of smell is very acute, even though I am stuffed up with a cold. And my stomach... Every time I eat, I keep wondering if I can keep anything down, though I have not yet thrown up. And, like with PMS, I am more easily irritated, though UNLIKE with normal PMS, it's much harder to ignore that fact and shrug it off. Usually as my time of the month draws near, I will realize little things that would not bother me, suddenly would. But then I would count back, go "oh yeaah.." in my head, and then shrug it off and think non-annoying thoughts. ...That's harder to do now. Everything irks me. Slow traffic. Loud people. Fans turning on and off. ...and so forth. Weirder still is, I have lost about four pounds this week. It's as though I have shed a pound a day. My cervix seems to have a mind of it's own, as well. Before my period, it's low and firm. This week, it has been low and firm, high and soft, open, close, whatever it wants. I am also feeling tired at random, and by tired I don't simply mean drowsy, I mean tired to the point that I just want to crawl into bed and not leave until spring time. Not wanting to deal with the suspense, I took a pregnancy test, and it came out negative. Maybe I took it too soon..? My period is due any day now but it doesn't fully feel like it. In addition to acne, mild breast tenderness, and light irritibility, I usually feel bloated and sore three to four days before it happens. I don't feel bloated. Maybe "Aunt Flow" going to be late? I hope. I am trying not to press the panic button just yet but so far I have most of the pregnancy symptoms I have read about. What are your thoughts? I am currently looking up clinics I can turn to. Original post:Can someone please explain to me how the morning after pill works? I keep getting different answers from different sources. It's my understanding that it's supposed to delay or even prevent ovulation (if your body has not yet already ovulated), but what if you HAVE already ovulated? How does it work, then?I know that, given my age, this may seem silly in asking. But better late than never. So...Another few questions:If a man fingers a woman after touching himself, and/or attempts to penetrait, but is stopped, or decides not to, while she is in her fertile window, what are the realistic chances of her becoming pregnant from that?Back story:I ask because I'm in this predicament... and I have never been in this situation before. I've never had sex. I was either not interested, knew the time wasn't right for me, and agreed with myself it's not happening until preferrably AFTER college (check)--but even then, only when I knew without a doubt that I was ready. Though, over the past few months, I've been very, very slowly broken in to messing around. Even now I have mixed emotions about it, which is part of why I know I am still not ready either emotionally or psychologically for this. He started to attempt (and didn't get very far), but stopped because I nearly freaked out. I was on day 14-15 of my menstrual cycle. (on day 17 now...) Even if that was not the case, I would have said no, because, like I said, I simply do not feel at all ready for it. Not wanting to take ANY chances (and not at all being able to afford to take any chances at this point in my life :( ) I went and for the first time in my life took the morning after pill- it came with two doses, and I took the first one immediately after purchasing (which was by that point nearly some 8 to 12 hours after we were messing around) and the second dose about 9 hous later because I felt drowsy and didn't want to risk forgetting. ...He stayed with me through it all. I don't know if I had aldready ovulated sometime between when we were messing around and when I took the first pill, but if I had...? What are the risk factors?I'm scared. Really scared. Please help.Thank you in advance
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female
reader, Desperate33 +, writes (8 December 2013):
Thank you SO much for your post.
Ok so it looks like I am out of the woods now & so I have enough energy to contribute with this e-mail :-):-)
MAP (morning after pill) can definitely give you pregnancy like symptoms and I am not saying only right after you take it and/or 2 to 3 days after. These symptoms can come back later on - 3-4 week after you took it. Right after I took the MAP, yes I experienced nausea, unusual tiredness, and a three day bleeding.
I had unprotected sex on 11/3, I took the MAP on 11/5. Like I said nausea, fatigue were pretty noticeable but I did not worry because these can be expected as some of the possible side effects of the MAP. 11/10 was the first day of a breakthrough bleeding which lasted through 11/13 - the type of bleeding I have during my period but it was not my period because was not due till 11/27 (I am pretty regular). Then all my symptoms subsided and I forgot about my irresponsible act & the MAP.
And then I thought I felt rather nauseated on 11/21 - just one day- and that was one day before - what I thought was the first day of ovulation. Then still, I was a "happy camper". And THEN my period was supposed to come on 11/27 and nothing. But again I was not worried because I had read that the pill can delay your period by a week or so...
on 11/30 I went with a friend to a restaurant - and while we were eating our food, a distinct smell started coming from the kitchen. Then THAT smell crept closer as the waiter had started bringing food to the nearby tables. I PANICKED...I kept asking my friend "what is this smell? omg where is it coming from; what are they doing; how can they allow this kind of odor at a restaurant?!! what is this??!"; I completely lost it. My friend replied that "It's just ...fish...?" Ladies what my nose felt something so intense and so terrible that I could not keep breathing it in - I smelled like 20 menstruating women who have not washed their bleeding vaginas at least for a week..
but it did not click right away - i.e. I did not make an immediate connection between that and a possible pregnancy.
The next night (around 3am), something woke me up...omg..a smell...I am like "WTF, what is this? where is this coming from? I cannot keep inhaling this..." I smelled meat - someone cooking meat - "is this my imagination?" AND AT THIS POINT IT CLICKED - I REALIZED I MIGHT BE PREGNANT...I could not ask my mom who was sleeping next door whether indeed there are any smells coming from the neighbors because she could put 2 and 2 together and suspect my predicament (the next day we kinda started talking about it and indeed there was a meaty smell in the apt last night but she did not sound like it was a big deal).
The important thing to say, ladies, is that it was not just a smell - it was an odor that my nose could not tolerate (like the fish smell the day before) & made breathing painful. In other words I was positive I was pregnant because I had never had such an ACUTE sense of smell in my life.
I started crazy re-researching stuff about the MAP but the above was the only post that mentioned a heightened sense of smell as a possible consequence of having taking the MAP (thanks for posting!)...
So on 12/1 not was I experiencing an ACUTE sense of smell but I was also VERY nauseous. I felt that way (of course with multiple pregnancy tests in between -all negative) till 12/07 when I GOT MY PERIOD. OK so the nausea which re-appeared on 12/1 continued through 12/6 but I felt like it was gradually subsiding. I would feel more nauseated in the morning and then I would have something to eat and the nausea was not so bad especially, like I said, heading toward 12/7. (I also lost a few pounds during that week because I could not eat due to the nausea). BUT that was not the case with my sense of smell. I dreaded getting out of my apt - when I was outside, I would feel multiple smells/odors entering my nose and my brain trying attentively to decipher each and every scent/odor. It was terrible and very tiring. Every scent was important to my brain - I could not disregard any odor - my brain would not let me. I had pains in my eyes and my nose from the scents and my brain's "analysis".
I could share 2 more bizarre scent-related stories here but perhaps I am making this post longer than it should be. Ok one of the days leading to 12/7, I was lying on my bed in the bedroom and started smelling apples (?!!). There were no apples in the apt. I kept taking pregnancy tests because of the smell abnormality. I could not find any other reason for my ordeal...
Then on the 12/7 first thing in the morning, I got my period (today is the 7th), I was on the train- ok this would have been another scent-related story but I am not going to continue because it could possibly make this post less credible. Anyhow - I am bleeding now - but the ACUTE sense of smell has not gone away!! So I am still questioning my state regarding the dreaded pregnancy although I don't think it's likely - I will take a HPT tomorrow...
Anyhow what I want to leave you with Ladies is that, you can experience side effects of the MAP long after you have taken it - 3-4 weeks after in ADDITION to the immediate side effects that are stipulated on the insert. Based on my experience you can have additional side effects (like I did with the heightened sense of smell and the girl who posted here before me in 2011..) which can manifest themselves WEEKS after you took the pill (which may trick you into thinking that you ARE indeed pregnant).
On the other hand leading up to my period, I did NOT experience sore breasts or a bloated belly (with the latter maybe because I had been losing weight). Also I did not feel tired the way I did shortly after I took the MAP - in fact I felt like I had a lot of energy (which I could not use because of the thought of pregnancy);another thing that I felt a little of was dizziness but only slightly leading up to my period - noticeable but nothing major.
I also had a diarrhea but that might have been because I was simply SCARED rather than another side effect of the MAP.
Good Luck to everyone. The waiting is the worst. I KNOW. BUT know that the MAP can f*** up your balance and mess up your hormones ( I hope not long term...) :-)
A
female
reader, tennisstar88 +, writes (2 January 2012):
 Plan B shouldn't be used in place of a contraceptive. It's emergency, Backup Plan only. Plus it's not as effective as regular birth control that is used consistently and correctly.
If you can't be on oral form of birth control, then I suggest you look into vaginal inserts like Mirena or the depo shot. To have unprotected sex, you're only chancing an unwanted pregnancy. It's not a bright idea, if you do not want a child at the moment.
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A
female
reader, person12345 +, writes (18 December 2011):
 EC can throw off pretty much everything and definitely cause pregnancy like symptoms. Same with birth control. The pill basically works by tricking your body into sort of thinking you're pregnant. I can't be 100% sure about this, but I'm fairly certain I've had heightened sense of smell after taking EC. None of the "symptoms" you've listed mean you are pregnant. EC can cause a weird cycle, and nausea (sometimes severe) is the number one side effect. Occasionally it can cause breast swelling too. I once did have effects from EC three weeks after taking it, so yes, it is possible to just throw things out of whack.
But there is zero chance you were pregnant. There have to be sperm present to cause you to be pregnant. Just touching genitals cannot. Precum does not contain sperm unless he'd ejaculated very recently before and hadn't urinated since and/or it hadn't had time to dry on the outside of his penis. Unless he ejaculated on or near your vulva/vagina, it just couldn't happen.
In the future, you can take both pills at the same time, it is equally effective as taking them staggered 12 hours apart.
Emergency contraception prevents or delays ovulation. Some think it also prevents implantation of the egg into the uterus, but they don't have much information on this. If you've already ovulated, it can't do anything. But after you've ovulated, the egg is only viable for 24-48 hours. So assuming you'd take emergency contraception for the other days, there is really only one or two days in the whole cycle you are "vulnerable" and in that case, it wouldn't work (which is why it isn't as effective as preventative birth control). But since there was no sperm present, this does not matter.
Unless the man sticks his fingers into wet semen on his penis and then into her vagina, just touching his penis first cannot get her pregnant.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (17 December 2011): It isn't that I am symptom spotting; I am noticing chances I have never experienced, and it's starting to really scare me. I took the next choice pills two weeks ago; how long are you supposed to experience side effects? I'm posting a follow up because I have not seen a lot of people online post follow ups with their experiences with emergency contraception, and also because I really wonder if anyone else has been through something like this with their experience. Is the pill supposed to mess with your system for so long? They don't tell you that at the clinic, or even on the product box... And, it isn't that I don't want to take birth control.. I was put on it while I was in high school because I kept fainting from extreme pain when I was on my period. It worked for the first year and a half that I was on it, but they suddenly switched me onto a different pill, and that set made me really ill. I was bleeding for a month straight at one point. (I was almost 19 at the time.) Finally I stopped and my period regulated itself over time, but I am starting to wonder if the BC pill had a long term negative side effect; I started having panic attacks and digestive problems for two years. I googled if Plan B has long term effects and people had similar stories to what happened after I got off birth control. Moving on, I tried to get on to birth control earlier this year- not because I planned on becoming sexually active, but because my period started to become really painful again, and it was effecting my work and college life. My options were to stay home in the fetal position and take care of myself, or go to school or work and risk fainting from the pain. But when I asked the campus doctor about birth control, she said it wasn't safe for me because I get too many mirgaine headaches that are easily triggered. She said that until the migraines go away, I really should not take it. Instead she told me to take advil every 3-4 hours the week before my period to prepare (which I do-- and which doesn't really help.) So... that is why I am not on it. :/ Has anyone taken Plan B and felt effects weeks after? This is what I need to know-- I do plan on going to get a blood test on Monday or Tuesday, but in the meantime, I am trying to find out as much as I can.
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A
female
reader, fi_the_tree  +, writes (17 December 2011):
 I seriously suggest that if you are so worried about potentially getting pregnant, you should look at other forms of contraception (aside from the pill if you don't think it's right for you) You can't go and buy the morning after pill every time you and your boyfriend 'mess around', that's just ridiculous! Either you make him wear a condom the entire time, or you take it upon yourself to find another form of birth control (i don't know what sorts of contraception are available in America, but in the UK we have lots of different options).
Why not do some research on contraception? I know you're not planning on having sex until after college, but it's better to be safe than sorry right??? Will stop you freaking out whenever you and your boyfriend 'mess around'.
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A
female
reader, tennisstar88 +, writes (17 December 2011):
Potential side effects of Plan B or Plan B One-Step include:
nausea
abdominal pain
fatigue
headache
menstrual changes
dizziness
breast tenderness
vomiting
diarrhea
I highly doubt you're pregnant since you two didn't have intercourse at all. There is a bit of sperm in precum, but not enough to put you at a high risk for a pregnancy.
It does you no good to symptom spot. In fact it's pointless, because all that matters is what the test reads.
If you're that worried you may be pregnant then, I would find a women's clinic and go in for a blood test.
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