What are the side effects of the emergency contraceptive pill, Levonorgestrel?

Levonorgestrel is an ingredient found in contraception, both regular contraception such as daily contraceptive pills, IUDs and emergency contraception. This article is about all the things you need to know about the levonorgestrel emergency contraception pill.

Before reading the rest of this article, it’s useful to know that there are two types of emergency contraceptive pills available in the UK. One is ulipristal acetate, which is the main ingredient of the morning after pill, ellaOne. The other type is Levonorgestrel, and as mentioned above, it’s not only used in emergency contraception, but is also a common hormone found in daily contraceptive pills.

Both types of emergency contraceptive pills work to reduce the risk of pregnancy after unprotected sex.

Similar to emergency contraception pills using ulipristal acetate, such as ellaOne, emergency contraceptive pills using levonorgestrel as their active ingredient work by delaying ovulation. Unlike ellaOne, these emergency contraceptive pills can be used up to 3 days or 72 hours after unprotected sex. Levonorgestrel is most effective if taken in the first 12 hours following an unprotected sexual incident, so if you know you need to take it, you should take it as soon as possible, rather than waiting until the third day.

Both types of emergency contraceptive pills won’t affect an existing pregnancy, and emergency contraceptive pills are not the same as abortion pills. It’s important to note that emergency contraceptive pills won’t protect against STIs, using a condom is the best way to prevent the transmission of STIs as they create a physical barrier between yourself and your partner.

If you’re researching your options, knowing everything about levenorgestrel, including the possible side effects, can help you decide which type of emergency contraception is best for you.

Like all medicines, emergency contraceptives containing levonorgestrel can cause side effects, although not everybody will get them.

Very common side effects of Levonorgestrel (affecting 1 in 10 or more people) include:

• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Lower abdominal pain
• Spotting or irregular bleeding until your next period

If you’re sick within 3 hours of taking any emergency contraceptive pill, including levonorgestrel, you might need to take another dose. You can speak to a pharmacist if this happens.

Levonorgestrel does not impact an existing pregnancy and cannot cause an abortion. If your period is more than 5 days later than normal, take a pregnancy test in case the levonorgestrel didn’t work.

Find out more about the side effects of ellaOne here. Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to help you understand the options most suitable for you.

If you’ve recently had a baby and are breastfeeding, you’re probably going to be worried about what you’re putting into your body in case it passes through breast milk to your baby.

Emergency contraceptives with levonorgestrel are thought to be safe to use while breastfeeding. Only a small amount passes through breastmilk, and no short or long-term side effects have been reported. It is, however, recommended that you wait for 8 hours to breastfeed after taking the emergency contraceptive pill with Levonorgestrel.

With emergency contraceptive pills containing ulipristal acetate, like ellaOne, there isn’t enough evidence for scientists to be able to confirm how it would impact your baby. We recommend that you don’t breastfeed for a week after taking ellaOne; instead, express milk to stimulate lactation, then discard it.

If you’re breastfeeding and need to take emergency contraceptives, it’s always best to talk to a pharmacist just to be sure. This helps keep you and your baby safe.

The other type of emergency contraception pill available in the UK is ellaOne, which contains ulipristal acetate rather than levonorgestrel. Similar to levonorgestrel, ellaOne works by delaying ovulation.

But, there are some key differences between the two types of medication

If levonorgestrel isn’t right for you, that’s okay. There are other options. ellaOne works in a similar way and can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex. If you would like to learn more about how ellaOne works, when to take it, possible side effects and why it’s been trusted worldwide by women for over 15 years, you can read more on our dedicated page.

It’s important to remember that no emergency contraception is 100% effective. If your period is late, unusually light, or unusual for you, you should take a pregnancy test to find out for sure.