The common side effects of the Julie pill (levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive) include nausea, headaches, stomach pain, dizziness, fatigue, and breast tenderness, along with temporary changes in menstrual bleeding like spotting, lighter, or heavier periods, which usually resolve within a few days to a cycle. While generally mild, severe symptoms like intense abdominal pain warrant immediate medical attention as they could signal an ectopic pregnancy.
If you think you may have a serious medical problem, get medical help right away. Nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, tiredness, dizziness, changes in vaginal bleeding, breast tenderness, or headache may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Common side effects of the combined pill
Bleeding between periods (breakthrough bleeding) or changes to your periods are common in the first few months. Taking the pill can cause high blood pressure in a small number of people. Some people report headaches, feeling sick or dizzy, and sore breasts.
There are a few different side effects that are common, like changes in your period, nausea, lower stomach pain, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and breast tenderness. These symptoms typically go away within a few hours and shouldn't last more than a couple of days.
Risks
A delayed or early period is actually one of the most common side effects of taking the morning-after pill. Levonorgestrel, the hormone in Julie, delays ovulation, which can move the timing of your cycle back a few days.
They should fade as your body adjusts to the hormones. These minor side effects include irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. People may feel them for a few days up to a few months. If yours last longer than 3 months, talk to your doctor.
Both Plan B and Julie have the same ingredient—levonorgestrel—which is FDA-approved and legal in all 50 states. When used correctly, it can significantly reduce your chance of getting pregnant.
Taking an emergency contraceptive like Plan B® or a generic version can cause significant changes to your menstrual cycle that may last several months. While most women experience temporary disruption, some notice their periods remain irregular for an extended time after taking emergency contraception.
You can start the pill at any time during your menstrual cycle, as long as you're not pregnant. If you take it during the first 5 days of your period, you'll be immediately protected against pregnancy. If you take it on any other day of your period, you should use additional contraception such as condoms for 7 days.
There are many pills that can be cut in half. If your tablet has a score line on it, typically it's OK to split it. Extended-release tablets, capsules, and pills with special coatings on the outside usually can't be split or opened. Always check with a pharmacist before splitting any pills.
Key takeaways:
Take one pill every day for 21 days (this is the amount of pills in one strip, you will have three strips in each packet). Start on the first or second day of your period, or you may be advised to start straight away by the nurse and use additional precautions (condoms) for the first seven days.
How it Works: Emergency contraceptive pills work by temporarily delaying ovulation, preventing the release of an egg so that sperm cannot fertilize it. They do not affect an existing pregnancy. Julie is used by millions, and a reliable option for preventing pregnancy when needed.
How does Julie™ work? Julie works before release of an egg from the ovary. As a result, Julie usually stops or delays TM the release of an egg from the ovary. Julie is one tablet that contains a higher dose of levonorgestrel than birth control pills and works in a similar way to prevent pregnancy.
Taking the Medication
Wait 30 minutes to one hour and then take the emergency contraception pill. It is helpful to take the pill with food, and not on an empty stomach. Your period may start a few days earlier or a few days later than expected.
Classic signs and symptoms of pregnancy
Safety. Side effects from the use of ECPs are similar to those of oral contraceptive pills, such as nausea and vomiting, slight irregular vaginal bleeding, and fatigue. Side effects are not common, they are mild, and will normally resolve without further medications.
If periods don't come within 2–3 weeks, consult a doctor. Maximum delay in periods if not pregnant? A normal cycle can go up to 35 days. If your period is delayed more than 40 days and you're not pregnant, it's best to get checked to rule out any medical issues.
Early period: If your period comes a few days earlier than expected, this can be a sign that the pill worked, as your body responds to the hormonal shift. Late period: A slightly delayed period isn't necessarily a cause for concern either. Hormonal changes can push your period back as far as a week.
A number of other medications can make it less effective. Plan B may interact with topiramate (Topamax), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro), and St. John's wort. Efavirenz (Sustiva) and rifampin (Rifadin) can also interact with Plan B.
Take an emergency contraception pill (AKA the morning-after pill) within 120 hours (5 days) after having unprotected sex. The morning-after pill only works if you take it before you ovulate — so take it as soon as possible to be on the safe side.
The most commonly reported adverse effects are alterations of menstrual bleeding patterns, nausea, abdominal/pelvic pain, headache/migraine, dizziness, fatigue, amenorrhea, ovarian cysts, genital discharge, acne/seborrhea, breast tenderness, and vulvovaginitis.
Possible side effects for a small number of people who take the pill can include:
Taking the emergency contraceptive levonorgestrel, aka Julie or Plan B, can cause symptoms like spotting (irregular bleeding between periods), a heavier or lighter menstrual flow, a shorter or longer period, or an early or delayed period. These side effects are common and shouldn't last beyond one menstrual cycle.