Can you take 2 plan b in the same month

When your regular form of birth control fails—whether it's a broken condom or missed oral contraceptive—using emergency contraception can help prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

While it's perfectly safe to take a morning-after pill, should you be concerned if you've taken it more than once, or even countless times? And could it affect your ability to get pregnant in the future? We asked experts to weigh in.

The most common morning-after pills are over-the-counter tablets containing higher doses of levonorgestrel, a synthetic progestin hormone that is also in oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

These pills work by preventing the ovary from releasing an egg or delaying the release of an egg, which in turn lowers the risk of sperm fertilizing an egg. You might know them by brand names such as Plan B One-Step.

You don't have to wait until the actual morning after to get or take the pill. You do have the option to get emergency contraception in advance; additionally, if you have unprotected sex, emergency contraception works best when it's taken as soon as possible, according to the Office on Women's Health (OWH).

Morning-after pills aren't 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, but they "can prevent up to over 95% of pregnancies when taken within five days after intercourse," according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Of note, morning-after pills are not intended to be used as routine birth control, per the OWH, as using them for that reason has not received FDA approval. The OWH added that the correct use of regular birth control pills (taking them daily and on time) is much more effective than emergency contraception for pregnancy prevention.

While morning-after pills won't have harmful long-term effects on your body, taking them multiple times can turn your hormones upside-down, said Sherry A. Ross, MD, a Los Angeles-based OB-GYN and author of "She-ology." "It's temporarily harmful in that you will have irregular bleeding and may feel emotionally unraveled," Dr. Ross told Health. "But once you stop taking it, your body will have the opportunity to reset."

Orlando-based OB-GYN Christine Greves, MD, a fellow of the American Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, agreed with Dr. Ross. You might experience unpleasant side effects after taking Plan B, Dr. Greves explained, including nausea and lower abdominal cramps in addition to irregular bleeding. Other short-term effects might include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, or breast pain, per the OWH.

Although taken less often, Ella, another type of morning-after pill available with a prescription, also won't have long-term effects on your health, Dr. Greves said. But Dr. Greves did note that you shouldn't take other forms of birth control pills that contain progesterone for at least five days after using Ella, because it could interfere with the pill's effectiveness.

However, if you've taken the morning-after pill countless times, you might want to speak to a gynecologist about alternate contraceptive options, said Bat-Sheva Lerner Maslow, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Extend Fertility in New York City.

Dr. Maslow pointed out that it's better to have a reliable form of contraception than constantly turning to emergency ones. If you struggle to remember to take birth control pills, for example, long-term contraception such as an intrauterine device (IUD) can make forgetfulness a non-issue.

Even if you don't already have an IUD, you also have the option to have a "copper T IUD inserted within five days of unprotected sex," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Say you had unprotected sex and took the morning-after pill. Would that same pill prevent pregnancy if you then had unprotected sex again a few days after taking it? To play it safe, it's best to take Plan B after every unprotected sexual encounter, experts said.

"In theory, it should cover you until your next period because of the changes it causes in the uterine lining," Dr. Maslow explained, "but I wouldn't necessarily recommend relying on it as a proactive form of birth control."

Can taking Plan B make it difficult to get pregnant when you do want to down the road? Fortunately, all experts we polled were in agreement on this: The morning-after pill won't have any long-term effects on future fertility.

The bottom line: While taking Plan B or another type of morning-after pill multiple times likely won't do any harm, you shouldn't use it as your main form of birth control. Experts agree that you should turn to birth control pills, an IUD, condoms, or other proactive forms of birth control instead. When all else fails, though, Plan B is safe to take to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

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A question we often get asked at Smart Chemist is, how many times can I use the morning after pill in a month, or during the same menstrual cycle?

In order for us to answer this question we have to look at the different forms of emergency contraception that are currently available, and what the guidelines are for multiple use for each pill.

Emergency contraception, commonly referred to as the morning after pill, is a form of oral hormonal contraception which can be used to prevent the likelihood of pregnancy following unprotected sex. Although we always advise the practice of safe sex and the use of contraceptives including barrier methods (eg. condoms), all of us have been in a position were we may have got caught up in the moment, or our regular form of contraception has failed. In such a situation, if you or your partner is ovulating there is a high risk that they could become pregnant. However, for many people an unplanned pregnancy is not always desirable and sometimes it can be quite a scary prospect. In such circumstances emergency contraception is an effective way of reducing the chances of you or your partner becoming pregnant after having unprotected sex.

There are two main forms of the morning after pill which are currently available in the UK, Levonelle (Levonorgestrel 1.5mg) and ellaOne (ulipristal acetate). Both these forms of emergency contraception contain different active ingredients, however they work to produce the same results. Although their mode of action is slightly different, they work to reduce the chances of pregnancy by preventing ovulation and making sure the conditions are not suitable for implantation of a fertilized egg.

Levonelle – taken as a single dose of Levonorgestrel 1.5mg, it can be used up to 72 hours (3 days) after having unprotected sex. The effectiveness of Levonelle however starts to decline the later the medication is taken. If taken within the first 12-24 hours Levonelle can be up to 95% effective at preventing pregnancy, however between 48-72 hours this falls to almost 60%. An advantage of Levonelle however is that it can be used multiple times during the same menstrual cycle, and therefore can be used more than once in any given month. This means if you were to find find yourself in a similar situation 1-2 weeks later, Levonelle remains a viable option for you.

ellaOne – also taken as a single dose of Ulipristal acetate 30mg, it can be used up to 120 hours (5 days) after having unprotected sex. Unlike Levonelle, ellaOne remains up to 95% effectiveness up until day 5, meaning 24 hours after having unprotected sex, ellaOne is the most effective morning after pill at preventing the risk of pregnancy. For this reason, we always advise women for whom ellaOne is suitable, and not contraindicated, to use it as the morning after pill of choice in such a situation. Unlike Levonelle however, ellaOne can only be used once during the same menstrual cycle. This means that if you were to find yourself in a situation 1-2 weeks later were you’ve had unprotected sex however you are still in the same menstrual cycle, ellaOne would no longer be an option.

To conclude, both forms of emergency contraception have their own distinct advantages. Levonelle 1.5mg tablets can be used more than once in the same month (or menstrual cycle), whereas ellaOne can only be used a single time per cycle. Levonelle however is not as effective at preventing pregnancy after 24 hours, and can be used up to a maximum of 72 hours after unprotected sex. Whereas ellaOne is up to 95% up until day 5 (120 hours) following unprotected sex, and has a longer window of use.

If you’ve had unprotected sex or your regular form of contraception has failed and you require the morning after pill, you can buy Levonelle 1.5mg tablets and ellaOne 30mg tablets online at Smart Chemist, with next day delivery available. If you require a standby supply of the morning after pill for future use, you can buy ellaOne 30mg tablets and Levonelle 1.5mg tablets online at Smart Chemist through our discreet and confidential online pharmacy service. For more information click here or visit our website.

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