• Bleeding after Program B is normal — information technology could be spotting or a sign of an early period.
  • You may also experience symptoms like breast tenderness, dizziness, nausea, and headache.
  • But it could be implantation bleeding if information technology occurs x-14 days afterward you've final ovulated.
  • Visit Insider'southward Health Reference library for more advice.

Program B, also chosen the forenoon-after pill, stops you from getting significant by interfering with your menstrual cycle. This means you might notice irregular bleeding after taking the pill.

While some unexpected bleeding is normal, spotting can also be a sign of implantation, one of the early stages of pregnancy.

Here'southward how to interpret your mail-Plan B bleeding to determine if Programme B worked, or not.

Does Programme B brand y'all bleed?

Bleeding tin can start whatsoever time later taking Plan B — some people get-go bleeding as early on equally eight hours later.

"It is common for there to be unexpected or atypical bleeding after taking Plan B," says Felice Gersh, Medico, the medical director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine. The reason plan B can cause some haemorrhage has to exercise with how it works.

Plan B works to prevent pregnancy by stopping or delaying ovulation. It does this past supplying a synthetic version of progesterone, a hormone your body naturally makes, says Abigail Cutler, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin.

Having high levels of progesterone can trigger your torso to shed the lining of your uterus. When this lining is expelled from your vagina, it shows upward as spotting or bleeding.

"This alter in hormone levels is too the reason that some people experience a change in the expected timing of their menstruum following Plan B," Cutler says.

Plan B can trigger your period to come early on, then bleeding or spotting may exist a sign that it's working, Gersh says.

Co-ordinate to a 2006 study of people who took Plan B:

  • 21% of people got their period two or more days early
  • 24% of people got their period ii or more days late
  • About 15% of people had spotting earlier their period, which lasted an average of two and a half days

You can tell the departure between spotting and your period because spotting tends to exist shorter and much lighter than your usual bleeding.

Virtually people should expect their menses within three weeks of taking Plan B, Cutler says. "If you don't get a period within iii weeks, it's a good idea to take a home pregnancy test to make sure the pill worked," says Cutler.

Program B bleeding vs. implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of your uterus — this is typically the first stage of pregnancy, meaning Program B didn't work.

There are a few ways to tell the divergence between spotting, implantation bleeding, and your menses:

Alyssa Powell/Insider

Your period may also come early if you have Plan B. The menstrual blood should be similar to your usual period, but it may be darker and stickier than usual.

If y'all think you may have implantation haemorrhage, y'all should expect at least three days from the commencement of bleeding to take a pregnancy exam. This will give your torso time to build upward pregnancy hormones and requite you an authentic result.

Other side effects of Plan B

In addition to bleeding, Programme B tin can cause other side effects, including:

  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Lower belly hurting or cramps
  • Feeling empty-headed
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Tenderness in your breasts

The most common side effects of Program B are nausea and cramping, while vomiting and diarrhea are rarer.

When to run across a doctor

In rare cases, bleeding later on taking Plan B can be a sign of something more serious, peculiarly if it comes with other symptoms like severe intestinal pain.

Mostly, bleeding after Plan B shouldn't last much longer than a calendar week, and so prolonged haemorrhage can be a sign of a trouble like an ectopic pregnancy or may lead to a dangerous amount of blood loss.

Information technology's likewise concerning if your bleeding is likewise heavy, significant yous accept to change your pad or tampon at to the lowest degree every two hours for longer than a day, Gersh says.

If yous're having any of these symptoms after taking Plan B, it'south best to meet your gynecologist to make sure there isn't a more serious result.

Other symptoms that should raise an alarm include:

  • Sudden or severe abdomen pain
  • Itching and a rash
  • Airsickness within two hours of taking the pill

Also, if whatsoever of the normal side furnishings like nausea or cramping last more than a twenty-four hours or feel severe to you, it's all-time to get medical attention, Gersh says.

Insider'due south takeaway

It'due south normal to experience bleeding later taking Program B, especially if y'all go your period early or but have light spotting. It's also normal to have mild side effects, such every bit nausea or cramps.

But if your symptoms experience severe or your bleeding doesn't stop after a calendar week, information technology's all-time to accomplish out to your doctor to bank check if in that location is a more than serious issue.

Madeline Kennedy is a wellness writer for Insider covering a wide range of topics including reproductive and sexual health, mental wellness, nutrition, and communicable diseases. Earlier joining Insider, Madeline worked as a wellness news writer for Reuters, and a domestic violence therapist. She has a master's degree in social work from UPenn and is interested in the intersection of health and social justice.