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09/28/2016: Updating this post to say that Nordette is back on the market! Hurray!
I got word that Nordette has been phased out. Fret not, here’s a list of alternatives!
Here’s the list of alternatives, in case you can’t get Nordette.
Take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 2 more pills 12 hours later: Femenal, Nordiol
Take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later: Charlize, Lady, Rigevidon 21 + 7, Seif, Trust Pills
Source: The Emergency Contraception Website
As I’ve been feeling like people aren’t reading Emergency Contraception 101 before commenting on this post, I’ve taken the liberty of pasting the content below and updating the FAQs. READ the FAQs before asking, because of the most of the questions I’m still getting are already answered there. Thank you and be safe!
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Emergency Contraception 101
So you had unprotected intercourse. You shouldn’t have, but you did. And now here we are! Fret not, you can fix this. You can use emergency contraception, a.k.a Plan B or the Morning After pill.
Here’s What You Do
- Ensure that it has only been 120 hours since your last unprotected intercourse. The closer you are to the zero hour, the better.
- Buy a pack of Nordette birth control pills. They usually come in a 21-pill pack and the active ingredients are ethinyl estradiol (30 mcg) and levonorgestrel (150 mcg). If you’re in the Philippines, Mercury Drugstore has this for less than 200 PHP. If you can’t get Nordette, see list of alternatives at the top of the page.
- Take 4 active pills at once.
- Wait 12 hours, document your side effects just in case.
- Take 4 more active pills.
- Get yourself to an OB-GYNE sometime this week to discuss more stable birth control methods because this is not healthy.
Rules, Actual Rules (New Section!)
- Take it in at most 120 hours. See FAQ item 1.
- If you vomit within three hours after taking a dose, retake. See FAQ item 10.
- Do NOT have unprotected intercourse in the week after taking ECP. See FAQ item 16.
Notes on Pills
- If the pack you got has 28 pills instead of 21, that’s fine. Each pack has 21 active pills and 7 placebo or reminder pills. Take the active pills.
- The active ingredient you’re really going for is the levonorgestrel, not the ethinyl estradiol.
- Technically, any pill that gives you a total of 1.5 mg of levonorgestrel (0.75 mg doses 12 hours apart) will do.
Notes on Asking Me Questions
- READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
- If you must send me a message, e-mail me at childfreefilipina [at] gmail.com because I don’t get to check this account at all.
- READ THE FAQs. Seriously, if you send me a message asking me about something already in the FAQs, I will respond with READ THE FAQs.
- READ THE FAQs.
Side Effects
As usual, it depends on the person. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, withdrawal bleeding, bloating, cramps, and mood swings. This is because of the intense hormonal spike that you induced. So hopefully if you do this, you do it just this once.
FAQs
I am taking off from this post where a ton of readers left their comments.
- Is it still effective after 120 hours? Some sources say you can go up to 150 hours. After that I guess it would just be a matter of luck.
- Will they ask me for a prescription? Maybe yes, maybe no. Depends on the Mercury Drugstore branch attendees. You either go to every branch until someone sells you a pack, or you lie and say you left your prescription at home but you have been using it for a while. Read this.
- How many times can I use this method? Ideally, never. It screws with your hormones, and after all those side effects I think you wouldn’t want to do this more than once.
- But I bought the pack and it says take one a day for 21 days! Yes, that’s how we normally take the pill. You’re doing the emergency route. Think of it as one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee on a normal day vs. four teaspoons of sugar in a liter of water because you have gastroenteritis.
- Will I die? Extremely unlikely, unless you’re really dodgy on the heart. In which case, go to your OB-GYNE!
- What if I’m too scared of the side effects you talked about? Well then you’re just going to have to deal with the side effects of being pregnant which, surprise, are exactly the same! With the very small difference that you have to take care of a child for the next 18 years.
- If it doesn’t work and I get pregnant, will it affect the baby? No, it’s just hormones. When you take it, you basically have the hormones of four pregnant women in you. Crazy side effects, but won’t cause birth defects.
- What if I’m too ashamed to buy the pills? Get one of your more adventurous friends to buy it for you, or just suck it up because if you’re too ashamed to buy pills then good luck dealing with the social stigma of an unintended pregnancy.
- What if I’m not experiencing any side effects?! That is some superhuman strength right there I tell you. Just be calm and take a pregnancy test next month.
- Do I need to retake it if I vomit? “If you vomit within three hours of taking the ECP, you should see your pharmacist, doctor, or Family Planning clinic for advice and further tablets.” (Pharmacy Live)
- Can I take this while on my period? Yeah okay but since you’re already on your period and if you had intercourse just 120 hours ago, your menstrual cycle says you’re safe.
- How will I know it worked??? I know you’re worried AF, but besides taking a pregnancy test or waiting for your period, I don’t know. And if the digging I’ve done on the subject on the internet is to be trusted, nobody does either. There are a lot of factors that go into this (where you are in your cycle, what contraceptives you took, etc) so there’s really just no way of knowing immediately after taking ECP that it worked. Go ask reddit if you want more people to weigh in on that, but users there agreed that we just. Don’t. Know. Yes it’s a hassle but I can’t do anything about this. See also: FAQ item 13.
- It’s been several days since I took ECP, and now I’m bleeding, and it’s darker and less heavy than my normal period. What is happening? This is the withdrawal bleeding I mentioned earlier. It’s a fake period, and is NOT the start of your actual period. Why does it happen? Because you ingested a ton of hormones and when those hormones leave your body, you go through withdrawal just like with any other drug. With normal pill users, the withdrawal bleed happens on day 24 or day 25. Basically, pill users don’t ever actually menstruate, it’s all fake. Read this if you want to learn the nitty-gritty of pill use. As for your period, you’re going to have to be patient; it may be delayed due to the ECP. Just stay calm. If you want to be absolutely sure, then take a pregnancy test a month after the unprotected intercourse happened.
- Can I take more than 8? No. Put that pill pack down, you’re going to be fine.
- I haven’t taken any pills before, can I do this? Yes. Also consider going on the pill to avoid more of these episodes.
- Can I have unprotected sex right after I do this emergency procedure? Seriously? SERIOUSLY? Let’s put it this way… You left the stove on and the house almost burned down. You managed to put out the fire. And you’re going to leave the stove on again? Come on now. “ECPs are only good to protect against one act of unprotected sex. They work by blocking ovulation, but only for a few days, so if you take them and have unprotected sex again afterwards, you’re significantly increasing your risk of a pregnancy. If you have unprotected sex again within a few days of taking the pills, there will be more sperm waiting in the fallopian tubes when the egg is eventually released.” (Bedsider.org 2014)
- What do I do with the 13 leftover pills? Keep it in your purse if you think you’ll need it again.
- (New!) What happens if I take the second dose after 24 or 32 or whatever not-12-hours? Girl IDK don’t do it, the instructions say 12, do it in 12, k? Tnx.
- (New!) When can I start taking pills regularly? After you’ve verified that you’re not pregnant. Go see an OB-GYNE if you can!
Other Methods
- You can try to procure the real Plan B, just make sure that you’re getting it from a supplier you can trust. This supplier quotes it at 3000 – 3500 PHP.
- I have heard that Vitamin C can be used as an emergency contraceptive but I do not endorse it. I don’t know anyone who’s done this.
- You can get a copper IUD inserted by your OB-GYNE within 120 hours and it will also work as emergency contraception. Cost is 2500 PHP and up, and you can keep using it for the next 12 years. According to the US CDC, it’s 99.92% effective. Read this if you’re considering it. Not for the squeamish!
mar said:
20th day na po ngayon after ko mag take ng ecp perp hanggang ngayon wala parin pong WB meron po kaya nabuo kaya di pa rin nadating? help po medyo nakakapraning na po.
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Karla Andres said:
ano na nangyari sayo ngayon?
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Jenny Kim said:
Hi! May side effect po ba ung trust pill nung tinry niyo siya? Kasi we did it around 1:30pm unprotected. Then around 12am I took 4 pills of Trust Pill. Then 12pm uminom ako ulit pero sumuka ko after drinking 2 pills. Ang ginawa ko uminom na lang ako ulit ng 4 pills by 12:15pm after cleaning up. Effective pa kaya yon? Please help. Thank you.
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UNKNOWN AND TEENAGER said:
Nadatnan ka po ba ng wb?
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Jenny Kim said:
Yes. I dunno if this is WB. Kasi dumating siya on the same day of my expected period date e. I’ll check after neto with PT for assurance.
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UNKNOWN AND TEENAGER said:
HELPPP!!!!
Hi, Nagkaroo po ako ng unprotected sex yesterday around 5 pm pero expected na today yung period ko (May 9) Withdrawal method po yung ginawa namin pero before that unprotected sex, we did have make love earlier that day then Blinowjob ko rin siya which is nalabasan siya (sa blowjob and sa protected sex) Magtatake sana ako ng Lady Pill or Trust pill if walang nordette, pero is it safe for me to take it kahit expected period ko today? 😭 I badly need help pls reply
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yikes said:
Hi so it’s my first time encounter and I was really anxious about it, we used a condom but idk if it broke or what so just to b sure i took the plan b, days after I experienced withdrawal of white thing in my vag area and also some irritation and itch in my vulva, do you think it’s yeast infection caused by imbalanced hormones? Anyone has experienced this? Should I check on an Ob? Thank u.
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Lalah said:
Hi anyone here also have polycystic ovaries?? Ive been diagnosed with it since 2011. Is it true mahrap mag concieve women who have those?
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Paranoid said:
Hi its been 37 days since wb ng gf ko. Normal ba yun na ganun katagal? Akala ko 1 month after ng wb dapat magkakaroon na ng regular period. Bakit wala pa din? Meron na ba case dito na nagkaroon wb pero naging pregnant? Thanks sa makakasagot.
Ps: Malakas yung wb niya and with clots pa
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KAYE said:
hi yung active pills ba ay yung light-colored sa trust pills?
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KAYE said:
Alam ko na pala hahaha
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lene said:
Help me guys kung may nakaeperoence na ba nitong case ko. sobrang nagwoworied tuloy ako. we had sex last oct.15. naiputok nya sa loob kasi sbi nya safe naman daw pag inihi ko. nag pee ako pero worried ako. I take 4 trust pill nung gani 4 kinabukasan. malaki n ba ang chances nun na hindi mabuntis? katatapos lng ng mens ko nung oct.13
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Elira said:
Normally you are safe 3 days before and after your period.
But please, peeing after sex DOES NOT clean your vagina of sperms, it’s still 100% possible to get pregnant. Idk where tf did your bf hear that rumor or whatever but it does not work that way. The hole of the vagina is different from where you pee, it’s totally unrelated.
If you took the pills according to the instructions, most probably it worked.
Just wait for a month then take the PT after. Good luck.
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John said:
No offense, pero ang bobo naman cguro ng bf mo para sabihing hindi nakaka buntis pag umihi.
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Elira said:
Hello person reading this, you’re probably fretting over whether or not your ECP worked, whether or not you’ll be pregnant or not, I’m here to tell you my experience.
My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex Sept 6, 2019 around 3-4pm. I’ve been having regular period, my monthly cycle is around 31 days, and my expected period was supposed to be 5 days after that, so around Sept 13. Before that, we’ve always only used the withdrawal method and no condoms or anything contraceptive (I know, ang lakas ng loob namin HAHA). Even though he didn’t cum inside at all, this time I felt that something was wrong and I went on to buy Lady pills from Mercury Drugstore near my house. No, the kuya did not ask me for a prescription or anything, I just asked for it calmly and paid for it, (50 pesos).
Sept 6, 7:15pm: I ate 4 pills, no side reaction or anything, I felt just fine, ate dinner just fine, slept around 12 just fine.
Sept 7, 7:15am: took the next 4 pills then went back to sleep, woke up around 9am
9:55am: feeling slightly dizzy and stomach ache
10:38am: suuuuuper dizzy, can barely do anything
Rest of the day: feeling really dizzy, want to vomit (but didn’t vomit anything) still ate lunch and dinner because I don’t usually skip meals
Side effects decreased after drinking lots of water and having a good sleep.
Sept 12, five days after taking ECP: withdrawal bleeding. I was really confused whether or not this was my period for the month since it’s around the same day. But eventually the flow is much heavier than normal so I think it was WB. It lasted 3 days until Sept 15.
For the rest of the month, I was really nervous. I constantly felt dizzy at times, had no appetite to eat, and stomach ache and such. I know I can’t take a pregnancy test this early, so I just had to wait until at least a month. Some people’s period usually comes early after taking ECP, so I was panicking in the first week of October when nothing was happening. Being nervous made me even more dizzy and stomach ache was worse. I read a lot of stories about taking ECP, etc etc…. most were successful, but the others said they still got pregnant. I was affected by these stories and couldn’t get proper sleep for many nights.
I took a PT on Oct 8 using my first urine in the morning, it was negative. I felt very very much relieved. As long as the PT is negative, it’s almost 100% sure the ECP worked and that I’m not pregnant. I took another PT 2 weeks later at the morning of Oct 21, it’s a negative. Lo and behold, that very same evening, my period came. And my life is saved.
Stay calm. Being nervous only stalls your period even more. The only way to make sure you’re not pregnant is to take a PT or go to the hospital for a blood test at least 4 weeks after having sex or the week after your expected period. Get enough sleep and eat properly, maintain your usual lifestyle. Most importantly, talk to your significant other for comfort and plan for the worst situations. When you’re prepared, your mind is at peace and your body should function as it should do. I feel sad having to resort to these methods and traumas because the PH refuses to acknowledge that abortion is a right for women to decide for their own well being. Hopefully one day Philippines will progress to become better and break free from the shameless shackles of the Catholic Church.
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Robina said:
Hello, 2 months nako halos walang period, and suddenly yung boyfriend ko nag intercourse kami without protection, kailangan ko paba ng emergency birth control. Irregular kc ako
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destiny said:
Pls Pls.Help me.. I have unprotected sex last week. Sa tingin ko safe ako kc katatapos lng ng period ko nun Thurs then we had sex ng sat then s loob hndi nawithdraw ng Bf ko. Kaso nagworry ako sa nagtake ako ng Ecp. Pero nagkablood ako kgbi parang regular mens pero hndi gaano kalakas. Pls help me,l kung ano un? and ayoko kc tlaga magbuntis hndi pwede.
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Cy said:
first kahit kakatapos lang ng period mo hindi parin safe yun lalo na kung hindi kayo withdrawal. pero kung sinunod mo yung tamang paginom ng ecp then dinugo ka na possible na tumalab na siya. wait mo nalang ma regular ulit cycle mo. suggest ko lang na kung ayaw mo talaga mabuntis and di niyo kaya mag pigil ng bf mo uminom ka na ng pills regularly dahil mas safe pa yun. kung tamad ka mag pills mag palagay ka nalang ng copper iud. free lang naman yan sa likhaan. do your research
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Destiny said:
salamat sa suggestions.. Try ko inquire ng copper
sana tlga safe n to kc prang regular mens n dn ang lakas pero kttapos ko lng last march 18
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destiny said:
Normal lang b tlaga yung ganito na sobrang lakas ng WB? tapos buo buo nalabas. Sure na to na sign na hndi mabubuntis?
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Vic said:
Meron pa po bang makakausap dito? sobrang worried ko na.
Saktong 1 month after unprotected course today, until now wala pa kong period.
Nagkaroon ako ng Withdrawal bleeding last month March 25
pero ang regular mens ko every 14 or 15. until today 19th wala pa din ung Mens ;(
nag Pt ako nung 15 negative naman pero nakakaworry lng kc..
Pls Enlighten me kun normal bang magbago ang date ng period?
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Guess said:
Hi kamusta ka po? wala rin akong makausap ngayon about sa situation ko.
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