On the 1st of this month, I took emergency contraception, and afterwards I had my period. The period was...
Disease description:
On the 1st of this month, I took emergency contraceptive pills. A few days later, my menstrual period lasted about five days, with a flow similar to that of a normal period. However, since the end of my period, I have started experiencing some physical discomfort, including mild abdominal distension and pain, breast tenderness, and significant mood swings. I would like to know whether these symptoms are related to taking the emergency contraceptive pills. Should I go to the hospital for an examination?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Lu
Emergency contraceptive pills are high-dose hormonal medications, primarily containing progestin, and are used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. Due to their high hormone content, taking emergency contraceptive pills may affect a woman's menstrual cycle, including causing earlier or delayed menstruation, as well as changes in menstrual flow and duration.
Some women may experience side effects after taking emergency contraceptive pills, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, breast tenderness, abdominal pain, fatigue, and mood changes. If menstruation lasts longer than a week, involves abnormally heavy bleeding, or is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly to rule out the possibility of other gynecological conditions.
It is advisable to use more reliable long-term contraceptive methods, such as oral contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), contraceptive injections, and others, to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy.
