The Student Room Group

Emergency contraception and the mini pill

Hi,
I am on Cerazette and have been on it for about four months now. I have always taken it regularly and well within the twelve hour window they give you.

My periods are generally normal however the past couple of months I have been getting two periods a month, two weeks apart.

I accidentally took my pill 12.5 hours late last Tuesday (so half an hour outside the window). I then had sex that night without a condom, and took the pill again at the regular time (normally about 11pm). I suddenly panicked and realised I had unprotected sex so I ordered ellaone the emergency pill that can be taken up to 120 hours after sex. I took it that Friday so within the 120 hour time frame.

I continued taking my pill as normal between that Tuesday and Friday and immediately after taking ellaone and I am still on it. I only just found out yesterday that I if you take the mini pill after ellaone it prevents ellaone working properly and you are supposed to use condoms for 9 days! I didn't do this and I had sex on Saturday night and Sunday night!

I am now really really worried I am pregnant because my period hasn't come on. My last one stated 27th January however I did get about three days of bleeding (more than just spotting I would say) starting 8-12th January. I am not sure if I should count this as day one of my cycle this month or not? If so I am only two days late on my period this month and they are normally a few days late (i.e. More like 30 day cycle than 28).

If I am at the end if my cycle it is a bit more reassuring because I know you are less likely to get pregnant at the end.

I have no sure way of knowing what part of my cycle I am in, I have been getting stomach cramps all day but thy could be due to ovulation which if we are saying my mid cycle bleeding wasn't a period, ovulation would be about now.

I am not sure what to do, I am not going to have sex with my boyfriend until Sunday as that is 9 days after ellaone. I really hope I come on my period soon. I would take another ellaone to protect myself from the sex I had at the weekend but I know I can't have two ellaones in the same cycle, plus I think all the birth controls I have been taking might affect it.

I am so worried, I have done three pregnancy tests and all negative, I even did a clearblue ovulation test to see if I am ovulating to give me an idea of where in my cycle I am and they came back negative.

I am thinking of holding off sex until right at the end of the week, testing every other day and including Monday next week. The thing is, if my period was due in the past few days, surely a pregnancy test would pick up something if I take it up to the end of this week as that is basically one week after my period was due.

I have heard you should also test up to 21 days after unprotected sex too.

I just need some advice and reassurance. In hindsight I really regret taking ellaone as I was only half an hour late taking my pill.

Does ellaone really affect the mini pill???
The more usual 'morning after pill', Levonelle, works by giving a large dose of progesterone to delay ovulation, but EllaOne works by interfering with how progesterone works in your body in order to delay ovulation. Because of that, yes, it means that it can affect how your (in this case, progesterone-only) pill works too.

So I am slightly surprised you were offered it rather than Levonelle, even if you were towards the end of the period that Levonelle could work by the end of Friday. Did you get it online?

Having said that, I suspect that taking it on Friday means you are unlikely to have ovulated over the weekend and any stomach cramps are far too early to be anything to do with being pregnant,

It wouldn't be surprising if all this, including the stress, doesn't affect your bleeding pattern. Because you don't normally ovulate using hormonal contraception, that alone can make it irregular.

It's also a bit soon to get a reliable result from a pregnancy test - they normally need 12-15 days after the sex. But testing will be the answer. If you're determined to do lots, Poundland etc tests are considerably cheaper than the big brands and just as reliable.
Reply 2
Original post by unprinted
The more usual 'morning after pill', Levonelle, works by giving a large dose of progesterone to delay ovulation, but EllaOne works by interfering with how progesterone works in your body in order to delay ovulation. Because of that, yes, it means that it can affect how your (in this case, progesterone-only) pill works too.

So I am slightly surprised you were offered it rather than Levonelle, even if you were towards the end of the period that Levonelle could work by the end of Friday. Did you get it online?

Having said that, I suspect that taking it on Friday means you are unlikely to have ovulated over the weekend and any stomach cramps are far too early to be anything to do with being pregnant,

It wouldn't be surprising if all this, including the stress, doesn't affect your bleeding pattern. Because you don't normally ovulate using hormonal contraception, that alone can make it irregular.

It's also a bit soon to get a reliable result from a pregnancy test - they normally need 12-15 days after the sex. But testing will be the answer. If you're determined to do lots, Poundland etc tests are considerably cheaper than the big brands and just as reliable.


Thanks for your reply, I ordered it myself online and went with ellaone as you can take that 5 days after sex, I wasn't sure if levonelle would arrive on time so I wanted to be sure.

I know ellaone stops ovulation but as I am not entirely sure where in my cycle I am I could have been past ovulation.

Ok I will keep testing but I am also expecting my period this week and I didn't come so will a test be accurate now given it's a few days after the missed period? I have heard that is a good time to test. Not sure if my having this unprotected sex at the end of the cycle means I have to wait until the next missed period now next month??
This is the problem with getting emergency contraception online rather than going to a chemist ASAP, alas.

You don't have normal periods when on the pill because that should prevent ovulation. The result is that different women using progesterone-only pills have different bleeding patterns, especially for the first few months: some get spotting, some get a light bleed at a semi-random time, and some find it stops.

The time pregnancy tests take to be reliable is based on the amount of the hormone that's produced from when you become pregnant. Different tests need slightly different amounts, but any modern test should work after two weeks. As you'd normally get a period two weeks after ovulating if you weren't pregnant, that's where the 'wait until your period's due' comes from.

Here, tests before two weeks after the first sex are probably wasted (depending on just how sensitive the tests are, it might be something like 11-12 days) because they wouldn't show it if you were. From two weeks after the last sex, you can take a negative test as 'definitely not pregnant'. (And then many women test again, just to be sure!)

As you're rather unlikely to be pregnant from the later sex, you can relax a bit when a test two weeks after the first sex says 'not'.
Reply 4
Original post by unprinted
This is the problem with getting emergency contraception online rather than going to a chemist ASAP, alas.

You don't have normal periods when on the pill because that should prevent ovulation. The result is that different women using progesterone-only pills have different bleeding patterns, especially for the first few months: some get spotting, some get a light bleed at a semi-random time, and some find it stops.

The time pregnancy tests take to be reliable is based on the amount of the hormone that's produced from when you become pregnant. Different tests need slightly different amounts, but any modern test should work after two weeks. As you'd normally get a period two weeks after ovulating if you weren't pregnant, that's where the 'wait until your period's due' comes from.

Here, tests before two weeks after the first sex are probably wasted (depending on just how sensitive the tests are, it might be something like 11-12 days) because they wouldn't show it if you were. From two weeks after the last sex, you can take a negative test as 'definitely not pregnant'. (And then many women test again, just to be sure!)

As you're rather unlikely to be pregnant from the later sex, you can relax a bit when a test two weeks after the first sex says 'not'.


Ok thanks, when you say I am unlikely to be pregnant from the later sex do you mean the sex that happened last weekend after I took the morning afternoon pill? And is that because the morning after pill prevents ovulation so sex two days after would be unlikely to cause conception (even though I was still taking cerazette which interferes with ellaone?).

That's the only sex I am worriedly about to be honest because the sex before that was when I was only half an hour outside the window for taking my birth control (last week Tuesday) plus I took ellaone which should have prevented any possible conception between that sex and the Friday I took ellaone (I am assuming ellaone overpowers birth control).

I am more worried about the sex at the weekend as that was at a time when I still had ellaone in my system, was taking cerazette and was worried the cerazette wouldn't work due to ellaone.

I took another test this morning and it was negative. I have been avoiding sex all week and will resume again on Sunday night (9 dad afternoon taking ellaone which I said I can do if I am on the mini pill) then I will continue to eat right up until two weeks after the weekend sex so that will be 18th Feb.

I am going away on 20th so I would like to be reassured by then.
Reply 5
Also thought I should add I have been taking tests because my period was due a few days (have a 30 ish day cycle) ago and didn't turn up and I know the tests are reliable after a missed period. The problem is becsuee I had a three day bleed half way through my last cycle I am not sure if that started my cycle again at day 1 for that day...
From what I can see, the EllaOne interferes with the Cerazette and not the other way around.

Yes - if that's right, then if you hadn't already ovulated prior to taking it (unlikely despite one slightly late pill) then EllaOne would have stopped you ovulating for enough days for the weekend sex to be ok.
Reply 7
Original post by unprinted
From what I can see, the EllaOne interferes with the Cerazette and not the other way around.

Yes - if that's right, then if you hadn't already ovulated prior to taking it (unlikely despite one slightly late pill) then EllaOne would have stopped you ovulating for enough days for the weekend sex to be ok.


Ok thanks, also do you ovulate if you miss your pill anywhere in your cycle? The day I missed the pill was either right at the end of the cycle or at around day 10.. I feel ellaone affected the cerazette then it could have prevented ovulation on the Friday I took it, but I took my birth control Friday night Saturday night and Sunday night and had sex Sunday night. That's three days of the cerazette in my body with the ellaone and say on Sunday night the ellaone might have prevented the cerazette working. So I doesn't this mean if that happened I could have ovulated on Sunday?
Reply 8
Original post by unprinted
From what I can see, the EllaOne interferes with the Cerazette and not the other way around.

Yes - if that's right, then if you hadn't already ovulated prior to taking it (unlikely despite one slightly late pill) then EllaOne would have stopped you ovulating for enough days for the weekend sex to be ok.


Also regarding your last point here, sperm can be in your system for 5 days after sex so that's up until tomorrow and surely the ellaone would have affected cerazette that I have been taking all this week and potentially made it inaffective at preventing ovulation, thus I could have ovulated this week and conceived from the sperm in my body since Sunday.

Although on Monday I took an ovulation test and it said I want ovulating...
Reply 9
just to update i came on my period today!! So happy doesn't this mean I am not pregnant?
Yes, it makes it extremely unlikely. Yay!

For the earlier questions...

Original post by Anonymous
Ok thanks, also do you ovulate if you miss your pill anywhere in your cycle?


Because you're taking Cerazette, you're not on a normal cycle. It's also a relatively high dose of progesterone compared to other progesterone-only pills (hence having a wider window in which to take it...)

I don't know if anyone's done the research to see how many women ovulate (and how soon) if they miss / take one pill late. It's going to depend on a number of factors, and ultimately the trials they've done are primarily concerned with answering the questions of 'is it safe?' and 'does it work?', with the latter judged by how many women become pregnant in a year of taking it, rather than that aspect. Apart from the expense, when it fails to stop ovulation, the progesterone also makes it harder to become pregnant via changes in cervical mucus.

Original post by Anonymous
Also regarding your last point here, sperm can be in your system for 5 days after sex so that's up until tomorrow and surely the ellaone would have affected cerazette that I have been taking all this week and potentially made it ineffective at preventing ovulation, thus I could have ovulated this week and conceived from the sperm in my body since Sunday.


If you look at the chances of pregnancy depending on when sex happened in relation to ovulation, they fall off quite rapidly. So some women do become pregnant five days after sex, but it doesn't happen often.

Although on Monday I took an ovulation test and it said I want ovulating...


Given that's within five days of the EllaOne, I would have been surprised if you were...
Original post by unprinted
Yes, it makes it extremely unlikely. Yay!

For the earlier questions...



Because you're taking Cerazette, you're not on a normal cycle. It's also a relatively high dose of progesterone compared to other progesterone-only pills (hence having a wider window in which to take it...)

I don't know if anyone's done the research to see how many women ovulate (and how soon) if they miss / take one pill late. It's going to depend on a number of factors, and ultimately the trials they've done are primarily concerned with answering the questions of 'is it safe?' and 'does it work?', with the latter judged by how many women become pregnant in a year of taking it, rather than that aspect. Apart from the expense, when it fails to stop ovulation, the progesterone also makes it harder to become pregnant via changes in cervical mucus.



If you look at the chances of pregnancy depending on when sex happened in relation to ovulation, they fall off quite rapidly. So some women do become pregnant five days after sex, but it doesn't happen often.



Given that's within five days of the EllaOne, I would have been surprised if you were...


Thank you for all your responses, started bleeding lightly today and it's pinky/brown so worried it's implantation bleeding although sex on Saturday if I ovulated was 6 days ago which I have heard is quite soon to have implantation bleeding. This does reassure me though as I will trust a negative tests by this time next week!
Original post by unprinted
Yes, it makes it extremely unlikely. Yay!

For the earlier questions...



Because you're taking Cerazette, you're not on a normal cycle. It's also a relatively high dose of progesterone compared to other progesterone-only pills (hence having a wider window in which to take it...)

I don't know if anyone's done the research to see how many women ovulate (and how soon) if they miss / take one pill late. It's going to depend on a number of factors, and ultimately the trials they've done are primarily concerned with answering the questions of 'is it safe?' and 'does it work?', with the latter judged by how many women become pregnant in a year of taking it, rather than that aspect. Apart from the expense, when it fails to stop ovulation, the progesterone also makes it harder to become pregnant via changes in cervical mucus.



If you look at the chances of pregnancy depending on when sex happened in relation to ovulation, they fall off quite rapidly. So some women do become pregnant five days after sex, but it doesn't happen often.



Given that's within five days of the EllaOne, I would have been surprised if you were...


I just read that ellaone can be used 5 days after unprotected sex but any sex taking the the pill you have to use extra protection. So the weekend sex might have caused conception in which case I could actually be having implantation bleeding as that can come on a week after conception!!
I'd bet money it's not implantation bleeding. That, when it happens, is some spotting about a week after fertilisation.

Although EllaOne can work that long after the sex, it's another case where you want to take it asap. No point in trying to delay ovulation if it's already happened between the sex and taking it...

Original post by Anonymous
This does reassure me though as I will trust a negative tests by this time next week!


:smile:
Hi guys. I need some help. I'm really bothered. I had intercourse yesterday and i'm about to take emergency contraceptive today and I just found out lately on my calendar track app that my ovulation date is today do you think the pill is still effective? Do I need to drink it tho? Please help. Your response is highly appreicated
Reply 15
Original post by Anonymous
Hi,
I am on Cerazette and have been on it for about four months now. I have always taken it regularly and well within the twelve hour window they give you.

My periods are generally normal however the past couple of months I have been getting two periods a month, two weeks apart.

I accidentally took my pill 12.5 hours late last Tuesday (so half an hour outside the window). I then had sex that night without a condom, and took the pill again at the regular time (normally about 11pm). I suddenly panicked and realised I had unprotected sex so I ordered ellaone the emergency pill that can be taken up to 120 hours after sex. I took it that Friday so within the 120 hour time frame.

....


Might be a silly side note, but when you missed the pill (over 12 hours), you're no longer covered by the contraception and have to start as if it's the first time you're taking the medication. Regardless of taking the emrgency contaception pill. So that means for the next 7 days you have to assume you're not covered by the pill. The information is all inside the patient information leaflet provided in the box or you can find it online at https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.1698.pdf

Take a pregnancy test if you're concerned.
Reply 16
Original post by elenaaaaa_
Hi guys. I need some help. I'm really bothered. I had intercourse yesterday and i'm about to take emergency contraceptive today and I just found out lately on my calendar track app that my ovulation date is today do you think the pill is still effective? Do I need to drink it tho? Please help. Your response is highly appreicated

Yes it's still worth a try. I hope you're doing okay now. Take a test in about 3 weeks if it's negative repeat in a week, I'd it's positive figure out your options.
And when you aren't pregnant or are no longer pregnant figure out some contraception that works best for you so this doesn't happen again :smile:

This is a rather old post so you might want to make a new one of your own for help x

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