Drugs Q & A

Can You Drink Alcohol With Plan B?

Plan B One-Step is an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pill designed to help prevent pregnancy after you have unprotected sex or in the event of a birth control failure. Unlike regular birth control methods, which are used before or during sex, Plan B is used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or following a contraceptive accident.

Plan B comes in a one-pill dose (levonorgestrel 1.5 mg). If taken within 72 hours (three days) and preferably within 12 hours of a contraceptive accident or unprotected sex, Plan B can prevent pregnancy.

How Does Plan B Work?

Depending upon where you are in your cycle, levonorgestrel helps prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. It may prevent or delay ovulation. Plan B is not the same as RU-486, which is an abortion pill. It does not cause a miscarriage or abortion. It will not work if you are already pregnant when you take it. Learn more about how emergency contraception works.

How effective is it?

If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, this form of EC can reduce the chance of pregnancy by 75 to 89 percent.

According to Plan B’s manufacturer, the sooner you take the pill, the more effective it is.

Certain medications can alter its effectiveness.

If you take any of the following, speak with a healthcare professional before buying Plan B:

•          rifampin (an antibiotic)

•          griseofulvin (an antifungal)

•          St. John’s wort (an herb)

•          seizure medications, including carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and primidone

•          some HIV medications, including efavirenz

What if you take it after 72 hours?

Although the manufacturers advise taking Plan B within 3 days of unprotected sex, you can take it up to 5 days after penis-in-vagina sex.

Research has found that Plan B is “moderately effective” when taken between 72 and 120 hours after sex.

But remember that its effectiveness decreases the longer you wait.

Is there a weight limit?

There’s no official weight limit for Plan B. But the pill may not be as effective for people who have a BMI of 30 or more or weigh 155 pounds or more. After conflicting results, some researchers have recommended a greater level of counseling for people who fall into those two categories. But they point out that there’s no reason to restrict Plan B.

 More research is needed into whether a higher weight and BMI decreases the effectiveness of Plan B. For now, you’re free to take it, no matter how much you weigh.

How to Take Plan B

Plan B can be purchased over the counter at drugstores without a prescription or proof of age. Because it is most effective when taken as soon as possible (up to 72 hours after unprotected sex), consider having a ready supply in your medicine cabinet. Better yet, use a reliable form of birth control, and plan for a backup method of birth control.

Can you drink alcohol with Plan B?

You should avoid taking medications with alcohol even though it is considered safe to drink alcohol after taking the emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel). According to Drugs.com, there is no mention of a potentially harmful interaction between alcohol and levonorgestrel on the prescribing information packets for Plan B One-Step or the two-dose Plan B. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also does not include Plan B or any other contraceptive method on its list of commonly used medicines that have known interactions with alcohol.

While consuming alcohol after Plan B is not considered dangerous, some of the potential side effects of Plan B may be worsened by alcohol. For example, Plan B can sometimes cause side effects such as:

  • Tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness

Drinking alcohol can also cause these symptoms, potentially leading to more or worsened side effects if combined with Plan B. Other side effects of Plan B include lower abdominal pain and menstrual changes.

You can also find useful information on What Are The Signs That Plan B Didn’t Work Properly?

<

Dr. Oche Otorkpa PG Cert, MPH, PhD

Dr. Oche is a seasoned Public Health specialist who holds a post graduate certificate in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, an MPH, and a PhD both from Texila American University. He is a member of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK. He authored two books: "The Unseen Terrorist," published by AuthorHouse UK, and "The Night Before I Killed Addiction."
Back to top button

Adblock Detected

Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker