ellaOne

The only way to know if the morning after pill has been effective is to wait until your next period arrives or to take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after using it. If your period is more than 7 days late, light or unusually heavy, or if you have any signs of pregnancy, then you should take a pregnancy test. If it comes back positive, then you should contact your doctor.

Pregnancy tests are normally able to detect pregnancy 21 days (3 weeks) after unprotected sex. If you want to use a pregnancy test to confirm whether ellaOne has worked you should wait at least this long.

ellaOne and Levonelle work in the same way but contain different active ingredients. ellaOne contains ulipristal acetate, while Levonelle contains levonorgestrel. ellaOne can also be taken up to 120 hours (5 days) after unprotected sex, whereas Levonelle is only effective up to 72 hours (3 days) after.

Your fertility should not be affected by taking ellaOne, even if it’s been taken more than once in a short period. However, you should avoid using emergency contraception often as it’s much safer and more effective to use condoms or other methods of contraception regularly.

Yes, it is possible for a morning after pill like ellaOne to cause a delay in your period or cause it to arrive earlier than expected. There is no need to worry if your period is a few days late or early. However, if your period is more than 7 days late or if you experience unusual bleeding after taking ellaOne, you should speak to your doctor and take a pregnancy test.

It is possible that you may gain some weight after taking ellaOne, although this is typically from water retention. It is also possible that ellaOne can cause an increase in appetite, which may result in weight gain. ellaOne does not directly cause weight gain from body fat.

In some cases, you may experience irregular bleeding after using ellaOne. If you’re not sure whether any bleeding is from your period or not, you can take a pregnancy test as long as it is at least 21 days (3 weeks) since you had unprotected sex.

ellaOne contains hormones which may affect your mood, and mood swings are a common side effect. This normally goes away after a few days.

ellaOne will normally stay in your body for up to 5 days after it is taken. Everybody’s body is different, though, and will absorb ellaOne at slightly different rates.

No, ellaOne is an emergency contraceptive and will only prevent pregnancy. It offers no protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). You should use alternative contraceptives such as condoms in order to prevent STIs.

Some people have reported stomach pain after using ellaOne. This is often quite mild and goes away within a few days. If the pain becomes unmanageable or does not go away, you should speak to your doctor.

If you’re aged 16 or over, you’ll be able to buy the emergency contraceptive pill at pharmacies in person or online without a prescription. We have a team of doctors who will review all the information you give us and if ellaOne is suitable for you, you can buy the treatment from ZAVA and we will send it to you. It can also be bought over the counter in most pharmacies.

If you’re under 16 and want contraception, you can still access free and confidential contraception services. As long as a medical professional believes that you understand the information they give you and the decisions you’re making, and they do not believe that you’re in danger, they will not tell your parents or carer. They will only encourage you to speak to them.

If you’re aged 16 or over, you’ll be able to buy the emergency contraceptive pill at pharmacies in person or online, or from organisations like the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). You will also be able to get the morning after pill from your GP or sexual health clinics. ZAVA only prescribes ellaOne to people 16 years and older.

If you’re breastfeeding, you should avoid breastfeeding for 1 week after you take ellaOne. During this time, any milk you pump to stimulate and maintain production should be disposed of.

Most side effects of ellaOne shouldn’t last longer than a few days. If you experience common side effects of ellaOne, these should be manageable from home.

To manage side effects from ellaOne such as nausea, vomiting and stomach ache, we recommend:

• eating smaller, more frequent meals
• eating slowly
• not laying down after eating
• avoid large meals containing spicy, fried or greasy foods
• staying hydrated
• getting fresh air

For symptoms such as a headache, or period-like symptoms (stomach pains, painful or a heavy period) we suggest taking over-the-counter painkillers.

You should speak with your doctor if your period is more than 7 days late, or if side effect symptoms last longer than a few days or become unmanageable.

If you begin to experience any of the following symptoms that suggest an allergic reaction, call 999 or visit A&E immediately:

• dizziness
• swelling or tingling in the mouth
• rash, hives, swelling
• difficulty breathing

Find out more specific information on side effects with ellaOne in the patient information leaflet.

There are no known specific interactions between ellaOne and alcohol. However, we recommend you avoid drinking too much alcohol to the point of sickness. If you vomit within 3 hours of taking ellaOne the treatment will not be effective and you would need to speak to your doctor about taking another tablet to effectively prevent pregnancy.

This depends on which weight loss medication you are taking.

If you are taking Mounjaro (tirzepatide):

Mounjaro may make ellaOne less effective, putting you at risk of pregnancy. However, to avoid this risk, we recommend using the copper coil. The copper coil is a great alternative continuous contraceptive that can provide protection when taking Mounjaro. This is a small T-shaped device that can be inserted by a healthcare professional. It is available at some local GP surgeries or at sexual health clinics.

For emergency contraception it must be fitted within 120 hours (5 days) after sex or ovulation. If not used for emergency contraception, it can be fitted at any time in the cycle as long as pregnancy has been ruled out. Once inserted, the copper coil can then stay in place as regular contraception, usually for 5 to 10 years.

To reduce the chances of needing emergency contraception while taking Mounjaro, we also recommend using a barrier method (like condoms), if you are using a regular contraceptive pill, for:

• 4 weeks after starting Mounjaro
• 4 weeks after every dose increase

If you are taking Wegovy (semaglutide) or Nevolat (liraglutide):

These treatments do not affect the effectiveness of ellaOne.

Yes. Current clinical guidelines report that you can take a single dose of ellaOne while breastfeeding. But if you think you may need another dose, you must speak to your doctor.

Yes, but only a single dose, for use as emergency contraception. Recent clinical guidelines have found that it is safe to breastfeed after just a single dose of ellaOne. However, if you think you need more than 1 dose, you must speak to your doctor.