Aftera and Mood Swings: What Users Say

• Att...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2024

For Emergency Contraception "For context, I’m a 17 y/o female. My boyfriend and I had unprotected intercourse (stupid of me, I know), so a day later I bought Plan B for the first time! I noticed Aftera was about $10 cheaper than the other brands, and as a broke high school student, obviously I went with the cheaper option. I took the pill about 28 hours after unprotected sex. The side effects were pretty bad but nothing unbearable. The first few hours my stomach was cramping like a mild period, I felt nauseous and light-headed. I felt much more dependent on my boyfriend, and some hours I’d feel numb towards him. I cried a lot, the pill gave me a lot of mood swings. Also, I had a LOT of white discharge, so don’t be paranoid if you have increased discharge! About 6 days after taking the pill, I got my period on time! Sometimes Plan B can make your period come later or earlier! This pill worked great for my first time, obviously, there would be side effects, but it prevented pregnancy, which is its main purpose!"

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I left a previous review about how amazing Aftera was for me, but I have a disclaimer: It CAN delay your period. It CAN cause mood swings and irritation. It CAN give you cramps, weakness, and simply make your body feel off-whack. But for the wonders it worked, it was totally worth it."

• big...
• June 8, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex on the morning of May 18th (4 days after my period ended). He did not finish inside of me, but after reading stuff about pre-cum, I began to freak myself out. I am not on any type of birth control and was getting close to my predicted day of ovulation, so I went to the pharmacy and took the pill 13 hours after. 5 days after taking it, I began to get horrible cramps and bled for 3 days. The bleeding was light and not like a normal period. I also experienced intense mood swings and intrusive thoughts. I was so sad that not even my boyfriend or best friend could cheer me up. I also had the ovulation-type discharge for about 2 weeks. The side effects of this pill often mimic pregnancy symptoms, so try not to read too much on the internet. While it has been a long and anxiety-filled month, I woke up today to see that my period arrived pretty much on schedule (1 day late) and I have never been happier! Your period will come even if the pill throws you off a bit :)"

• Jad...
• October 11, 2018

For Emergency Contraception "So I took Aftera because I had unprotected sex on the last day of my period. He didn’t finish inside of me, but I was worried about precum. After taking the pill, I started feeling tightness in my stomach and cramps. About a couple of days later, I also had some spotting a few days later from taking the pill. About three weeks later, I had tiredness, mood swings, headaches, more urination, fatigue, increased hunger... just about the symptoms for pregnancy. Now my period was 9 DAYS LATE! But I got pink discharge, then I started officially bleeding about three days after the discharge. But I got my period, right now I don’t know about its heaviness or anything, but it feels like it’s going to be a little bit more harsh than normal but pretty normal. It works! I'm not sure if it will work if you had unprotected sex while ovulating. I was very stressed and anxious, so I made sure to leave a review for other women experiencing similar situations! Hope this helps! Good luck!!!"

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "It worked for me. I'm a 300 lbs plus-size woman! My period was delayed almost 2 months! I promised I would share my experience once my period finally came! So my last period was July 17th, and we had unprotected sex on July 23rd. I took Aftera (Take Action) on July 24th. I was stressing so bad when I missed my August period, and all my pregnancy tests were negative. My period finally came September 19th. Thank you, God! I was driving myself crazy reading reviews about missed periods, and no one seemed to have the experience I had being a plus-size woman with a period almost two months late, but this pill really does work, so hang in there! If you took the pill too late, you can look into buying the RU486 pill from Planned Parenthood. It's a few hundred bucks, but just weigh your options and make sure you keep track of the weeks if you decide to terminate a pregnancy. My side effects: I had terrible mood swings, migraines, and dizziness for almost 4 weeks straight."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "My last menstruation was from June 13 to 17, 2019. Then I had protected and unprotected sex with my boyfriend on June 22 and 23, and I took the Aftera pill on June 23, 2 p.m. ish. I was expecting my period on July 15, but I missed my period for 25 days, it was late, so my menstruation came on August 8, which is very late. I usually have a regular cycle, and I never have pain during my usual period, but now I can feel some menstrual cramps and am always tired. Lastly, I noticed that I had mood swings after taking the pill. I will never take it again because I went crazy from all the effects, but don't worry, it is really doing its job. I'm not pregnant, that's what is important. Thank you."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2017

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex with my partner on my ovulation day, and he pulled out before ejaculation, but I was scared of pre-cum, so I took Aftera 12 hours later. The side effects are crazy. I had VERY BAD mood swings and painful cramps for almost a week. I lost my appetite completely. Then suddenly, all the side effects went away, and I got my period today (3 days earlier than the expected date). I took Plan B before, but the side effects were not as bad as this one! My partner did not finish inside me, so I'm not sure how effective Aftera is. Please, please never have unprotected sex. The side effects of these pills are crazy, and waiting for your period to come is brutal."

• did...
• January 2, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I took this within 36 hours of unprotected sex. It made my period come 2 weeks earlier (1 week after I took the pill), and then I spent a week with no period, and then the next week I get my period again! The first 2-3 days were heavier than ever, but at least I’m not pregnant! So this works, and my mood swings were all over the place, I could cry for hours and then just be happy right after. Although I somewhat feel my period is going to be delayed this month because I had them last month so soon."

• use...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2024

For Emergency Contraception "Let me start off by saying, you'll be okay!! Just like most people on here, I was scrolling and scared. I took Aftera twice. I'm currently waiting for my period, as this is the second time I've taken this. This time and the first, I was fine the first day. The second and third day after was probably the worst for me. I do have anxiety as is, so I did get very nauseous with this pill, mainly at night. The first time I took Aftera was the very first time I've used any emergency contraception ever, so I had anxiety just primarily off of being scared and didn't know much about the pill. The pill messes with your hormones (obviously), so I also had mood swings. I believe this is normal, though. I ended up getting my period a week later. For me, though, I took Take Action (the Target brand) and that one didn't give me any nausea or mood swings, I was fine! No side effects! So I do recommend that one more. Anxiety and nausea did make me throw up, though, the first time."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2025

For Emergency Contraception "Having horrible, horrible mood swings. Super angry episodes paired with anxiety, worth noting if you're considering taking this drug. I am about a week into it and definitely suffering some serious side effects. Still bleeding - started bleeding about 3-4 days after, and it was a pretty heavy flow. I hope to God I never have to take it again to be completely honest, this is pretty hellish."

• Anonymous
• November 16, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I started my period two days after taking this. Two weeks later, still on it - with horrible mood swings, might I add. Do not recommend."