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Plan B One-Step and Bleeding: What Users Say

Bleeding: mentioned by 231 users (8.3%)

Based on user experiences from 2,799 Plan B One-Step reviews, the following table shows the most commonly mentioned side effects.

All user comments are moderated by Drugs.com. Each review is verified for relevance and screened for inappropriate content. Side effects are user-reported and not clinically verified.

cramps 30.3%
nausea 22.7%
sore breasts 14.3%
headaches 10.6%
spotting 9.1%
bleeding 8.3%
bloating 7.3%
fatigue 6.9%
tiredness 6.6%
dizziness 5.9%

Reviews for Plan B One-Step

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Ano...
  • May 25, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I swore that I would come back to this website the day I got my period because it kept me sane. I had sex on my ovulation day and took Plan B 24 hours after. I am not on birth control too. He thought he pulled out, but being that we had sex a few times, we weren’t really sure. I was PETRIFIED. I cried for 2 weeks. On day 10 after taking it, I started spotting just like what implantation bleeding looks like. I talked to every person under the sun looking for answers and advice, but I still had to wait it out for the period. The spotting happened for 4 days straight, where it then turned into a period. I was scared to death. I took 3 pregnancy tests, all negative and still didn’t believe it. Stay off doing internet searches, PMS, Plan B side effects, and pregnancy side effects are all the same. Stay off your computer and phone, don't do all the internet searching, and don’t spend $45 extra dollars on pregnancy tests. Take one the day of your missed period. Plan B is expensive for a reason, it works even when ovulating! You got this!"

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • November 4, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Girls, don't stress out. Plan B works! You might be worried and all, but let the pill do the work. I’ve taken Plan B 3 times, and it was effective. Yes, you do have side effects, some girls bleed after 5 or 6 days after taking it, and it only lasts for 3 days, it’s like a mini period. It also means it worked, and yes, Plan B can make your period up to 2 weeks late. It doesn’t matter if you're ovulating, it still works, you just have to take it on time. So don’t worry, you do get symptoms just like pregnancy, but in reality, you're not. So don’t stress out if you have taken one. Good luck ❤️."

9 / 10
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  • Omg...
  • February 9, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "My partner and I had sex the exact day I was ovulating, that was January 24, 2021. We used a condom, but he didn’t realize that it broke and he ejaculated inside me. I started crying because I’ve never been in that situation before, but the next day, maybe around 12 hours after we had sex, that was January 25, he bought the morning-after pill for me and I took it, and I bled for 1 day. I swore it was implantation bleeding, but thanks to the pill, and yesterday on February 8, I got my period so trust the pill, ladies. I read all the experiences shared, and I want to thank all of you beautiful ladies. I waited on my period, stayed off Google like you all said, and thanks be to God and the pill, I got my period yesterday, so the pill really works whether you are ovulating or not. So to anyone going through the same thing, just take the pill, pray to God, stay off Google, and read our experiences... Take care lovely ladies, stay safe, you are loved ❤️❤️"

10 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Lin...
  • August 21, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I don't understand people who give Plan B a low rating because of the side effects. The purpose of this pill is to prevent pregnancy, not make you feel good! And if its purpose was successful, give it the rating it deserves! People need to understand that this is like dropping a hormonal bomb in your body - yes, your cycle will be messed up for a while, but anything is better than an unwanted pregnancy. I have taken Plan B three times now. This time I was really nervous because I took it on my ovulation day. One week after taking it, I started spotting with light cramping. I was scared that the spotting was implantation bleeding, but eventually the bleeding got heavier and turned into my period 8 days later. Plan B has worked every time I have taken it so far. Ladies, please be patient and remain calm."

10 / 10
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  • Ell...
  • January 15, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex and he fully ejaculated inside of me during my 'most fertile day' on Flo, my ovulation app. I took it about 8 hours later. I had a week of heavy bleeding, cramps, basically a period. It was just withdrawal bleeding. Like many women, I was petrified that I was not safe because I had already ovulated. After I found out the bleeding was withdrawal bleeding, I thought I could be pregnant for sure. I was already pregnant once 3 months ago and I had an abortion. It was horrible. I never ever want to go through that again, but I thought I might have to. I had light bleeding and brown blood for days, pain that felt like implantation bleeding (which I have felt before), and other early pregnancy symptoms. My period came 2 days late. This drug works even if you are ovulating. The symptoms are so torturous, however, and you can feel like you are insane. But it does the job. You're not pregnant, girl. Be grateful!"

8 / 10
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  • Ell...
  • January 15, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex and he fully ejaculated inside of me during my 'most fertile day' on Flo, my ovulation app. I took it about 8 hours later. I had a week of heavy bleeding, cramps, basically a period. It was just withdrawal bleeding. Like many women, I was petrified that I was not safe because I had already ovulated. After I found out the bleeding was withdrawal bleeding, I thought I could be pregnant for sure. I was already pregnant once 3 months ago and I had an abortion. It was horrible. I never ever want to go through that again, but I thought I might have to. I had light bleeding and brown blood for days, pain that felt like implantation bleeding (which I have felt before), and other early pregnancy symptoms. My period came 2 days late. This drug works even if you are ovulating. The symptoms are so torturous, however, and you can feel like you are insane. But it does the job. You're not pregnant, girl. Be grateful!"

8 / 10
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  • Jun...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 7, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex the day after my period ended, and just my luck, the condom broke! I took this pill within 6 hours, and a week later I bled for 3 days straight, which was awful, and then it went away. I was super nervous ALL MONTH. Took a pregnancy test and everything. Negative, but try telling that to a scared girl! However, my period came on time this month, and the cramps are horrible! But the pill did its job. Relax, girl. You'll be okay. And stop reading these reviews! You're freaking yourself out. YOU WILL BE OKAY."

10 / 10
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More FAQ

  • Anonymous
  • March 2, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I just wanted to share my experience with this Plan B pill. This was my first time taking Plan B. I took Ella previously and didn’t have any side effects. But since it was the weekend and I couldn’t get Ella, I decided to take Plan B. I was in my fertile days, the first day of the days leading to ovulation. I started freaking out and decided to take Plan B 18 hours later to make sure everything was okay. I started bleeding exactly 7 days after taking the pill, it looked like a light period that lasted 6 days. 3 days later my actual period started, a week earlier than it was supposed to. The only thing that is different is it looks like the pill made my period lighter and not as painful as usual. No major side effects besides bleeding, some nausea just for one day. Trust the pill and relax! DON’T freak out and don’t Google any symptoms. Listen to your body. And girls, take care of your body. No one else will do that for you. I’m definitely not taking this again though. Good luck ladies ❤️"

9 / 10
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  • Ano...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 21, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex on my ovulation day (according to Flo app). My boyfriend pulled out, but we went for round two without cleaning up, so I decided to take the pill the next morning just to be safe. Five days after, I began to bleed lightly for three days. After the second week, I got hit with ALL of the symptoms. I had mild cramping, nausea, fatigue, sore nipples, and I broke out HORRIBLY. I took a pregnancy test 7 days after my missed period, it was negative. The next day I got my period (8 days late). Very heavy and bad cramping. I read pages of the reviews panicking about if the pill would work or not on ovulation, but it did for me, so just relax."

10 / 10
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  • int...
  • August 28, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "DO NOT STRESS!!!! So, I took Plan B after the condom broke during sex, one day after my period (day 6 of my cycle). I took the pill about an hour after. Sometimes my period comes on day 21, so I wanted to be safe just in case I ovulated early. About 5 days after I took the pill, I started spotting (but kinda heavily) a dark brown color. That progressed into a decent amount of blood, enough to warrant a tampon. The bleeding lasted for about 3 days, but wasn't super heavy. I also had cramps for about an hour, but they were very light. I've taken Plan B twice before, and only had light bleeding one of those times. Some time passes, to about a week and a half before my period is supposed to come. I start feeling pain in my lower back, very light. I'm getting bored of writing this, to be honest, but I just got my period on day 31 of my cycle. DON'T STRESS!!!"

10 / 10
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  • Veg...
  • March 9, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I took the pill 2 days after having unprotected sex. My boyfriend came inside, so I was 100% sure I needed to take it. I took it 4 days after my period had ended. I am 5’0 & 95 pounds. I'm stating that because I think that played a big role in the side effects I experienced. I started bleeding 5 days after taking the pill. I had cramps for over two weeks straight. My whole body ached & it made me fatigued. It was all severe. I threw up twice within the first 3 days. The pill did work. It made my next period 21 days late. The stress was real. Do not stress, it works! Just be aware that the dose is heavy & every body reacts differently to it."

8 / 10
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  • YYH...
  • December 20, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex on November 23, it wasn't until after we realized the condom had broken. I went to the pharmacy and managed to take Plan B about an hour and a half after sex. I realized after that I was about 3 days before ovulating, so I was at a high chance of getting pregnant. And of course, I had read that Plan B doesn't work if you have already ovulated. On November 30, I started bleeding, this went on for 5 days. I thought it was implantation bleeding because my nipples were also sore and sensitive. But it was a very light flow compared to my regular period, with few blood clots. My period was not due for another 2 weeks as well. A week after this, I had a thick, white, creamy discharge. I had to wear a pad for this. This went on for a week. My period was meant to be due on the 12th of December. I experienced breakouts, cravings, mood swings, extreme bloating, and mild cramps. I was convinced I was pregnant. I got my period today on December 20, eight days late, and I couldn't be happier."

10 / 10
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  • Mar...
  • February 3, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I've promised myself to write a review of this pill too. I took Escapelle - generic brand. My period ended on the 5th of Dec '19 and had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on the 8th. I took a pill an hour later. He pulled out in time but I was paranoid. We had protected sex on the 11th. Around a week after taking the pill, I bled. I was worried it was implantation bleeding. It lasted 3 days but was light. I panicked. I waited for my period that should fall on the start of the month, I got nothing. I was constantly bloated and nauseous. I thought it would come on the 14th of Jan, a month after my 'short period' but it didn't. I couldn't focus and I cried a lot. My boyfriend was supportive. Although he was scared too, he promised he'd stay with me. It made things better. My breasts were sore and my nipples hurt for days. Until finally, on the 27th of Jan, I got my period! It was normal. My period was 26 days late. If you panicked like me, it's fine to worry. Everything will be fine. :D"

9 / 10
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  • San...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • March 3, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I want to share my experience and hopefully ease your mind. I had sex with a friend on 02/16, it was the 9th day of my cycle (my cycle is always regular and varies from 28 to 30 days). We were a bit drunk, so the condom got stuck inside of me with a lot of precum in it. I took the pill 6 hours after that. I had no immediate symptoms, however, a week after taking it, my breasts were super sore, and I couldn’t get up from my bed. I had no spotting, but two weeks after taking the pill (one week before my scheduled period), I started to have intense cramps and mild bleeding. The next day, I got my normal period, 6 days before scheduled! I got on birth control immediately because, honestly, the pill makes you feel like you’re pregnant. Be safe and good luck :)!"

10 / 10
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  • Gir...
  • November 7, 2013

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex a day after my period was over, and the condom we used broke, and he didn't notice until we were finished. (Thank God he noticed!) I went to the store the next morning when they opened and got the Plan B pill and took it about 14 hours after the accident. I started bleeding about 5 days after taking the pill, and I just had my period a week ago, so don't panic if this happens to you too. Anyways, I killed myself with worrying, probably gained like 500 pounds from stress eating, but I got my period today! It's all okay, thank you Plan B. I will not be hooking up anymore, that was just way too scary to go through for any guy."

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 22, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "GIRLS, READ THIS. I am a teenager (18), and I had my period on 9/16, and then on the last day of my period, 9/21, I was with a guy that I did not think I would have sex with. It was my first time. I was stupid, and he kept saying he didn't know if he finished (I think he did). Then, 1 hour later, I took Plan B without thinking about anything. Those days were the hardest because I went on Google and searched so many things. DO NOT DO THAT. A week later, I started bleeding for 3 days, but it wasn't my period. At this point, I thought it was implantation bleeding. I was supposed to get my period on 10/15, but 2 days passed, then 5 days passed, THEN IT'S A WEEK. At this point, I started seeing how much abortions cost and stuff like that. I got my period today, 10/22. 8 DAYS LATE. Girls, please be patient and relax. This month has gone by the slowest and honestly, so stressful. DO NOT WORRY, TRUST ME."

10 / 10
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  • Bec...
  • July 14, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "Y'all, I was in your place… stressed as anything! I was terrified I was pregnant, and I was convinced I was. Every time I thought I had a symptom, I had it (obviously it was all in my head). I took Plan B on May 24th, 2021, after some foreplay gone wrong (semen ended up in my vagina, or so I believed). Anyways, I was freaking when my June period skipped altogether! Nothing showed in June except two brown spots, which I was convinced was implantation bleeding. I wasted at least $50 since I took Plan B in pregnancy tests, all showed up negative. Well, today, 53 days after I took Plan B, I finally started my period again!!! And when I say started, I mean HEAVY. I haven’t been this heavy with my periods in years!!! But I don’t care, I finally started!! The pill works just different for everyone! Please, please don’t do what I did and stress yourself out so much you make yourself sick. Stay off the internet and just wait, I know it’s hard, but it has to be done."

10 / 10
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  • Jos...
  • October 5, 2014

For Emergency Contraception "Girlfriend and I had sex, condom broke and didn't realize till we finished. She was not on birth control and we were freaking out. She took the pill about 5 hours later, and for the next 2 weeks had some mild symptoms and light bleeding. Confirmed she was not pregnant a few weeks later. Pill does miracles, don't worry about the statistics (just there in case it happens to not work). If you take it before 24 hours, I'd personally say you have a 100% chance of it working."

10 / 10
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  • Ean...
  • December 16, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I promised myself I would come back and write on here if I got my period. This has been the most stressful two months of my life. I had unprotected sex on October 31 and was ovulating. I took Plan B on November 1 around 4 p.m. I started very lightly bleeding on November 7, but I know it wasn’t my period. I had no PMS symptoms, and it was watery. It was also very short and exactly like implantation bleeding. I usually get my period on the 19th. Thank God I found this thread because I was convinced I was pregnant. On December 9, I took three pregnancy tests, they were all negative, but I still wasn’t convinced because my last actual period was October 19th. Today, on December 16th, I woke up and got my period! I am so happy. Trust the process, it really works! You just need to think logically and not with anxiety! You got this, stay strong, and don’t let your anxiety make you overthink!"

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • June 1, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I took Plan B the next day after having unprotected sex (even though he withdrew before cumming, but I didn’t want to take any chances). A week later, I started bleeding - enough to use a sanitary napkin and a few blood clots. A few days after that (so about 10-14 days after taking Plan B), I have very, very sore breasts, some abdominal cramping, and I am very tired! I have taken four tests and all are negative. I have never had such strong side effects from Plan B. I hope (and it seems to be the case) that I’m not pregnant. It’s been 15 days since unprotected sex and 2 days since my period is supposed to start, and the tests are negative. So I am hoping these are just side effects. But boy, what side effects! This stuff screws with your body and mind so powerfully! I have taken Plan B maybe three times before in my life and I have never had side effects."

4 / 10
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  • JC1...
  • February 23, 2016

For Emergency Contraception "I usually don't leave reviews, but I feel like I could ease some minds. Ladies, take a deep breath. It works. Trust me. I'm a bigger girl who's way over the 'weight limit,' and it was 100% effective for me, even after I had unprotected sex on my most fertile day! Symptoms can scare you as they are exactly like pregnancy symptoms, such as sore breasts and random bleeding. Like I said, relax. If you have taken the pill as directed, you'll be fine."

10 / 10
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  • Mor...
  • November 16, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "Yes, it does work extremely well. I had sex with a condom on my day of ovulation, but we didn’t know until after that the whole condom split and he came fully into me! So I was freaking out and I raced out and got the off-brand Plan B. They all work the same, it’s the same medication and dosage! Afterwards, I spotted brown blood and felt bloated for about a week. I was also moody and got the feeling that I had to throw up. But don’t worry, this is a completely normal side effect. Symptoms of Plan B and pregnancy are the exact same since the hormone used in Plan B is the one that is produced when a woman is pregnant. Today, I got my period after about a week and a half of nail biting. I was worried since I read that it doesn’t work during ovulation, but it’s almost impossible to know if you are ovulating since there is no way of knowing. I can consider myself extremely lucky and learned my lesson! Good luck and trust the medication, it wouldn’t be on the market if it didn’t work!"

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • December 27, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Okay, guys, please do not panic. So let me tell y'all about my experience: Before the Plan B, I started my period on November 1st. I had sex on November 14 and took the pill the next morning, not even 24 hours after. The pill does have side effects. I bled a week after I took the Plan B, and after I bled, I felt tired. I would feel weird, like I had to throw up and everything (in the morning), so I started panicking because it was December 15 and still no period. So I took a test and it was negative. I was going to wait another week and take the test, but before I could take it, December 27 is when my period appeared. Don’t worry, y’all, and don’t listen to what you see and stop panicking."

7 / 10
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  • Pol...
  • February 9, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I swore I'd only share my experience if the pill worked, and it did. I had protected sex on January 2nd, and my bf came inside of me. When he pulled out, he saw the condom had broken. My period is really irregular (30-60 days), so I didn't know if I was ovulating or not because it happened on the 14th day of my period. I took the pill 1 hour later, and 5 days after, I had light bleeding, which is normal, and it lasted for 5 days. I took a pregnancy test 16 days after, and it came out negative. I took another test 30 days after I took the pill (44th day of my period), and it came out negative, so I was really relaxed, and my period just came like one hour ago (52nd day of my period). I hope the same happens to all of you. Good luck, and I hope this review calms you down a little :)"

10 / 10
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  • lil...
  • July 17, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "This has legit been the scariest month ever. I took the pill literally 30 min after the deed on the 10th, which was 2 days after my PMS, but when I went to go pee, I bled. So obv it wasn't my period, so I thought implantation bleeding. I kept googling, and it all led to implantation bleeding, and I'm nowhere near wanting a baby. To make it worse, it burned when I peed, then I thought a UTI, but Google also told me pregnancy, so I was just stuck in a hole. I decided to stop looking stuff up, but according to my period app, I was supposed to start my period on the 1st but didn't for 10 days, so I was stressing! I had horrible cramps for those days but no period! But thank God on the 10th I got my period, and the first day it was regular, but the next few days it was lighter than usual. But this pill did come thru, so don't stress, stay distracted, and DON'T LOOK ANYTHING UP! I promise that only makes things worse. I wish the best for all of you, and no matter what, love yourselves :)"

10 / 10
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