Plan B One-Step and Fatigue: What Users Say

• ave...
• June 16, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I know there are women on here that are stressing, and I'm here to lighten up your anxiety. I had sex TWO DAYS BEFORE my suspected ovulation day. He never finished in me, he just wiped off the sperm, and we went again in the same hour. I’ve done some research and it says that Plan B is less than 50% effective 1-2 days before ovulation, and I WAS PANICKING. I literally took the pill less than an hour after we did the deed. The best time is to take the pill less than 24 hours AFTER SEX. It will be 95% effective, and success drops a lot after the first day. My side effects were stomach cramps, insomnia, nausea, fatigue, and backaches. The pill made my period come 11 DAYS EARLIER. Yes, that's good news, but your period will be HARDER AND HEAVIER. But it is better than an unplanned pregnancy, trust me. Sis, STRESS WILL NOT HELP. Do NOT look up your symptoms because the first thing that will come up is pregnancy. This is a lesson learned big time. YOU WILL BE OKAY, I PROMISE."

• Anonymous
• September 11, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Okay, so like other people, I promised I’d write a review if this worked. I’m 19. I’ve taken Plan B about 6 times total, and it has worked every time. I had unprotected sex multiple times on the night of the 13th of August and was fertile, supposed to ovulate on the 14th. I took Plan B on the 14th around 1 pm. For the rest of August, I was insanely moody, bloated, crampy, fatigued, had frequent urination, was acne-prone, and EXTREMELY NAUSEOUS. So basically every pregnancy symptom. I was expected to get my period on the 31st of August, but it didn’t come till today, September 11th, so almost 12 days late. I had freaked myself out and made myself so anxious thinking I was pregnant that I delayed my period even more. I also spent $60 on taking pregnancy tests. I know it’s so hard not to stress, but the more you do, the later you make it. Also, Plan B can make it late on its own. STAY STRONG GIRLS. Everything will work out fine. Reading these reviews really helped me. Just breathe. Good luck!"

• Meg...
• December 15, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I am leaving a review because two weeks ago I was on here reading reviews just to ease my mind. On December 3rd, went on a second date with a guy, and got a little too drunk. Had sex a couple of times and didn't realize the condom broke and he came inside. It was 2 am so I went first thing the next morning to get Plan B. I took it at 9 am, I checked my period tracker, realized we had sex ON THE DAY I WAS OVULATING. I was panicked as my period is regular, I always get my period on the predicted day, the ovulation predictor is spot on. Next I'm on the internet finding sites that say Plan B doesn't work when you are already ovulating. I decided to trust the pill and wait. I experienced EXTREME fatigue, breast tenderness, dizziness, bloating, food cravings, minor cramping, more stressing, etc. Fast forward to December 15th, lo and behold, Aunt Flo showed up a day early! Trust the process, even a woman who has a very regular cycle was saved by Plan B during ovulation. Good luck!"

• KM5...
• June 6, 2017

For Emergency Contraception "Okay ladies, I have decided to share my experience with Plan B One-Step to hopefully help ease even just a few minds, because I know just how bad this situation sucks and how you are searching high and low for some honest feedback. No matter what I say here, you will still be freaking out for a while and overthinking every little thing you feel within your body. Just try your best to be positive and keep busy. Alright, so here goes the story: On Apr. 9, I had sex with a male partner and the condom broke. We didn't notice until the deed was done. Immediately, I thought 'OMG, we are screwed'. I had finished my last period on Apr. 4 (I was now dangerously close to ovulation). The next morning (approximately 6-7 hours later), we went to the pharmacy to get emergency contraception. I took the pill immediately WITH FOOD. The food part is very important. The pill can make you nauseous, and if you vomit soon after taking it, it obviously will not work. The pill contains very high levels of Levonorgestrel, a synthetic version of the hormone Progestin (aka the pregnancy hormone). When you become pregnant, your body produces high levels of Progestin, which prevents your ovaries from releasing an egg (because you wouldn't want your body to be ovulating while you are already pregnant). So, in a sense, the pill tricks your body into thinking it is pregnant and therefore your ovaries do not release an egg for the sperm that is now inside of you to fertilize. The effectiveness of this all comes down to timing. The pill's job is to temporarily stop ovulation, so if you have already ovulated, the chances of it working are lowered. This doesn't mean you are totally screwed! There isn't much conclusive evidence (that I have been able to find), but it is said that even shortly after ovulation, the pill can help prevent a newly fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall. It is important to follow the advice to take the pill within 72 hours of the incident because sperm can live inside of you for approximately 5 days, and the longer you let it go, the closer you get to ovulating, and the better chance those little suckers have of locating your egg! Back to the fact that the pill temporarily stops ovulation. This means that Plan B is NOT an abortion pill! So whether you are worried to take it because you are pro-life or you are thinking it will terminate an established pregnancy, it WILL NOT DO THIS! The pill's job is to take action before the sperm and egg ever meet. Now onto the stuff that will literally exhaust you... The side effects. I'm going to be honest here and tell you that looking up your side effects is going to make you think you are pregnant for sure. Almost every possible side effect of Plan B mimics the signs of pregnancy. You could experience: nausea, abdominal cramping, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and spotting. If you are concerned about any of these side effects, contact your doctor. They will be your best source of support through this. I experienced mild abdominal cramping (like period cramps) the next couple of days after taking the pill and 'spotting' about a week later. The spotting was what concerned me. When I read that you 'may experience some spotting', I thought a light little speck here and there, however for me, it was almost exactly like one of my periods. My periods are generally quite light (lucky, I know) and my 'spotting' was almost the exact same, just slightly lighter and lasted about 3-4 days. It started out fairly bright red and then by the last day turned to a darker red, almost brownish color. I later found out that this is quite normal. Throughout the duration of my worrisome experience, I took 3 home pregnancy tests to help ease my mind a bit. I took one 21 days after the incident, another 6 days later, and then one like 4 weeks after that (just because I was feeling particularly worried that day). All 3 read negative. This helped settle my mind somewhat. Also, a little info that may be a bit TMI, but about 2 weeks after taking the pill I got a yeast infection (see, TMI). On top of worrying about everything else, I now had a painful and embarrassing infection to add to my list! I was freaking out because I wasn't sure what it was at first (painful urination, labia painful to the touch). Upon +++ research on my own, I found out that this is another possible side effect of the pill. The increased hormones in the pill can cause your body to produce an excessive amount of natural yeast. The same thing can happen to women during pregnancy due to the same reason. So if this happens to you, it's uncommon but not unheard of. The biggest worry I had throughout this entire experience was when in the world was I going to get my period?! The pill can and probably will mess with your cycle. It definitely did for me! I'm not sure if it had anything to do with my size, but I'm thinking that it might have. I am fairly petite (115 lbs) and the pill is the same dosage for everyone. I ended up missing an entire period! Talk about going out of mind! Everywhere I read said that the pill could delay your period by a week or so, but nowhere could I find anything about it making you skip an entire period! Just as I was mustering up the plan to make a doctor's appointment, my period arrived! Exactly one month late. Again, I can't stress enough to talk to your doctor if something doesn't seem right! I really hope you found some kind of relief in reading this. There is no sure-shot way to know Plan B has worked unless you get a blood test from your doctor or are graced with your Aunt Flo so do your absolute best not to worry yourself sick. Remember, stress can have an effect on your cycle as well. I found it most helpful to confide what I was going through in one really good, trustworthy friend who helped bring me back to reality when my worry was spinning me out of control. I hope everything works out for you, and you share your experiences with others going through the same, terrifying experience. Good luck and think positive!"

• Ann...
• July 8, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "Let me just tell y'all that these past two months have been a roller coaster of a ride for me. So babe and I did the deed on May 22nd, the day after my period. Honestly, I don't know if he came in me or not, but to give me peace of mind, I went and bought Plan B on May 23rd, approximately 26-28 hours after the deed was done. I was beating myself up because I didn't use any contraceptive and I felt really silly. The day after I took the pill, I had a slight headache. Four days later, I began to have spotting. I spotted starting on May 28th and ended on June 3rd. My due date for my cycle was on June 14th. I have been bloated, nauseous, constipated, had headaches, felt fatigued, and been very moody. I began to stress and panic. My anxiety got the best of me and I went into depression. Honestly, if I had never found this website, I would be more of a mess than I am now. PLEASE. DON'T. GOOGLE. ANYTHING. Trust the pill. After 23 days, I finally got my period today on July 7th."

• Big...
• February 14, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex and he finished fully inside me - no pullout or anything. I’m also not on birth control. AND it was THE ovulation day. My period tracking app said it was the most fertile day of my cycle. I took it within 30 mins of him doing that, and I just started my period 5 days before it was scheduled to arrive. I spent so much money on pregnancy tests while checking this past week and a half. I had all of the symptoms: nausea, vomiting, bloating, mood swings, sore breasts, extreme fatigue. This pill can cause those things. The odds really are in your favor and don’t let any other apps or pills say that this one doesn’t work while ovulating. Tons of girls take it on their ovulation and they’re fine. Just take this pill immediately (within an hour) and try to relax! Keep living life — don’t let stress take over ❤️"

• 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."

• Ms ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex and he claims that he didn’t cum, but the way he was moaning throughout our time together made me a bit nervous! I know that the chances of getting pregnant from pre-cum are slim to nothing, so I wasn’t too worried. However, the next morning when I realized that I had been ovulating according to my period tracker, I ran to the store and got Plan B! I took it 16 hours after the deed was done. A week before my expected period, I experienced lots of nausea, cramping, and fatigue but no period. Fast forward to when my period was 1 day late and I started freaking out. All the stress made me 4 days late, yet extremely grateful to not be pregnant."

• Anonymous
• August 25, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Ladies, don't stress. Most of the time, this pill works! I'm writing this because I know how much I stressed waiting for my period to finally arrive, and these reviews calmed me down and made me feel like I wasn't alone. My only side effects were fatigue and a few days of spotting starting around 5 days after I took the pill. Finally, after about 2 weeks past my expected period, it finally came! Try not to stress, which I know is hard, but stress really does only delay your period more. Hope this helps!"

• 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."

• Ali...
• January 1, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I decided to write a review because I went through a hell of a situation and was fortunately able to overcome it, so with that being said, I had unprotected sexual intercourse a day before my ovulation was due. I took the emergency contraception pill 5 hours later. I felt okay after the first 2 weeks of taking the pill, but I had nausea and fatigue. Because I didn't see a period after 2 weeks of taking the pill, I began panicking. I found these reviews, and somehow I felt calm because my situation related to so many women here, and they didn't end up pregnant. So I could possibly also not end up pregnant, till I decided to just focus on other things because something in me kept telling me that I wasn't pregnant. So after a really long wait (1 month and 2 weeks), my period arrived finally. I couldn't be happier. So to every girl going through an experience of the sort, just keep calm (especially if you took the pill within 24 hours), everything will be alright."

• Cha...
• December 27, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "WORKED!! I had unprotected sex while ovulating (smh) and my partner came inside of me. We both knew, and I took the Plan B between 5-8 hours after sex. The date was Nov 4, and I was expecting my period on Nov 21. I spotted for 4 days before my period came. My period came but was 5 days late and was irregular. So yes, I was scared. I also was having pregnancy symptoms like crazy. Extremely sore breasts, fatigue, and nausea. Even though my period came, it was over in 3 days, and I was still a bit nervous due to it being irregular and the symptoms I was having. So, of course, I was freaking out and overthinking about the Plan B not working. But I got my 2nd period on time, and it was regular, also a negative test!! Best 50 dollars I’ve ever spent. Stop worrying, girl, and stop reading reviews! It’ll work. Give it time"

• Ang...
• June 6, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I just want to ease everyone’s minds that have taken the Plan B while ovulating. I took the Plan B pill and took an ovulation test, and it showed 2 lines on it. So yes, I was ovulating. If you would Google it, it says it does NOT work while ovulating. It did work for me while ovulating, and the condom broke once after he finished, and then the next day he decided not to wear one. So girls, just give it some time to let the medicine do its thing. I ended up feeling some really bad PMS symptoms, though. I felt dizzy, hot flashes, fatigued, tired even if you did absolutely nothing, and some mild cramps. I experienced no breakthrough bleeding or any spotting. My period came only 1 day later than it should have. But while writing this on my period, I am super tired, have a headache, and I’m cramping in the front and on my lower back. This is the worst period I’ve had, but I’d rate a bad period over a baby for right now."

• Aun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "Everything will be okay! Last period: Jan 1st. Estimated ovulation: Jan 14. Conception: Jan 15 (took the pill within 30 minutes to 1 hour that night). Period: Jan 29. Even after ovulation, this pill CAN STILL WORK! I had no symptoms until a week after I took the pill. I started spotting brownish/reddish discharge (lasted for a week on and off). Freaked out because I thought this was implantation bleeding. Continued spotting and started having sore breasts, back pain, and fatigue. All side effects of the pill. A couple of days leading up to my period, I had diarrhea, gas, back pain, and leukorrhea. After 2 weeks of stress, my period arrived, 1 day late. My advice: take the pill ASAP, don’t research your symptoms (Plan B side effects are extremely similar to early pregnancy symptoms), and stress can cause your period to be late, so don’t worry if you’ve missed your period, it’s more than likely going to be late if you take the pill after ovulation."

• Mas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2014

For Emergency Contraception "I had sex during the ovulation period. I was so paranoid that I decided to take Plan B. I took Plan B like 30 hours later. Well, let me tell you, let this be your last resort. I experienced so many pregnancy symptoms throughout this whole ordeal, I was freaking out so bad until my period came. I felt very sick. I had sore breasts, headaches, fatigue, horrible cramping, and the worst diarrhea. I felt depressed after taking this. The hormones are crazy and will make you feel insane. Not everyone has the same side effects though, so maybe it will be different for you."

• Ano...
• October 3, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "I wanted to share my experience with Plan B with you. I had unprotected sex on August 14th, it was the end of my cycle, and my man just didn’t pull out on time. I was not fertilizing or ovulating. I took it within an hour after sex. My side effects were vomiting, nausea, fatigue. I started bleeding a few days after I took the Plan B, which lasted about a week (like if it were to be my period). I was panicking because I did not get my period for the whole month of September! It's October 2nd, and it’s finally here. Don’t stress it like I was. Lesson definitely learned, Plan B definitely was effective!!!"

• Bb4...
• March 6, 2021

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex on my ovulation day (according to period tracker app). I got the pill about 1 hour after the incident. After about 5 days, I started having cramping with no bleeding, sore nipples, and fatigue. My period finally came about 12 days after taking the pill on the expected day. It can still work during your fertile window, so take the pill as soon as you possibly can!"

• Sum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I am sharing my experience to possibly help someone else who is in a similar predicament. I had unprotected sex on the 19th of October, and there was confusion on whether I was still taking birth control or not. He did not attempt to pull out, and I was ovulating on that exact day or up to 2 days before, so we panicked. Two hours later, I took Plan B and waited for the following 3 weeks to pass by. During these weeks, I experienced slight moodiness, extreme fatigue, lower back pain, breast tenderness, vomiting, acne flare-ups, cramps, and cravings. I was so afraid that it didn't work. I took a pregnancy test when my period didn't start, but a week later it came. I learned to be more careful and actually keep track of my ovulation so this doesn't happen again. I was scouring websites looking for someone with a similar experience and couldn't find anything, so I felt the need to share. Stay strong, ladies, these pills work."

• rel...
• January 15, 2014

For Emergency Contraception "Ladies, let me tell you this pill works! My boyfriend and I had the condom fail right during the middle of my cycle. I went to the pharmacy about 9 hours later and bought some. Right after I took it, I felt fatigued the whole first day. I did experience some other side effects as well, seeing as I have never been on any hormonal contraceptive. I had cramps for the full two weeks until I got my period, as well as breast tenderness. The week after I took the pill, I felt nauseous, had sore breasts, a sore back, cramps, and headaches. I thought I was pregnant and got really stressed out. I got my period right on time though, despite my stress. My best advice is to just relax and wait it out. Easier said than done, I know!"

• Anonymous
• October 28, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "I had unprotected sex on 9/23 (fourth day of my period) and took Plan B about an hour later. I’ve taken the pill before closer to ovulation and have had pretty normal experiences. Something about taking it during my period this time really threw everything off, though. My next period was over a week late (38 days in this cycle), and up until then, I had so many signs that I was pregnant: sore breasts, white discharge, fatigue, headaches, etc. I took two pregnancy tests that both showed negative, but I was still paranoid - I’ve had protected sex since then and kept thinking, “maybe a different condom failed??” Finally, today my period started - 34 days after taking Plan B. If you’re reading reviews because you’re late or worried about the effectiveness, stop torturing yourself. Everything will be alright!!"

• Non...
• April 8, 2014

For Emergency Contraception "Plan B One-Step really works. I know you're probably nervous and worrying about the effectiveness, but I just want to tell you to relax. Let me just tell you my story. I had sex on February 4th and the condom broke. So, my boyfriend and I drove to the pharmacy and purchased Plan B One-Step. I took it about 20-30 minutes after the incident happened. I began to feel one symptom about 1 hour later, I was extremely tired and had little energy. It lasted for 2 days and then wore off. I was expecting my period about a month away, so I went crazy. I missed one period and finally got mine 12 days after my missed period. So, Plan B actually works."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2019

For Emergency Contraception "Plan B works, but it will screw with your mind. These user reviews kept me from going absolutely insane. Had sex on 8/13, almost positive I had ovulated that day-dumb, I know. My boyfriend is good at controlling himself and pulling out, but this time he made a mess with the cum after getting out. Took Plan B 4 hrs after and was nauseous with minor headaches, then exactly 1 week later (8/20) literally ALL the pregnancy symptoms hit me like a ton of bricks-spotting, cramps, mood swings, lower back pain, fatigue, nausea, headaches, food aversions/cravings, sore breasts, elevated temperature, etc. The spotting went away, but the other stuff went on 'til 8/27, the day my period was due. I about lost my mind of anxiety, but 8/28 I got a negative result on a pregnancy test and my period later in the day. The meds work, just don’t let the side effects get to you-they’re still better than getting pregnant. Stay off Google, read the reviews here and relax. Better yet, have safe sex."

• aub...
• March 21, 2015

For Emergency Contraception "Had unprotected sex with my boyfriend on my most fertile day according to a highly accurate period tracker app I've used for over a year. I took it approx 20-23 hours after, and my period came 9 days early. I cannot express how grateful I am for this pill. The only side effects I experienced were slight cramping and fatigue."

• Wor...
• August 22, 2020

For Emergency Contraception "29, 180 lbs, married. This isn’t my first time using Plan B. Maybe a total of 5 times over the past 10 years. I used it this time because my Paragard IUD was removed because it was displaced. I was told I could get one put back in, but because of COVID, it would take longer. I don’t handle hormones well, so the pill wasn’t an option. It had been a month since I heard from my doctor's office, and my husband and I got carried away. I was at the beginning of my fertile window, maybe 2-3 days till actual ovulation. After sex, I went to Target and had taken it within the hour. Four days later, symptoms started with dizziness like motion sickness, cramps, mood swings. Two weeks later, I started pregnancy tests, and all were negative. I got my period 2 days earlier than normal. I do have bad PMS symptoms like fatigue and food cravings, which I typically don’t have. So it worked! I’ll give it an 8/10 because I’m not pregnant, but when I did have adverse symptoms, it was wicked."

• Sca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2017

For Emergency Contraception "I'm going to give my whole story because I know when I was reading these reviews that's all I wanted to hear just to comfort me, but in a short version because of the word limit... -Had my period on June 23-26 -Had protected sex, but the condom broke, and my boyfriend came in me on July 3, which was 5 to 6 days before ovulation -Took the pill 30-45 minutes after the incident -I had severe nausea, dizziness, breast tenderness that hurt to the touch, fatigue, and slight cramps for a week and a half -On the second week, July 17, I started bleeding brownish at first that turned into a dark red and bled for 5 days (TMI, I know, I'm sorry), but the pill works! I started a week before my expected period, so don't worry girls, you'll be okay!!!"