Plan B: Doubling Up On the Pill?

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Mistakes happen. That’s life. But what do you do when you’re in he heat of the moment and afterwards you realize that you can’t get or even afford to purchase “Plan B”, emergency contraception?

Don’t worry. You still have options.

Although it’s not recommended to double up on your birth control pills for regular cycles, in the case of emergency contraception there are certain pills that you can double up on to get the same effect as emergency contraception.

Some birth control pills contain levonorgestrel, a compound that is used in emergency contraception. In the 1970s, healthcare providers assigned certain birth control pills specifically for emergency contraception usage; this was prior to the onset of research and the creation of products such as “Plan B”. In 2009, the FDA approved the sale of emergency contraception over the counter for women ages 17 and older.

Today, there are nearly two dozen different brands of birth control pills that can be used as back up for emergency contraception if you are unable to attain items such as ella, Plan B, Next Choice, or Lievonorgestrel Tablets, which are sold over-the-counter to women and men ages 17 and older. As you’ll see in the table below, it is important to understand the dosage level in each pill to know how many you would need to take to get he same effects. Even though they are not branded and sold as emergency contraceptive pills, they have been proven to be as safe and effective in preventing pregnancy in 120 hours or up to 5 days after sex.

In order for birth controls to work as emergency contraceptives, you’ll need to take two doses of them. One immediately, and then the other 12 hours later. Using the chart below, you should be able to find your brand of birth control, and the necessary dosage you’ll need in case you ever need a fix and get what you need the morning after. However, it’s important to not abuse this; don’t swallow extra pills than what is recommended. It will not reduce your risk of pregnancy more, but rather make you feel sick to your stomach. If you do feel ill, see a doctor immediately. It is important that you not solely rely on birth control to back you up. You should work to stick to a regular birth control method and practice safe sex.

Brand	Company	First Doseb	Second Doseb (12 hours later)	Ulipristal Acetate per Dose (mg)	Ethinyl Estradiol per Dose (µg)	Levonorgestrel per Dose (mg)c
Ulipristal acetate pills
ella	Watson	1 white pill	Noneb	30	–	–
Progestin-only pills
Levonorgestrel Tablets	Perrigo	2 white pills	Noneb	–	–	1.5
Next Choice	Watson	2 peach pills	Noneb	–	–	1.5
Plan B One-Step	Teva	1 whilte pill	None	–	–	1.5
Combined progestin and estrogen pills
Aviane	Teva	5 orange pills	5 orange pills	–	100	0.50
Cryselle	Teva	4 white pills	4 white pills	–	120	0.60
Enpresse	Teva	4 orange pills	4 orange pills	–	120	0.50
Jolessa	Teva	4 pink pills	4 pink pills	–	120	0.60
Lessina	Teva	5 pink pills	5 pink pills	–	100	0.50
Levora	Watson	4 white pills	4 white pills	–	120	0.60
Lo/Ovral	Akrimax	4 white pills	4 white pills	–	120	0.60
LoSeasonique	Teva	5 orange pills	5 orange pills	–	100	0.50
Low-Ogestrel	Watson	4 white pills	4 white pills	–	120	0.60
Lutera	Watson	5 white pills	5 white pills	–	100	0.50
Lybrel	Wyeth	6 yellow pills	6 yellow pills	–	120	0.54
Nordette	Teva	4 light-orange pills	4 light-orange pills	–	120	0.60
Ogestrel	Watson	2 white pills	2 white pills	–	100	0.50
Portia	Teva	4 pink pills	4 pink pills	–	120	0.60
Quasense	Watson	4 white pills	4 white pills	–	120	0.60
Seasonale	Teva	4 pink pills	4 pink pills	–	120	0.60
Seasonique	Teva	4 light-blue-green pills	4 light-blue-green pills	–	120	0.60
Sronyx	Watson	5 white pills	5 while pills	–	100	0.50
Trivora	Watson	4 pink pills	4 pink pills	–	120	0.50

[Source: Emergency Contraception Website]