Whether after postinor the cycle will go astray. When does menstruation begin after postinoration and possible deviations in the menstrual cycle?

As a rule, women plan their pregnancy themselves, using contraceptives. But no method of preventing unwanted conception provides a 100% guarantee of protection. Therefore, if such a “misfire” occurs, women, on the advice of a gynecologist, take hormonal medications that promote the appearance of menstruation - this reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancy. begins earlier than usual - such a disruption of the menstrual cycle will be provoked by an increased dose of the hormone progesterone contained in the drug.

Under the influence of the drug, the following processes are formed:

obstruction of the release of the egg from the ovary;
ovulation disorder;
deterioration of conditions for the advancement of sperm.

This drug is available in the form of white flat tablets, each of which contains levonorgestrel in a dose of 0.75 mg. Its action is aimed at suppressing estrogen - this prevents fertilization and fixation of the egg in the uterus, as it causes ovulation disorders and changes in the endometrium. The epithelial layer thickens and is rejected, which stimulates bleeding.

If you take the pill immediately after intimacy, the mucous environment in the vagina and cervix becomes viscous - this creates an obstacle to the further movement of sperm and reduces the likelihood of conception.

Indications for use

Postinor is used to prevent unwanted pregnancy as an emergency contraceptive. It cannot be used regularly as a contraceptive because it disrupts the menstrual cycle. They can occur several times a month, which causes inflammation of the endometrium and bleeding. For the same reason, the drug should not be used immediately after menstruation. If a woman, after taking Postinor, after menstruation again, accompanied by sharp cramping pain in the lower abdomen, then this indicates a pronounced change in hormonal levels.

Many women are concerned about how many pills they need to take. It is very important that menstruation can begin after taking Postinor if a woman takes the medicine on the first day after intimacy without contraception. After the first dose, you need to take the second tablet 12 hours later. If the first dose is delayed, the drug loses its effectiveness, it will be difficult to induce menstruation - the fertilized egg will be firmly fixed in the endometrium of the uterus.

If a woman takes the medicine after three days, her period will not begin, and there is a high probability of pregnancy.

No less relevant is the question of how many times you can use the drug. Gynecologists recommend using it no more than once a month. In addition, you should not use postinor as a means of emergency contraception every menstrual cycle. To avoid complications, the use of postinor is recommended no more than three times in 12 months. Instead of postinor, you can take its analogue, escapelle, which has a similar effect.

Complications after taking the drug

dizziness;
nausea;
vomiting;
bleeding;
severe pain.

If a woman who is early in her pregnancy takes Postinor, she may have a miscarriage and severe bleeding. In this case, urgent hospitalization is indicated. If the discharge is not too abundant, but continues for a long period, anemia may develop - this leads to a deterioration in the woman’s general condition. If symptoms of overdose appear, you should definitely visit a gynecologist for further treatment and selection of contraceptive medications.

Another negative result that can result from taking the drug is infertility. It develops after a loading dose of levonorgestrel, which changes the functioning of the ovaries and pituitary gland and thereby disrupts ovulation.

Postinor has contraindications for use:

blood clotting disorder;
severe kidney and liver diseases;
allergy to medication components;
presence of blood clots;
lactation;
benign neoplasms of the reproductive system (fibroids, fibromas).

All this must be taken into account when prescribing the drug. You need to take the drug in recommended doses and within the specified time frame, then the result will be positive. If your period comes within 3 days, then pregnancy can be ruled out. It also happens that a woman takes the drug, but does not have her period for several days. There is no reason to worry - menstruation normally comes within a week. If after this period there are no periods, then you need to contact a gynecologist; pregnancy may have occurred.

The nature of menstruation

When your periods begin after taking the drug, they may differ slightly from your usual bleeding. Its onset does not always coincide with the expected date of the next menstruation. More often, after taking Postinor, menstruation appears outside the cycle, the nature of the discharge is spotty, scanty, passes within 2 days, but is repeated several times during the cycle. This means that the drug worked correctly and pregnancy did not occur. If there is any doubt that this is not the case, you need to take a pregnancy test, and to ensure the accuracy of the result, do a blood test for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). If you take the drug according to the instructions, the cycle pathology disappears over time.

There are cases when menstruation does not appear after taking the medicine, but there is no pregnancy. Then there is reason to assume that the woman has hormonal disorders. In this case, postinor can aggravate disruptions in the menstrual cycle and cause delays.

Another effect of postinor is known - it can cause profuse bleeding, accompanied by severe paroxysmal pain. The period of your period increases by several days, and bleeding may appear between periods. Due to such complications, adolescents and women with an unstable menstrual cycle should not take the drug.

If the patient does not have hormonal disorders, then postinor can be used as an emergency contraceptive drug, but not more than 2 times a year. In such cases, the effect of the drug does not interfere with the woman’s reproductive functions. In the future, if she wants to get pregnant, there will be no complications due to taking the medicine.

Conclusion

Postinor does not cause serious problems if it is used according to the instructions and only as a means of emergency contraception. If you want to terminate a pregnancy in the early stages, postinor is ineffective, but can cause severe bleeding, which will lead to urgent hospitalization. If after taking the drug a woman develops complications (the menstrual cycle is disrupted or the nature of the discharge has changed and does not return to normal within 2-3 months), this is a reason to visit a gynecologist.

Anastasia Chuleida

“Postinor” is a drug used as an “ambulance” to prevent pregnancy. Its main active ingredient is the hormone levonorgestrel. It stops the action of female hormones responsible for conception and implantation of the egg into the uterine wall - progesterone and estrogen.

Unfortunately, pregnancy after using Postinor can occur in 15 out of 100 cases.

A pregnancy test after taking Postinor may be positive, although the instructions say that the synthetic analogue of levonorgestrel has a pronounced contraceptive effect.

If you take the drug immediately after unprotected sexual intercourse or if other contraceptive methods fail - or within 72 hours - the release of the finished follicle and its movement through the fallopian tube will be interrupted. If a woman was in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, and a healthy follicle met a sperm and was preparing to penetrate the uterine wall, the active substance blocked changes in the endometrium, and pregnancy would not occur.

However, the more time has passed since coitus, the less potent the medicine is. If in the first hours it works in 95 cases out of a hundred, then after 2 days it works only in 70.

If a woman's menstrual cycle is unstable, she must take a pregnancy test before taking the medicine. It may be that you are already pregnant, and taking Postinor will not be able to affect it, but a failure of the hormonal system will cause side effects.

Side effects when using contraception

Even if the drug did not work, after “Postinor” there will be no consequences for pregnancy. But a woman’s body, with individual intolerance, can respond to taking the drug - even if it was used on time and justified its indicated properties - with an allergic reaction.

The following side effects may occur when using birth control:

nausea;
dizziness;
vomit;
menstrual disorder;
bleeding occurs very often;
when taken in the second phase of the cycle, ectopic pregnancy is possible.

This does not mean that the drug is bad or “old”. Any of the most modern hormonal agents used to plan pregnancy can cause similar consequences.

Despite the fairly high level of development of modern medicine, it is impossible to establish exactly what hormones in what quantities are produced by a woman’s body at a certain moment - test indicators are quite subjective. Therefore, a change in hormonal balance in one direction or another can negatively affect the general condition.

If you roughly “interfere” with the body’s functioning, the consequences cannot be predicted.

The possibility of pregnancy after Postinor can be explained by the body’s individual reaction to additional hormone input or a special phase of the cycle.

The nuances of using the drug

Around the middle of the menstrual cycle, a mature egg “hatches” from the follicle and moves into the uterus along the fallopian tube, waiting to meet the sperm.

At this time, it is no longer affected by any hormones, including those introduced externally.

If the meeting with the sperm occurred at an early stage, the medicine was taken 2 times - as it should be according to the instructions - then it will not reach the egg. Those few days while the egg descends into the uterus, it is in an autonomous state. When it reaches the target, the effect of the medicine will end.

Even bleeding after Postinor does not exclude pregnancy, since in 20% of normal pregnancies in the first trimester, menstruation occurs regularly - although they are scanty in nature.

Therefore, if there is a delay of up to 5-7 days, even if spotting then appears, you need to buy a pregnancy test and get checked to be sure that the danger has passed.

There is a risk of an ectopic pregnancy after Postinor, when the pill was taken precisely during the most dangerous period - during planned ovulation. The action of levonorgestrel prevented the fertilized egg from leaving the fallopian tube, but since fertilization has already occurred, it is impossible to stop the process. In this case, the embryo will begin to develop in the fallopian tube.

If the test shows an unwanted pregnancy, you should immediately see a gynecologist. The condition after taking a contraceptive drug should be assessed by a doctor. The danger of ectopic pregnancy exists, therefore, the sooner therapeutic measures begin, the greater the chance of maintaining the integrity of the tube.

The drug was ineffective

If the drug turns out to be ineffective and conception occurs, then women often decide to keep it. It is morally difficult to decide on an abortion in such a situation - the unborn baby has already earned the right to life before the embryonic stage.

Now the woman is worried about whether taking Postinor has harmed the unborn baby, whether adverse changes have occurred in the mother’s body that will affect the development of the fetus?

The body is completely cleansed of the components of “Postinor” within 26 hours, during which time the egg only has time to descend into the uterine cavity. The laying of the embryonic systems begins at the next stage, and the medicine will not have any effect on the fetus.

Caution – life threatening!

Postinor should not be used to prevent unwanted pregnancy:

if there is a history of diseases, one of the symptoms of which is renal or liver failure;
in case of liver dysfunction of any form;
in case of hypersensitivity to any component of the product;
for diseases associated with lactose deficiency or its complete intolerance, with glucose-galactose malabsorption;
during pregnancy and lactation;
in adolescence – disorders due to an unstable menstrual cycle can be so serious that treatment will take a very long time.

Since hormonal balance has not yet been established in adolescents, even a one-time use - a blow to the body with a huge dose of levonorgestrel - can disrupt the menstrual cycle for a long time and even deprive a girl of experiencing the happiness of motherhood.

Life doesn't always go smoothly or as planned. To mitigate the consequences of spontaneous sexual contact, a woman is sometimes forced to use emergency contraception.

What drug can be recommended today? The most proven is Postinor. It gives fast and reliable results. But there is a problem - menstruation after Postinor goes astray. This happens because the body experiences a shock from a huge portion of the synthetic hormone contained in the tablets. Hormonal disruption caused by taking this medication is the main and most negative consequence for the female body.

The principle and mechanism of action of the drug

At each period of the menstrual cycle, Postinor acts in a different way. Taking it in first half causes ovulation disruption - the egg remains in the follicle (the process of its maturation is suspended).

In the second part of the series(after maturation) Postinor affects the structure of the mucous membrane, preventing the egg (already fertilized) from implanting into the wall of the uterus.

In addition, the mucus in the cervix becomes thicker under the influence of levonorgestrel, and it is more difficult for sperm to enter the uterine cavity.

The drug interferes with ovulation or conception of a child, and also prevents implantation.

Basic rules of application

It is advisable to drink Postinor after an “unsuccessful” sexual intercourse in order to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

The package contains two tablets. You will have to take both. The first - within 24 hours (then the probability of a contraceptive effect is almost 100%). If you managed to take the pill only on the second day, then the chance of not getting pregnant drops to 85%. On the third day the probability will be 50 to 50%.

The second tablet should be taken 12 hours later, otherwise there will be no contraceptive effect.

This drug has contraindications and negative side effects:

Possible symptoms after taking the drug:

difficulty breathing;
repeated vomiting;
swelling on the face;
skin rash;
severe pain;
profuse bleeding.

If severe side effects occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The correct reaction of the body to Postinor

A few hours or days after taking the drug, the woman should experience bleeding. They go with varying intensity for 3 or 5 days. This is a sign that pregnancy has not occurred (the mucous membrane to which the embryo is usually attached has been rejected from the surface of the uterus). For complete guarantee, a reference test should be carried out.

When the danger of an unplanned pregnancy has receded, the problem comes to the fore: how to restore the body after Postinor?

When will the cycle return to its original state?

Regular monthly bleeding after Postinor should begin at the usual time. Due to the individual reaction of each organism to a “killer” dose of hormones, waiting for them to start can be difficult. Some people may get their periods immediately and heavily, while others will have to suffer while waiting.

During this period, all women are very nervous and worried. How many days you will have to wait, and when the cycle will be restored after taking Postinor, not a single gynecologist will say. Sooner or later your period comes. In any case, after a few months the healthy body recovers on its own.

If menstruation does not start

Delayed menstruation after taking Postinor is common. The hormones contained in the drug have a very strong effect on the reproductive system. After such a hormonal shock, a woman’s body can go on strike. If the expected periods do not begin after taking Postinor, then this may have the following reasons:

Alcohol consumption. Is it possible to drink Postinor at the same time as strong alcoholic drinks? Taking any hormonal drug puts a lot of stress on the liver, and additional exposure to this organ can lead to the development of toxic necrosis of hepatocytes and other fatal consequences.
Incorrect appointment times. Only by taking the pill within 3 days after an intimate relationship can you count on a positive result. Otherwise, the embryo will successfully attach to the uterus and the pregnancy will develop. A delay in menstruation may indicate that a child has already been conceived.
Drugs. Taking medications such as drugs for HIV infection, gastric ulcers, epilepsy, strong antibiotics, and barbiturate-based medications can weaken the effects of Postinor and cause other negative consequences.
Period of early puberty. At this age, the menstrual cycle and general hormonal levels are not stable. Their violation often results in a prolonged disruption of the cycle, and bleeding may begin, which can only be stopped by surgery.
Pregnancy. It is still possible if you take Postinor absolutely correctly. If your period does not come after a month, then there is a chance that the embryo managed to gain a foothold in the uterus. To check, you should do a test for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Re-use of Postinor in this situation is unacceptable.
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These side effects weaken the effect of the drug as its concentration in the blood decreases.
Diseases of the liver and gall bladder. The body, weakened by these diseases, can react not just with a delay in the menstrual cycle, but with an exacerbation of chronic diseases.

A fetus that has survived a strong hormonal surge in the mother’s body and is established in the uterus is definitely healthy and viable. The active substance Postinor affects exclusively the activity of germ cells (male and female). Therefore, if after consulting a doctor there is no risk and the decision is made to keep the child, then the woman can be sure that he will be born healthy.

When the delay in menstruation after Postinor is more than two weeks, a visit to the gynecologist is inevitable. Only a doctor will be able to figure out why menstruation does not start and rule out pregnancy and various pathologies caused by taking this drug.

Other deviations

Disorders in the menstrual cycle are not limited only to a delay in the onset of bleeding. There are other signs of atypical behavior of a woman’s reproductive system:

Your periods are coming in an unusual dark brown color in smaller quantities than usual. This phenomenon occurs frequently. Levonorgestrel has a thickening effect on the blood. It curls up and leaves the vessels of the uterus more slowly. You should be concerned if recovery does not occur in subsequent cycles.
Discharge lasting 7 days or more is also not uncommon. This is influenced by the day of the cycle on which the woman took the drug. If menstruation does not stop on the 8th day, you need to see a doctor to rule out internal bleeding and find out how to recover from Postinor.
A large volume of discharge can also indicate pathological changes in the uterus. If the pad fills more than 2 hours later, you should immediately consult a doctor.
If there is a delay after taking Postinor hormonal tablets, and the test is negative, then the blow to the reproductive system was too strong. All that remains is to wait for the body to recover from it.

You can take Postinor during menstruation. This will cause the cycle to pause for a few days and then continue. How after Postinor during menstruation? This issue will have to be resolved together with a gynecologist.

Why can't you take Postinor regularly?

If, for a number of vital reasons, a healthy woman takes Postinor, then pathological changes in her body will not occur. But regular (usually 2 times a year) use of these pills leads to hormonal imbalance, causing infertility.

Carbohydrate-fat metabolism is also greatly affected by taking Postinor. A woman is at risk of gaining a lot of weight.

The ovaries stop functioning, become depleted and fade away. Hormones are not produced in the required volume, which disrupts the menstrual cycle, and infertility may occur. Even treatment by a gynecologist will not restore lost reproductive function.

Frequent thickening of blood in the vessels due to the action of hormones additionally causes the formation of blood clots. If the circulatory system is partially blocked, the supply of blood and oxygen to the internal organs deteriorates, and if completely blocked, this can result in hemorrhage and fatal stroke.

Planned pregnancy after emergency contraception

If everything went well - after Postinor your periods started and your regular cycle was restored, then you don’t have to worry about any complications in the distant future. 3-6 months after using the drug, a healthy woman can become pregnant and give birth to the desired and planned child. Ovulation occurs without problems after Postinor.

All necessary tests and trials have been carried out for this drug. It is officially approved and sold in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription.

Each emergency contraceptive, when used correctly, helps to avoid pregnancy, but also causes quite severe harm to the body. Using it regularly means giving your body one hormonal blow after another. Before using Postinor as an ambulance for “bad” sexual intercourse, a woman should carefully weigh all the consequences and arguments for and against.

It has long been proven that none of the used types of contraception will provide one hundred percent protection against unwanted pregnancy: a condom can break, and a pill taken at the wrong time can lead to conception.

Postinor is an emergency contraceptive drug

If the likelihood of getting pregnant is high, then in the first three days after unprotected intercourse you can use the drug Postinor. It belongs to the group of emergency contraception. Its main purpose is to start menstruation. But the question often arises when menstruation will come after Postinor. Let's try to figure this out.

About the drug

Many people are familiar with this drug firsthand. It prevents unwanted pregnancy and is a means of contraception. It is based on the hormone levonorgestrel. Postinor does not belong to the group of oral contraceptives that must be taken daily. This is a medicine that can help in some emergency situations. An example is when a condom breaks at the most inopportune moment.

One tablet of the drug contains almost twice as much levonorgestrel as the body normally produces. Less of it is also contained in oral contraceptives for daily use. According to the instructions, you need to take two tablets within twelve hours. Taking a larger amount of the drug at one time will not affect the final result, but it can easily lead to hospitalization.

The action of Postinor is based on the fact that a large amount of gestagen accumulates in the body after its use. It can slow down the ovulation process and lead to corresponding changes in the endometrial layer of the uterus. After using the drug, the attachment of a fertilized egg in the uterus is also impossible. The time of the onset of menstruation is affected by the phase of the cycle in which the pills were used.

In case of sexual intercourse in the first half of the menstrual cycle, taking Postinor will have a blocking effect on the ovulation process, which will prevent conception. In the second half of the cycle, the action will be associated with a change in the uterine mucosa, which will make the attachment of the egg impossible. In the first case, the effect is associated with a decrease in estrogen synthesis, in the second - with a decrease in progesterone and luteinizing hormone.

Under the influence of levonorgestrel, the mucus in the cervical area becomes viscous and does not allow sperm to pass through. The probability of conception drops several times. For maximum effectiveness, the drug should be taken immediately after unprotected sexual intercourse or in an emergency. It is not recommended to perform such procedures in advance, before planned sex.

Postinor does not allow the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus

Correct Application

The tablets must be taken no later than seventy-two hours after sexual intercourse with sperm discharge, if pregnancy is not planned. Two tablets should be taken at least twelve hours apart and no more than sixteen hours apart. The result of the onset of menstruation depends on how quickly they were drunk. Statistics show that conception will occur with a probability of:

5% - if you use the drug after twenty-four hours;
15% - if twenty-four to forty-eight hours have passed;
42% - if you take the tablets after forty-eight hours.

When a woman has no serious problems in the sexual sphere, the arrival of her period after taking the drug is not delayed, it comes on time. If they arrive one or two days later or earlier, then there is no reason to worry. If they are delayed for five days or more, there is a reason to conduct a pregnancy test or consult a gynecologist.

It is especially important not to forget that Postinor is approved for use at the age of sixteen years and older. It is not recommended for that category of women who have severe hormonal imbalance.

You should not take Postinor more than once a month. And it is worth remembering that if implantation of the embryo has already taken place, then this drug will not help.

Over time, the effectiveness of the drug decreases

In case of delay

Postinor, according to the instructions, leads to disruption of the menstrual cycle. Your period comes one or two days later or earlier than usual after using the drug. The next menstruation also shifts to this date. The result of taking the pills is a slight spotting that lasts one or two days and resembles menstruation. They can repeat again in one cycle.

There may be several reasons for the late onset of menstruation:

pregnancy;
failure in the hormonal system;
lack of a regular menstrual cycle;
infections in the genital area;
allergy to the drug.

Ovarian dysfunction is restored within two or three cycles. If the fourth and fifth periods came late or did not come at all, then consultation with a specialist is required. If Postinor is taken frequently, the ovaries may not be able to cope with their intended purpose. The result may be infertility.

Only a doctor can help you with pregnancy issues. The only thing that can be done at home is to conduct a pregnancy test. The final answer can be obtained after a gynecological examination and a hCG test. If the results are positive, then there is no reason to worry about the full development of the child. Postinor does not have a negative effect on the fetus and its full development.

Before using Postinor you should take a pregnancy test

Possible deviations

If a woman has irregular menstrual cycles or hormonal imbalances, then some deviations are possible as a result of using Postinor for emergency contraception.

These include:

Heavy bleeding. It is the result of a powerful dose of gestagens entering the body, which causes a decrease in the level of progesterone and pituitary hormones. Rejection of the mucous membrane in the uterus becomes the result of hormonal changes, and bleeding occurs that cannot be stopped on its own. If a woman changes two pads in a period of three hours, then there is a reason to consult a doctor.
Increased duration and intensity of bleeding. This problem is typical for women with disruptions in the hormonal system. That is why this category of women is not recommended to take this drug.
Iron-deficiency anemia. Occurs as a result of excessive bleeding.
Painful and scanty periods. This deviation is quite rare.
Interruptions in the menstrual cycle. They occur in response to interruptions in the functioning of the pituitary gland or ovaries.
Brown discharge. They are a completely adequate reaction to taking pills.
Increased blood clotting. It occurs when Postinor is taken repeatedly and threatens the formation of blood clots in the vessels, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

After taking the tablets, vomiting, swelling and pain in the chest, and headaches are possible. You should seek urgent help if there is shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, unbearable pain in the lower abdomen and repeated vomiting.

Particular attention to the use of the drug should be paid to women with fibroids and other gynecological tumors. Taking Postinor is also not recommended for those who smoke.

Postinor is recognized as a completely safe contraceptive that works well in unexpected situations if you follow the instructions correctly and do not abuse it. Treatment after its use is prescribed only in cases where menstruation is delayed or does not come. And only when, after a thorough examination, the final cause is identified.

Blood clotting may increase sharply when taking Postinor

Should know

Postinor is a medication with its own contraindications and side effects. Therefore, its reception is accompanied by various rules and features that you need to know:

in case of vomiting within three hours after taking any of the two Postinor tablets, you can take one more tablet in addition, but only after consulting a gynecologist;
after using the drug before the next menstruation, it is necessary to take additional measures for protection, such as condoms;
during lactation, with Crohn's disease, diseases of the liver and biliary tract, Postinor must be used with special care;
in case of side effects such as rash, swelling and itching, it is possible to take antihistamines, but only after consulting a doctor;
Postinor is contraindicated for women with severe renal failure, lactose deficiency and glucose-galactose malabsorption;
do not forget about age less than sixteen years and pregnancy, when taking pills is strictly prohibited;
Postinor affects the intake of anticoagulants and anti-glycemic drugs, reducing their effect;
The following may reduce the effectiveness of the drug: tretinoin, barbiturates, nevirapine, oxcarbazepine, ampecavil, lansoprazole, tacrolimus.

When there is an urgent need to use Postinor in girls under sixteen years of age (in case of rape), the issue can be resolved positively on an individual basis by a gynecologist.

Only correct adherence to all the rules for using the drug, which are prescribed in the instructions, will help against side effects and adverse consequences. You should never rely on the Internet or magazine articles. In the case of using emergency contraceptives, the main assistance will be provided only by a competent specialist, with whom you can consult in advance, knowing about the intended sexual intercourse. He will accurately determine possible contraindications to taking pills.

Menstruation after using Postinor serves as clear proof of its effectiveness. But one of the main questions remains the answer to which will be the date of onset of menstruation after taking the pills. As always, everything is individual and largely depends on the state of health in the woman’s sexual sphere. Thousands of women have tried this drug and helped them avoid conception. But do not forget that such tablets are not one hundred percent safe and should be used only in exceptional cases when there is no other choice.

All emergency contraceptives lead to irregularities in the menstrual cycle. Postinor is no exception. High levels of levonorgestrel can have a powerful negative effect on the body and lead to negative consequences even after a single dose. One should never forget about the possibility of infertility if the drug is abused. Therefore, Postinor should not be considered a magical remedy for unwanted pregnancy and should not be abused.

Postinor is an emergency contraceptive. The tablets are taken after unprotected sexual intercourse in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy until three days after it, otherwise there will be no result.

The effect of the contraceptive is based on a sharp increase in the concentration of estrogens and progestogen in the blood after taking it due to the hormone levonorgestrel, which is included in the composition. If critical days occur after the drug, it means that pregnancy did not occur.

In 60% of cases, women note a delay of up to 1 week, and the discharge itself lasts 2-3 days less than usual. Periods may vary: acquire, the amount of blood released will decrease or appear. Sometimes there may be discharge in the middle of the cycle with pain in the lower abdomen. When taken repeatedly, the drug can cause cycle disruption and heavy bleeding during menstruation.

Your period usually starts a few days after taking the second pill., drunk in the second phase of the cycle, but the specific period of their appearance depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Can last from three days to a week. In women who have given birth, after taking Postinor, periods may last longer than in those who have not yet had a pregnancy.

Possible reasons for the delay: non-compliance with the instructions for use, pregnancy, increased blood viscosity, drinking alcohol together with the drug, simultaneous use of another drug that neutralizes Postinor, hormonal imbalance, thyroid disorders and gynecological diseases, ectopic pregnancy.

Menstruation may also begin a few days earlier than the expected due date, this is due to the action of the hormones contained in the drug. Instead of normal bleeding, scanty brownish or bloody discharge appears, which may last much longer than usual.

You should consult a doctor if:

appear instead of normal periods.
The duration of menstruation is up to 10 days, and the intensity does not decrease.
With discharge, weakness, dizziness and pain in the lower abdomen are observed, especially if the sanitary pad needs to be changed every 2-3 hours.
The discharge increases at night and there are a large number of clots.

Read our article for more details about how your periods go after taking Postinor, their characteristics, as well as the reasons for seeing a doctor.

Read in this article

Action of Postinor

The effect of this contraceptive is based on a sharp increase in the concentration of estrogens and progestogen in the blood after taking it. The main active ingredient of Postinor, the synthetic hormone levonorgestrel, is found in minimal dosages in many other oral hormonal contraceptives.

The effect of the drug is threefold, depending on what phase of the menstrual cycle it is taken:

in the period before ovulation, Postinor can delay the onset of the process of release of the egg from the follicle or stop it;
after ovulation, under the influence of hormones, the mucus in the cervical canal thickens, due to which sperm cannot penetrate into the uterine cavity;
The uterine endometrium changes its structure, as a result of which the fertilized egg cannot attach to the wall of the uterus, which is essentially an abortion.

For complete contraception, two Postinor tablets are taken. The first should be drunk as soon as possible after intercourse, and the second after 12 hours. If the drug is taken later than three days after unprotected sexual intercourse, there will be no contraceptive effect.

Expert opinion

It must be borne in mind that taking Postinor dramatically changes the hormonal balance, which can lead to bleeding. Doctors recommend using this extreme form of contraception no more than twice a year.

How do your periods go after taking Postinor?

Since this drug causes a hormonal surge in the body, this cannot but affect the nature of menstruation. More than 60% of women who took Postinor as an emergency contraceptive measure noted a delay in their period by up to one week.

Disruption of the menstrual cycle is minor, except in cases where there are any gynecological diseases.

After taking Postinor and other drugs of similar action, the intensity and color of discharge during menstruation may change, this is manifested in the following:

In some cases, while using Postinor, women may experience slight bleeding in the middle of the menstrual cycle, accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen.

How soon will they start?

Usually, menstruation begins a few days after taking the second pill, but the specific time for their appearance depends on the individual characteristics of the body. If menstruation has not started, you should consult a gynecologist, as this may be a sign that contraception did not work and pregnancy has occurred.

The hormone, which is the basis of Postinor, actively acts on the receptors of the uterus, as a result of which its contraction and rejection of the endometrial layer begin. This process causes menstrual bleeding, which can last from three days to a week. In addition, the drug changes the properties of the blood, making it more viscous.

Increased blood clotting promotes the formation of blood clots, which shorten the duration of critical days, therefore, if without taking emergency contraceptives, menstruation, for example, lasts five days, then with their use, bleeding may stop after three days.

Possible reasons for the delay

In most cases, women note that after taking Postinor, their periods begin with some delay. This can happen for a number of reasons:

non-compliance with instructions for taking the drug;
fertilization of the egg and fixation of the fertilized egg on the endometrium;
increased blood viscosity due to increased clotting;
drinking alcohol while using the drug;
simultaneous use of other medications, due to which the contraceptive effect of Postinor is neutralized;
hormonal imbalance resulting from repeated use of the drug;
use of the product if there are contraindications to it;
some dysfunctions of the endocrine system and existing gynecological diseases.

Expert opinion

Daria Shirochina (obstetrician-gynecologist)

If your period is delayed after taking Postinor, you should definitely seek advice from a gynecologist, since this phenomenon may be a consequence of an ectopic pregnancy, which threatens the woman with serious consequences.

In some cases, a significant delay in menstruation and even their complete cessation occurs due to a significant hormonal imbalance. The most common causes of this phenomenon are:

, which, if you stop taking the drug, can recover within three menstrual cycles;
in more serious cases, ovarian dysfunction can lead to infertility;
, in which the egg, under the influence of a sharply increased concentration of certain hormones, does not mature.

For information on the rules for using emergency contraception, watch this video:

If you arrived ahead of schedule

Sometimes, while taking Postinor, the critical days begin several days before the due time, which is due to the effect of the hormones contained in the drug.

In the second phase of the menstrual cycle, the female body actively produces progesterone, which regulates the onset of menstruation. Since this hormone is one of the main components of the drug, the effect of progesterone is significantly enhanced, and the second phase of the cycle is shortened, as a result of which critical days begin much earlier.

Some women use this property of the drug to induce menstruation if they suspect pregnancy, but doctors do not recommend using Postinor for these purposes, as this can lead to serious complications.

Nature of the discharge

A change in the intensity and color of menstrual blood after taking emergency contraception occurs due to the fact that, under the influence of hormones, the endometrium does not completely separate. The nature of menstruation changes, and instead of normal bleeding, scanty brownish or bloody discharge appears, which can last much longer than usual.

You may need to see a doctor if you experience the following symptoms:

Scanty brown discharge is typical for the menstrual cycle in which Postinor was used for contraception; this is normal and should not cause alarm. However, if such discharge appears instead of normal periods, you should consult a doctor, as this may be a sign of various pathologies.
The duration of menstruation is up to 10 days; this situation may require the use of hemostatic drugs.
Intense bleeding, which causes weakness, dizziness and pain in the lower abdomen. The danger is such bleeding, in which the sanitary pad needs to be changed every 2-3 hours.

Heavy bleeding may be a sign of the development of neoplasms of various etiologies in the organs of the reproductive system, ectopic pregnancy, serious hormonal disorders or termination of pregnancy.

To normalize hormonal levels after taking Postinor, the doctor may prescribe long-term oral contraceptives.

How long is normal?

The specific duration of critical days is impossible to predict, since this is influenced by many factors.

In most cases, periods in the menstrual cycle in which Postinor was used last 2-3 days less than usual. Subsequently, the nature and duration of bleeding are restored.

If long-term after Postinor

The duration of menstrual bleeding while taking the drug may vary, depending on the individual characteristics of the female body. But, if scanty discharge and shortened periods are the norm in most cases and do not require medical intervention, then a significant increase in the duration of critical days and the intensity of discharge may be a symptom of a serious pathology.

To determine the normal amount of discharge and its duration, the weight and height of the woman, as well as the number of previous births, are important. Women who have given birth may have periods longer after taking Postinor than those who have not yet had a pregnancy.

The reason for a visit to the doctor is a situation when the critical days after using emergency contraception last more than ten days, and the intensity of bleeding does not decrease.

Also, consultation with a gynecologist is necessary for the following complaints:

against the background of prolonged bleeding after taking Postinor, a woman experiences attacks of dizziness, shortness of breath, and weakness;
the discharge increases at night, and several sanitary pads have to be changed during the night;
presence of blood clots in the discharge.

Do I need to take the drug during menstruation?

There is no prohibition on using Postinor at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, but the nature subsequent critical days directly depends on the phase in which the contraceptive was used.

Emergency contraceptive methods can stop menstruation, which will lead to subsequent cycle disruption.

Conception can occur only after the egg has matured, which occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, so taking emergency contraceptive medications during menstrual periods does not make sense.

It should be borne in mind that no contraceptive means provides a 100% guarantee against unwanted pregnancy. Postinor should be used only in exceptional cases and after mandatory consultation with a gynecologist, since this drug has many contraindications and side effects.

Doctors are ambivalent about the use of Postinor as a method of contraception. The drug has many side effects, first of all, it is a sharp change in hormonal levels, which can have unpleasant consequences for the female body.

Modern pharmacology offers a wide range of contraceptives, including hormonal ones, containing minimal doses of active substances and not causing harm. If for some reason a woman cannot use these remedies, it is better to use a condom to protect against unwanted pregnancy.

Useful video

About the drug Postinor, watch this video: