After intercourse without barrier protection, many women resort to emergency contraception. One of these is Postinor. However, none of the products on the modern pharmacological market provides guaranteed protection. What to do if there is no menstruation after Postinor? How long can the delay last? Find answers to these and other similar questions in today's article.
Drug summary
"Postinor" refers to emergency contraception. The manufacturer is the Hungarian company Gedeon Richter. She developed a drug specifically to prevent pregnancy in the first 72 hours after intercourse without barrier contraception.
The active ingredient is the synthetic hormone levonorgestrel. It does not allow the full development of an already fertilized egg, inhibits the process of conception in the early stages. The drug is produced in the form of white tablets with a protective shell. One box contains 2 of these pills.
Mechanism of action
Before using the drug, you must familiarize yourself with the principle of its action. In the female body, 2 hormones are characterized by the greatest activity: progesterone and estrogen. In the absence of reproductive he alth problems, they interact harmoniously throughout the entire menstrual cycle.
The principle of action of levonorgestrel is in many ways similar to the work of progesterone. However, the activity of the former is about 150 times stronger. Therefore, a delay in menstruation after taking Postinor cannot be ruled out. The effect of emergency contraception occurs in several stages:
- Ovulation blocking, as a result of which the egg does not leave the ovary and enter the fallopian tube.
- Hormonal surge and rejection of the endometrium against its background.
- Sperms that manage to penetrate the female body are deprived of full activity and the ability to fertilize.
Some believe that the use of medication can be a trigger for miscarriage. In fact, such an opinion is erroneous. If the fertilized egg has already managed to gain a foothold in the uterus, the development process has begun, pregnancy is inevitable. "Postinor" in this case does not have the desired effect. It only prevents conception, but does not terminate the pregnancy.
Application features
Is there a delaymenstruation after taking Postinor? The answer to this question depends not only on the characteristics of the body, but also on the correct use of the drug. According to the instructions attached to it, the main indications for use are as follows:
- intercourse without barrier contraception;
- missing a birth control pill;
- failure of another method of contraception, such as breaking a condom.
Pack contains 2 tablets. The first pill should be taken as soon as possible after intimacy. The maximum allowed time is 72 hours. The second tablet should be taken 12 hours after the first. The effectiveness of contraception directly depends on following the listed rules. For example, a woman took a pill on the first day after sex. In this case, its efficiency is 95%. Extending the term to 50 hours reduces the chance of preventing an unwanted pregnancy by up to 58%.
Acceptance of funds is prohibited in the following situations:
- irregular female cycle;
- lactose intolerance;
- pregnancy period;
- teenage years;
- chronic liver and/or kidney disease.
With the correct use of the drug in a he althy woman, menstruation occurs on time. However, there are very few such lucky ones. How long the delay in menstruation after "Postinor" will last depends on the individual reaction of the body to its components.
Effect on menstruation
The use of "Postinor" blocks the onset of pregnancy,and also affects the state of the reproductive system. One of the tangible consequences is the shift in time of critical days, the change in allocations.
According to statistics, after taking the second pill, menstruation comes on 2-5 days. At the same time, the volume of secretions and their qualitative characteristics rarely correspond to the usual ones. They can be plentiful or, conversely, smearing. Hard dark clots in secret are a normal physiological response to levonorgestrel.
Main causes of missing periods
Can there be a delay in menstruation after "Postinor"? As part of the drug, a loading dose of the hormone is concentrated. Therefore, its use can affect the state of the whole organism. One of the most common consequences is the delay in menstruation. Among the causes of this violation, doctors consider the following:
- Hormonal failure. This is the most commonly identified cause of missing periods. The hormone levonorgestrel not only prevents the onset of ovulation, but also affects the endocrine glands. In this case, a full menstruation does not occur within 3 months. Such a disorder requires therapy with hormones.
- Increased blood clotting. Most of the endometrium or the inner layer of the uterus falls on the vessels. As a result of its rejection, blood can clot even in its cavity. Therefore, the first menstruation after emergency contraception is scanty and has a brownish tint. Such a reaction is considered physiological, should notaccompanied by anxiety.
- Drug incompatibility. Some drugs adversely affect levonorgestrel as a hormone to block ovulation. These include medicines for the treatment of the following pathologies: stomach ulcers, tuberculosis, epilepsy, HIV.
- Overweight. A delay in menstruation after "Postinor" often occurs in obese women. Therefore, before using the drug, they should consult with a gynecologist to clarify the required dosage.
- Age. Girls under 16 years of age are strictly prohibited. In the process of becoming a hormonal background, any external influence can lead to irreversible consequences. In addition, women over 40 should take Postinor with caution. Hormonal disorders often provoke the approach of menopause.
- Ignoring possible contraindications. Women suffering from kidney or liver failure who have had hepatitis run the risk of artificially provoking a delay in menstruation. In this case, a consultation with a gynecologist is required to select an emergency contraceptive.
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol neutralizes the action of levonorgestrel. The combined use of emergency contraception and alcohol adversely affects the expected result in most cases. Also, some women begin to experience problems with the menstrual cycle.
- Inflammatory processes in the uterus. "Postinor" can increase the course of such diseases of the reproductive system as colpitis, vaginitis, endometritis.
- Pregnancy. A delay in menstruation after Postinor with a negative pregnancy test may indicate the fact of a successful conception. A home test often shows a false negative result. To confirm the presence of pregnancy, you should take a blood test to determine the levels of hCG. With a positive result, there is no need to interrupt it. The substances contained in the preparation do not harm the development of the embryo.
Delayed menstruation
How long after "Postinor" can there be a delay in menstruation? The acceptable deviation is considered to be a period of 10-14 days. It is quite normal if the next 2-3 months menstruation will go irregularly. This is due to a large dose of a synthetic hormone that entered the body and brought a malfunction in the endocrine glands. Background recovery usually takes up to 4 months.
Critical delay in menstruation after "Postinor" is called in the case when spotting is absent for 30 days or more. In this case, a woman must visit a gynecologist without fail to identify the cause of the deviation. A lady with regular disruptions in the menstrual cycle needs a consultation with a specialized specialist and medication to eliminate the hormonal disorder.
Scanty periods
Women rarely face the problem of scanty periods after Postinor. A similar condition is oligomenorrhea, and it is due to increased hormonal effects. Over time, the disorder shoulddisappear on their own.
On the other hand, when you experience scanty periods after unprotected intercourse and taking emergency contraception, it is important to rule out pregnancy. Most often, pulling pains in the lower abdomen and a small amount of secretions are a side effect of taking the drug. If these symptoms persist for several cycles, you should consult a gynecologist.
Complete absence of periods
After "Postinor" there is no menstruation (delay) - this is not the only consequence of taking the drug. Sometimes the medication causes a significant hormonal imbalance. This violation leads to the complete absence of menstruation. In this case, you should immediately contact a gynecologist. In this case, the following he alth problems are usually diagnosed:
- ovarian dysfunction requiring a long recovery period;
- complete ovarian dysfunction (sometimes leading to infertility);
- failure of hormone secretion.
These are far from the only reasons why there is no menstruation after Postinor. It all depends on the characteristics of the woman's body and the presence of related he alth problems. In any case, in the absence of menstruation, qualified medical assistance is required.
It is worth noting that "Postinor" is a completely safe drug. However, an important caveat is that there are no contraindications to taking the medication. It is not suitable for all women.
Negative test and delay
After Postinor, many womenface various consequences of this method of contraception. One of these is an ectopic pregnancy.
A missed period always suggests a successful fertilization of the egg, but the test shows a negative result, and the level of hCG rises. The described changes are characteristic of an ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the egg is not attached to the uterine cavity, but in the ovaries, fallopian tubes or peritoneum. Soon the first signs of pregnancy may appear: pulling pains, discomfort in the mammary glands. Most women attribute these symptoms to premenstrual syndrome, because the test has already denied the alleged conception.
However, an ectopic pregnancy cannot be ignored, as it can threaten a woman's life. This example once again proves the need to seek medical help to establish the cause of the delay in menstruation after Postinor. When menstruation begins, in this case, waiting is very dangerous.
Doctors' recommendations
What to do with a delay in menstruation after "Postinor"? Reviews of doctors indicate the need for qualified medical care.
After examining a woman's medical history, the gynecologist usually gives a referral for a complete examination of her body. It includes standard blood and urine tests, as well as examination of the organs of the reproductive system through ultrasound diagnostics. Such a diagnosis allows you to understand the reason for the delay in menstruation after taking the drug "Postinor".
If according to the results of the surveyfailures in the work of the endocrine system are detected, additional consultation with an endocrinologist may be required.
In general, treatment for menstrual irregularities involves taking hormonal drugs. Their dosage, as well as the choice of a specific remedy, remain with the doctor. In addition, it is the specialist who determines the duration of the course of therapy.
In some cases, and only as an addition to the treatment, traditional medicine recipes are used. To restore the cycle, decoctions of the following herbs have proven themselves well: milk thistle, parsley, tansy, wormwood.
Pregnancy after Postinor
If you test positive after using emergency contraception, there is no reason to panic. To determine the accuracy of the result, you can take a test for the level of hCG. This analysis is the most informative and shows a reliable result as early as 10 days after the date of the expected ovulation. After the final confirmation of pregnancy, you should not be afraid of the effect of Postinor. The drug does not harm the embryo inside the womb. It is likely that such a pregnancy in the future will require more attention and supervision from medical personnel.
Conclusion
The menstrual cycle is a rather complex system, which is a kind of reflection of women's he alth. Any failures and irregularity of menstruation indicate problems. It is extremely important to identify and eliminate them in a timely manner through a therapeutic course. Don't wait for many weekswhen menstruation begins with a delay after Postinor. Reviews of doctors warn of the unpleasant consequences of such ignoring the symptoms. In some cases, they end up with problems with conception and childbearing.
