EllaOne Emergency Contraception “Morning After Pill”
£24.70
ellaOne is an emergency contraceptive used to help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if a regular contraceptive method has failed, following a clinical assessment.
ellaOne works by delaying or stopping the release of an egg from the ovaries by affecting the hormone progesterone. It should be taken as soon as possible and within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sex for the best chance of preventing pregnancy. It will not work if you are already pregnant and does not replace regular contraception.
Please Note: You are also required to complete a form at checkout. In addition, a video consultation with our pharmacist may be required.
Categories: Age verification, Emergency Contraception, Emergency Hormonal Contraception, Female Health, Medicines, Online Clinic, Online Shop, Womens Health
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What is ellaOne used for?
EllaOne is an emergency contraceptive used to help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or when a contraceptive method has failed.
Emergency contraception with ellaOne can be taken within 120 hours (5 days) of unprotected sexual intercourse, although it works best when taken as soon as possible.
Situations where ellaOne may be used include:
- No contraception was used during sexual intercourse.
- A condom tore, slipped, or came off.
- You missed contraceptive pills or did not use your regular contraception correctly.
ellaOne contains the active ingredient ulipristal acetate, which helps prevent pregnancy when taken within the recommended time frame. Emergency contraception is not effective in every case — around 2 in 100 women may still become pregnant after taking it.
ellaOne can be taken at any time during the menstrual cycle and is suitable for women of childbearing age, including adolescents.
How ellaOne works
EllaOne works by using ulipristal acetate to affect the activity of the hormone progesterone, which plays an important role in ovulation.
It works mainly by:
- Delaying or postponing the release of an egg from the ovaries (ovulation).
ellaOne will not work if you are already pregnant and will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
If you have unprotected sex again after taking ellaOne, the tablet will not prevent pregnancy from that intercourse. It is intended for emergency use only and should not be used as a regular method of contraception. If you do not currently use regular contraception, speak to a healthcare professional about a suitable option.
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Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how to use this medicine.
The recommended dose:
Take one tablet by mouth as soon as possible and no later than 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. Take the tablet without delay.
- You can take the tablet at any time in your cycle.
- You can take the tablet at any time of the day either before, during or after a meal.
- If you are using one of the medicines that may prevent ellaOne from working properly or if you have used one of these medicines in the past 4 weeks, ellaOne may work less effectively for you. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before using ellaOne. You may be advised another type of (non-hormonal) emergency contraceptive, i.e. a Cu-IUD.
If you vomit after taking ellaOne
If you vomit within 3 hours of taking the tablet, take another tablet as soon as possible.
If you have sex again after taking ellaOne
If you have unprotected sex after taking the tablet, it will not stop you from becoming pregnant. After you take the tablet and until your next period comes, you should use condoms every time you have sex.
If your next period is late after taking ellaOne
After taking the tablet, it is normal for your next period to be a few days late. However, if your period is more than 7 days late; if it is unusually light or unusually heavy; or if you experience symptoms such as abdominal (stomach) pain, breast tenderness, vomiting or nausea, you may be pregnant. You should do a pregnancy test right away. If you are pregnant, it is important that you see your doctor.
If you take more ellaOne than you should
There have been no reports of harmful effects from taking a higher dose than recommended of this medicine However do ask your pharmacist, doctor or other healthcare professional for advice.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your pharmacist, doctor or other healthcare professional.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Some of the side effects are temporary with continued treatment or disappeared when treatment is stopped.
Side Effects
Common
- Nausea, abdominal (stomach) pain or discomfort, vomiting
- Painful periods, pelvic pain, breast tenderness
- Headache, dizziness, mood swings
- Muscle pain, back pain, tiredness
Uncommon
- Diarrhoea, heartburn, wind, dry mouth
- Unusual or irregular vaginal bleeding, heavy/prolonged periods premenstrual syndrome, vaginal irritation or discharge, lesser or greater sex drive
- Hot flushes
- Appetite changes, emotional disorders, anxiety, agitation, trouble sleeping, sleepiness, migraine visual disturbances
- Influenza
- Acne, skin lesions, itching
- Fever, chills, malaise
Rare
- Genital pain or itching, pain during sex, rupture of an ovarian cyst, unusually light period
- Loss of concentration, vertigo, shaking, disorientation, fainting
- Unusual sensation in eye, red eye, sensitivity to light
- Dry throat, disturbance in taste
- Allergic reactions such as rash, hives or swelling of the face
- Feeling thirsty
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Warning & Precautions
Do not take ellaOne
- if you are allergic to ulipristal acetate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine
Talk to your pharmacist, doctor or other healthcare professional before taking this medicine
- if your period is late or you have symptoms of pregnancy (heavy breasts, morning sickness), as you may already be pregnant (see section “Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility”);
- if you suffer from severe asthma;
- if you suffer from severe liver disease.
In all women, emergency contraception should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse. There is some evidence that this medicine may be less effective with increasing body weight or body mass index (BMI), but these data were limited and inconclusive. Therefore, ellaOne is still recommended for all women regardless of their weight or BMI.
You are advised to speak to a healthcare professional if you are concerned about any problems related to taking emergency contraception.
If you become pregnant despite taking this medicine, it is important that you see your doctor.
Age Restrictions
Women over the age of 18 years.
Other Medicine and Conditions
This medicine may make regular hormonal contraceptives, like pills and patches, temporarily less effective. If you are currently taking hormonal contraception, continue to use it as usual after taking the tablet, but be sure to use condoms every time you have sex until your next period.
Do not take ellaOne together with another emergency contraceptive pill that contains levonorgestrel. By taking them both together, you might make this medicine less effective.
Tell your pharmacist, doctor or other healthcare professional if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription or herbal medicines.
Some medicines may prevent ellaOne from working effectively. If you have used any of the medicines listed below during the last 4 weeks, ellaOne may be less suitable for you. Your doctor may prescribe another type of (non-hormonal) emergency contraceptive, i.e. a copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD):
- medicines used to treat epilepsy (for example, primidone, phenobarbital, phenytoin, fosphenytoine, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and barbiturates)
- medicines used to treat tuberculosis (for example, rifampicin, rifabutin)
- a treatment for HIV (ritonavir, efavirenz, nevirapine)
- a medicine used to treat fungal infections (griseofulvin)
- herbal remedies containing St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum).
Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before using ellaOne when you use (or have recently used) any of the medicines stated above.
Fertility
This medicine will not affect your future fertility. If you have unprotected sex after taking this medicine, it will not stop you from becoming pregnant. Therefore it is important you use condoms until your next period.
If you wish to start or continue with a regular method of contraception after using this medicine, you can do so but you should also use condoms until your next period.
Driving and using machines
Your ellaOne tablet is unlikely to affect your ability to drive a car or use machines. However, if you feel tired or dizzy do not drive or operate machinery.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Not recomended for use in pregnancy.
If you take this medicine while you are breast-feeding a baby, do not breast-feed for one week after taking this medicine. During this time, it is recommended to use a breast pump in order to maintain milk production, but throw away your breast milk. The effect of breast-feeding your baby in the week after taking this medicine is not known.
Patient Information Leaflet
https://www.ellaone.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2022/11/ellaOne-UK_Package-Leaflet_2022.pdf
Ingredients
- Active Ingredients: Ulipristal acetate 30mg
- Other Ingredients: Tablet core: lactose monohydrate, povidone, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate. Tablet Coating: poly(vinyl alcohol) (E1203), macrogol (E1521), talc (E553b), titanium dioxide (E171), polysorbate 80 (E433), iron oxide yellow (E172), potassium aluminium silicate (E555)
Product Information
- Brand Name: ellaOne
- Route of Administration: Oral
- Legal Classification: Prescription Only Medication (POM)
- Strength: 30mg
- Dosage From: Tablet
Storage
- Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
- Do not use Levonelle 1500 after the expiry date which is stated on the package after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month.
- Store in the original packaging in order to protect from light.
- Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.
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