Plan B Dosage

Plan B comes in a pack of two tablets. The standard Plan B dosage is to take the first tablet as soon as possible within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The second tablet should be taken 12 hours later. To help avoid an upset stomach, you may want to take your Plan B doses with food.

 

Plan B Dosage: An Introduction

There is only one approved dose of Plan B® (levonorgestrel). As always, do not adjust this dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Plan B Dosage for Emergency Contraception

Plan B comes in a pack of two tablets. The first tablet should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours (three days) after unprotected sex. The second tablet should be taken 12 hours after the first tablet, even if this means taking it in the middle of the night. The sooner you take Plan B, the more effective it is at preventing pregnancy.
 
Some healthcare providers recommend taking both tablets at once. While some studies suggest that this may work fine, it is not an approved way to take Plan B.
 

General Information on Your Plan B Dosage

Some considerations for women using Plan B include the following:
 
  • While it is not necessary to take Plan B with food, doing so can help prevent stomach upset.
     
  • If you vomit within one hour of taking a dose of Plan B, call your healthcare provider immediately to see if you should repeat the dose.
     
  • Plan B should not be used as your main form of birth control, because other methods of birth control are usually much more effective.
     
  • For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed.
     
  • If you are unsure about anything related to your Plan B dosage, please talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
     
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;