Can You Smoke After Taking Plan B One-step?

While smoking is generally bad for your health, should it stop you from making efforts to prevent an unwanted pregnancy? Read on as the pharmacist explains if it is safe to smoke after taking Plan B One-step or any other brand of levonorgestrel.

Plan B One-step is a brand name for a synthetic hormone called Levonorgestrel. It is quite effective in preventing pregnancy with a success rate of up to 87% if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex.

While Plan is safe to use without any long-term negative effects on fertility or pregnancy, its safety when combined with substances like nicotine or weed is one to be on the lookout for. 

Can You Smoke After Taking Plan B?

Yes, it is okay to smoke after taking Plan B because there is no evidence that the chemicals in cigarettes can interfere with the ability of levonorgestrel (Plan B) to prevent pregnancy or even increase its side effects.

However, the fact that there is no documented interaction between levonorgestrel (Plan B) and weed or cigarettes does not rule out the existence of a possible interaction. 

In situations like this, it is often advisable to give adequate spacing between the two. You could light up your cigarette at least 2 hours after taking the medication, or better yet, give it up till the next day. This helps rule out any potential risk of interaction.

More Details on the Safety of Plan B

Plan B is what is referred to as a progestin-only emergency contraceptive. This is because it contains only Levonorgestrel which is a progestin (synthetic form of progesterone). 

There is another form of contraceptive called Combined Oral Contraceptive (COC). This other form is a combination of both levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol (a synthetic form of estrogen). 

Plan B is meant to be used only as an emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy after an instance of unprotected sex, condom damage, or missed doses of other contraceptives. 

COC on the other hand is indicated for use in long-term prevention of pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. 

While there is little to no research work on the effects of smoking on progestin-only contraceptives like levonorgestrel (Plan B), a few exist for combined oral contraceptives.

It is believed that women who smoke while on combined oral contraceptives are at a higher risk of experiencing cardiovascular diseases such as blood clots, stroke, and heart attack [1].

Another study also explained that women who smoked experienced more irregular bleeding while on oral contraceptives because of their ability to reduce estrogen levels in the body [2]. It also went on to state that smokers are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis in the future.

These risks are only linked to combined oral contraceptives. They’ve not been recorded with progestin-only contraceptives like Plan B and are even less likely to be a problem since they are meant to be taken only in emergencies and not on a regular basis.

Plan B One-step is recommended to be taken once in a menstrual cycle or once in a month. Taking it this way reduces the risk of its side effects on menstruation such as irregular periods and changes in menstrual flow.

Final Thoughts

There is no documented evidence showing any form of interaction between smoking and levonorgestrel. However, this does not mean that an interaction does not exist between the two. It is often best to be proactive and take measures to curtail any unknown interaction. This can be done by either giving some space between when you took the pill and when you light up a cigarette or by skipping smoking for the entire day.

References

1. Medline: Estrogen and Progestin (Oral Contraceptives)
2. Rosenberg M, Kaunitz A, Wysocki S. Does smoking affect efficacy of the pill? Ask the experts. Contracept Technol Update. 1999 Dec;20(12):143-4. PMID: 12295560.
3. Vrettakos C, Bajaj T. Levonorgestrel. [Updated 2023 May 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539737/
4. Bercovici JP. La contraception progestative [Progestational contraception]. Rev Prat. 1987 Sep 21;37(38):2277-8, 2281-4. French. PMID: 3659794. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3659794/ 
5. Hallare J, Gerriets V. Half Life. [Updated 2023 Jun 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554498/