ellaOne
"ellaOne is the most effective morning after pill you can get. While it’s effective for up to five days after unprotected sex, you should take it as soon as you can after intercourse."
What is ellaOne?
EllaOne is a morning after pill that helps prevent pregnancy when taken after unprotected sex. You can take ellaOne tablets at any point during your menstrual cycle.
Our clinicians can prescribe the right emergency contraception for your needs. Complete a quick, confidential online consultation and collect in your local Well Pharmacy.
How does it work?
ellaOne contains the active ingredient ulipristal acetate. It prevents or delays your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulating). It protects against pregnancy and can be taken within 5 days of unprotected sex.
How to use ellaOne
Take your ellaOne pill within 5 days (120 hours) of unprotected sex.
You can take your tablet at any time of the day either before, during or after a meal. ellaOne can be taken at any point during your menstrual cycle.
Effectiveness
In recent studies, ellaOne has been effective at preventing pregnancy for a full 5 days after unprotected sex. However, you should take it as soon as you can. ellaOne is 2.5 times more effective than levonorgestrel, which is also branded as Levonelle.
If you vomit within 3 hours of taking the morning after pill, you should always let your doctor know. It’s likely they’ll recommend taking another tablet.
Bear in mind that if you take ellaOne and have unprotected sex afterwards, you won’t be protected from future pregnancies. Hormonal contraception can stop ellaOne from working, so you’ll need to wait before taking hormonal contraception again. After 5 days you can start taking your regular contraception.
But you’ll need to use a condom or not have sex for an extra:
- 7 days if you take the combined contraceptive pill, patch or ring
- 9 days if you take Qlaira
- 2 days if you are on the progestogen only (mini) pill
Side effects of ellaOne
As with all medications, you may experience side effects when taking ellaOne. For around 1 in 10 women who take it, common side effects include:
- Irregular bleeding
- Headache
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Dizziness
- Stomach pain (abdominal)
After taking ellaOne if you get a missed or late period, and you experience any of these symptoms, you should take a pregnancy test.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the ellaOne patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, please contact us in your Patient Record.
Product features
Take within 120 hours (5 days) of having unprotected sex
Effective protection against pregnancy
Discreet pharmacy collection available
What is ellaOne?
EllaOne is a morning after pill that helps prevent pregnancy when taken after unprotected sex. You can take ellaOne tablets at any point during your menstrual cycle.
Our clinicians can prescribe the right emergency contraception for your needs. Complete a quick, confidential online consultation and collect in your local Well Pharmacy.
How does it work?
ellaOne contains the active ingredient ulipristal acetate. It prevents or delays your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulating). It protects against pregnancy and can be taken within 5 days of unprotected sex.
How to use ellaOne
Take your ellaOne pill within 5 days (120 hours) of unprotected sex.
You can take your tablet at any time of the day either before, during or after a meal. ellaOne can be taken at any point during your menstrual cycle.
Effectiveness
In recent studies, ellaOne has been effective at preventing pregnancy for a full 5 days after unprotected sex. However, you should take it as soon as you can. ellaOne is 2.5 times more effective than levonorgestrel, which is also branded as Levonelle.
If you vomit within 3 hours of taking the morning after pill, you should always let your doctor know. It’s likely they’ll recommend taking another tablet.
Bear in mind that if you take ellaOne and have unprotected sex afterwards, you won’t be protected from future pregnancies. Hormonal contraception can stop ellaOne from working, so you’ll need to wait before taking hormonal contraception again. After 5 days you can start taking your regular contraception.
But you’ll need to use a condom or not have sex for an extra:
- 7 days if you take the combined contraceptive pill, patch or ring
- 9 days if you take Qlaira
- 2 days if you are on the progestogen only (mini) pill
Side effects of ellaOne
As with all medications, you may experience side effects when taking ellaOne. For around 1 in 10 women who take it, common side effects include:
- Irregular bleeding
- Headache
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Dizziness
- Stomach pain (abdominal)
After taking ellaOne if you get a missed or late period, and you experience any of these symptoms, you should take a pregnancy test.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the ellaOne patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, please contact us in your Patient Record.
Select a medication and complete our simple, confidential online consultation
A clinician will review your answers and, if suitable, prescribe treatment
Click & collect from your local pharmacy
ellaOne FAQs
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ellaOne dosages
As the name suggests, you only take one tablet. If you vomit within 3 hours of taking the morning after pill, you should always let your doctor know. It’s likely they’ll recommend taking another tablet.
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Where can I buy ellaOne?
You can get the morning after pill from your GP, pharmacies or sexual health clinics.
If you’d rather not have a face to face appointment, you can request the morning after pill through us. After a quick, confidential online consultation, you can collect ellaOne from your chosen Well Pharmacy.
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Is ellaOne safe?
As with all medications, some women who take ellaOne can experience some side effects.
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What to do if I get ellaOne side effects
Common side effects from taking ellaOne, meaning up to 1 in 10 women may experience them, include:
- Irregular bleeding
- Headache
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Dizziness
- Stomach pain (abdominal)
If you vomit within 3 hours of taking the morning after pill, you should always let your doctor know. It’s likely they’ll recommend taking another tablet.
If you experience the more common side effects of ellaOne, you should be able to manage these at home. If you notice any serious side effects, like an allergic reaction, you should speak to your doctor or go to A&E.
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ellaOne morning after pill warnings
Most women can take emergency contraception, including those who can’t take the combined pill or contraceptive patches.
If you’re allergic to any of the ingredients in the contraceptive pill, you won’t be able to take ellaOne. Also don’t take ellaOne if:
- You have certain health conditions that require oral steroids, like severe asthma.
- You’re taking medications like St John's Wort.
- You’re having certain treatments for epilepsy, HIV, TB and fungal infections.
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ellaOne drug interactions
As with all medications, ellaOne can interact with other medicines. So, we can prescribe it safely, you’ll need to let us know which prescription and over-the-counter medicines or recreational drugs you’re taking regularly.
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Alternative ellaOne treatments
ellaOne vs Levonorgestrel
When taken correctly, both these morning after pills work in a similar way to effectively prevent pregnancy. However, the timings differ. Levonorgestrel must be taken within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex while ellaOne can be taken within 5 days.
IUD (intrauterine device) or copper coil
An effective alternative to either pill is an intrauterine device (IUD) more commonly known as the copper coil.
To be effective, it needs to be fitted by a trained medical professional within 5 days after you’ve had unprotected sex. Then you can keep it in place for a number of years as your routine contraception.
If you’re thinking about getting a coil, we recommend taking the morning after pill while you wait, in case the fitting is delayed.
