Let’s set the scene: you had a fun night out with your friends, things got a bit spicy with someone, and now you’re back at home, staring at a morning-after pill, wondering if that cocktail (or two or three) changes anything. That’s a totally normal thing to worry about. Many people take emergency contraception (EC) during or right after a night of downing a few alcoholic drinks, and Google can be full of mixed messages that don’t exactly calm your nerves.
To help ease your mind, we’ll give you the good news upfront: drinking alcohol does not make the morning-after pill less effective. In this article, we’ll walk you through what alcohol does and doesn’t do, when side effects matter, and what to watch for so you can feel confident about your next steps—without panic or shame.
How Does Alcohol Affect the Morning After Pill?
Alcohol actually does not affect how the morning-after pill works in your body.
Emergency contraception pills—like Morning After Pill®, Plan B, Take Action, Option 2, Julie, or Aftera—contain levonorgestrel, an ingredient that delays ovulation. Alcohol doesn’t change hormone levels in a way that interferes with this process, and there’s no evidence showing that your beverage of choice reduces the effectiveness of the contraceptive.
There is also no known drug interaction between alcohol and emergency contraception. So if you’re anxious about a drink somehow “canceling” out Morning After Pill® or other Plan B options, rest assured that that’s not the truth.
Where some folks might get confused is when lifestyle factors (like drinking) overlap with side effects (like nausea). That’s not the same as the medication not working, but it can matter in specific situations, which we’ll cover in a later section.
Read more quick, fact-based reproductive health answers on our Learn & Share blog.
Can I Drink After Taking Plan B or Morning After Pill®?
Yes, you can drink alcohol after taking Plan B, Morning After Pill®, or other EC options. There’s no required waiting period, and you don’t need to plan your dose around when you last had a drink.
That said, “safe” and “comfortable” aren’t always the same thing. Emergency contraception can cause side effects like nausea, fatigue, dizziness, or headaches, and alcohol can make those feelings more intense. So while having a drink or two won’t reduce the effectiveness of Morning After Pill®, heavy drinking might make you feel pretty lousy.
If you’re already feeling a bit off after popping an EC pill, it might be worth keeping things light, hydrating, and just listening to your body. Not because alcohol is dangerous per se, but because you deserve to feel okay.
Vomiting After Plan B, Morning After Pill® or Other EC Options: When Does It Matter?
Okay, now this is the one area of this topic where alcohol can indirectly matter.
If you vomit within two hours of taking Plan B, Morning After Pill®, or other EC options, there’s a chance your body didn’t fully absorb the full dose. In that instance, the recommendation is to take another dose ASAP.
Now, vomiting can happen for a few reasons:
- It’s a known side effect of the morning-after pill.
- It’s normal for it to occur after drinking alcohol (especially if you did so on an empty stomach).
- It could be a mixture of both factors.
The cause really doesn’t matter—it’s more about the timing. If you throw up that EC pill within that two-hour window, you should assume that it didn’t sit in your body long enough to take effect.
If vomiting happens after the two-hour mark, Morning After Pill® or other Plan B options have likely already been absorbed, and you don’t need another dose.
Common Side Effects of Morning After Pill® or Other Plan B Options and How Alcohol Plays a Role
Some side effects of the morning-after pill overlap a bit with what people already feel after drinking, which can make things confusing.
Common side effects of EC include the following:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Breast tenderness
- Belly pain (or cramps)
- Changes in your menstrual cycle
Alcohol doesn’t necessarily cause these side effects, aside from maybe nausea and vomiting, but it can amplify how noticeable they feel. For example, mild dizziness might feel stronger after a few drinks, and a hangover can make a headache much louder.
If side effects seem manageable, rest and hydration will likely do the trick. But if symptoms are severe, last more than a couple of days, or include intense abdominal pain, it’s probably a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider to see what
Should I Take Another Dose if I Had More Unprotected Sex After Drinking?
This question is where the confusion comes in for some folks, but it’s actually not about alcohol at all.
Emergency contraception only protects you against pregnancy from the sex that happened before you took it. If you do the deed again unprotected after taking Morning After Pill® or other Plan B options, you’ll need to take another dose.
Here are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Morning After Pill®, Plan B, and other EC options can be taken more than once in the same cycle if needed.
- EC only works for sex that happened before you took it, so any new unprotected sex means new pregnancy risk, and another dose may be needed.
- Alcohol doesn’t change any of this—it’s all about timing and new risk.
Having clear information about Morning After Pill® or other EC options and alcohol interaction ahead of time makes these decisions much easier.
Order the Morning After Pill® directly from Cadence OTC.
Why This Guidance Matters
A lot of the anxiety surrounding emergency contraception use comes from loads of misinformation. Some people worry they’ve done something “wrong” by drinking alcohol, or that one glass of wine somehow erased their protection.
Knowing the facts helps:
- Reduce unnecessary stress.
- Prevent missed doses or panic re-dosing.
- Support safer, more confident decision-making.
At Cadence OTC, we deliver clear answers and zero judgment. We provide research-backed guidance you can actually use, especially in real-life situations that don't always go perfectly.
FAQs About Alcohol and the Morning After Pill
Have more questions about drinking after taking a morning-after pill? Hopefully, you find your answers among these frequently asked questions:
Can alcohol cancel out Morning After Pill®, Plan B, or other EC options?
No. Alcohol doesn’t cancel out Morning After Pill®, Plan B, or other EC brands or make them less effective.
Can I take Morning After Pill® or other EC options after a night of drinking?
Yes. You can take Morning After Pill® or other Plan B options, whether or not you’ve been drinking.
Does alcohol make Morning After Pill® or Plan B side effects worse?
It could. Alcohol may intensify common side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, or fatigue, but it doesn’t reduce effectiveness.
Is it safe to drink the same night I take EC?
Yes, it’s completely safe to do so. In fact, many people do. Just be mindful of how your body feels and hydrate if you can.
Conclusion
The takeaway? Alcohol doesn’t affect how the morning-after pill works, so that you can breathe easier there. The main thing to watch for is vomiting within two hours of taking it, since that can impact how the medication is absorbed in your body. Beyond that, it’s about comfort, timing, and taking care of yourself.
Learn more about safe, effective emergency contraception with Cadence OTC.
