You've probably heard horror stories about emergency contraception, but taking the morning-after pill typically isn't much different from taking any other type of birth control. In fact, Dr. Gersh told POPSUGAR that brands like Plan B contain the same hormone (levonorgestrel) used in many birth control pills, just at a higher dose. As a result, you can expect side effects like irregular bleeding, nausea, or headaches, but nothing too serious or unusual. Dr. Askew also quelled fears about intense or painful bleeding, saying that irregular bleeding is normal, and usually improves by the next cycle.