Birth Control Forum - If You Miss a Pill, Can You Take One the Next Day?

Womens Health > Birth Control Forum > If You Miss a Pill, Can You Take One the Next Day?

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Q: If You Miss a Pill, Can You Take One the Next Day?

asked by: natu88 on November 4th, 2006

New User

K, this is kind of weird, but today when I took my pill, I just put it my hand and then put it to my mouth with a swig of water and swallowed, but I didn't feel anything go down my throat. I know it's small and sometimes you don't feel it, but i'm worried that maybe it fell down the sink and maybe slipped through my fingers. Is it okay to resume taking my pill as usual tomorrow, regardless if I swallowed this pill or not, if I don't have sex for awhile?

Replies(4)

Carifairy

replied on November 5th, 2006

Extremely eHealthy

If you question whether or not you took a pill, take the next pill at the regularly scheduled time and use back up condoms for one week.

It takes one full week of perfect use for your pill to be effective.

Kia

replied on November 5th, 2006

Supporter

Also if you took one extra pill (on this one occasion) it would not do you any harm.
This isn't practical with tri-phasic pills though.

That way you can be sure you definately took a pill and still be covered.

What carifairy said is totally true, you can just carry on taking them as normal tomorrow, just be sure to use a back up for 7 days before having unprotected sex.

natu88

replied on November 5th, 2006

New User

carifairy wrote:

if you question whether or not you took a pill, take the next pill at the regularly scheduled time and use back up condoms for one week.

It takes one full week of perfect use for your pill to be effective.

if you don't follow an exact scheduled time, say like I take a pill usually around 6:15, but sometimes I take it at 10 or even 11, does that not count as perfect use of birth control? Does it lower the effectiveness?

Kia

replied on November 5th, 2006

Supporter

Correct.
That is not classed as perfect use.

You should take your pills at the same time everyday for perfect use, although an hour either way is accepted but 4 or 5 hours does increase the risk of reduced effectiveness.

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