Missed a pill.... got a question...
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Missed a pill.... got a question...
| Tue, 03-23-2004 - 8:48am |
Hi Everybody -
I've been on the pill for years and never forget to take one - well, almost never. Right in the middle of my last cycle I was getting ready for bed and went to take my pill, when I popped it out I realized I was a day off. I was confused, because that never happens to me, I even had to ask DH what day it was. I realized then that I'd missed a pill completely AND it was exactly day 14 of my cycle AND we had had sex earlier that day and the day before! I beat myself up and then took one that night, one the next morning and back on schedule that night - all caught up. Well, that was two weeks ago, now I'm waiting on my period, it should have started yesterday (it always comes on Monday of my 'inactive' week) but it hasn't and I have no symptoms. I'm terrified that I could be pregnant, and I pray that I'm overreacting. Now is not a good time for something so unexpected. Do you guys actually think it's possible? surely not with only one missed pill that I made up within a few days? please reassure me...
I've been on the pill for years and never forget to take one - well, almost never. Right in the middle of my last cycle I was getting ready for bed and went to take my pill, when I popped it out I realized I was a day off. I was confused, because that never happens to me, I even had to ask DH what day it was. I realized then that I'd missed a pill completely AND it was exactly day 14 of my cycle AND we had had sex earlier that day and the day before! I beat myself up and then took one that night, one the next morning and back on schedule that night - all caught up. Well, that was two weeks ago, now I'm waiting on my period, it should have started yesterday (it always comes on Monday of my 'inactive' week) but it hasn't and I have no symptoms. I'm terrified that I could be pregnant, and I pray that I'm overreacting. Now is not a good time for something so unexpected. Do you guys actually think it's possible? surely not with only one missed pill that I made up within a few days? please reassure me...
thanks!

If you were to read the insert that came with your pills, I think you will see that you should have taken two pills THEN, then continued on schedule the next day. Up until recently, missing one pill & taking two the next day has not been considered a reason to use backup contraception (I understand that pill manufacturers are now starting to reccommend backup even for one missed pill). I'm not quite sure how effective your method of catching up would be. My gut reaction is that you are *probably* ok, but no one can say for sure!
The fact that your period is now one day late may not be a problem. Periods DO change over time, even on the pill. Yours changing now could just be bad timing for your peace of mind. I would wait until the day that you would start your next pack of pills to take a pregnancy test, if your period hasn't started by then.
Good Luck, I hope everything turns out the way you want it to.
as for my catch up method, I was trying to avoid making myself sick. I've taken more than one pill at a time before and suffered for it.
either way, there is nothing to do now but wait and see.
thanks for the well wishes!
Missing a pill (usually more than one) at ANY time can cause you to ovulate. There is no better or worse time in the month to miss a pill. (well, OK, missing the first or last pill would make you go longer than 7 - 24 hour days without hormones, that could be higher risk) A common misconception is that a woman still has a "fertile time" while on hormonal contraceptives, that is the whole point of taking them - to inhibit fertility!
Missing a pill COULD cause you to ovulate. I don't think we know how long it could take for you to ovulate after a missed pill, there is no guarantee that you will - having sex in that time frame could put you at higher risk for pregnancy.
I don't know if your catch up method could have compromised things further. If taking two at a time has made you sick in the past, I can understand your thinking, I just don't know how well it might have worked. The instructions tend to read "take the missed pill as soon as you remember", when you remember at the time of your next pill, that means two together!
Good Luck.
The drop in hormones after missing a pill can, very rarely, allow the ovulation process to begin. Ovulation would occur some unknown amount of time later, at which point you could be at considerable risk. I think you're probably ok. Post and let us know how you're doing, ok?
Good luck
Jill