stopping and restarting pill
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stopping and restarting pill
| Fri, 05-14-2004 - 9:00pm |
I've been on the pill for 8 years consistently with no break. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to postpone my annual gyn appt, which will cause me to miss starting a new pack as scheduled.
When a woman starts the pill, she usually has to use another form of contraception for the first pack so her body gets acclimated to the pill or whatever.
My question is: Will I have to do the same when I have to restart the pill after being off of it for 1 week?
I'm thinking that I'll be okay since I've been on the pill for so long.

Nooooooo !!!!!! Don’t even think about doing that!
Regardless of how long or correctly you have taken your pills in the past if you miss a week of active pills (2 weeks total, the placebo week and the 1 of actives) you stand a very good chance of ovulating.
Can’t you get your doc to call in a 'bridge' Rx just to cover you until you can get to your appt? Surely s/he will be that flexible, won’t s/he?
If you can’t begin taking your next pack of active pills on time (not more that 7 24-hour days between active pills) then you will have lost your protection and need to use back-up for at least 7 days of correct pill use. However, if I were you I would use back-up for the entire first pack. That is because you will have gone 14 days without taking active pills, the ovulation process may be too far along to stop and you won’t know for sure if or when you ovulated, unless your period arrives not under control of your pills. I hope you can get a bridge Rx until your annual. Let us know how you’re doing, ok?
Good luck
Jill