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How to Tackle Missed Birth Control Pills?

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Missing contraceptive pills are a common issue. There are definite guidelines to manage those situations effectively to avoid an unintended pregnancy.

Written byDr. Sanjay Kumar Bhattacharyya

Medically reviewed byDr. P. C. Pavithra Pattu

Published At May 31, 2016
Reviewed AtOctober 8, 2024
How to Tackle Missed Birth Control Pills?

Combined oral contraceptive pills are unique in the sense that they not only provide you a near 100% contraception but also could possess an excellent control over your cycle. But, there exists a constant prerequisite that you have to take these pills daily very regularly. Any miss of these oral contraceptive pills could cause a loss of protection thereby leading to unwanted pregnancy as well as unscheduled bleeding.

Guidelines to Manage Missed Pills:

Then, how to tackle those situations when you forget to take pills? Some guidelines are there to manage this and it depends on the number of missed pills as well as on which phase of the cycle you have missed to take.

A) Missed one or two active pills at any time of your cycle:

  1. Take the most recent missed pill as soon as you could remember.
  2. Continue the remaining pills daily as usual.
  3. You do not require any additional contraception as well as any emergency contraception.

B) Missed three or more but less than seven consecutive pills:

  1. Take the most recent pill as soon as you could remember. Discard the other previously missed pills to stay on schedule.
  2. Continue the remaining pills daily as usual.
  3. Use a condom or abstain from sex until you have taken at least seven pills following the miss to prevent pregnancy.

C) When you miss three or more pills, you have to consider also in which phase of your cycle you have forgotten to take them:

  1. If you missed three or more pills in your first or second week of the cycle or started the pack late, then you need emergency contraception.
  2. If you missed the similar row of the active pills in the third week, then you should finish the active pills of your current pack and start a new pack without any gap or discarding the seven inert pills. That means you have to omit the pill-free interval. And, there is no need for emergency contraception.

Now, if you have missed 7 or more pills in a row, then it is not considered as a miss. It is a stoppage of the pill and the rules of the missed pills are not applied there.

Have you missed a pill? Consult an obstetrician and gynaecologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/obstetrician-and-gynaecologist

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Frequently Asked Questions

When a female takes birth control pills regularly, the hormone supply helps to avoid pregnancy. The flow of hormones is not disrupted if a combination pill is missed for a day. The female can get back to pills after 24 hours, which means the female is not at risk of getting pregnant.
The doctor should be consulted if a woman misses three pills in a row and has unprotected sex. Contraceptive devices should be used if the female fails to take birth control pills. Birth control pills can be taken within 48 hours after active sex.
The woman could get pregnant if she had sex seven days after missing two pills. There should always be backup while having sex, such as condoms. There are chances that a woman can get pregnant even if she misses taking pills for a single day.
Any woman who misses two or more birth control pills has the chance of getting pregnant. The person should use backup contraception if birth control pills are missed. If the pills are missed after a few days, the hormones start fluctuating, and ovulation can occur.
There is a risk of pregnancy if birth control pills are taken twelve hours later than the usual time. A pill is considered missed when it is more than 24 hours after it is supposed to be consumed. To have protected sex, condoms are considered the best option.
Birth control pills are considered best to be taken on an empty stomach. It can be taken before the person goes to bed and has dinner. It is considered best to be taken at night time.
If the birth control pills are missed for any reason and double up the next day. The person will probably notice hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle. Missing one pill will not make a woman pregnant.
When the birth control pills are missed for more than 24 hours, it is considered a late missed pill. There is a risk of pregnancy if the birth control pills are taken later than the usual time. To avoid pregnancy if pills are not taken, other options should be considered.
There is no scientific evidence that birth control pills cause belly fat. The shape change of the body occurs due to lifestyle changes. This contraceptive leads to side effects that include bloating and nausea.
Birth control implants and birth control shots can lead to weight gain. It is rare and is seen in some women who start taking birth control pills. It is a temporary side effect that occurs due to fluid retention.
Pregnancy is prevented by birth control by stopping the egg release from the ovaries. If the release of the egg does not occur, then it is considered unfertilized. Birth control helps to keep the eggs intact.
There is no evidence that the person will lose weight after stopping the birth control pills. Hormones used may alter the metabolism of the body. It is noticed that a pound of weight can be reduced after discontinuing the pills as water retention decreases.
Both birth control pills and condoms are effective contraceptive methods. While birth control pills are a hormonal preventive measure, a condom is a physical or barrier means of protection. Therefore condoms have the added benefit of preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), while birth control pills cannot prevent STDs.
Post-birth control syndrome occurs months after discontinuing hormonal birth control. Symptoms of post-birth control syndrome include hair loss, amenorrhea (no menstrual period), acne, and migraines. It may last for four to six months after discontinuing the contraceptive pills.
When the pills are discontinued and started again, it may lead to hormonal changes in the body. It is not harmful or dangerous to get back to contraceptive pills. Temporary side effects such as nausea and bloating can be experienced.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Bhattacharyya from iCliniq
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Bhattacharyya

Obstetrics and Gynecology

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