Stomach Bug

[aj2234]

Hi guys, just wanted to know how to proceed here.

On Friday, I had a bit of a stomach flu. I vomited several times 6 hours after taking my pill. I had had unprotected (aside from the pill) intercourse on Friday as well, but also used the withdrawal method. I took another pill at approximately 4:45am (I normally take my pill at 8pm). I still had undigested food in my vomit (which I had eaten prior to taking my pill), so was a little anxious. When I woke up at about 7:30, I had 1-2 diarrhea-like bowel movements. I'm continuing with my pill and backing up with condoms for the next 7 days.

I just wanted to check if there's anything I need to do, given I did have sex on the same day as potentially 'missing' a pill. Would the 6 hours have been sufficient time for the pill to have been absorbed? I have checked my pill packet information, but it doesn't really say what to do in the case of having sex prior to missing a pill, only that it may lead in pregnancy. Thanks.

[Heather]

Really, there's nothing to do. Chances are your pill worked just fine, no better or worse than it does any other time.

[aj2234]

Perfect, thanks for that, Heather!

[aj2234]

Hi, I hope it's okay if I post another question here - it's sort of related and more out of curiosity/confusion rather than urgency. I was just wondering why it only takes 7 days in a row for the pill to be effective. Is there any particular reason why taking 21 tablets in a row has the same effectiveness as taking 7 (as in, as long as a missed pill occurs 7 days/pills before a withdrawal bleed, you're still protected during the bleed)?

Thanks so much guys

[Heather]

It's not really that it takes seven days. I'm going to try and explain, and hopefully I can do that clearly.

It's more that when someone starts taking a hormonal method at a specific time in the cycle, by about seven days in -- and so long as they CONTINUE to take the rest of the active pills in that pack every day, as directed -- it will have interrupted the month-ish long hormonal cycle of fertility at the pass.

In other words, there are things that chemically start happening with the body in that first week of a fertility cycle that would create ovulation, usually around mid-cycle. That week of active pills right at the front heads that off, and then, when the pills are continued after that, keeps it from trying to start itself.

I know that's all a little murky (especially if you don't, as I do, have the whole hormonal cycle of fertility in all its stages in your head, memorized like people do their home address!), but hopefully it's clear enough.

[aj2234]

Well, as you said, I'm sure there's a few more things I could understand about it, but that pretty much covers it, thanks Heather! So, with regards to missing a pill, I'm guessing if you've taken more than seven or have more than seven pills left, then the interruption isn't enough to allow the fertility cycle to 'restart'? Am I understanding that correctly?

[Redskies]

I'm guessing you're asking this to do with your pill pack information leaflet which advises doing slightly different things depending on when in the 21 days you miss a pill?

Some pill brands advise slightly different things according to which week, some don't. Where the advice differs, you're right about the why. Big caveat, though: it's still not a good idea to miss any active pill at any time, if you want the best protection from pregnancy that your pill can give. Your pill information will still advise you to make a pill up if you remember it within any kind of reasonable time-scale: that's a bit different a situation than if they were saying "totally doesn't matter, totally fine".

Also, have you seen How do birth control pills really work, even during the placebo period?? If you were curious about the hormonal effects, that - and the piece about the menstrual cycle linked in it - should fill it in for you!

[aj2234]

Thanks for that Redskies. I did actually look at that article before posting haha. It does make a lot of sense, but the main reason I'm confused is because if you miss a pill in the middle of the pack (completely miss), I wouls have assumed the protection would have been ceased. I guess I'm just confused as to how one can still be protected in the sugar pill week without three solid weeks of cycle prevention (so to speak), especially if you miss a pill close to the end of the packet. I think that's the thing where I'm not making sense of it.

[Karyn]

When you miss one pill, your protection doesn't immediately drop to zero. Missing a pill makes it more likely that you will ovulate, but it doesn't guarantee that you will: that's why, with typical use (which takes into account things like missing a pill here and there or taking one late every so often) the pill is still around 92% effective over the span of a year. It isn't an all or nothing situation, so even missing a pill or doing other things that can interfere with its effectiveness isn't going ruin that effectiveness completely, it just ups the chances of failure a bit.

Does that help clear things up a bit?

[aj2234]

Ahhh yes, that makes a lot more sense Karyn, thank you. I was imagining it more of a missing a pill = going back to zero. But that makes a lot of sense. Thanks very much for that!