 Search the Questions & Answers |
 Browse by Category |
|
|
|
<< Return to questions
|
| How will I know if my diarrhea is severe enough to affect my birth control pills? #278/8 |
|
Sometimes food will not agree with me and I will have diarrhea a few hours after eating. I try new things a lot, and may have a sensitive stomach, but this usually happens at least once a month for one reason or another. Every time, I freak out that my pill (Tri-Sprintec) has not been absorbed. It is not particularly severe diarrhea, sometimes worse than others.
This means that my boyfriend and I can hardly ever have intercourse, because I'm worried that I've missed a pill and I'm supposed to wait 7 days before sex after a missed pill without backup.
How do I know if diarrhea is severe enough to be considered a missed pill?
I'm particularly interested, because yesterday I had sex and then had diarrhea a few hours after taking my pill. I took another pill just to be sure, but now I feel odd, as though I've taken too much (crying, etc).
Do I take another one tonight at my usual time? And am I safe from pregnancy? I'm thinking of switching to a non-pill birth control to stop this. Any suggestions?
You ask: How do I know if diarrhea is severe enough to be considered a missed pill?
|
If a woman has severe diarrhea that continues for 2 or more days, she should follow the instructions below for missed pills. However, it does not seem to me as though your diarrhea after a single meal is what I would classify as severe diarrhea.
Take your pills one at a time, not doubling up. A woman can miss and entire day and her pills remain effective. You might want to consider a Mirena IUD.
|
MISSING PILLS
What can a woman do if she misses combined oral contraceptives (COCs)?
For 30-35 µg ethinylestradiol pills:
Missed 1 or 2 active (hormonal) pills or if she starts a pack 1 or 2 days late
- She should take an active (hormonal) pill as soon as possible * and then continue taking pills daily, 1 each day.
- She does not need any additional contraceptive protection.
Missed 3 or more active (hormonal) pills or if she starts a pack 3 or more days late
- She should take an active (hormonal) pill as soon as possible* and then continue taking pills daily, 1 each day.
- She should also use condoms or abstain from sex until she has taken active (hormonal) pills for 7 days in a row.
- If she missed the pills in the third week, she should finish the active (hormonal) pills in her current pack and start a new pack the next day. She should not take the 7 inactive pills.
- If she missed the pills in the first week and had unprotected sex, she may wish to consider the use of emergency contraception.
For 20 µg or less ethinylestradiol pills:
- If the woman misses 1 active (hormonal) pill or starts a pack 1 day late, she should follow the guidance above for “Missed 1 or 2 active (hormonal) pills or if she starts a pack 1 or 2 days late.”
- If the woman misses 2 or more active (hormonal) pills or if she starts a pack 2 or more days late, she should follow the guidance above for “Missed 3 or more active (hormonal) pills or if she starts a pack 3 or more days late.”
For both 30-35 µg and 20 µg or less ethinylestradiol pills:
Missed any inactive (nonhormonal) pills
- She should discard the missed inactive (nonhormonal) pill(s) and then continue taking pills daily, 1 each day.
* If a woman misses more than 1 active (hormonal) pill, she can take the first missed pill and then either continue taking the rest of the missed pills or discard them to stay on schedule.
|
Depending on when she remembers that she missed a pill(s), she may take 2 pills on the same day (one at the moment of remembering, and the other at the regular time) or even at the same time.
From the World Health Organization’s Selected Practice guidelines - 2005 |
http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/
Key Words: food, diarrhea, birth control pill, Tri-Sprintec, absorbed, severe, intercourse, missed pill, backup contraception, feel odd, crying, safe, pregnant, switching, non-pill contraceptive
Posted 5-28-2008, Updated 5-31-2008, Updated 6-10-2008, Updated 6-21-2008
|
Robert A. Hatcher MD, MPH
Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA
---2008-06-22
|
|
|
| |
The directors and owners of this website and any publications and information concerning health matters offered here advise a person with a particular problem to consult a primary-care clinician or a specialist in obstetrics, gynecology, or urology (depending on the problem or the contraceptive) as well as the product package insert and other references before diagnosing, managing, or treating the problem. |
| Visitor Comments |
No visitor comments posted.
Post a comment
|
| Related Questions |
|
No related questions were found.
|
| Attachments |
|
No attachments were found.
|
Suggestions, recommendations, questions, comments, data from the literature, interpretation of laboratory tests and other information provided on this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be relied upon as advice from or implied to be a substitute for the professional advice of a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, counselor or other healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your clinician or other professional for any questions you may have regarding your health, medical condition, method of birth control and other family planning or personal/social issues. Periodic references to costs of birth control methods on this website are estimates only and your actual cost for any specific method of birth control may be more or less than the stated amount. Emory University School of Medicine, Bridging the Gap Foundation, and Bridging the Gap Communications Inc are not responsible for any damage or loss you may incur as a result of your use of or reliance on any material or information provided through this website.
|
|
Print this page
Email this page
Post a comment
Subscribe me
Add to favorites
Remove Highlighting
Edit this Question
