QuestionI am a complete newby when it comes to taking the pills and i havn't bothered to talk to my doctor about a proper method of taking the pill. I started the pack on a tuesday instead of a saturday either was i took the pill the wrong way and i also took a pill on a thursday but on the pack it said saturday, will it mess up my hormones if i just keep taking random pills not in the order that they are put in the package.. thats what ive been doing for the past 5 days and i dont know if i should stop taking the pill or not.
AnswerHi Kim,
It depends on what type of pill you are on. If you are on a pill such as ortho-tricyclen, which has different levels of hormones each week, then it does matter which week of pills you take. If you are on a pill that has the same level of hormones, taking them out of order will not mess up your hormones. In both cases the last week of pills have no hormones at all and should be saved for the fourth week.
However, what taking them randomly can do is confuse you and possibly cause you to miss taking one or more pills. When you start a new pack, you should take the first one and follow through until the end. It does not matter if you take one marked Sunday on a Monday as long as you are taking one each day at the same time. Some pill packs come with stickers to cover the days with the correct ones for you to help you keep track. If yours does not, you can write over the days with the correct ones if that helps you remember.
For the current pill pack, start from the beginning and follow through for the rest of the pack. If it is a brand such as ortho, or if you have taken any of the placebo (last week of pills), please call your doctor for advice. I recommend you call your doctor anyway to discuss how the pills works and how you should use it. In the meantime, here is a link that will help explain:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-pill-...
I hope this helps. If you have further questions let me know.
-Mia
