Probably every gynecologist can say with confidence that the appointment hormonal contraceptives– this is almost one hundred percent protection against attack unwanted pregnancy. But no means of protection can give a complete guarantee, with the exception of abstinence from sexual intercourse. Even though oral contraceptives provide protection against conception on several levels; improper consumption can lead to pregnancy. Are you surprised?! Let's talk in more detail, is it possible to get pregnant while taking birth control pills if you miss one?
You can get pregnant if you take birth control pills?
Pregnancy while using contraceptive medications is not such a rare occurrence, although it cannot be called frequent either. But in fact, having information about the reasons for the occurrence of unplanned conception while taking contraceptives, it is quite possible to prevent it.
Is it possible to get pregnant if you missed a birth control pill??
The most common cause of pregnancy during the use of oral contraceptives is a violation of the optimal time for taking pills. So, for example, almost all drugs of this type imply that seven days pass between the end of one course and the start of the next. And in this case, even a one-day miss of taking contraceptives can become critical and increase the likelihood of pregnancy by an order of magnitude. After all, a woman’s ovaries can begin to actively work normally, producing full-fledged eggs capable of fertilization.
The same situation is possible if a woman suddenly forgets to take the last tablet from the package, even if the first tablet from the next blister is taken on time. After all, the break in this case will be longer by one day, and this can play a critical role.
Doctors say that the likelihood of unplanned pregnancy increases by an order of magnitude if a woman simply forgot to take the medicine in the middle of the course.
What to do to reduce the risk of conception?
In the event that you forget to take the last tablet from the package, doctors most often advise you to immediately start consuming the drug from the next blister. If you do take a seven-day break as expected, use additional contraceptive methods during this menstrual cycle (condoms or diaphragm).
If you forget to take a pill in the middle of your course, take it as soon as you remember. Then take the next tablet at usual time. You may have to take two tablets per day, and sometimes even at the same time. Accordingly, a shock amount of hormones enters the body, which can cause some nausea. Such a disturbance in well-being is considered a normal reaction and goes away on its own and quite quickly. To cope with illness faster, you should drink more than usual. clean water.
Notice how far you have deviated from your usual dosing time. If less than twelve hours have passed, the drug remains effective and additional protection is not required. But if this period is longer, the likelihood of an unplanned pregnancy increases. Therefore, in the next week it is worth using additional means to protect against conception, for example, condoms.
What other factors may affect effectiveness? birth control pills ?
Sometimes oral contraceptives can be ineffective not only if one or more pills are missed. Their action may be disrupted if a woman experiences disturbances in her activities while taking them. digestive tract– vomiting or diarrhea. Also, the drug may be ineffective when used in parallel with other pharmacological agents Therefore, before using any other medications, you should always consult your doctor. Among the agents that can reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives, it is worth highlighting antibiotics, antifungals and anticonvulsants.
There is evidence that the effectiveness hormonal contraception can be reduced by an order of magnitude with parallel consumption alcoholic drinks in significant quantities. When consuming more than 200 ml of wine or 400 ml of beer, the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy increases.
If, while taking oral contraceptives, any factor occurs that could increase the likelihood of an unplanned pregnancy, it is necessary to use additional means of protection until the end of the current cycle.
If pregnancy does occur?
If pregnancy occurs while taking oral contraceptives (regardless of the reason), most often it is successful. Children born after taking hormonal contraceptives are no different from their peers; ultra-low doses of hormones do not harm them.
At the slightest suspicion of possible pregnancy You should consult your doctor. If conception is nevertheless confirmed, a decision will need to be made: continue the pregnancy or carry out an artificial termination. In any case, you will have to stop taking birth control.
All questions about the use of hormonal contraceptives should be resolved individually with your gynecologist.
The risk of missing a dose of the drug can be serious, doctors say. Now you will learn why you should never skip taking your medications and how to stick to your schedule.
Sometimes it's hard to remember how you lived before taking the pills. Every day you look at the calendar where it is written down when you should take your medications, and you wonder when it will be empty and there will be no reminders. Or you are worried about the side effects and want to just quit everything or at least take a break.
Medicines don't work for those who don't take them.
What results will patients get with? Deterioration of condition, increased need for medical care and hospitalization. Errors in treatment lead to further destruction of the joints. The consequences are decreased function, increased pain, decreased ability to work and independence.
Let's look at a condition like RA, which cannot be treated with medications. If patients do not take their medications properly, they will see worsening symptoms, more falls, and a decrease in their ability to manage falls. active image the life they want. And if you can't move and take part in life, you may develop depression.
Three obstacles to the effectiveness of drugs remain: price, complex administration, and faith in the drugs.
The higher the cost, the fewer people take medications. If you pay out of pocket and don't see results, you'll be disappointed.
For many, remembering to take their medications throughout the day—or even making it a priority—is difficult. This is especially problematic for people with additional problems, such as depression, dementia or having to care for someone else.
Many people with arthritis also need to take medications to treat other conditions. People are tired of chronic illnesses. Constantly reminding and monitoring the disease requires a lot of energy.
Taking injectable antirheumatic drugs such as this adds problems. It's painful and difficult. You can't blame those who would like to take a break from treatment.
Some stigmas against medications also hinder adherence. People may be afraid side effects or think the medicine doesn't work.
They may also believe erroneous information they receive from friends, family, or the Internet. Or have a certain cynicism towards medicine. If they think the doctor is prescribing too much, they may refuse the appointment themselves.
No one can argue that the reasons for missing medications are too common. But there are also many reasons—most notably, health and happiness—to work to overcome the barriers you face.
If you are one of those who do not take their medications as prescribed, think about why you are doing so. If you are deterred by the cost, side effects, or doubts about the effectiveness, or even the fact that you don't trust your doctor, talk to him openly about it. They should offer you a replacement, a lower dose, advice or information about how the drug will help manage your symptoms, or even find a way to change your lifestyle so that you can stop taking the drug.
Patients must actively participate in treatment. Ask your doctor questions. If something is not clear, ask for clarification or consult additional sources.
Your doctor should offer you a similar drug that does not cause side effects, or show that they decrease significantly as your body adapts to the drug.
They may or may not be superior in cost, side effects, and effectiveness, but they may not be taken as often. In general, a simpler regimen is followed much more often than a complex one.
One of the reasons people don't take their medications is because they forget whether they took them or not. The researchers found that older adults were able to remember better when they performed a familiar task—taking a medication—at the same time as an unusual movement, such as tilting their head. Other tricks: pill organizers, calendars, computer alarms, medication diaries, text messages and charts.
Duphaston is a hormonal pill that women take if they have problems with their reproductive system. The drug is a synthetic analogue of progesterone. You should drink it only after your doctor confirms that you have hormone deficiency. Self-medication can negatively affect a woman’s health and only worsen her illness.
Today, various variations of treatment courses are described in the instructions for the drug. However, if you take the pills exactly according to these schemes, there is no guarantee of success. For each patient, the doctor individually prescribes a cycle of therapy. And he tells the woman what to do after missing a dose of Duphaston.
Approximate patterns of tablet use depend on the diagnosis and are as follows:
Skipping a pill while following any of the listed regimens may not have any consequences, but may lead to unexpected reactions. Therefore, Duphaston must be used carefully, strictly adhering to the course.
If the patient misses a Duphaston tablet, she must drink it within 6 hours. In this case, there will be no consequences.
Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have reliable contraceptive effect, for many women they help solve problems with skin and hair, affecting hormonal imbalance from the inside. To achieve the desired effect, greater adherence to therapy is required; skipping a pill can lead to an unwanted pregnancy. According to research by pharmacological companies that produce COCs, women quite often forget about taking a contraceptive, so an action algorithm was specially developed.
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Recommendations for cases where a contraceptive pill is missed do not depend on the concentration of hormones in the drug, be it microdosed (Jess, Novinet, Klayra, Zoeli, Logest, Lindinet 20, etc.) or low-dose products (Yarina, Regulon, Midiana, Lindinet 30 , Marvelon, Miniziston, etc.). To achieve a contraceptive effect, you should adhere to the same time of taking the medication (the contraceptive schedule is set by an obstetrician-gynecologist, it is best to take them in the evening, before bedtime).
If there are 28 tablets in a blister, then the last 7 are hormonally inactive and contain a complex of vitamins.
Passing inactive ones can be ignored.
If there are 21 tablets in a blister, then they are all active. If a woman forgot to drink one, then she must act as follows.
The tablet must be taken as soon as you remember it, and the next one at the usual time (even if you have two tablets a day).
You should also use an additional method of contraception until your next period. If the delay was less than 12 hours, the risk of pregnancy is the same as if it had not occurred. But the intake schedule should be taken responsibly. 
You should take two tablets immediately, and two more the next day. For example, a woman forgot to take the drug on Saturday and Sunday. In this case, you need to take two tablets on Monday and two on Tuesday.
Your period may begin (menstrual-like reaction). Before the next menstruation, an additional method of contraception is required.
You should immediately start using additional contraceptive. If you had unprotected sexual intercourse, then there is a chance of pregnancy.
In case of unwanted conception, emergency postcoital contraception will be needed. If there are frequent missed appointments, another protection option should be considered.
The indication for emergency postcoital contraception is the prevention of unwanted pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse (if no more than three days have passed after it).
There are two methods:
Emergency contraception was developed to solve specific problems:
For it, drugs of the antigestagenic (anti-progesterone effect) and gestagenic (progesterone-like effect) groups are used.
The first type includes Ginepriston (Agest), a new generation postcoital medication. Compared to the outdated Postinor, the drug has almost no side effects. Effective for no more than 72 hours after unprotected intercourse.
The most common progestin agents: Escapelle and Mifepristone (Mifegin).
Escapelle is a new development in the field of emergency postcoital contraception. For the use of the drug to be effective, you cannot wait more than 96 hours after unprotected contact. The earlier you take the pill, the lower the risk of unwanted pregnancy.
Mifegin is a drug for medical (non-surgical) abortion, effective up to 8 weeks of pregnancy. Outside the walls medical institution Abortion with Mifepristone is considered criminal. The procedure can be legally performed only by a gynecologist with a license to use this drug.
Postinor is an emergency hormonal contraception drug of the 20th century. The sooner you take the medicine, the stronger effect. Represents a high concentration of levonorgestrel. Such dosages cause a significant blow to the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian system of a woman, which causes a huge number of undesirable effects of this drug. It is not recommended to consider Postinor as contraceptive. For young girls under 18 years of age, the use of the drug is contraindicated: hormonal balance they have not yet established themselves, and such a blow could lead to negative consequences.
Is this really true? Is it possible to “save the situation”? Doctors advise paying attention, first of all, to the type contraceptive drugs that you are using.
If the delay exceeds 12 hours, contraceptive protection may be reduced. In this case, you can be guided by two basic rules:
1. Taking pills should never be interrupted for more than 7 days;
Risk assessment
IN in this case the risk is minimal, but if this happens during expected ovulation, it is better to use additional remedy contraception (such as a condom) until your next period. Features of the action modern COCs are such that skipping a pill for less than 12 hours does not in any way affect the contraceptive effect of the drug.
If you miss two tablets in the third week of your menstrual cycle, or if you miss three or more tablets in any of the first three weeks after taking your first tablet, you should start a new pack of tablets as soon as you realize that you are forgot to take birth control pills, and throw away partially used packaging. Take one tablet daily and use condoms for seven days. Please note that if you start a new pack before you have finished the previous one, you risk not having your period because your hormones will not return to normal (you will not have a “withdrawal” week). But you may well have breakthrough bleeding, which usually occur after missing several tablets.
What to do if you missed one birth control pill?Missed hormonal pill may increase the risk of unwanted pregnancy.
In this case, the woman needs:
— Take one contraceptive pill as early as possible
— Continue taking the pills as usual, i.e. one tablet per day.
If the duration postpartum period does not exceed 6 months, then in this case of use additional method no contraception required.
Notes
According to the expert working group, irregular or incorrect use of birth control pills is the main cause of unwanted pregnancy. Experts emphasize the importance of taking POPs at approximately the same time of day every day. It is believed that a reliable contraceptive effect (change in properties cervical mucus) is provided approximately 48 hours after the start of taking the steroid.
Systematic review question
Progestin-only pills Progestin-only pills must be taken daily at the same time. If the pill is taken more than 3 hours later, you must use another method of contraception for the next 48 hours to avoid pregnancy. If you miss just one dose of the pill, you will need to use another method of contraception until your next period to avoid pregnancy. Cannot be accepted extra tablet, as with combined birth control pills, to make up for a missed dose.According to an expert working group of the World Health Organization, irregular or incorrect use of contraceptive pills is the main cause of unwanted pregnancy. A reliable contraceptive effect (prevention of ovulation) is achieved by regularly taking COCs. Women who often forget to take their next pill are recommended to use another method of contraception.
