STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

lovelygirl · Kenneth Cole

What do you do if you lose a pill?

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

I'm no medical expert, but if it were me I would throw that pack away and start a new one. I'd also call my doctor to ask her advice but I'm pretty sure that's what my insert on the pills says (which I threw away already this month so I can't check for sure).

Don't feel bad -- I've done this before too, except the last time it happened I had no danger of getting pregnant so I didn't worry.

Kelly · Hermes

I did that once, I just took the next morning's pill and was a day off for the rest of the a month. Then I just waited one more day during the placebo week before starting the next pack, so I was on track again. I'm not sure that's exactly what they tell you to do, but I figured that screwing with the placebo week was a lot safer than just missing a day in the middle.

Also, I've been in the habit of keeping an "emergency pack" in my overnight bag, because I've forgotten my pack on more than one occasion while away for the weekend. If I do, I just take whichever pills I need from my emergency pack. If I drop a pill at home, I do the same thing. I know that doesn't help right now, but it might in the future

laken1 · Hermes

Do you have the instructions / insert that come with your pills? It usually tells you what to do. I have done this twice & continued taking them & skipped the last one so that the last day I took nothing. I never take my placebo pills. so I basically skipped the last day of active pills & started them up again the day I was supposed to.

I'm not sure if that's what you are supposed to do either, but I figured it was better to do it later than in the middle of my cycle.

jacL · Coach

Skip the very last active pill, as Laken1 suggested.

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

Well, I did this too last night -- dropped a pill down the drain of the sink! I just started taking the next day's dose, so I'm a day off.

PrincessPink · BCBG

You could also get a sample pack from your doctor to replace the "missing" pill. My Doc is very generous with sample packs.

blubirde · Chanel

If it comes in a monthly pack (as opposed to Seasonale, which comes in a 3 month pack), usually the pharmacist can give you one or two pills to cover you at the end of the month.

I've done this tons of times and I just reached for the end of my last pack (I usually bought 3 at a time when I was on ortho) and got the pharmacist to give me a couple at the end of the pack that I'd stolen from. As long as they can break the pack up, they're more than happy to give you the pills.

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

I'd never have thought of that! So you just ask the pharmacist if they can give you a couple loose pills and explain what happened? I'll have to go try at my pharmacy.

blubirde · Chanel

scarlett wrote:

I'd never have thought of that! So you just ask the pharmacist if they can give you a couple loose pills and explain what happened? I'll have to go try at my pharmacy.

Yep. I've done it before and my gyno said it's a fairly normal request. Unfortunately with Seasonale, the pharmacy can't break up a pack, so I'm screwed. I'm extra careful with those pills!