Birth control pills

[Siren]

Does anyone know how long it takes for birth control pills to become 'effective' as a form of birth control?  I thought it was only one month, and the next month you were fine; but someone recently told me they think it's 3 months!?  By the way, I'm taking Alesse.  Thanks for any help you can provide!

[toodles29]

It may depend on what kind you are taking.  I was on Orthotricyclen  and was told about three months by my ob.

[hther]

I'm on Orthotricyclen Lo and was told 3 months too. I think it varies on the type of pill you are on. But I think 3 months is good to go by if you don't want to conceive. Then you are pretty safe either way.

Heather

[nurse12hr]

I went to the Alesse website, and got info DIRECTLY from the patient information sheet:

If you are a day one starter (meaning you start your active pills within 24 hours on the first day of your period) you DO NOT NEED TO USE ANY BACK UP BIRTH CONTROL METHOD AT ALL.  

If you start your active pills on a Sunday after your period starts, USE A BACK UP METHOD FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS.  

All BCP prescriptions come with patient information.  It details EXACTLY what to do, how  and when to take it, what to do if you miss pills, etc.  Get it.  Read it.  Know it.

If for some reason, yours did not come with patient instructions, call your pharmacy and ask for a patient information sheet for Alesse.

To use back up birth control for one month or 3 is unnecessary--won't hurt, but not necessary.  

Remember to take your pills within 4 hours of each other.  READ THE PATIENT INFO SHEET ABOUT MISSED PILLS--THIS IS A VERY COMMON QUESTION HERE.

[nurse12hr]

I also looked up OrthoTricyclen and it had much the same info as the Alesse in regards to how long back up should be used.  It was not, however, specific to OrthoTricyclen Lo.  It just said the effectiveness was the same.

I am quite sure OT Lo came with the same patient info sheet--could someone look up the info and post it here?

[hther]

Thanks for the info!  I will go get my patient sheet and post back in a bit.

Heather

[Siren]

Hi - I used Alesse for a few years... but went off for about 9 months (that's when we got pg and had our m/c) - but now I'm back on them and simply can't remember if it's 1 month or 3 - it's not like I'm clueless about the other birth control info... I guess I should have clarified that!

[nurse12hr]

It's apparently neither--it is 7 days, at most.

Didn't mean to come off preachy or or bitchy or anything--I was just irritated at something else yesterday, totally unrelated.  I'm sorry.