General Medical Question - Urgent - Combined Pill.

[Ingenue]

I'm really sorry for asking this on ryl as i would have gone to my gp about it but i am unsure that it's necessary to get an emergency appointment and normally you have to book an appointment atleast a week in advance.
I am taking the combined pill (Microgynon) and i have realised that one of the pills that i am supposed to take in 4 days is missing. I'm unsure of what to do as it is the last pill in the pack and i am supposed to have my placebo week straight after. Can i simply start my placebo week one day earlier and then continue with the next pack after 7 days, or do i need to use a pill from another pack to stay protected?
Any advice will be really helpful, i have tried to google it and read the instructions in the microgynon pack but it does not specify what to do if it is the last pill in your cycle.
Thanks to anyone who can help in advance.

Jane

[XTC]

i dont know if we are supposed to quote sites but i found this, hope it helps...

"

• What do I do if I miss a pill?
  
  You should try and take your pill at the same time every day to help you remember to take it. If you forget to take a pill, you should take it as soon as you remember (even if that means taking two pills in one day) and then continue to take your pills, one every day, as normal.
  
  With Microgynon, if you have missed ONE or TWO pills anywhere in the packet, you will still be protected against pregnancy and you don't need to use extra contraception. Take the last pill you missed as soon as you remember, then continue taking your pills as normal.
  
  If you forget to take THREE or more pills, you won't be protected against pregnancy. You should take the last pill you missed as soon as you remember, forget the other missed ones and then continue to take your pills, one every day, as normal. You should then either not have sex, or use an extra barrier method of contraception, eg condoms, until you have taken a pill correctly for next seven days in a row. If the pills you missed were in the third week of your packet, you should skip the pill-free week and start a new packet straight away. If the pills you missed were in the first week of your packet and you had unprotected sex in that week, or in the pill-free week before, it may be recommended that you take emergency contraception (the morning after pill). Ask for medical advice.
  
  If you are confused about any of this, you can get individual advice for your circumstances from your doctor, pharmacist, local family planning clinic.

Warning!

The information and advice that we give in this factsheet is likely to conflict with the information you will find in the manufacturer's leaflet provided with your pills. This is particularly the case with regards starting the pill and what to do if you miss a pill. The reason for the differences is because the manufacturer's leaflets are out of date and unfortunately are not likely to be updated in the near future. The information and advice we give in this factsheet are the same as the UK fpa (formerly The Family Planning Association) recommendations, which are based on systematic reviews of the currently available evidence. If you are concerned or have any questions, you can ask your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or local family planning centre for advice."

[bobbinwrink]

call the practice nurse or get a repeat prescription? x

[Ingenue]

I've got a repeat prescription, i'm just unsure of whether to take my placebo week a day early, have an 8 day placebo week or take one of the pills from my repeat prescription early. =s

[sobriquet]

The info posted above (by XTC) seems to suggest that missing one pill anywhere in the cycle is fine, so you would still be protected. But it might be worth calling NHS Direct because they should be able to give you more specific information.

[linder surprise]

missing one pill is fine.
in the info packet i had it said it's alright if you "lose one," you can go into your placebo packet a day early & everything will just be brought forward one day. don't worry about it.

[Dreaming.]

I was gonna say, if you're missing one, I think it's ok for you to just start the week off one day early - just so long as you remember to start again in a week, not eight days.

Prob best to ring NHS direct just to check, but yeh, that should be ok, I think?

[Animad]

You should be fine missing the last one in the pack but yeh, only take 7days free so that will effectively shift the day you start each new pack a day earlier than before. Being the last one you should have no additional problems with protection against pregnancy compared to how you usually use it.

[Ingenue]

Okay, thankyou definatley put my mind at rest! =)