Birth control same time everyday?

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Can I ask why it is so important that you take your BC at the same time everyday? Don't you get the medication anyway, so why does it have to be taken religiously at the same time.

Being an hour last with mine today..that thought popped into my head.

Any feedback.....

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Specializes in ICU.

I believe with the BCP, ( especially them being so low dose these days compared to the original BCPs back years ago ) there is a 4 hr window inwhich the therapeutic level of the drug is maintained by a daily dose.

Taking it outside of that range, decreases the therapeutic levels in your bloodstream and you are at higher risk of ovulating.

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Specializes in med/surg, rural, ER.

It is because of this question that I looked into the NuvaRing and the Patch when I began to take BC. I knew that with my crazy rotating shift I would never be able to take a pill at the same time each day. (At that time I was working 8hr shifts and sometimes did all three within a 6 day period!!:eek:) I loved the patch due to only having to think about it once each week--but it gave me morning sickness! Also, it is being linked to a higher incidence of blood clots. I then tried the ring and love it. I only have to think about it twice a month--once when I put it in and 3 weeks later when I take it out. I think both of these methods are much better for those of us with crazy schedules!

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It is because of this question that I looked into the NuvaRing and the Patch when I began to take BC. I knew that with my crazy rotating shift I would never be able to take a pill at the same time each day. (At that time I was working 8hr shifts and sometimes did all three within a 6 day period!!:eek:) I loved the patch due to only having to think about it once each week--but it gave me morning sickness! Also it is being linked to a higher incidence of blood clots. I then tried the ring and love it. I only have to think about it twice a month--once when I put it in and 3 weeks later when I take it out. I think both of these methods are much better for those of us with crazy schedules![/quote']

LOL..I hear you! I used to be on the Patch but it scared me when it was getting linked to blood clots. So i stopped that. I dont usually have a problem remembering the pill b/c i set the alarm on my cell to alert me to take it. Today the girl I sit next turned my alarm off bc it started beeping while i was in the Ladies Room. :angryfire I could've kicked her butt for doing that b/c i remembered an hour late!

I was just curious as to why it is so important to take it at the same time everyday, and the first person who responded gave some insight.

If anyone else has more please feel free......

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The same advice was given back in the "bad ol' days" of the early, high dosage pills (YES, GIRLS, I am old enough to remember when BCPs first came on the market!, and took pills with dosages that would make you swoon (not literally, but because they were so high by today's standards. ;) )

The original rationale had nothing at all to do with dips in therapeutic/effective blood levels (shoot, we were taking enough hormones for an elephant ... :)) -- the idea was purely, simply, to get yourself into a convenient, familiar routine so that you would be sure of taking the pill every day.

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Yikes! I hope not! I am on the any time of day, sometimes two pills every two days plan myself! I know it was more important when I was on the "mini pill" while breastfeeding, but so far so good!

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