Birth Control for the first time and vomitting...?

Question

I just began taking birth control (diane 35) for the first time yesterday evening, however I woke up at about 5am vomitting, not a lot but a good bit, will the contraceptive still be effective???

Answer 1

First off, contrary to what others have said, you do not have to take your hormonal birth control for a full month before you become protected. If you began your pills on the first day of your period and continue taking them correctly, you were immediately protected from pregnancy. If you began your pills at any other time during your cycle, you will be protected once you've taken them properly for 7 days. (Provided, of course, that your vomiting doesn't continue or interfere with pill absorption.)

Some health care providers do advise using a backup method for the first month of pills, but this is to have a sort of "safety net" while the woman gets used to taking her pill at the same time every day, not because the pills themselves take that long to become effective.

As for vomiting, according to the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, in single cases of vomiting, as long as there were at least 2 hours between when you took the pill and when you vomited, you'll remain protected because the pill has had sufficient time to absorb. Following these guidelines, it sounds like you should be fine.

In cases where there's repeat vomiting over the course of multiple days, it's recommended to use backup contraception for 7 to 14 days. Here's hoping that this won't apply to you, but it's good to know just in case!

P.S. -- If you think the vomiting was caused by your pill, you can try taking it with some food or milk or even try taking an anti-nausea medication (like Dramamine) about 30 minutes beforehand.

Answer 2

You have to take BC for a month before its in your blood stream and your fully protected. So no it won't be effective. Nausea and vomiting is all part of BC but once your body gets use it sure it will all clam down. If you have been on BC for a full month I would use an extra protection for a couple days.

Answer 3

Yes, it should still be effective. You should absorb it into your system, but if you continue w/ this problem, I would suggest maybe a lower dose, so your stomach won't hurt! I took the normal pill (ortho tri cyclin lo) for a year and it made me sick all the time. Then my gyno switched me to the Nuva Ring and I rarely get sick from it, so maybe talk to your doctor about it if this keeps happening. Good luck!

Answer 4

You usually you have to take it for a month before it is effective anyway. Hope you feel better.