hello everyone,

i have a question regarding my birth control pill...i browse this website often for feminine health but i haven't been able to find an answer to this question so i thought i would post.

i am currently taking tricyclen lo. i missed one pill by about 24 hours, so as per the package instructions, i took my missed pill as soon as i remembered, and my next scheduled dose at the regular time. this meant that i took two pills at the same time - the missed dose, and the dose for that current day. that night, my boyfriend and i had sex.

since then, i have discovered that i have actually been taking a pack of pills that expired about 21 days ago (the expiry date was january 31/12).

can anyone shed some light? i understand that there is no 100% answer, just looking for a little insight to calm my mind while i wait for my next period. is it likely that i could have gotten pregnant due to these factors?

Expiration dates on all drugs are very conservative. What's given as the expiration date is the very earliest time it could conceivably lose an iota of its potency. Typically, drugs remain effective for months after the expiration date. If the pill pack is less than a month out of date, and has not been exposed to extreme heat or cold, it's unlikely to make a difference. However, missing pills possibly could.

To be on the safe side, it's best not to have unprotected sex until your next period, and from now on, check the expiration dates when you pick up your prescription and tell the pharmacist if you notice that the pills will expire before you can finish them. They should not sell pills too close to the expiration date.

thank you so much for your reply GreenTea.

you mention that the expiry is unlikely to make a difference, but that missed pills possibly could. i have made up the dose of my missed pill as instructed, and i also called the manufacturer of the pill to ensure that i followed the correct instructions on making up my missed dose. i was told that i would not need to use backup protection. in your own opinion, do you think that this missed pill, although i did what i was supposed to do make up the dose, combined with the fact that these pills are recently expired, could significantly increase my risk of pregnancy?

i will be getting new pills as soon as possible regardless and also plan to wait until my next period before having sex again.

The manufacturer would know that better than I. If they say you're okay, you're okay. I was just going by what I'd heard about missed birth control pills.

The not having unprotected sex before your next period would be more for peace of mind than anything else. If you tend to worry that you'll get pregnant, peace of mind matters.

thanks again for your reply. i do have one more question if you don't mind, i'd be interested to hear your opinion.

if you miss a pill and need to make up the dose, is it okay to take two at once? i have heard different ideas about this...some say to take the missed dose and current dose together, others say to take them at least a few hours apart. the pill instructions (of many different brands) don't necessarily indicate which method, but it does advise that taking two pills on one day may occur if doses are missed. what are your thoughts on that?