How to Take Your Pills
Before You Start Taking Your Pills BE SURE TO READ THESE DIRECTIONS:
1. Before you start taking your pills and anytime you are not sure what to do, read the directions carefully.
2. The right way to take the pill is to take one pill at approximately the same time every day. If you miss pills you could get pregnant. This includes starting the pack late. The more tablets you miss, the more likely you are to get pregnant.
3. Many women have spotting or light bleeding, or you may feel sick to your stomach during the first 1-3 packs of pills. If you feel sick to your stomach or have spotting or light bleeding, do not stop taking the pill. These symptoms will usually go away. If they do not go away or seem to get worse contact your healthcare provider.
4. Missing pills can also cause spotting or light bleeding, even when you make up the missed pill. On the days you take 2 pills to make up for the missed pills you may also feel sick to your stomach.
5. If you have vomiting or diarrhea, or if you take certain medications, including some antibiotics, your pills may not work as effectively. Use a back-up method (condoms and/or spermicide) until you check with your healthcare provider.
6. If you have trouble remembering to take your pill, talk with your healthcare provider about options on how to make pill-taking easier or about using another method of birth control.
7. If you have any questions or are unsure about the information provided call your doctor or pharmacist.
Before You Start Taking Your Pills:
1. Decide what time of day you want to start taking your pills. It is important to take it at approximately the same time every day.
2. Look at your pill pack. The pill pack has 24 light green “active” pills and 4 brown “reminder” pills.
Also find:
1. Where on the pack to start taking pills, and in what order to take the pills.
2. Be sure you have available at all times another form of birth control such as condoms and/or spermicide to use as a backup method and another full pack of pills on hand.
3. Have another full pack of pills on hand.
When to start the first pack of pills:
You have a choice of which day to start taking your first pack of pills. Generess Fe ® is available in a blister card with a tablet dispenser which is preset for a Sunday Start. Day 1 Start is also provided. Decide with your healthcare professional which the best day is for you. Pick a time of day that will be easy to remember.
SUNDAY START:
Take the first light green “active” pill of the first pack on the Sunday after your period starts, even if you are still bleeding. If your period begins on Sunday, start the pack that same day.
Use another method of birth control such as a condom or spermicide as a back-up method if you have sex anytime from the Sunday you start your first pack until the next Sunday (7 days).
DAY 1 START:
Take the first light green “active” pill of the first pack during the first 24 hours of your period.
You will not need to use a back-up method of birth control, since you are starting the pill at the beginning of your period.
What to do during the month:
1. Take one pill at approximately the same time each day until the pack is empty. Do not skip pills even if you are spotting or bleeding between monthly periods or feel sick to your stomach. Do not skip pills even if you do not have sex very often.
2. When you finish a pack or switch your brand of pills start the next pack on the day after your last “reminder” pill. Do not wait any days between packs.
What to do if you miss pills:
If you miss a dose (including your starting pack) you are more likely to get pregnant. The more pills you miss the more likely the risk of pregnancy.
If you have diarrhea or vomit within 3-4 hrs of taking your pill you should follow instructions of what to do if you miss a pill.
Missing tablets can also increase likelihood of spotting or light bleeding.
If you miss ONE light green pill
Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take two pills in 1 day.
You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.
If you miss TWO light green pills in a row in WEEK 1 or WEEK 2 of your pack
Take two pills on the day you remember and two pills the next day.
Then take one pill a day until you finish the pack.
You could become pregnant if you have sex during the 7 days after you restart your pills. You MUST use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up for those 7 days.
If you miss TWO light green pills in a row in WEEK 3 or WEEK 4 of your pack
THROW OUT the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
You could become pregnant if you have sex during the 7 days after you restart your pills. You MUST use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up for those 7 days after you restart your pills.
If you miss THREE OR MORE light green pills in a row at any time
THROW OUT the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
You could become pregnant if you have sex on the days when you missed pills or during the first 7 days after restarting your pills. You MUST use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up the next time you have sex and for the first 7 days after you restart your pills.
If you forget any of the four brown “reminder” pills in WEEK 4
THROW AWAY the pills you missed.
Keep taking one pill each day until the pack is finished.
You do not need to use a back-up method of birth control.
If you have any questions or still unsure about the pills you have missed call your healthcare provider.
Even if spotting or light bleeding should occur, continue taking the pill according to the schedule. Should spotting or light bleeding persist, you should notify your doctor or clinic.
WARNING
Do not smoke while taking birth control pills. Cigarette smoking raises the chance of very serious heart and blood-related side effects. This chance is higher with age (older than 35 years of age) and with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day). Birth control pills do not stop the spread of diseases caused by having sex.
Sometimes drugs are not safe when you take them with certain other drugs. Taking them together can cause serious side effects. This is one of those drugs. Inform your doctor and pharmacist of of all drugs (over-the-counter, homeopathic, supplements and any prescription) you take.