Swapping pills

[manfamain]

Hey Scarleteen,

I was away from home for a month and forgot my pills, so a friend let me borrow hers to stop my period from coming, but they were a different brand from my own. I've been home 4 days and I'm back on my usual pills. My question was just that because I changed the type of pills without the 7 day break (so mid cycle) will it effect the pill as contraception?

I had sex earlier, after about 10 seconds I realised I could be at risk and continued with extra protection. I should be fine though as I've not stopped taking pills, although different types?

[Johanna]

If you continuously took pills, and did not take any pills late or missed them entirely, you should not have compromised your protection with what you did.

However, it is never a safe or good idea to take drugs that were prescribed to someone else. Prescription drugs can only be prescribed by a doctor for a reason: because the doctor needs to decide, based on your circumstances and medical history, whether this particular drug is safe for you to take. So please, for the future, do not do any more pill-swapping.

[manfamain]

Thank you. I'll remember for the future.