| Question |
Answer |
| What about the pill and contact lenses? |
An increased likelihood of discomfort or even corneal damage among contact lens users taking the combined oral contraceptive was reported with the old hard lenses (and stronger pills). It is believed to be explained by a slight degree of corneal oedema. With modern soft lenses and low dose pills this problem is now uncommon. If it occurs, the woman should see her optician, and a brand containing the lowest possible dose of both steroids should be tried. Rarely, women have to make a straight choice between their contact lenses and this contraceptive method. |
| Which are the most ‘dangerous’ pills to miss? – presumably in the middle of the month? |
Not so, the middle of the month is the least bad time to miss pills, though you should not make a habit of missing any… The worst pills to be missed are any that result in lengthening of the pill-free time (inactive tablets). Never be late starting your next packet! Some people don’t consider this as missing a pill. |
| Is it true that you are more likely to get drunk if you are on the pill? |
Some research published in 1984 suggested this, since it showed that alcohol leaves the body more slowly in pill users than in non-pill users. Subsequently, other researchers in Australia found the opposite, that pill takers recovered from the effects of alcohol more quickly than non-takers! But the take-home message about which there is no argument is that all women should be extra careful about alcohol. This is because their smaller livers make it have a bigger effect than in men, both short term and long term (meaning that the risk of liver damage is greater in women). |
| My ‘period’ is much lighter than normal, almost absent in fact and a different colour – does this matter? |
No, anything from quite average sort of bleeding through to nothing at all can be normal for the response of an individual woman’s womb to the stopping of the pill’s hormones. Should you have no periods at all 2 months in a row, you should take prompt advice to eliminate the possibility of pregnancy and also to discuss whether you should start the next packet. This action should be taken even if you have only missed one withdrawal bleed when you missed pills – or if there is earlier vomiting, diarrhoea or treatment with an interacting drug. |
| Can I take antihistamines and the pill? |
The ones given by your doctor, or which you may purchase at your pharmacy, seem to cause no important change in the effectiveness of your pill. Other medicines may do. A warning sign of an interaction can be bleeding during tablet-taking. Always tell any doctor that you take the pill. |