I switched the time of day I take my birth control pills-- does this make them less effective?

You're fine, since you switched during your placebo week. The standard answer you will get from clinics or docs offices about pill questions is that if you have any doubt to use backup protection for 7 days (which you did in using a condom). There should be no decrease in the effectiveness of your pills. No reason to worry. Just have to throw this in...Pills are not 100% effective...they are 99.9% effective. Make sure you take your pills at the same time every day, and use other forms of protection if you take antibiotics, St Johns Wort, barbituates, or high doses of vitamin C. Hope this helps!

I would say you are fine. As long as you are taking them every day and not missing, the chances of them becoming less effective is slim. Especially since it was during the placebo pills. Your body was not exposed to the hormones during that week. So re-introducing them at a new time once restarting would seem to be to be just as effective. As long as they were started when they were suppose to be started (the correct day that is) you're fine. And if you are uneasy still, just use a second type of birth control for at least the first week...or until you become comfortable.

I thinkk that if you switched from the afternoon to the morning then that you are alright. And you don't need to be paranoid about the whole thing. However if you really want to be safe then get an IUD they work great and you don't have to worry about remembering to take the pill. In fact the IUD is supposed to work a little bit better than the pill. They have one on the market that lasts for 5 years called the Marena IUD and it is great. You don't feel nothing, you go into the OB's office and they do the procedure right there in the office.

If you make a drastic time switch in the middle of the pills, yeah, I would say use some protection. But since you did it during placebo week you are covered. No need to worry.

Only for 15 days or 7 days if you are NOT ovulating. Talk to your health care provider for more specific instructions. Use a back-up method anytime you have intercourse and specially if you miss taking a pill. But remember that NOTHING is 100% effective.

I hope this helps...Good Luck!!!

that's a good question, you should get tested to see if you are pregnant, but to let you know a lot you doctors lie about birth control and birth control can and does fail very often. i know this one woman who got pregnant 3 times on the pills, lucky for her none of her children had defects but they can. if i were you i would stop taking them and just see a nutritionist what weeks you can have sex without getting pregnant and what weeks you can. good luck and i hope that you are OK.

You are absolutely fine, I used to switch times every week, due to work, as long as you keep the time switch within a 12 hour period you will be fine

Most places will always tell you to use backup protection to cover their butts. And you did the right thing by using condoms. I don't think that the time change will affect it whatsoever.

I never take mine at the same time, I have unprotected sex and i'm not pregnant. You should be fine. If you are really worried about it keep using condoms for a week or so.

You should me covered, although just to inform you- - - No Contraceptive is 100% effective.