If you want to switch to a newbirth control pill, there are things you need to consider. You may be switching from a mini-pill to a combined pill. Even for the same type of pills,different pill brandsmay contain slightly different doses of the hormones estrogen and progestin.
Use these tips to ensure the transition is smooth and know when to start the new pack and when to use backup contraception.
Reasons for Switching
Before you switch pills, you need to have a discussion with your healthcare provider about which pill you want to change to, as well as your reasons behind this change and your expectations. Reasons for why you may switch pills are varied and can include one or more of the following:
In July 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill (norgestrel), aprogestin-only oral contraceptive, to be sold OTC. Opill is the first and only birth control pill available without a prescription.
In the end, figuring out what pill you will be switching to is probably the hardest part of this whole process. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns about switching.
The Best Birth Control Pills With the Least Side Effects
Switching Between Combination Pills
When switching from one pill to another, there are a couple of strategies, so be sure to confirm with your healthcare provider which one you should do. One strategy is to finish your entire old pill pack (including the placebo pills in the fourth week). Then, when you come to what would have been week one, day one of your old pill brand, start your new pill pack.
If you do this, you should have automatic pregnancy protection and do not need to use a backup birth control method. Just to be sure though, check the package insert (that comes with your new pill) to double-check if you should be using a backup method for the first seven days.
Alternatively, you can actually start your new combination pill right away. That being said, if it has been more than five days since menstrual bleeding started, you need to abstain from sex or use backup contraception for the next seven days (for example, a condom).
It’s important to be aware that your body may need to adjust to the new type, level, and/or dose of hormones in your new pill. Be prepared to possibly experience someside effects.
Most experts recommend giving your new pill brand at least three months for these side effects to go away before deciding if you want to stop it—in other words, patience is key here until your body adjusts.
From Combination Pills to Mini-Pill
When switching from a combination pill to a mini pill, you can take your mini-pill immediately. But if it has been more than five days since you last had menstrual bleeding, you need to either abstain from sex or use backup contraception for the next two days.
From Mini-Pill to Combination Pill
If you are switching from a progestin-only pill to a combination pill, you can start the combined hormonal contraceptive right away. You do not need to wait for your next menstrual period.
If more than five days have passed since you last had menstrual bleeding, you should use a backup method for the first seven days of your new pill pack to avoid getting pregnant (or abstain from sexual intercourse).
Types of Combination Pills
A Word From Verywell
Switching birth control pills is a common process, and reasonable in many instances, as new lifestyle or personal issues arise. While it’s a good idea to be knowledgeable about your birth control options, let your healthcare provider help you decide what to start using—this is what they are trained to do, and they have experience working with people just like you.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes. Generic versions of birth control pills have the same active ingredients as their name-brand equivalents. If you are taking brand-name birth control, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist if it is available as a generic.It depends. You should be covered if you start the new birth control pill immediately after finishing your previous pack of pills. However, if it has been more than five days since the start of your last period, you will need to use backup birth control, such as a condom, for the first seven days.Yes, it can take some time for the body to adjust to a change of hormone levels when switching birth control brands.It can be normal to skip a periodfor a month when changing birth control pills.Similarly, changing between different types of hormonal birth control—such as going from the pill to the vaginal ring—can also cause you to skip a period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Generic versions of birth control pills have the same active ingredients as their name-brand equivalents. If you are taking brand-name birth control, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist if it is available as a generic.
It depends. You should be covered if you start the new birth control pill immediately after finishing your previous pack of pills. However, if it has been more than five days since the start of your last period, you will need to use backup birth control, such as a condom, for the first seven days.
Yes, it can take some time for the body to adjust to a change of hormone levels when switching birth control brands.It can be normal to skip a periodfor a month when changing birth control pills.Similarly, changing between different types of hormonal birth control—such as going from the pill to the vaginal ring—can also cause you to skip a period.
Yes, it can take some time for the body to adjust to a change of hormone levels when switching birth control brands.It can be normal to skip a periodfor a month when changing birth control pills.
Similarly, changing between different types of hormonal birth control—such as going from the pill to the vaginal ring—can also cause you to skip a period.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):625-633.University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.The pill, patch and ring.Additional ReadingCurtis KM, Jatlaoui TC, Tepper NK, et al.U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, 2016.MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2016;65(4):1-66. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr6504a1.Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of Contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015 May 1;91(9):625-33.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):625-633.University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.The pill, patch and ring.Additional ReadingCurtis KM, Jatlaoui TC, Tepper NK, et al.U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, 2016.MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2016;65(4):1-66. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr6504a1.Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of Contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015 May 1;91(9):625-33.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):625-633.University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.The pill, patch and ring.
Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(9):625-633.
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.The pill, patch and ring.
Curtis KM, Jatlaoui TC, Tepper NK, et al.U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, 2016.MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2016;65(4):1-66. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr6504a1.Klein DA, Arnold JJ, Reese ES.Provision of Contraception: Key recommendations from the CDC.Am Fam Physician. 2015 May 1;91(9):625-33.
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