Can only buy new birth control next week: what will happen? What should I do?

[abp91]

Hello everyone,

I started taking the birth control pill at the age of 18, mostly to help with my period cramps, which were absolutely horrible. There have been some days in the meantime where I forgot to take it but, overall, I have never taken a long break or even changed my pill schedule in 6 years.

However, I moved to another country recently and forgot to bring an extra box with me, meaning I should have taken the first pill of the cycle today. Where I am living at the moment you can't get birth control without a medical prescription. But in a week I will be traveling back to my home country on holiday, where I know I can buy birth control easily at the pharmacy. My question is: what are the exact consequences of not taking the pill for 8 days at the beginning of a cycle? Will the effects of the pill wear off? Should I start at a specific date from the beginning or take multiple pills every other day to catch up? (I am mostly worried about the period cramps or hormonal imbalances, as I am very careful when it comes to other contraceptives)

Thank you!

[slightlycosmo]

I would absolutely use a backup form of contraception while you're not taking the pills, and I would talk to your pharmacist when you are finally able to get your box to find out if you should be using backup throughout the next cycle. I wouldn't take multiple pills every day to catch up. If you'd just missed a day, I think that would be customary, but missing 8 days wouldn't so much be catching up but starting over.  Good luck!