How to
Switching pills or methods without a gap
Quick answer
The key to switching is not leaving a gap. WHO's handbook says that if you have been using a hormonal method consistently, you can usually start the new method right away, with no need to wait for your period and no backup. Moving between combined pills, start the new pack the day after your last hormone pill. Confirm the plan with your doctor, since pack types and labels differ.
Good reasons to switch
- A side effect has lasted beyond about 3 months: spotting, mood, headaches, nausea or acne [src].
- Your situation changed: you are breastfeeding, started smoking at 35 or older, or developed migraine with aura.
- You keep forgetting pills (see options if you forget pills).
- Cost: a same-formula brand can be much cheaper.
Give a new pill about 3 months before judging it, unless a side effect is severe. For red flags, see the side effects hub.
Switching from one pill to another
Combined to combined
Finish the hormone pills in your current pack, then start the new pack the next day. Skip the break week or the inactive or iron pills of the old pack. If you have been taking your pills correctly, you need no backup [src]. Some doctors are fine with you taking the usual break first; confirm with yours.
Combined to progestin-only
You can start the progestin-only pill straight away if you have been taking the combined pill correctly [src]. Remember the new time window: 3 hours for lynestrenol pills like Daphne (lynestrenol), 12 hours for Cerazette (desogestrel) [src].
Progestin-only to combined
Start the combined pill right away, with no gap, if you have been taking the POP consistently [src]. Check with your doctor that estrogen is safe for you.
Switching to or from other methods
| From | To | General approach |
|---|---|---|
| Pill | Implant | Get the implant while still taking pills; finish the pack or stop as your provider advises [src] |
| Pill | IUD | Can be inserted any time you have been taking pills correctly [src] |
| Pill | Injectable | First shot can be given right away [src] |
| Injectable | Pill | Start pills any time up to when your next shot would be due [src] |
| Implant or IUD | Pill | Start pills before or on the day of removal to avoid a gap |
General guidance framed from the WHO Family Planning Handbook. Your provider will confirm the exact timing for your situation.
Switching to save money
Some brands have exactly the same active ingredients and dose as pricier ones [src]. Switching to a same-formula brand is not really a change of pill, but ask your doctor to approve it and write the generic name on your prescription. See same formula, lower price and the pill comparison table.
Tips for a smooth switch
- Buy the new pack before your old one runs out.
- Mark the switch date in the pill tracker.
- Expect possible spotting for a cycle or two. A light or missed bleed is also common [src].
- If you are unsure whether you left a gap, use condoms for 7 days and check the Missed Pill Helper.
Confirm with your doctor
Pack types, labels and your health history all affect the right way to switch. Use this as a guide for your conversation, not a replacement for it.
Three legal routes
Get a prescription for the new pill
Switching brands means a new prescription. A short consult can cover it. Pick the route that suits you. For adults 18 and over.
Free at a health center
Barangay health centers, RHUs, DOH hospitals and Likhaan. Subject to supply.
See an OB-GYN in person
Clinic visit, prescription in hand. Bring it to any licensed pharmacy.
Online consult
A licensed doctor by video or chat. From ₱700 on some platforms.
Online consult options
For adults 18 and over. Fees are set by each provider and can change.
Frequently asked questions
Puwede bang magpalit ng pills nang hindi hinihintay ang regla?
Kadalasan oo. Kung tuloy-tuloy ang pag-inom mo, simulan ang bagong pack kinabukasan pagkatapos ng huling hormone pill ng luma. Kumpirmahin muna sa doktor.
Will I bleed when I switch pills?
You may get spotting or a changed bleed for a cycle or two while your body adjusts. That is common.
Can I switch from Trust to Daphne?
Yes, this is a common switch, for example when breastfeeding. Ask your doctor about timing. Daphne has a 3-hour window instead of 24 hours, so take it at the same time every day.
Do I need a new prescription to switch brands?
Yes. Each brand is a prescription medicine, so you need a prescription for the new one. A pharmacist may accept a same-formula brand; ask your doctor to note it.
This guide is for information. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or switching birth control.
Sources
- Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, WHO and Johns Hopkins CCP
- Managing missed pills (Family Planning Handbook), WHO and Johns Hopkins CCP
- Combined pill: risks and side effects, NHS
- Oral contraceptives category, Watsons PH