What should I do if I vomit after taking the pill?

If you vomit within 2 to 3 hours of taking it, take another pill from a spare pack as soon as you feel able. If you cannot, treat it as a missed pill and follow the guidance for your pill type. If you keep it down more than 3 hours later, no action is needed.

Does diarrhoea affect the contraceptive pill?

Very severe diarrhoea (for example, watery and 6 to 8 times in 24 hours) can stop the pill being absorbed. Mild diarrhoea usually does not. If you have severe diarrhoea, keep taking your pills at the usual time and follow missed pill advice for each day it continues.

How long after taking the pill can I be sick and still be protected?

If you keep the pill down for at least 2 to 3 hours, it has been absorbed and you are protected. Vomiting after that point does not affect it. It is the vomiting within the first 2 to 3 hours that matters.

Do I need to use condoms if I have been sick?

If vomiting or severe diarrhoea meant a pill was not absorbed, treat it as a missed pill. Depending on your pill type and where you are in the pack, you may need condoms for 2 to 7 days. Use our missed pill tool or ask a pharmacist for exact advice.

Vomiting and Diarrhoea on the Pill

Reviewed by Usama Ali, MPharm (GPhC: 2224726). Last reviewed: July 2026.

If you vomit within 2 to 3 hours of taking your pill, or have very severe diarrhoea, it may not be absorbed, so it counts as a missed pill. If you keep the pill down for more than 3 hours, it has been absorbed and you are still protected. When a pill is affected, follow the missed pill guidance for your pill type, and use condoms if needed until protection is re-established.

Does the pill still work if you are sick?

It depends on timing. The pill is absorbed in the first few hours after you take it. If you keep it down for at least 2 to 3 hours, it has been absorbed and you are still protected, even if you are sick afterwards. The problem is only vomiting or very severe diarrhoea soon after taking it, before absorption, when you treat it like a missed pill.

What if you vomit after taking the pill?

If you vomit within 2 to 3 hours of taking your pill, take another pill from a spare pack as soon as you feel able. If you take a replacement within a few hours, you stay protected. If you cannot, treat it as a missed pill and follow the guidance for your pill type. If you vomit more than 3 hours after taking it, it has already been absorbed and no action is needed.

Does diarrhoea affect the pill?

Only very severe diarrhoea affects the pill; mild or one-off loose stools do not usually stop absorption. As a rule of thumb, watery diarrhoea 6 to 8 times in 24 hours means the pill may not have worked that day. Keep taking your pills at the usual time, and follow missed pill advice for each day it continues. Use our missed pill tool for personalised advice.

What if you are ill for several days?

If vomiting or severe diarrhoea lasts more than 24 hours, treat each day as a missed pill. Keep taking your pills at the usual time if you can. Once you recover, follow the missed pill rules for how many days were affected, and use condoms until protection is re-established (2 days for the desogestrel mini pill, 7 days for the combined pill and Slynd).

Does sickness affect the mini pill differently?

The same principle applies to the mini pill: vomiting within 2 to 3 hours, or severe diarrhoea, means it may not have been absorbed, so treat it as a missed pill. The re-protection time is shorter for the desogestrel mini pill (2 days) than for the combined pill (7 days).

What should you do?

Keep taking your pills at the usual time, work out whether any were affected using the 2 to 3 hour rule, and follow missed pill guidance for those days. If unprotected sex happened while a pill was not working, emergency contraception may be needed, so speak to a pharmacist promptly. For advice or a resupply, book a free phone consultation with Contraception Direct.

Frequently asked questions

Does the pill still work if you are sick?: It depends on timing. If you vomit within 2 to 3 hours of taking your pill, it may not have been absorbed, so it counts as a missed pill. If you are sick more than 3 hours after taking it, it has already been absorbed and you are still protected.
What should I do if I vomit after taking the pill?: If you vomit within 2 to 3 hours of taking it, take another pill from a spare pack as soon as you feel able. If you cannot, treat it as a missed pill and follow the guidance for your pill type. If you keep it down more than 3 hours later, no action is needed.
Does diarrhoea affect the contraceptive pill?: Very severe diarrhoea (for example, watery and 6 to 8 times in 24 hours) can stop the pill being absorbed. Mild diarrhoea usually does not. If you have severe diarrhoea, keep taking your pills at the usual time and follow missed pill advice for each day it continues.
How long after taking the pill can I be sick and still be protected?: If you keep the pill down for at least 2 to 3 hours, it has been absorbed and you are protected. Vomiting after that point does not affect it. It is the vomiting within the first 2 to 3 hours that matters.
Do I need to use condoms if I have been sick?: If vomiting or severe diarrhoea meant a pill was not absorbed, treat it as a missed pill. Depending on your pill type and where you are in the pack, you may need condoms for 2 to 7 days. Use our missed pill tool or ask a pharmacist for exact advice.
What if I am sick for several days?: If vomiting or severe diarrhoea lasts more than 24 hours, treat each day as if you missed a pill. Keep taking your pills at the usual time if you can. Once you recover, follow the missed pill rules based on how many days were affected, and use condoms until protection is re-established.

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