When I started taking the pill I was told that it was imperative that I take it each time at the exact same time and was told that a two hour window was the maximum amount of time that I could be late. I tried numerous different times with each packet and was always forgetting pills until I found that the best time that works for me is around 1am just before bed. The problem with this is that I often fall asleep and don't end up taking my pill until 7am the next morning. It goes like this a few nights in a row, taking it at 7am and then switching back up to 1am,2am, 3am, which technically puts me at two pills in the same 24 hours. This months has been especially messed up like that and I noticed light streaking when wiping for the first time in 12 months of taking pills with no spotting and almost no periods.
The first few times that I took my pill at 7am I called the pharmacist in a panic. He said it was not a problem if it was an isolated incident. But what is the definitive answer on the importance of the schedule? Does it really render the pill ineffective if one is late with the dose? And if not, how late constitutes missed?