Do i have to take the white pills in lo loestrin fe?

Short answer: No. The white pills in Lo Loestrin Fe are placebo pills that don’t contain hormones. They’re mainly to keep you in a routine and to provide iron.

If you want to:
- Skip the white pills and start a new pack right away: that’s fine and will usually stop you from getting a period that month.
- Take the white pills: that will give you a 4-day iron-containing placebo period and you’ll likely have a withdrawal bleed.

A couple of practical tips:
- If you skip the white pills and start a new pack, try to do it within about 24 hours of finishing the last active pill to maintain contraception.
- If you miss any active (hormone) pills, follow the package directions or contact your healthcare provider about backup contraception.
- If you’re unsure what to do, or if you have any medical conditions or risk factors (like smoking and age 35+), check with your clinician or pharmacist.

If you’d like, tell me how your pack is laid out (how many active pills vs. white pills you have) and I can tailor the guidance more precisely.