Can Birth Control Affect Dreaming?

I started taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo on March 2nd after getting 3 packs from the free clinic. Ever since then my dreams have been even more vivid than usual. Every night I have at least one dream, usually 2 or 3, that I wake up thinking are real. Just stupid things, like having an argument with my kind of "boyfriend" or talking to my mom. Sometimes they're a little more outlandish, like when I woke up today I remembered dreaming that my man ended up with Natalie Portman in some futuristic world where she was a refugee...

And even though I know none of that was real, it's sticking to me like a memory. I keep getting residual anxiety that he's with her, even though I know he's not. It doesn't make much sense, I can't really explain it.

I've also noticed that at times I feel vaguely stoned, even though I'm completely sober. It's not enough for me to stop taking the pills, I don't mind it, but it's weird.

Also, another question while we're on the subject:

I take my pill within about 5 minutes of the same time every day. The latest I ever was was a half an hour.

Is there a certain timeframe in which it's okay to be late taking the pill? Like, if I forget or something comes up and I'm an hour late in taking it, will I still be protected?

I just finished my first month and am going to start having unprotected sex soon (we were both tested and came up clean) and want to be as careful as possible.

Another weird thing is, I've been LOSING weight from these pills...like 4 pounds. Is that normal?

 

I can't entirely answer your questions, and I can't answer the last half at all, because I've never been on birth control...
But, I could see it being very possible that it could affect your dreams. I'm pregnant, and I've also heard it from a lot of other women - pregnant woman have some REALLY funky dreams. It's true. It's from all those extra hormones and everything. So I could see how birth control could do the same, or similar. My dreams now are always either really weird or just seem -very- real.

 

as long as youre within 1 hour of your regular time it doesnt change how effective it is. longer times reduce how well youre covered, but not by huge amounts

 

Thanks to both of you.

That's what I figured about the timing, it says on the packet I got with them that you don't need a back up form of birth control if you only miss one day.

But you can never be too careful.