How To Be Extra Safe: Double
This is a bit of a reiteration when it comes to various medications that you might be taking. Your doctor will be able to tell you exactly what will interfere with what, but specifically, migraine medications, anti-seizure medications, and any type of antibiotics for viral infections or fungal infections, sleep medications, and antidepressants can inhibit your contraceptive’s ability to work properly. Depending on what you’re looking for in a birth control, your doctor might be able to recommend something that won’t react or might recommend a new birth control method that can work for both you and your partner. When it comes down to it, not only do you want a useless birth control, but you also don’t want to take a chance when it comes to mixing medications.
What Medications Make Mirena Less Effective
Some medications and herbal supplements are known to interact with the Mirena IUD. These may include substances like anti-anxiety drugs, anti-seizure medications or anticonvulsants, and blood thinners like warfarin.
Some antibiotics and St. Johns Wort, which is an herbal supplement sometimes used to treat symptoms of depression and mood disorders, may also possibly interact with Mirena.
Mood Stabilizer & Epilepsy Medicines
Women taking some medicines to treat bipolar disorder or epileptic seizures have a double reason to choose their birth control carefully:
1) Many of the medicines used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorderBarbituates, Carbamazepine, Oxycarbazepine, Phenytoin, Primidone, Topiramate, Felbamate, and Lamotrigine when taken alonemake the pill, patch, ring and mini-pill less effective, increasing the chance of an accidental pregnancy.
2) Theres some evidence that these methods of birth control change the effectiveness of those particular medicines, too. That increases the chance of having a seizure, or a manic or depressive episode. If you have epilepsy or bipolar disorder, its really important to talk with your provider about what birth control method is best for youthere are still good options!
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Additional Contraception When Taking Antibiotics
If you’re going to take rifampicin or rifabutin for more than 2 months, you may want to consider starting, or changing to, a contraception method that’s not affected by these medicines.
You should consider doing this if you’re currently using:
If you’re taking rifampicin or rifabutin for less than 2 months and want to continue using the same hormonal contraception, you must discuss this with your doctor.
You may be asked to take this contraception in a different way from usual and use condoms as well.
You’ll need to continue this for 28 days after finishing the antibiotics.
One option for women who have a contraceptive implant and need to take a short dose of rifampicin is a single dose of the progestogen injection.
The implant can stay in place while you’re covered by the injection.
You and your doctor can get up-to-date guidance about contraception and antibiotics from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.
You do not normally need to use additional contraception if you’re taking antibiotics other than rifampicin and rifabutin.
But if the antibiotics or the illness they’re treating cause diarrhoea or vomiting, absorption of the contraceptive pill may be affected.
Page last reviewed: 28 January 2019 Next review due: 28 January 2022
Antibiotics And Birth Control: Does Medication Affect Hormonal Contraceptives
Youve probably heard that some medications may affect the way birth control works. But what about antibiotics? Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, and its important to take the full course when theyre prescribed. Dive into this article to find out how birth control and antibiotics work together and what to do about it.
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Antibiotics And Birth Control
Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, such as urinary tract infections, sepsis, and some forms of strep throat, sinus infection, and pneumonia. Only a few antibiotics have been shown to interfere with birth control.
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Antibiotics that interact with birth control: Antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis and rifabutin ).
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Antibiotics that dont interact with birth control: All other antibiotics! No other antibiotics have been proven to affect hormonal birth control methods. This includes commonly prescribed antibiotics like amoxicillin and doxycycline.
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Safest contraception options: In most cases, the birth control shot , hormonal implant , hormonal IUD , and copper IUD are all safe to use with antibiotics for TB. Non-hormonal methods are another safe alternative.
Good to know: Some anti-fungals , miconazole) were thought to cause birth control failure, but that is no longer the case.
When To See A Healthcare Provider About Options
Never be embarrassed to discuss issues like sex or birth control with your healthcare provider. If you are having sex and need guidance about which birth control is right for you, your doctor can answer your questions, address any concerns you might have, and provide educational materials to help guide you in your decision.
There are many different birth control options, and it may take some trial and error to find the one that works best for your body and your lifestyle.
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Which Antibiotics Can Interfere With Birth Control
Rifampin is the only antibiotic that’s been proven to make hormonal birth control unreliable. Also known as Rifadin and Rimactane, it’s usually used to treat tuberculosis and other bacterial infections like meningitis.
To clarify, when we talk about hormonal birth control, we mean any type of birth control that uses hormones to keep you from getting pregnant. Note that you may hear birth control being called “contraception” or “contraceptives,” which are the medical terms.
A list of different birth control methods that put hormones into your body are:
- Birth control pills
- Birth control patches
- Birth control shots
- Vaginal rings
- Intrauterine devices
- Birth control implants
If you use the pill, the patch, or the ring, taking rifampin can make your birth control less effective, meaning there’s a chance that it may not stop you from getting pregnant.
If you start taking rifampin, you should also use a backup birth control method to lower your chances of getting pregnant.
Fortunately, most other antibiotics shouldn’t affect birth control at all. For example, this 2002 study, published in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, found that these antibiotics aren’t likely to interfere with hormonal birth control:
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Ampicillin
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Doxycycline
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Metronidazole
How Long Will Birth Control Be Affected By Antibiotics
The length of time that antibiotics or other drugs can affect birth control depends on which medicine you’re taking. Some medications will only affect hormone levels while you’re taking them. Others can have effects that linger for up to a week or even a month after you stop taking the medicine.
If you’re prescribed something that makes your birth control less effective, your doctor will be able to tell you how long you should use a backup method of birth control.
What should you do to prevent pregnancy while taking medicine that affects birth control?
If you’re worried that the medication you’re taking may be affecting your birth control, you can always use a backup method to help prevent pregnancy, such as:
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Male condoms: With typical use, prevents pregnancy in 87 out of 100 women.
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Diaphragms and cervical caps: With typical use, prevents pregnancy in 83 out of 100 women.
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Sponges: With typical use, prevents pregnancy in 63 to 86 out of 100 women, depending on whether or not they’ve already had a baby.
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Spermicides: With typical use, prevents pregnancy in 79 out of 100 women.
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What If I Take A Medication That Messes With Hormonal Birth Control
There are many highly effective types of birth control that are not affected by these medications, including all IUDs, the implant, and the shot. Barrier methods like condoms are also effective regardless of what medication youre taking.
In general, its good to remember that medicines can have powerful interactions with each otherand hormonal birth control is just another type of medicine. If a new medicine is prescribed for you, make sure to tell your health care provider about all of the medicines, herbal and vitamin supplements you regularly take.
‘can You Treat Viruses With Antibiotics’
Antibiotics are like the superheroes of medicine.
Sick with strep throat? Take an antibiotic and BAM! Its cured!
In agony with a UTI? Pop a pill and WHAM! That infections knocked out!
But lying in bed with fever and chills due to flu? Unfortunately, no antibiotic can save you from that.
Antibiotics may be the superheroes of the bacterial infection world, but theyre powerless in the land of the virus no matter how much we wish that werent true.
Illnesses can be caused by many types of germs, including bacteria and viruses. And a viral illness can feel the same as sickness caused by bacteria, so its understandable that a lot of people think if an antibiotic cured one illness, it probably will cure another that feels similar. But medicines dont quite work like that.
To treat an illness or infection, doctors first have to identify what type of bug is causing your symptoms. Then they can match it with the correct medication to kill it. For sickness caused by bacteria, like strep throat, the right medication is an antibiotic. For a virus, like the flu, an antibiotic is the wrong medication.
Antibiotics destroy bacteria by breaking down the germs physical structure, such as by poking holes in the cell wall. But viruses are not built the same way as bacteria. An antibiotic drug cannot poke holes in the cell wall of a virus. In fact, an antibiotic medication wont have any effect on a virus at all.
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Can You Take Both Antibiotics And Birth Control At The Same Time
You get an infection, and the doctor tells you to take antibiotics. But what if you’re on birth controlwill the pill still work?
Top researchers say that most women who take antibioticsexcept for one called rifampinshould expect their birth control to work as expected. Planned Parenthood says the same thing more directly: antibiotics “won’t change the effectiveness of your birth control.”
But it’s not always that simple. Researchers at Harvard Medical School haven’t found enough evidence to say for sure that antibiotics don’t affect birth control. Therefore, they have to say that taking antibiotics might affect birth control, just to be on the safe side. The paper insert inside your birth control pack might say that too.
The short answer is you probably won’t get pregnant, but you can ask your doctor or health care provider to ensure that the antibiotics won’t interfere with your birth control pills.
And if you’re in a spot where you can’t ask your provider for advice, or if you’re just unsure, the best option would be to use a backup method like a condom when taking antibiotics.
Timing Of Removal If You Wish To Avoid Pregnancy
Scotchie says you can remove an IUD at any time. But if you want to prevent pregnancy right away, you need to use another form of contraception such as condoms or birth control pills until you want to become pregnant.
Talk with your doctor ahead of time to determine the right method of birth control for you. Examples of other reversible methods include:
- oral contraceptives
- birth control implant or shot
- patch
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Other Medications That Mess With Birth Control
While antibiotics have been taking the unplanned pregnancy fall for years, there are other medications that may actually be making your birth control less effective. Any medication that has vomiting or diarrhea as a side effect â or if youâre experiencing vomiting or diarrhea because of your illness â has the potential to make oral hormonal birth control less effective. Thatâs because if youâre taking it orally , then it could be coming back up or processed too quickly through your intestine to get enough of the hormones in your blood stream. Without those hormones at sufficient levels to block ovulation, you could ovulate and therefore could get pregnant if you have sex at the right time of the month.
And remember how I said that the reason rifampin messes with your birth control is because itâs enzyme-inducing? Well, it turns out itâs not the only one. Other drugs that are enzyme-inducing include Modafinal , some epilepsy drugs , and some antiretroviral drugs that are used to treat HIV . So if youâre taking one of those medications, consider either using back up contraceptives or switching to a new method altogether.
How To Take Birth Control Pills Correctly
When used as directed, birth control pills are up to 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. Most birth control pills are taken daily for 21 days on and seven days off. Some pills are taken for 28 straight days and others for 91 straight days. Pills may be different colors to indicate different levels of hormones. Some days you may take pills that contain no hormones. Theyre meant to keep you in the habit of taking your pills.
Your doctor will advise you about when to start taking your pills. This is usually the first Sunday after your menstrual cycle starts or the first day of your menstrual cycle. You should take your pills at the same time each day. If you dont take your pills consistently, your risk of becoming pregnant increases.
Birth control pills are just one of many birth control options. Other options include:
- pills
- implants
- diaphragms
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends asking yourself these questions when deciding which option is best for you:
- Do you want to have children some day?
- Do you have any medical problems?
- How often do you have sex?
- How many sex partners do you have?
- Will the birth control prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases?
- How well does the birth control work?
- What are the side effects?
- Is it difficult or inconvenient to use?
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What Should You Do If Youve Missed A Dose Or Taken A Double Dose Of Antibiotics
If youve forgotten to take a dose of antibiotics, you should take that dose as soon as you remember, then carry on taking the rest as normal. But, if its nearly time for your next dose, you should skip the missed dose and just carry on taking the rest as normal.
Dont double up on your next dose of antibiotics as this increases your risk of side effects. If you accidentally take a double dose, its unlikely to cause serious problems, but it can increase your risk of side effects and cause mild symptoms like a sore stomach, feeling or being sick , and diarrhoea.
If youve taken more than 1 extra dose of antibiotics by mistake, are worried or youre getting serious side effects, speak to a doctor or call emergency services immediately
And if youve missed several doses of antibiotics or more than 1 days worth of treatment, ask a doctor for advice.
How Do Antibiotics Affect Birth Control
Rifampicin affects the levels of contraceptive hormones present in the body, reducing the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives.
There are several ways pills can interact with each other, and affecting gut absorption is just one of them. Rifampicin also changes the levels of some of the liver enzymes chemicals that can affect the way we use hormones in the body.
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Past The Expiration Date
IUDs have expiry dates that indicate until when they can stay inside the uterus and still remain effective. If you keep it past its expiration date, you might have a slightly increased chance of being pregnant.
Although more research is needed to confirm whether keeping an IUD longer than its expiration date can trigger some side effects, experts do not really recommend it for your safety.
Natural Lubricants May Damage Condoms
Using a natural, oil-based lubricant during sex may make barrier birth control methods like condoms less reliable.
When using during sex, certain natural oils, like coconut oil or almond oil, can weaken latex condoms, making them less effective. These oils can sometimes even cause condoms to break.
To ensure that your latex condom stays in working order, you may want to try to use a water-based lubricant instead of an oil-based one.
If you want to use oil-based lubricants, you can try using non-latex condoms, such as condoms made from lambskin, as they can protect against pregnancy even if used with natural, fat-based lubricants.
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Antibiotics That Can Affect Birth Control
Researchers have only proven that two types of antibiotics can affect the efficacy of your birth control:
- Rifampin: Health care providers prescribe this medication to treat tuberculosis. Rifampin causes the enzymes in your liver to break estrogens down faster than normal, lowering those hormone levels in your body and possibly reducing your birth controls efficacy. Some women might experience spotting between their periods while taking rifampin, but this doesnt mean their birth control isnt working.
- Rifabutin: Health care providers prescribe this medication to prevent an infection called mycobacterium avium complex in HIV patients, as well as to treat tuberculosis. It, too, reduces the levels of birth control hormones that suppress ovulation but to a lesser degree than rifampin.
Both of these medications belong to a class of antibiotics called rifamycins. Scientists have not been able to prove that any other rifamycins, however, affect birth control.
Slection Des Donnes :
Recherche dans Medline des articles publiés entre 1975 et septembre 1998 inclusivement. Il sagissait de rechercher notamment les mots-clés « antibiotic », « oral contraceptive » et « pregnancy ». Les articles publiés, de même que les références accompagnant ces articles, ont été passés en revue. Les articles faisant état des mécanismes de linteraction entre les antibiotiques et les contraceptifs oraux ont été inclus dans létude.
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