For Real Do Antibiotics Affect Birth Control
Since antibiotics and birth control pills are both metabolized in the liver, there used to be a concern that the two would interact with each otherand become less effectiveif taken at the same time, says FACOG, board-certified ob-gyn in Princeton, New Jersey.
Luckily, that isnt usually the case. Most broad-spectrum antibiotics do not alter the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, the patch, or the ring, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . On the flip side, birth control has not been found to make an antibiotic less effective, either, says Dr. Sophocles. Its been studied a lot, and the good news is that theres really only one antibiotic, called rifampin, that substantially alters the effectiveness of a birth control pill, she says.
Rifampin is an antibiotic most commonly used to treat tuberculosis or occasionally in people who have meningitis infections in their noses or throats. It works by increasing certain enzymes in your body, according to the United Kingdom National Health Service . These enzymes increase the breakdown of estrogen in the liverand because estrogen is one of the active hormones in the birth control pill that helps prevent ovulation, it makes the contraceptive less effective, says Sherry A. Ross, M.D., ob-gyn and author of She-ology.
How Antibiotics Can Interfere With Birth Control Pills
Do you know that you can get pregnant while taking antibiotics, even if youre taking birth control pills? Not all antibiotics have this effect. But to be safe, before starting an antibiotic, tell your healthcare provider that you are on the pill and ask if you should use a backup form of birth control temporarily.
How Can I Prevent Pregnancy If I’m Taking Antibiotics
It is not likely that you will get pregnant while taking antibiotics on the pill. But it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious. To be safe, use a backup method of birth control while you take your antibiotics and for up to a week after you finish. Backup birth control options you can try include condoms, sponges and spermicide. You can buy these forms of birth control without a prescription at many grocery stores and drugstores.
Do not stop taking your birth control pills even if you are temporarily using a backup method of birth control. Take your pills exactly as you always have to avoid messing up your cycle.
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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:
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?
Which Antibiotics Are More Likely To Interfere With The Pill
Not all antibiotics will increase your chances of getting pregnant on the pill. However, one particular antibiotic, called rifampin , can interfere with your menstrual cycle and reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. While rifampin is less commonly prescribed today, other types of medications may also have the same effect. These include the antifungal griseofulvin, antiretrovirals, and the herbal remedy St. John’s Wort.
You may wonder how an antibiotic could possibly affect your birth control pill. In the case of rifampin, scientific studies have shown that it decreases blood levels of both ethinyl estradiol and the progestins contained in birth control pills. If their blood levels fall too low, the hormones cant do their job of preventing ovulation. The mechanism is complex, but basically rifampin stimulates your liver to process and get rid of these hormones faster than normal.
The data are not so clear for other antibiotics, so the interaction remains controversial. Unlike rifampin, there arent conclusive scientific studies for other antibiotics. But there are various theories about how other antibiotics might interfere with your birth control pill. Some of these theories are even more complex than rifampins interaction. Basically, the theories suggest that antibiotics may decrease the amount of hormones your body absorbs. However, none of them are solidly proven.
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Tldr Whats The Lowdown
- Most antibiotics are non-enzyme-inducing which means your contraceptive pill will continue to work just fine
- But some can cause vomiting or diarrhoea which you might also experience due to the illness itself this can affect the absorption of your pill
- Enzyme inducing antibiotics such as rifampicin or rifabutin can make some forms of contraception including the pill less effective
- Before starting a new medicine ask the health professional that prescribed it whether it will impact upon your pill
- In the rare case you are prescribed an enzyme inducing antibiotic, to make sure youre protected you could switch to an IUD, IUS or the injection or temporarily use barrier methods such as condoms
- Once you have completed your course of these antibiotics, you must continue to use any alternative contraceptive method for 28 days
The routine nature of the pill means taking it daily can be a well-versed habit and a somewhat subconscious ritual. So much so that, if we find ourselves needing other medication, we often dont even think of the pill as meds we are already taking.
But its important to remember that just like any other drug, over the counter or prescription, there are always possibilities of interactions. Antibiotics are no exception and an unplanned pregnancy as a side effect is possibly one wed rather avoid!
Can Cold Medicine Affect Birth Control
Cold does not affect the effectiveness of birth control pills. However, there are a few other things you should know about the effectiveness of birth control pills going forward, so it is important to speak with your primary care physician. First, you should never take birth control pills that have expired.
Theoretically, antibiotics can kill the bacteria that convert the inactive chemicals to the active estrogen, and, therefore, may interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills. Unwanted pregnancies could occur.
Several common foods, including licorice, yam, soy and dairy products, can theoretically impair the effectiveness oral contraceptives.
Although there are some great birth control options that you can buy over -the- counter , unfortunately, birth control pills are not one of them. As of now, the only available over -the- counter birth control pills are for emergency contraception.
Cold does not affect the effectiveness of birth control pills. However, there are a few other things you should know about the effectiveness of birth control pills going forward, so it is important to speak with your primary care physician. First, you should never take birth control pills that have expired.
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How Do I Correctly Take Birth Control Pills
Birth control pills typically come in either 21-packs or 28-packs that include seven sugar pills that make it easier to stay in the habit of taking your contraceptive on the seven “off” days. Some brands can be taken continuously for up to 91 days, so you only have to experience a period four times a year.
Regardless of which brand you take or how frequently you pause for seven days, oral contraceptives should be taken at the exact same time every day to be maximally effective. This is especially true for progestin-only pills.
Another factor that may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills is proper absorption doesn’t take place. For example if you vomit shortly after taking a dose, it’s unlikely that your body had a chance to absorb the hormones in the pill.
If the antibiotic you’re prescribed causes symptoms of nausea and vomiting, you may want to consider scheduling the time you take your pill when you know you won’t have these symptoms, such as after any bout of nausea has passed or right before you go to sleep.
While it should be taken at the same time each day, you can start taking the pill at any point in your monthly cycle. For example, you can start taking it even if you’re having a period.
When Can Antibiotics Affect Your Birth Control
Antibiotics can directly affect birth control if youre taking:
These antibiotics are usually used to treat specific conditions. So your antibiotics might affect your birth control if youre getting treatment for:
- methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus
If youre not being treated for these conditions, youre probably not taking either of these antibiotics. So, your birth control should work just as well as normal, unless you have other side effects or symptoms .
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What To Do If Youre On A Medication That Might Affect Your Contraception
If youre on medication that can change how effective your hormonal contraceptive is, its important to take other steps to avoid an unintended pregnancy. This means using a barrier contraceptive like a condom or diaphragm.
Dont try to cancel out the antibiotics by doubling up on birth control pills the way the medications interact in your body is complicated and unpredictable, so taking a bigger dose of contraceptives doesnt work.
It isnt always clear how long antibiotics continue to affect hormonal birth control, so doctors usually recommend continuing to use a barrier method or alternative to hormonal contraception to prevent pregnancy for at least seven days after the end of the antibiotic course. This can be a nice time to try other ways of having sex or being intimate.
Birth Control And Antibiotic Eye Drops
- #1 02-07-2008 11:18 PM by tbn1086Does using antibiotic eye drops while on the pill decrease its effectiveness? Im using ciprofloxacin 0.3% drops for an eye infection. I thought eye drops only have a local effect but I can taste it in the back of my throat so Im not really sure. Anyone know if antibiotic eye drops would decrease the effectiveness of the pill???
- #2 02-08-2008 05:46 AM by IrishPrinces426Re: birth control and antibiotic eye dropsI was taking antibiotic eye drops for about two weeks and never heard anything about them effecting birth control. Usually my doctor will say something and there is a warning in the information I get on the drug from the pharmacy. The doctor didnt say anything to me and there was nothing about it effecting birth control on the drug information.If you are concerned get in touch with your doctor or pharmacist.IrishPrinces
- 02-08-2008 03:20 PM by MusicElleRe: birth control and antibiotic eye dropsI think the reason antibiotics effect birth control has to do with how the birth control is absorbed in the digestive system, so I think you fine since your not taking the antibiotics orally.
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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.
What Other Types Of Drugs Can Alter Birth Control Effectiveness
Other drugs besides rifampin or the rifamycins may affect birth control reliability. Other drugs that induce enzymes can affect hormonal levels of your birth control and may lower its effectiveness.
Therefore, always have your doctor or pharmacist complete a drug interaction review any time you start or even stop a medication. This includes prescription medicines, as well as over-the-counter drugs, vitamin and herbal or dietary supplements.
For example:
- The antifungal medicine griseofulvin may lead to lower levels of birth control hormones and reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills.
- Certain seizures drugs can also lower the effectiveness of combined birth control pills, for example anticonvulsant medications such as:
- and barbiturates like phenobarbital
If youre taking any of these drugs use condoms as a backup form of birth control. Talk to your doctor about switching to a different nonhormonal method of birth control if youll be on these interacting drugs for a long time.
See Planned Parenthood for more information.
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How Marie Stopes Can Help You
Marie Stopes South Africa offers a wide range of different contraceptives for men & women. Whether youre interested in a monthly option like the pill or patch or a long-acting method like an implant or IUD, we can help you find a contraceptive method that suits your lifestyle.
We also offer HIV and STI testing and safe pregnancy options which will provide you with all of the support you may need.
Can Antibiotics Affect Your Birth Control
The whole point of birth control is to avoid pregnancy.
So you dont want to do anything that could make your contraception less effective.
Yet certain medications can change how the body metabolizes hormonal birth control, including the pill, patch, and vaginal ring.
In these instances, unless you use another contraceptive, your risk of pregnancy increases.
Many women wonder if antibiotics in particular interact with hormonal birth control.
After all, 125 million women were prescribed antibiotics in 2020 for bacterial infections like urinary tract infections , sinus infections, and skin infections, and 14% of women between ages 15 and 49 take birth control pills.
While you should always discuss your current medications with your healthcare provider, this article will help you understand if antibiotics affect your birth control.
Ill discuss what the research says about taking antibiotics with birth control, how birth control works, and other medications that may interfere with birth control.
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Antibiotics That Do Not Affect Birth Control
Most antibiotics have no proven effects on hormonal birth control and will not increase your chances of getting pregnant if you have sex during treatment. Commonly prescribed antibiotics that are safe to take while on birth control include:
- Ampicillin, for treating bladder infections, pneumonia, and more.
- Cephalexin, for treating upper respiratory, ear, skin, urinary tract, and bone infections.
- Ciprofloxacin, for treating skin, respiratory, joint, and urinary tract infections.
- Clarithromycin, for treating bacterial skin and respiratory infections.
- Clindamycin, for treating skin, lung, soft tissue, vaginal, and pelvic infections.
- Doxycycline, for treating urinary tract infections, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, respiratory infections, and more.
- Metronidazole, for treating vaginal, stomach, liver, skin, joint, and respiratory system infections.
- Minocycline, for treating urinary tract, respiratory, and skin infections, as well as chlamydia.
- Ofloxacin, for treating skin infections, urinary tract infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
- Roxithromycin, for treating bacterial respiratory tract, urinary and soft tissue infections.
- Sulfamethoxazole, for treating urinary tract, ear, and respiratory infections, among others.
- Tetracycline, for treating skin, respiratory, urinary, and other infections, as well as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
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Do Antibiotics Affect Birth Control
by Michelle | Jul 15, 2019 | General Information
Youve probably heard before that you shouldnt use antibiotics in combination with your birth control. Perhaps youve even read it on your birth control packaging as a warning, but is it actually a cause for concern? Do antibiotics affect birth control? Before we get to that, lets quickly discuss what birth control is and how it works with the women body.
Hormonalcontraceptives all contain a small amount of hormones including estrogen,progestin, or a combination of the two. Combination birth control pills like Alesse,Yaz, Aubra, and Yasmin are an example of this as these brands contain both estrogen andprogestin. Birth control is typically taken to prevent pregnancy but there aresome cases where women use it for treatment of acne, regulating heavy periods,or excessive cramping.
Its the hormones in a womans body that control the release of an egg from the ovary , which occurs once a month. If a woman is not taking birth control and has unprotected sex, an egg will then become fertilized by the sperm and pregnancy will occur. But, when a woman takes birth control, the hormones in birth control actually trick the body so that ovulation doesnt occur. Without ovulation, pregnancy isnt possible!
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What Happens When You Start Taking The Pill And Antibiotics Together
What to expect when starting antibiotics antibiotics are often prescribed for the treatment or prevention of some bacterial infections. They dont usually work for coughs, colds or sore throats and many mild bacterial infections clear up on their own. Although broad-spectrum antibiotics shouldnt interact with your contraceptive pill, you may experience side effects from the antibiotics. Side effects can include:
Be aware of getting sick if you are sick or have diarrhoea, you should read the leaflet of your contraceptive pill to see if its function will be affected. It is likely that if you are ill shortly after taking your pill, then it will not have been absorbed by the body. Therefore, it may not work effectively read the instructions on the leaflet about what you should do if this is the case.
What to expect when starting the pill likewise, if you begin to take the pill whilst on antibiotics, you may experience some side effects from the Pill. Side effects of taking the pill may include:
- A migraine or a headache
- Stomach problems
What to do about side effects from either if you experience side effects from either your antibiotics or your pill, speak to your doctor or nurse for advice. Wait to speak to them before stopping your treatment.
