Topic: Antibiotics can make birth control pills ineffective!!!
merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
I know a lot of people know this but if you don't it is a big deal. I know there are many young people coming to this site so I just wanted to remind people.
If you take antibiotics and take birth control pills you must use another birth control method!
I take Birth control pills to regulate my cycle because I have PCOS.
I really hope doctors are telling their patients this. I know not all do.
Antibiotics might decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills (contraceptives). Birth control pills are composed of hormones that prevent the female reproductive system from preparing for insemination of the sperm.
There have been reports of pregnancy in women who have taken antibiotics while using birth control pills. The relationship has not been adequately studied to date. This may be in part because it is difficult getting volunteer women to take the pill with antibiotics to see if pregnancy occurs. Theoretically, additional medications might alter the metabolism and blood levels of the birth control hormones, thereby altering their effectiveness.
Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that antibiotics, such as rifampin, ampicillin, tetracylines, and griseofulvin have been reported to cause breakthrough bleeding and menstrual irregularities in women taking birth control pills. Similar effects have also been reported in women taking the seizure medications phenytoin and barbiturates.
It is also noteworthy that birth control pills are not 100 percent effective anyway.
It would be advisable for women who are using birth control pills to discuss with their doctors the use of additional contraceptive measures while taking antibiotics for optimal prevention of pregnancy.
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
| IP: Logged |
sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
Merrygirl - I'm not sure what PCOS is. Have you ever tried bio-identical hormone replacement therapy? It helped me alot. I had & sometimes have wicked menstrual cramps (like 1 week in bed sort of thing).
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
...and I was getting ready to say congratulations!
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
PCOS = Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
No babies here! Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[shake]](graemlins/shake.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic