Antibiotics and birth control do not go well together if you are using oral contraceptives. Certain antibiotics reduce the effectiveness of hormonal pills and increase the chance of you getting pregnant. The instructions for use of the pill you are using should contain information about the drugs with which it interacts, which decreases its effectiveness. In addition, when the doctor prescribes any drug treatment, regardless of the health problem, you must inform him that you are using oral contraceptives.
To prevent an unwanted pregnancy, while taking antibiotics and pregnancy control pills in parallel, a complementary contraceptive method should be used: condoms, diaphragms or spermicides represent common alternatives. You should ask your doctor how long you will need to double the contraceptive method. Sometimes you may need to use an additional method for up to a week after stopping the antibiotic, to ensure that the protection offered by the hormonal pill is at the optimal level.
Don’t treat things lightly when it comes to antibiotics and birth control. Below is a list of medications that are known to interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. However, this list is by no means exhaustive.
-penicillin;
-amoxicillin, ampicillin, rifampicin;
-tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, etc.
These drugs tend to work differently in combination with contraceptives. Sometimes they interfere with the hormonal differences that prevent pregnancy from occurring. Estrogen levels are usually the most affected in such circumstances. Antibiotics increase the secretion of enzymes at the liver level and these enzymes attack estrogen, reducing its level in the body system.
By following the correct procedures, antibiotics and birth control can be safely combined without any inconvenience. Talk with your doctor to identify the best ways to keep your birth control effective while taking antibiotics. Do not stop using the hormonal pill abruptly because it could have very serious negative effects on the body. In case the spouse is taking antibiotics, their treatment does not pose any risk to the effectiveness of the contraceptive method.
The whole topic of antibiotics and pregnancy management has sparked a lot of debate. There is much confusion about how to combine the two treatments, however, the woman should not analyze the situation too much and find problems where there are none. Body awareness allows you to determine if something is wrong inside, and then you can point it out to your doctor.
Otherwise, you just need to make sure to use an extra barrier during sex. Nothing else!