Problems of the Antibiotics and Birth Control Association in all Usage
Many unplanned pregnancies occur because women lack information on the possible consequences of combining antibiotics and birth control pills. You can read a lot on antibiotics and birth control now thanks to the development of the Internet, but there are some very resilient myths out there. Scientific reality is nevertheless a bit different, and the following lines should help you understand that.
The action of hormonal pills is usually impaired by one antibiotic in particular: rifampin. There is a small percentage of female patients that experience a decreased effect for the pill when antibiotics and birth control are administrated simultaneously. Even if the incidence of such occurrences is reduced doctors recommend the use of an extra birth control solution such as condoms. No one can really tell who is more exposed to this reduced efficiency until actually facing the situation.
Another issue worth considering in relation to the treatment with antibiotics and birth control pills is that of modern hormonal products that are in fact prone to lower effectiveness rates. The explanation for this inconvenience comes from the low concentration of ingredients used so as to minimize side effects. Besides rifamin, you should also be cautious when using amoxacillin, penicillin, sulfonamide, ampicillin, minocycline, tetracycline and barbiturates.
Antibiotics and birth control pills represent an inconvenient medical combination because of the synthesis of the compounds in the liver. The antibiotics accelerate the breaking down of estrogens, and since these compounds are the main ingredients of birth control pills, the level of hormones in the blood will be lower. Caution is the best course of action under the circumstances, even if the incidence of unplanned pregnancies is not too high.
So as to avoid future complications, drug manufacturers have developed the practice of specifying the potential problems of the antibiotics and birth control association in all usage instructions. It is also important to talk to the doctor whether you have to continue using the extra birth control method after the cessation of the antibiotic treatment or not.
Some women choose to stop taking their birth control pills while following a treatment with antibiotics, but this is hardly a solution given how difficult it is for the body to adapt to these sudden hormonal changes. Talk to the doctor before taking any drug specifying the fact that you are on birth control pills. There are lots of other drugs that could impair the efficiency of birth control. It’s better to seek information than be sorry later.
