Statistics indicate that women are poorly informed about the interferences of antibiotics on hormonal contraception. Myths have been created over the years and lots of stories now dominate the Internet with serious warnings about the inefficiency of birth control pills when administered in parallel with antibiotics. Reality is nevertheless different from the scientific point of view, and here are a few things that may help you better understand how things stand.
Clinical studies indicate that only one antibiotic is proved to impair the action of the hormonal pill: rifampin, yet exceptions do exist. Generally speaking, when antibiotics and birth control are used in parallel, the efficiency of the contraceptives gets lower in for a limited number of women. Even if the incidence of such occurrences is reduced doctors recommend the use of a supplementary birth control solution such as condoms. It is impossible to tell who will experience decreased efficiency, until it is too late.
Modern hormonal products seem to be more affected by the interactions between antibiotics and birth control. The problem is that modern birth control products have very low hormonal combinations for a reduction of the side effects. Besides rifamin, other medicines with a higher risk of interference include amoxacillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, minocycline, penicillin and sulfonamide.
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. Check with your physician about the importance of continuing the supplementary birth control use after the end of the treatment with antibiotics.
It is not a solution to stop using birth control pills while taking antibiotics, because you will put the body through great stress by causing hormonal imbalances. Talk to the health care provider 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.
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