Do anti-biotics affect birth control?

Question

I'm on the neuvo ring but have been taking very strong anti-biotics for the past night

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Certain antibiotics can interact with birth control pills, making the birth control pills less effective and pregnancy more likely. Spotting - or ‘mid-cycle’ bleeding - may be the first sign that an antibiotic is interfering with the effectiveness of your birth control pills.
Antibiotics that have been shown to interact with birth control pills include rifampin (brand name Rifadin), and to a lesser extent, penicillin (Veetids), amoxicillin (Amoxil), ampicillin (Omnipen), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Septra or Bactrim), tetracycline (Sumycin), minocycline (Minocin), metronidazole (Flagyl), and nitrofurantoin (Macrobid or Macrodantin).

To help women avoid pregnancy while taking an antibiotic - and for at least one week afterward - doctors generally recommend they use a condom or spermicide as a back-up method of birth control. If you are taking both antibiotics and birth control pills, be sure to check with your doctor about how long you should continue to use a back-up method. Also, discuss any other questions you may have about this information

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks everyone- I'm going to play it safe for a while!

Answer 2

Yes. Use condoms.

Answer 3

YES, they effect any sort of birth control, so please be carefull if you aren't planning on starting a family.

Answer 4

YES!! very often they do. Call your Doc.

Answer 5

Yes. They lower it's effectiveness which means an increased chance for pregnancy.

Answer 6

always use back up always when taking any form of birth control. thats how i got pregnant. on antibiotics.

Answer 7

Yes antibiotics affect birthcontrol.
Use a barrier method of contraception for the month following your use of the antibiotic.

Answer 8

yes use other form of protection and next cycle of pills you can get pregnant on the "pill"

Answer 9

Short answer: Sometimes, depending on the antibiotic. Some drugs will kill the friendly bacteria in your gut that is responsible for aiding in absorption of the hormones in your birth control pills.

Safe answer: Use a backup anytime you're on antibiotics and on birth control and for 7 days after you finish your course of antibiotics.

Answer 10

Yes, certain antibiotics can interfere with the effectiveness of hormonal birth control (which includes pills, patch, ring, etc.) You should try to call you pharmacy and tell them what specific antibiotic and birth control you are taking and they should be able to tell you if the antibiotics will effect it or not. Just in case you should use a back-up method (such as condoms) until you know for sure. Better to be safe than pregnant!

Answer 11

Some certainly can, so make sure you use another form of birth control until after your next period (as long as you are not still on antibiotics obviously). Some may even suggest to wait three months. Call the pharmacist where you got the drugs, and they can tell you the answer.

Source(s):

Nurse

Answer 12

I dont think so, however there are so many things even the best minds are not entirely sure of.

I guess the best way to be sure is to abstain from sexual activity
until you are off the drug. A chat to the prescriber would be wise.. The pharamacist is also a good resource.

Answer 13

Im on a pill and I've drunk antibiotics for UTI...it didnt affect my contraceptive at all.

Answer 14

Though Nuvaring is different from oral contraceptives, there are some antibiotics that have been said to lessen its protection, though there seems to be a lot of confusion on which antibiotics those are. The best thing you can do is ask your doctor or a pharmacist.

Answer 15

Yes, the antibiotics will decrease the effectiveness of the ring.
It decreases all birth control methods. Either don't have sex until the next month or use an alternate birth control method.

Source(s):

Nursing School Student