Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Is There Any Relationship With Antibiotics and Birth Control?

Antibiotics and birth control don't go well together if you are using oral contraceptives. Certain antibiotics reduce the efficiency of the hormonal pills, and increase the chance of you getting pregnant. The usage instructions of the pill you're using should contain information on the drugs it interacts with, which diminish its efficiency. Moreover, when the doctor prescribes any drug treatment, no matter the health problem, you need to inform him/her that you're using oral contraceptives.

In order to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, while taking antibiotics and pregnancy control pills in parallel, you should use a supplementary contraceptive method: condoms, diaphragms or spermicides represent common alternatives. You should ask the doctor on how long you'll need to double the birth control method. Sometimes you may have to use an extra method up to a week after the discontinuation of the antibiotic, so as to make sure 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. Here is a list of the drugs known to interfere with the efficiency of oral contraceptives. However, this list is not by far exhaustive.

-penicilin;
-amoxicilin, ampicillin, rifampin;
-tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim etc.

These drugs tend to act differently in combination with birth control. Sometimes, they interfere with the hormonal differences that prevent pregnancy from occurring. The estrogen levels are usually the most affected under such circumstances. Antibiotics increase the enzyme secretion at the level of the liver, and these enzymes attack the estrogen, lowering its level in the body system.

By following the correct procedures, antibiotics and birth control can be safely combined without any inconvenience. Talk to the doctor to identify the best ways to maintain the efficiency of birth control while taking antibiotics. Do not stop using the hormonal pill abruptly because that could have very serious negative effects on the body. In case the spouse is taking antibiotics, his treatment poses no risk for the efficiency of the birth control.

The entire subject of antibiotics and pregnancy control has fired a huge debate. There is much confusion about how to combine the two treatments, however, the woman should not over-analyze the situation and find problems where there are none. Body awareness allows you to determine whether something goes wrong inside, then, you can signal it to the doctor.

Otherwise you have to just make sure to use an extra barrier during intercourse. Nothing more!

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