When the doctor asks if you take any medications, do you often remember the pill? Because it is so commonplace in our daily lives, we often fail to see birth control as a remedy. However, it is a pharmaceutical drug like any other and is therefore subject to interaction.
In addition to forgetting, another factor that can cut the contraceptive effect is the simultaneous use of other medications. Every drug substance causes changes in our bodies, and that includes changes in the action of the liver (which metabolizes the drugs) and the stomach and intestinal mucosa (which absorb the drugs).
These changes may eventually diminish the effect of the pill, making you more susceptible to a pregnancy. Check out three classes of medications that can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, and be prepared to use another method along with the pill, such as a condom:
1. Antibiotics and Antimycotics
Employed from a simple throat infection to very serious in hospital infections, antibiotics and antimycotics (which act against bacteria and fungi, respectively) can decrease the effect of the pill by up to 50%. Within this class, the? Champion? A reduction in the contraceptive effect is rifampicin, which is commonly prescribed for tuberculosis, leprosy and meningitis.
This is because these drugs modify some characteristics of the intestinal walls, especially the permeability. As a result, the hormones in the pill are not absorbed in the same way, increasing the risks of a pregnancy.
Read also: Meet the new app that is as effective as the birth control pill
It is important to note that even without causing changes in gastrointestinal transit, such as diarrhea, antibiotics can reduce the effect of the pill, so it is necessary to use another contraceptive method, such as a condom.
In addition to rifampicin, other antibiotics and antimycotics that may cause this problem are ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalexin, clindamycin, dapsone, erythromycin, phenoxymethylpenicillin, griseofulvin, isoniazid, metronidazole and tetracycline.
2. Barbiturates and anticonvulsants
Medicines used to control or prevent seizures may also decrease the effectiveness of the pill. Among them, the most famous are phenobarbital (Gardenal®, used to prevent seizures) and carbamazepine (Tegretol®, prescribed for epilepsy).
These drug classes also include primidone, topiramate, phenytoin and hydantoin. If you use any of them, you must use a non-hormonal contraceptive method.
3. Natural Remedies
Natural remedies may seem lighter? because they are made from plants, but they are nonetheless medicines and interactions with other substances.
Read also: Continuous Pill: Learn more about this contraceptive option
Thinking about the effectiveness of oral contraception, be careful with St. John's wort, which is used as a natural antidepressant and can be purchased without a prescription. During the period of use of this medicine and for the next seven days, the pill should be used along with the condom to ensure protection against an unwanted pregnancy.
Medicines that do not cut the effect of the pill
Fortunately, not all medications interact with the pill. Check out the list with some common examples of drugs that do not cut the contraceptive effect:
- Antidepressants: paroxetine, sertraline, escitalopram, citalopram and fluoxetine;
- Analgesics: aspirin, dipyrone and acetaminophen;
- Anti-inflammatories: ketoprofen and piroxicam;
- Benzodiazepines: diazepam, clonazepam and alprazolam;
- Diuretics: furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide;
- Insulin and oral diabetes medicines;
- Medicines to control cholesterol: simvastatin and atorvastatin.
Although there is no indication that these medicines reduce the effectiveness of the pill, the use of oral contraceptives should always be reported to your doctor or pharmacist if you are going to start treatment.
It is also worth remembering that hormonal contraceptives, such as the pill, only protect against an unwanted pregnancy, but have no effect against STDs. Therefore, the simultaneous use of the pill and condom is always safer.
3 YEARS on Nexplanon Birth Control Implant | side effects, removal process, cost (April 2024)
- Prevention and Treatment
- 1,230
