Some medications can reduce or mitigate the effect of the pill by decreasing hormone concentration in a woman’s bloodstream, increasing the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
Refer to a list of remedies that may reduce or decrease the effectiveness of the birth control pill and the morning-after pill, even when the contraceptive is taken in pill, injection or patch form.
- Rifampicin and rifabutin are the antibiotics normally indicated in the treatment of tuberculosis.
- Leprosy and bacterial meningitis that should not be used with the birth control pill because they reduce its effect.
- Rifampicin and rifabutin are enzyme-inducing drugs that increase the metabolic rate of some contraceptives.
- Therefore reducing the amount of hormones in the blood.
However, other antibiotics can reduce the effect of contraception because they can destroy intestinal flora and cause diarrhea, reducing the absorption of hormones.If this happens, it may be safer to use a condom while taking these medicines:
Medications used to reduce or suppress seizures can also compromise the effectiveness of contraceptives in pill form, such as:
In addition to these medicines, HIV control drugs such as ritonavir and nelfinavir also interact with contraceptives, reducing their effectiveness, particularly in long-term treatments, requiring the use of a condom or IUD to prevent pregnancy.Learn more about other contraceptive methods besides the birth control pill.
Medicinal plants, commonly known as natural remedies, also interfere with the effectiveness of the birth control pill.An example of a natural remedy that reduces interference with contraceptive activity is Saw Palmetto, which is a medicinal plant widely used to treat urinary problems and impotence., has the opposite action to testosterone and may interact with estrogens present in oral contraceptives.Learn more about dwarf palm.
St. John’s wort and spicy cimicífuga are also not suitable for consumption when using the birth control pill, as they alter the hormonal concentration in the bloodstream.
Therefore, when using any of these medicines, even if they are natural, you should use a condom in all relationships, but continue taking the pill normally. The effectiveness of the pill should return to the seventh day after stopping the drug that compromised its effectiveness.
Some remedies may be used with the birth control pill because they do not alter absorption or interact with contraceptives, which are:
Therefore, if you are taking any of these medicines, you should not worry or use any other method of contraception for the duration of treatment.