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Thread: Antibiotics ruining birth control

  1. #1
    PhillyDancer1982
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    Thumbs down Antibiotics ruining birth control

    This is a bit of a vent...but here it goes. In August, I got the Depo Provera birth control shot. Even with health insurance, it costed $45. $45 isn't a huge sacrifice, but if I'm going to pay that kinda money, I expect it to be a reliable birth control for the full 3 months. A month into being on the shot, I worked my ass off during Restaurant Week for that restaurant job I wrote about recently(check the topic "Other Work" for my thread titled "Should I forgo the restaurant job"). Basically the restaurant overscheduled me and I was stupid enough to work all those shifts, no matter how inconvenient or undesired, because I thought it would make me look like a good employee and earn me a lot of money. All it did was overwork myself to the point that I came down with strep throat and had to take time off from working to take antibiotics and recover. I was annoyed because overworking did nothing but result in me taking the next 2 days off to recover(I'd planned to work at the strip club then and make some much-needed cash, and then sickness interfered with that), spending money for the doctor and prescription medicine, and then not getting paid very much for the hours I worked during Restaurant Week. Well, now I found out that getting sick and taking antibiotics has also cancelled out my birth control...so basically I paid $45 for a 3-month shot, to have it be essentially useless for 2 of those 3 shots. I'm not eligible to get the shot again until the scheduled time one month from now. How annoying.

    Luckily, I didn't engage in any risky activity(or too much of any activity) during the 4 weeks or so following Restaurant Week/antibiotics. So pregnancy is not a concern. However, I have been feeling weird lately and I wonder if it is because of all the hormonal ups and downs that my body's been through lately, with going on the shot and then coming down from it. Since 2 days ago, I've been lightly bleeding. I called my gyno today and someone told me that the antibiotics indeed cancelled the effects of my birth control shot, and that I'd be getting my period again(bummer). But I've been bleeding much lighter than my period should be. Also, today I've had this weird pain from my chest down to my stomach. It's kind of an achy, pins-and-needles feeling, similar to the way my foot feels when it doesn't get enough blood circulation. Is this pain simply heavier-than-normal cramps?

    Is it possible that my period is light because I didn't have it for nearly two months prior(due to being on the birth control shot)? But if I took the antibiotics a month ago, wouldn't I have gotten my period right after taking the antibiotics, and not a whole month later? For example, when I was on the birth control pill, I noticed that I got my period a few days after missing a few pills. It always occured a few days later, not a whole month later. Maybe it is different with the shot?

    I'm also worried that perhaps the pain I'm feeling isn't due to hormones or cramps, but perhaps it is due to a problem with my implants? God I hope not! They aren't supersensitive or anything, but they look slightly smaller than normal and I've had this achy feeling in my chest for the past couple of weeks, with it feeling worse today than before.

    Has anyone had any experiences like this when they were on the shot, or came down from the shot? I just want to make sure that this isn't a bigger problem than simple hormonal changes stemming from "cancelling out" my birth control. Any advice?

  2. #2
    PhillyDancer1982
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    No one wants to repond? Come on, I'm sure someone has a little advice!

  3. #3
    Featured Member kandie_kitten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    Antibiotics don't fully cancel out birth control. It simply makes BC less effective...so often, it doesn't change anything in your cycle at all (which is why your period doesn't come when you took the antibiotics...your birth control is still working, but not to its full efficiency)

    Birth control, stress, illness, and anntibiotics can mess with your cycle, which is why with the above, some women experience heavier periods, some experience lighter, some have random spotting or bleedthrough in between their scheduled periods.

  4. #4
    PhillyDancer1982
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    OK thank you. According to the person at the doctor's office, she said that antibiotics cancel out the shot completely(why wasn't I told this initially? and why didn't it have a warning about it on the bottle of antibiotics, as they had a warning about mixing antibiotics with alcohol?). I'm still confused about the bleeding, it is very light but it is there. I do not know if this is spot bleeding or an actual period.

  5. #5
    Veteran Member pennygirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    When I went to have my tonsils out I was given huge blue horse pill antibiotics to take the week before... i was also on birthcontrol and wasnt told they affect it (though if i just read my bc info i would of found out) nonetheless when i went in for my surgery a week later .. the doc said he couldnt do it ..because i was pregnant! gleeee
    After doing prenatel stuff and had a calculation of when about I became pregnant it was around the week I was taking those pills..
    for me antibiotics can cancel out birthcontrol...

    i now have a healthy lovely 12 yr old son

  6. #6
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    My advice- don't repeat the Depo Shot....most women I know who've done it hated it & refuse to use it again. It's as bad as Norplant & that was taken off the market.

    Yes, the Pill, with or without additional drugs, will totally disrupt your cycles...the last time I thought I was pregnant, it was from changing my Pill brand, working too hard.... & missing an entire period. Eeeeeiik! If you want an easy way to "right" yourself, go to the health food store and buy some herbal teas for "women's problems" (most stores have an encylopedia you can check to pick the right herbs.)

    PS Most women have irregular periods anyway until their mid-20s. Many women don't get on the Pill for birth control but to produce regular periods. So your problem is very common.

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    Featured Member kandie_kitten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    No you misunderstood. I didn't say the birth control was still completely effective against pregnancy, I just said that all of the effetcs of birth control are not canceled. From what the OP wrote, it sounded like she thought the birth control did absolutely nothing when you take antibiotics; however, while birth control looses efficiency in preventing pregnancy, it is still at work in effecting hormone levels and regulating periods.

    Some antibiotics do not affect birth control at all. Some only lower efficiency marginally. They give the blanket, exaggerated statement "antibiotics cancel otu birth control" so people don't go, "hmmm...it only lower efficiency by 15% [or whatever], I'll take my chances" and have unprotected sex.

  8. #8
    PhillyDancer1982
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    ^ Yeah that makes sense. I understood what you meant initially, I was just stating what the girl at the doctor's office told me. Maybe it is a good idea that I don't go back on the shot? Because every winter, I get colds and have to take antibiotics. I don't want to pay money for a shot and then have its efficiency go down if I take antibiotics. In my opinion, that's not a very reliable form of birth control!

    My doctor just called me back, and she told me that the bleeding should remain light and then go away. She worded it as "breakthrough bleeding" instead of a regular period. Thank god, because I don't want to wait the whole 5 days to have sex again!

  9. #9
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    I called my doctor. ORAL birth control is effected. Not the shot. I was worried when I had sex as well. The shot is perfectly safe on antibiotics.


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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    Ok, I just skimmed this thread. This is what a former co worker told me: I think she was on the pill, but was taking antibiotics for what I don't know, but she did get pregnant. The Dr. had no clue that these meds worked against each other.


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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    A lot of doctors are... uninformed. It's amazing how many don't keep up with the latest research. I subscribe to medical journals and read them somewhat diligently- I know more about latest research than 99% of the docs.

    As for drug interaction, your pharmacist is far more reliable source of info. If you have any doubts, ask a pharmacist (except for the assholes that refuse to dispense EC and BCP's can be assholes about answering any questions regarding drug internation with any systemic birth control- those fuckers need to be fired).

  12. #12
    Veteran Member pennygirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Antibiotics ruining birth control

    HI.. i did read this :

    Some antibiotics may reduce the effectiveness of the pill in some women. Talk to your doctor or nurse about a back-up method of birth control if she or he prescribes antibiotics.

    on this website http://www.4woman.gov/faq/birthcont.htm

    hope it helps

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