Dear Aunt Lori,

I currently take birth control pills. If I get sick and take antibiotics, will my pills no longer work?

Birth Uncontrolled?

Dear Birth Uncontrolled (?),

Most birth control pills don't interact with antibiotics, however certain ones do. Rifampin and similar antibiotics ("rifampicin like antibiotics") do decrease the efficacy of oral contraceptives. Common antibiotics, like amoxicillin, azithromycin ("z pack"), cipro, and doxycycline won't affect your birth control.

This does bring up a very good topic: keeping track of your current medications and being aware of any interactions and discussing it with your pharmacist. If you use the same pharmacy for every medication, then if there's an interaction between medications, it will be flagged in the pharmacy's computer system for your pharmacist to review. Regardless, I still recommend keeping an up-to-date list of medications (see my new doctor tips for a template); additionally, sites/apps like Drugs.com have a great tool for keeping track of medications.

With this tool, you can create an account and enter your current medications and doses, check for interactions, look up medications, identify pills, and more! This is particularly important if you take multiple medications or take a medication that interacts with multiple things. It's great if you forget to print out a copy of your list, but have your phone with you at an appointment.

Back to your original question though: is your birth control still effective with antibiotics? Probably. If you are being treated for tuberculosis, meningitis, or have rifampicin-like antibiotics, then you will need to use backup birth control for the duration of the treatment and the rest of the month of your pack. Many people use backup birth control methods, like condoms, for the month of antibiotic treatment regardless of the type of antibiotics. This might provide you with more peace of mind and certainly won't hurt to do.

If in doubt, ask your pharmacist or doctor - it might feel embarrassing to ask, but trust me, they won't remember or mock you!

Aunt Lori

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