Some medications can make hormonal birth control less effective by increasing hormone metabolism. When the body breaks down hormones too quickly, the remaining circulating hormones might not be enough to provide effective pregnancy protection.
Here are 10 types of medications that can lower the effectiveness of your hormonal birth control.
If you’re on birth control pills, the patch, or NuvaRing and your healthcare provider prescribes rifampin, you will need to use a backup method of non-hormonal birth control such as condoms or a diaphragm. A typical course of tuberculosis treatment will be around 6-9 months.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend a backup method if you’re taking other antibiotics, just to be safe.
A class of drugs called protease inhibitors, which includes darunavir, nevirapine, nelfinavir, and ritonavir, may also interact with hormonal contraceptives.
Examples of barbiturates and medications that have barbiturate actions include:
Felbatol (felbamate) Lamictal (lamotrigine) Luminal, Solfoton (phenobarbital) Mysoline (primidone)
Other anti-epilepsy medications that may also lower the effectiveness of the pill, NuvaRing, or the patch include:
Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) Tegretol, Carbatrol, Equetro, Epitol (carbamazepine) Dilantin, Phenytek (phenytoin) Topamax (topiramate)
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that women taking anticonvulsants do not use hormonal contraception that has less than 30 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen.
Some women taking these medications may consider using Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) or an intrauterine device, such as Mirena.
However, the effect varies significantly from one person to the next. A decrease in the number of circulating hormones may amount to a bigger drop in the pill’s effectiveness for some people, but not in others.
Antifungal medications that have been associated with contraceptive failure are:
The oral suspension Mycostatin, Nilstat, Nystex (nystatin), which is used to treat yeast infections Fulvicin, Grifulvin V, Gris-Peg, Grisactin (griseofulvin), which is used to treat fungus infections of the skin, hair, scalp, and nails, as well as ringworm, jock itch, and athlete’s foot
Make sure that your healthcare provider knows if you are taking these medications. They can discuss the potential for decreased effectiveness of your current birth control and help you choose a backup method.
Birth control pills, shots, patches, and implants are not reliable when using Tracleer.
If you have had a tubal sterilization or you have an IUD, you would not be at risk of becoming pregnant.
Soy isoflavones: These natural substances obtained from the soybean plant have been used to reduce the intensity of menopause-related hot flashes and to help maintain strong bones. St. John’s wort: This herbal or dietary supplement is promoted for improving mildly depressed mood and as a sleep aid.
