A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:I'm currently taking birth control, and have been regularly for about the last five months, and my period has always been regular, arriving on the exact day it should. At the beginning of this month, I was also taking antibiotics, for one week, and my doctor told me that even though there were "myths" about them interefering with my pills, that they wouldn't at all, so I continued to have intercourse without using a condom. I am one day late with my period, and although this isn't something that would normally concern me, considering the circumstance, I am a bit worried. What are the chances that I could be pregnant, and at what point should I get a test?
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (7 October 2007): Oh my gosh you should change doctors immediately. Antibiotics DEFINITELY lessen the protection that birth control offers. I had a friend become pregnant and have a miscarriage because she was taking antibiotics while using the pill as her only form of birth control. Take a pregnancy test immidiately. If the antibiotics were at the beginning of the month, the pregnancy tests can usually tell by your first missed period. Good Luck!
A
male
reader, Sandman  +, writes (4 October 2007):
 Taken directly from the Mayo Clinic website:
The effects of antibiotics on birth control pills may be overstated — except in the case of one antibiotic, rifampin. Studies clearly show that rifampin decreases the effectiveness of birth control pills in preventing ovulation. However, rifampin isn't a widely used antibiotic. Chances are you wouldn't be taking it unless you had tuberculosis or had tested positive for the disease.
Hypothetically speaking, other antibiotics, particularly penicillin and tetracycline derivatives, could impair the effectiveness of birth control pills. However, no large studies have proved such an effect.
Researchers can't rule out the possibility that a small percentage of women may experience decreased effectiveness of birth control pills while taking an antibiotic. And if you're taking a newer, extremely low-dose oral contraceptive, you could be more susceptible to these potential effects from antibiotics. If you're concerned, consider using a barrier method (condom) of contraception for the duration of your antibiotic prescription.
Hope this helpsl
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