Am I still protected??

Basically i have just taken a 3 day course of antiobiotics for a water infection. I am in my weeks break from the pill which was when i took them. Am I right in thinking i will still be protected from pregnancy as there has been no pills to interfere with? I think my doctor said i would be still be protected but i cant completely remember. im just a bit paranoid lol Thanks in advance for any help.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

If you took the antibiotics whilst taking the pill then you would be, but i think in your weeks break you're ok since antibiotics only make the actual pill you're taking less effective.
Though obviously use a condom if you're planning on sex just in case!

Reply 2

StateOfConfusion

im not sure-but yeah just use a condom for a while, better to be safe then sorry

Reply 3

Joce

The reason i was asking was because i had unprotected sex today. im a little worried now because of the uncertainity. I just assumed that because i had taken all my pills there would be nothing to interefere with.

I cant find any information regarding it. All i find is the effects of antiobiotics on the pill while you are taking it, Not during the weeks break

Reply 4

StateOfConfusion

dont worry too much about it, best thing to do is get the morning after pill-if your against that then just wait and see what happens.

i wish i could say something more but in all honest im no medical expert-far from it, all i know is when your on your break its not actually a period you have but a withdrawral bleed

i think you'll be ok

Reply 5

RetiredAccount89

if you are in your weeks break it doesn't matter - carry on the pill when you were meant to restart.
Antibiotics can reduce the efficacy of the pill by increasing it's breakdown. As you are on your break, that isn't a concern.

Reply 6

always + forever

I might be wrong, but I don't think you are. On your period (when you're on your pill) you can still have sex - (If you'd want to!) Therefore, even though you're bleeding, you are still protected from pregnancy by the pill - the effect of the hormones within the pill last through out your break. I think what I'm trying to say, albit incoherently, is that if you take the pill, you are on the pill, REGARDLESS of whether or not it is your week's break because of the time that the horomones exist in your blood. Therefore, any advice on taking the pill on antibotics, applies to you.

Reply 7

RetiredAccount89

mmm k.
I based my advice on the following.
1) usually for a UTI they give Trimethoprim. IT doesn't activate liver enzymes as much as other antiobiotics. So it won't speed up conctraceptive pill breakdown that much. it also doesn't hang around long - >60% is gone in 24 hours, most the rest is then broken down by the liver.
2) the contraceptive pill lasts only for around 24-36 hours.

thus if you took a 3 day course of antibiotics in the middle of the week off its fine. If you ended those antibiotics on the day/day before restarting the pill then you might want to consider a pregnancy test in a few days time, and use condoms for the next week in case.

i personally think you;re probably prettysafe either way.

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