Antibiotics and Birth Control Pills? - Interstitial Cystitis Network Support Forum

PikkuMyy · 04-09-2004, 09:11 AM

Hi everyone,

I've just been verbally diagnosed with IC by a new urogynecologist. She wants me to take 3 months of 50 mg of Macrodantin per day before doing the diagnostic tests because I've had so many UTIs lately. (She wants the inflammation from the UTI to go down before looking for the IC.)

I've always been told by doctors to use a back-up method in the past. But I never have and I've not gotten pregnant. I always take probiotics (which help absorb the estrogen) with the pill and alternate it with the ABS so I take one in the am, one in pm, etc. The reason I've done this is beause I've looked at many peer-reviewed journal studies that have not shown a causal connection between ABS and BCP except with certain brands of antibiotics. And I've not taken those.

But taking ABS for 5-10 days is different than taking them for 3 months.

Any ideas? ( I REALLY don't want to use condoms and I'm allergic to spermicidal foam or jelly.)

Emily

PikkuMyy · 04-09-2004, 09:29 AM

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I'm on a very low dose pill (25 mcg). Perhaps I could take a higher dose pill?

E

***Katrina*** · 04-09-2004, 12:24 PM

I am going to guess that in your post

ABS stood for Antibiotic and BCP stood for birth control pills
that being said I have been on birth control pills and meds that lesson their affectiveness and had no problems.....you can find condums without spirmaside.

I hope someone can help you more...

I am trying to understand you and I think you are saying you are on a low dose of the birth control pill?

I think if you are really worried about this you should ask your doctor if he or she can help you.

Best Wishes,

PikkuMyy · 04-10-2004, 12:14 PM

Hi Katrina,

Thanks for responding to my hurried e-mail. I volunteer at an animal rehab and we also use "A/BS" for antibiotics, so it just came naturally.

Yes, I'm on a low-dose birth control pill, as well as low dose antibiotic. I'm wondering if antibiotics sometimes make your body absorb less of the estrogen, whether a higher-dose birth control pill would make it easier for my body to absorb the amount it needs.

We've used condoms without spermicide before. I'd just rather not use any at all. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I got pregnant, but obviously I'd like to get the IC under control first and not get pregnant before even doing the cysto/hydro.

I'm not really worried about it - my doctors all say "use backup method' but they have to in order to prevent malpractice suits - those women who have gotten preggo have sued. I wouldn't do that in this case but many of the studies I read were done with short stint of antibiotics, not taking them for 3 months. So I was just curious if anyone here has done it.

One thing that makes me think that the antibiotics don't affect the pills I take is that I don't have any symptoms of ovulation breakthrough bleeding, etc. while on the antibiotics. In fact, when I am on the pill and I've forgotten to take one in the a.m. and have to wait until I get home form work, my body reminds me - I get this wierd feeling in my uterus. But I've never felt that when taking antibiotics, so I assume that the right amount of estrogen has been absorbed.

It's too bad this isn't the sort of situation that you can try in a real experimental designed study - all gals on the same pill, some get antibiotics, some don't - how many get pregnant. Oh those ethics!

Thanks for your support.
Emily