Apr
I'm in my second month of taking Yaz and I just started taking Ciprofloxacin for a kidney infection. I have 10 days of the Cipro and have taken 5 days of it so far. I started it on my 6th Yaz pill in my 2nd pack. I have not had sex since my last period and have never had unprotected sex–I always use a condom in addition to the pill. My breasts have started to become sore now that I am 9 days through the pill pack. Could this be the start of ovulation? I know the antibiotic will make the pill less effective, so I though I might be experiencing a regular cycle.
Answer:
Cipro shouldn't affect you pill's effectiveness. In fact, there's controversy as to whether antibiotics affect birth control pills at all. But Cipro is in a class of antibiotics that should not have that issue, unlike some penicillin type medicines. Here's a quote from the Mayo Clinic's 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 of contraception for the duration of your antibiotic prescription.”
(see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-c…
This website gives a decent summary:
http://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Ant…
This website also has a list of medications that might affect birth control:
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/birt…