antibiotics, pill, late, but negative?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
antibiotics, pill, late, but negative?
4
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 1:50pm
For the past month I have been on three different antibiotics (two at once, and then the last a week later). I have also taken two different kinds of pain medications. I know that this affects the effectiveness of birth control. I am on orthocytriclen. In the information on this specific pill it says not to take Rifampin (one of the antibiotics I was on) with it. I did not see this until today, but my doctor knew that I was on Orthotricyclen when he prescribed it. I assume this is because it makes the pill ineffective.

Well, my boyfriend and I used condoms during this time because we knew that my birth control wasn't effective because of the medications. I am over a week late for my period. I have taken a home pregnancy test, but it says negative. Could I have skipped my period because of all the antibiotics? I just started my new pill pack on Sunday because the test said negative.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 2:09pm
Hi kerrybluedaisy, welcome!

I think whatever underlying condition you were taking the antibiotics for might have been responsible for your period being late. It's good that you used condoms while on your meds. and you should continue using back-up for at least 7 days after taking the last dose. For your BCPs you should not go more than 7 24-hour days between active pills. If you do you should use back-up until at least 7 days after starting your active pills. Let us know how you're doing, ok?

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 2:37pm
"For your BCPs you should not go more than 7 24-hour days between active pills. If you do you should use back-up until at least 7 days after starting your active pills."

I'm not sure I follow that. I know that I need to continue using a back up method for 7 days after the antibiotics (which I finished on about the 31st of March), but I do not understand what you mean by the above statements. We've been using back ups because someone told me that it messed up the entire pack. I finished the antibiotics on the 31st. From the 4th until the 10th of April, I was on the green pills and then on the 11th I started a new pill pack.

I actually took the antibiotics for two different reasons. In the beginning of March (I got the medicine on the 5th) I had an MRSA infection on my side and I was prescribed Rifampin and Bactrim DS or something like that. I was also scheduled to have my wisdom teeth removed before the infection occurred, so it was pushed back until the 26th (the last Friday of the month), for which I was prescribed another antiobiotic for the surgery and those were the last antibiotics I took.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 2:45pm
Using back-up for the entire cycle is never wrong. It's far better to be safe than sorry.

When you wrote "I just started my new pill pack on Sunday because the test said negative." it wasn't clear to me if Sunday was your normal start day or if you had delayed more than 7 days between active pills until you had tested.

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 2:49pm
Oh, okay. Sorry about the miscommunication. Thanks!