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Birth Control and Anti-depressants
My mothers' doctor tells me anti-depressants (SSRI's like prozac) will reduced the effectiveness of the birth control pill. I'm not sure I can trust him, as he is very sexually conservative and doesn't beleive unmarried people should have sex. He always seems to be trying to scare me out of having sex. (I rather not go to him anymore, but there are very very few family doctors where I live.)
I know the normal issues and chances with the pill, but I can't seem to find any reasources online that deal with this specifically. Does anyone have any idea or personal experience?
(20/f)
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well that is soooo fucking wrong he seems like an asshole, because i myself am on anti-depressants, and birth control and i asked my fam doc if the anti-depressants affect birth control and she said no they don't affect eachother so screw the doc and get the pill
striperella
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Well, sorry to tell you this, but I've actually been told the same thing. As someone who is not sexually active, I can't tell you from experience--I haven't ever had a baby as a result of prozac, but I have been told by more than one doctor that sometimes certain drugs (such as anti-depressants) can counteraffect the pill.
Fortunately for you, it's not that much higher of a risk from what I have heard--and there are other effective means of protecting yourself, condoms being one of the best I can think of. There isn't a lot else you can do to protect yourself and there is always a chance that either might fail. I myself am a result of a .9% marin error in birth control.
Seeing as I'm not a full authority on this, I'd still see if I couldn't find another doctor; not neccisarily from the family practice to give you his or her thoughts. There may be side effects that the two drugs can create together that are undesireable that doesn't stop at uneffectiveness.
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I haven't looked it up ( check the drugs on a medical site) but, if your doctor says it you can probably believe it. It is against the law for them to knowingly give you false information.
Antibiotics I know can reduce the effectiveness so it is more than likely true. :)
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I do know that some medications can decrease the effectiveness of birth control, but as far as I know taking anti-depressants isn't one of the ones that can interact. I did some research online but was unable to find anything supporting what your doctor said. I would suggest talking to your pharmacist to see if they have heard anything different.
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okay, first off.. make sure that anti-depressants are your LAST RESORT. try as much as you can NOT to take them. people in my family have taken them and the change in their personality is CRAZY. they mess up everything.. they're just bad news. but anyways, not once have i ever heard of anti-depressants reducing the effectiveness of the birth-control pill. anti-depressants can do other stuff (like change your sex drive) but no, they will not reduce the effectiveness of the birth control pill. and here's a tip: if you really don't feel comfortable with this doctor, go out there on your own and look for another one.. check out planned parenthood.. (it's completely private, your parents won't know)..get another doctor. you shouldn't be with a doctor that you're not a 100% comfortable with. hope that helps! :)
♥ ♥ ♥ daniella
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Out of a personal experience I would just stay away from Anti-depressants. They are horrible for you, and doctors pass them out like candy. They fuck up your mind and the development of your brain. Birth control is bad for you too, but only if your on it for a long time. Sorry that wasn't really an answer to your question.
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speaking strictly from a chemistry mind-set, that doesn't seem right.
SSRI's can screw up sexual fulfillment - keep you from enjoying sex basically. But that's because they mess with serotonin levels. Birth control is about hormones... serotonin is a neurotransmitter... they do not act on similar pathways for the most part.
If you have real questions, don't ask your doctor - honestly most doctors really don't know much about drugs... you want to talk to a pharmacist - they deal with drugs and drug interactions. That is your expert - people seem to forget that a PharmD is equivalent to having a PhD or an MD. It is a doctorate level degree.
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