I am on birth control pills and I was sick so I took sudafed and Tylenol. I had unprotected sex and now I’m worried I might be pregnant. Should I have used a condom because of the medication I was taking?
Cold medicine like Sudafed and pain relievers like Tylenol won’t mess with your birth control pills. If you’re taking your birth control correctly, you can feel confident that it’s working to protect you from pregnancy.
A lot of people worry that certain medicines or supplements they’re taking will make their birth control work less well. But the only over-the-counter medicine that can make your birth control pills less effective is St. John’s Wort. Antibiotics won’t change how well your pill works, either, with the exception of the antibiotic rifampin.
There are certain prescription medicines that can make the birth control pill work less well. Also, the pill can decrease or increase the effectiveness of some other medicines. That’s why it’s important to tell any nurse or doctor you see about all of the medicines you use, including birth control. Always let your nurse or doctor know about all the drugs and supplements you take before they prescribe anything new for you.
Tags: antibiotics, birth control pills, medication, painkillers
