When battling a bacterial infection, antibiotics seem like a wonder drug. They do have side effects though, and some of those side effects are woman specific. If you are taking antibiotics and are a woman here are a few things you should know about:
- Yeast infections are a possible side effect when taking antibiotics, since the antibiotics can disrupt the good bacteria in your system. Taking probiotics may help prevent this itchy side effect of taking antibiotics.
- Some antibiotics can decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. If you are on the pill taking antibiotics, discuss your options with your doctor. It might be a good idea to use a back up form of birth control until you are finished with your course of antibiotics.
- If you are pregnant or nursing, certain antibiotics should be avoided, like streptomycin, quinolones and tetracycline, since they all pose risk to the developing fetus.
Marc Jacobs
Kova And T
Nails Inc
I was on antibiotics last year and I asked my gyno if they would interfere with my birth control and when it would be safe again after I went off them. She said, "take a pregnancy test." And I'm like, um... I haven't had sex yet... I don't think she understood the question. I didn't go back to her again.
1Heard this before but good reminder...
2Yea I am always super careful when I take antibiotics!
3Yup, had a terrible time with pennicilin this winter.
4Not allergic, so I had to keep taking the medication, as to not build up tollerances to it, but I had a killer, pretty resistant yeast "girlie" infection. Took three rounds of treatment to get rid of it! Espicially when you have to keep taking the med that is giving it to you. It was terrible!
I have to take low-dose antibiotics for my skin (3 months). My poor good bacteria...never stood a chance. I don't use birth control though.
5My pharmacy always put little stickers on my BC pills to remind women that anti-biotics decrease the pill's effectiveness. I think it's great that they do that.
6Don't forget about the antibiotics in the meat you eat, if you're worried about it. Especially considering livestock is fed the bulk of antibiotics in North America, not people (at least not directly).
7i only got antibiotics because of an yeast infection and my doctor told me it will take a month for my pill to start working normally.
8Probiotics are great for preventing yeast infections. Want to know a good "home remedy" for a yeast infection? Apply plain yogurt to a tampon applicator and put it in your vagina before going to bed. Do it for 3 days or so and it will clear up the yeast. It's a lot safer than those creams that you can buy and it doesn't sting as much.
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