Bowel movements and birth control

[tonasa94]

Hi,

So I have a quick question about bowel movements and birth control. I'm in my second pack of Yasmin, and I've had a few days this cycle (none of them consecutive, ie Wednesday then Saturday then Monday) where I've had slightly looser bowel movements during the day after taking my pill. Not more than 1 maybe 2 slightly loose stools on any of these days, none of them watery. For example, today I took my pill at my normal 8 am time slot, then had an urgent but not watery, just slightly loose bowel movement, a little less than an hour later. Do I need to take another pill today since it was soon after? I have IBS, and it's generally under control. I don't really get watery diarrhea or anything, just the occasional slightly looser stool (that may or may not be urgent feeling) and gas/bloating after eating foods that may upset my stomach (I try to manage my diet as best as possible to avoid this). Could it affect the absorption of my pill?

Thanks!

[Sam W]

Hi Tonasa,

If these are normal bowel movements and not diarrhea, then odds are they are not going to harm your pill absorption. However, you can check with the person who proscribed the pills as well just to be sure. And, if you're concerned about it, you can always back up with condoms if you engage in sex.

[tonasa94]

I mean, they're normal in the sense that they're not watery at all, just slightly more frequent than usual on some occasions or with a slight sense of urgency. They might be a touch softer than usual as well but still pretty solid. Except for today's case, the other times I've had loose stool have been several hours after taking my pill (like 8) so I figure it can't really do much harm even if it were watery. I get a little worried sometimes about the possibility of getting more severely ill since I'm travelling, which of course aggravates the IBS too. Also, I have a quick question about pill storage: I'm about to be travelling to a semi-remote, hot and humid region for a week and am wondering if my pills will be alright since the instructions say to keep them at under 30C (max temp for this time of year in the area I'll be going is about 34C).

[Sam W]

Hi tonasa,

I think both of those questions are best directed at your pharmacist, and for your travel concerns they may also be able to give you some suggestions on how to store your pill while traveling.