BCP + Laxatives?

[grstcl]

I've checked around a lot of places and even consulted a pharmacist and can't seem to get a straight answer on this.

Do laxatives like ExLax/sennosides reduce the efficiency of birth control pills? I've been taking the same birth control for years (a generic form of Ortho Tri Cyclen) and had sex without a condom with my boyfriend last week. We also used withdrawal well before ejaculation but afterwards I realized I was pretty sure I had taken generic ExLax at some point earlier in my pill pack (I have no idea when) so I went ahead and took Plan B. I take my birth control at 11:00 pm and usually take a laxative around the same time (before bed) but do not have a bowel movement until the next morning.

In the future do I need to avoid using laxatives? Was Plan B necessary - do I need to be concerned about pregnancy from this situation?

[Heather]

If the laxatives aren't giving you diarrhea -- and if you're taking them because you're constipated, they likely won't, they'll just get you back to normal bowel movements -- then no, there's no cause for concern here unless your prescribing physician advises against it or has concerns.

[grstcl]

Thank you for your response, Heather!

Just for future reference - occasionally the laxatives do give me fairly loose stool after relieving constipation but nowhere near what I would call diarrhea. If that was to occur 6 hours or so after taking my birth control pill, would that still be alright?

[Mo]

Yep, that's totally fine.