Birth Control + Taking Other Medicines?

[backpackergirl]

Hello!

I'm on the mini pill and all is well and fine, except that I have an unrelated stomach issue which requires to take a laxative (nothing unhealthy, just a normal one-in-a-while occurrence). Can I take the laxative hours after taking the pill w/o worry about it affecting the pill's absorption in my body or are there other considerations I should take?

Thank you!

[Siân]

Hi backpackergirl!

Usually when prescribing any medication a doctor will ask you if you're taking anything else so they can figure out if there might be any interactions - did you mention the minipill to the healthcare provider you got the laxative from? If you did, and they said it was ok then you should be able to safely assume it's fine. Otherwise, the first port of call would be a medical professional for a definitive answer.

You can also read the information leaflet that came with your two medications for a big of background. If your laxative is causing diarrhea (you have had a pattern, over more than a day, of loose, watery stools) your body may not absorb your pill completely, so you should use a backup method during and for at least one week after your symptoms subside. Note the "pattern over more than a day" bit of that sentence (from Something You Can Worry About Less: Interference and Hormonal Birth Control).