[pandasinpajamas]

I'm taking the birth control Jolessa, its a generic form of Seasonale, 91 day birth control regimen. I'm just starting the last week of the second month in my pack. I origionally take it for severe period symptoms such as cramping, migranes, nausea, and severe bloating. However I am also sexually active so I also use it as a contraceptive. I took some antibiotics for a sinus infection and ever since I experience cramping. The cramps are very random and only last for a few seconds, but it really has me worried. I don't believe I am pregnant. I avoided sex while I was taking the antibiotic and 2 weeks after taking it. I really don't feel any different in terms of anything that would make me believe that I was pregnant except I've been overly tired and overly hungry, but that could also be the birth control.

[tiaansmummy]

Hi Panda,

Antibiotics shouldn't have made you cramp even combined with birth control, but they could have weakened it, but like you said you avoided sex, so you shouldn't be pregnant. But perhaps you don't have enough of it in your system, so you are re-experiencing the symptoms that made you want to take it in the first place? That sounds the most plausible solution to me.

[rainforestjones]

The reason why your doctor tells you to abstain from sex or use additional protection if you are on antibiotics and using an oral contraceptive is because antibiotics tend to wipe out your normal flora (the bacteria that normally live within your gut). Estrogen is fat soluble, and once it goes through your liver, your liver is going to metabolize it in order to remove it from your body through a process known as glucuronidation. Basically what this process does is make estrogen water soluble, which is a problem, because now instead of having the estrogen within your tissues, it is going to be in your bloodstream where it will go through the kidneys and be excreted from your body. This is where your normal flora come into play, because they act to deglucuronidate estrogen so that it can be reabsorbed into your tissues, and not excreted from your body. So that cramping that you were feeling was likely due to you not receiving a high enough dose of estrogen. Some antibiotics have been proven to be worse than others for "weakening" birth control, but it is definitely best to use a back-up method of protection when you are taking an antibiotic just to be on the safe side.

[caterpillar79]

OP did not check back in after posting. Besides, it's an old thread. Closed.