It appears that similar questions have been asked before so I apologize for the repeat but I am really confused. I have been on OC for 2 years, pretty much trouble free but have recently had to take Zithromax, an antibiotic (2 pills the first day, followed by one pill per day the next 4 days to equal the strength of a 10 day course of antibiotics) for a throat infection. After the initial dose of Zithromax, (2 pills, day 1) I started to spot. 3 days later, more-than-spotting and have been advised to just finish my current OC pack (on day 17) but I am wondering if I am going to have a 2 week-long period? If I am more-than-spotting now, will I get my full blown period "on schedule" next week too? I expected some interference from the antibiotics but this blows :(
Thanks for any info/advice you may have

this can definitely happen when taking oc & antibiotics b/c the antibiotics fight your oc! just be careful that you don't get pregnant! hope this helped. like i said it is common. you could bleed off & on for probaly a month...at least that is what i was told.

this can definitely happen when taking oc & antibiotics b/c the antibiotics fight your oc! just be careful that you don't get pregnant! hope this helped. like i said it is common. you could bleed off & on for probaly a month...at least that is what i was told.


Antibiotics do not "fight" the oral contraceptive. In fact, this particular antibiotic has no affects on the pill at all. They can be safely taken together without risk of pregnancy.

Anyway, illness can cause in irregular period. As I stated in another post of yours, chances are that you'll continue to spot until your period, and then have a regular (perhaps lighter) period. There's nothing you can do except wait it out.

I am just relaying what my doctor has told me GLSheridan. Actually I do know someone that has had a interaction from antibiotics & she did end up pregnant.
My doc told me when i was on zithromax to use a back up method for a month...
He said it doesn't happen alot but it does happen.
Anyway! Good Luck HEYTEACH!

The studies that prove that antibiotics do not effect the pill are VERY new. Many doctors haven't had the chance to read them yet. Only the ones who keep up on gynecological news would have already heard.

By all means, listen to your doctor, but antibiotics do NOT effect the pill. People who end up pregnant when taking the pill and who also took antibiotics were just the unlucky 1-3/1000 women who get pregnant while taking the pill perfectly, or else they missed a pill or took it late, etc.

I am just relaying what my doctor has told me GLSheridan. Actually I do know someone that has had a interaction from antibiotics & she did end up pregnant.
My doc told me when i was on zithromax to use a back up method for a month...
He said it doesn't happen alot but it does happen.
Anyway! Good Luck HEYTEACH!


{removed}

Zithromax is a macrolide, and that class of antibiotics does not affect the pill. There are some studies suggesting that antibitiocs such as Amoxil do affect the pill, but Zithromax isn't in the class.

Of course, it's better to be safe than sorry, but I'm right on this one.

thanks for the info...honestly it is not the possibility of pregnancy that bothers me - i am well employed and practically married - not the end of the world. I am more bothered by the appearance of my period a full ten days early, (light yes, but nonetheless there) and the possibility that I will continue to have it for another week. maybe i'm being a whiner, i dont know. I get the sense from reading about the experiences of others that once you run into a problem with your pill, you tend to have repeated problems from then on.

I read Pfizer's {removed} info about Zithromax and could not find anything about its relationship to BC but that does not convince me that this magically-appearing period is not directly related to the anitbiotic. i've been on my share of medications and it has been my experience that side effects manifest themselves in more ways than even doctors know. just wait it out i guess - woo-hoo! Thanks again