Oral Contraceptive Drug Interactions

When certain medications are taken with an oral contraceptive, drug interactions could occur. These interactions can either reduce the effectiveness of the oral contraceptive or cause your body to metabolize the hormones in the oral contraceptive too quickly, which can lead to unintentional pregnancy. Medications that may cause drug interactions with oral contraceptives include barbiturates, protease inhibitors, and aprepitant.

Oral Contraceptive Drug Interactions: An Overview

Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) can potentially interact with numerous other medicines. Many of these interactions can be severe enough to cause unintentional pregnancy. If you are not sure about a particular oral contraceptive drug interaction, you should use a backup method of birth control, such as condoms, until you can check with your healthcare provider. Some of the medications that may lead to oral contraceptive drug interactions include:
 
  • Aminoglutethimide (Cytadren®)
  • Antibiotics
  • Aprepitant (Emend®)
  • Barbiturate medications, such as:
 
    • Amobarbital (Amytal®)
    • Butalbital (Fioricet®, Fiorinal®)
    • Pentobarbital (Nembutal®)
    • Phenobarbital (Luminal®)
    • Secobarbital (Seconal®)
 
  • Many seizure medications, such as:
 
 
 
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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