Does IBS -Diarrhoea have an effect on the contraceptive pill?!
Question: Hello, I have been diagnosed with IBS - D for 2 years now. My partner and I are considering going on the pill, would my IBS reduce the effectiveness of the pill?
Answers: Hello, I have been diagnosed with IBS - D for 2 years now. My partner and I are considering going on the pill, would my IBS reduce the effectiveness of the pill?
If you vomit or have severe diarrhoea within 3 hours of taking your pill this can reduce its effectiveness. After 3 hours your body has absorbed it sufficiently for it to not be an issue.
If the worst happens, you should then take your next pill as normal, but take other precautions for the next week, and skip the break if it is due within that time. If you have had sex without other precautions less than a week before you were ill this puts you at risk of pregnancy too.
I have known people who suffer from IBS using the pill without any problems, but I guess it depends on the pattern you have with it. For example, a friend of mine tended to be OK during the day but suffer in the evenings, so she took her pill in the morning.
If you're worried enough to be asking this, then the pill may not be best for you. If you go to your nearest family planning clinic they can go through the alternatives with you and help you choose the most appropriate one.
Diarrhoea is known to make the pill less effective, as is vomiting. I'd go for another form of contraception if I were you?
If your IBS causes nutrients to leave your body before the contraceptive has had a chance to dissolve and be absorbed then it will be less than reliable for birth control.
The Muse