Oral contraceptives are always being developed to minimize side effects, however there are some that your patient should be aware of:
Common Side Effects:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cyclical weight gain
- Bloating
- Melasma
- Breast tenderness
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Headaches
Rare Side Effects:
- Blood clots
- Thromboembolism
- Stroke
- Retinal artery thrombosis
- Heart attacks
- Benign liver tumors
- Gallstones
- Increase in blood pressure
- A link with breast cancer remains controversial
- Failure of birth control
Women Should Not Take OC’s If They Have Any Of These Conditions:
- History of coronary heart disease
- Very high cholesterol
- History of blood clots or stroke
- Late renal failure
- Jaundice
- Symptomatic heart valve disease
- Breast cancer or other estrogen dependent cancer
- Smokers
Possible Drug Interactions:
Antibiotics may interact for example:
- Ampicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, nitrofuratoin (possible interactions with this drug are still controversial)
- Rifampicin has definite effects on estrogen levels
- Antiepileptic drugs – for example, phenytoin, phenobarbital
- Diarrhea or laxatives may reduce absorption of OCs
How Effective Are The Methods Of Contraception?
- Levonorgestrel implant – 99.91%
- Progesterone intramuscular – 99.7%
- Copper IUD – 99.2%
- Progesterone IUD – 99.8%
- Oral contraceptives – 97% (all types)
- Condoms – 88%
- Diaphragm – 82%
- Cervical cap – 82%
- Spermacides – 79%
- Female condoms – 79%
- Sponge – 76%
Suggestions For Breakthrough Bleeding While On The OCs:
If your patient should experience bleeding early in the cycle, they should switch to a pill with higher estrogen. For mid or late-cycle bleeding, switch to a lower estrogen or higher progestin pill.
