T O P I C R E V I E W
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 01-30-2013 11:10 AM
Hi again! I was wondering if you could help me with a question of mine. Im not sure if you've heard about or gone to Teavana, this loose leaf tea store but I was wondering, if any of the herbal teas could affect pill effectiveness? I've only heard about st. johns wort so I checked their ingredients list and the ones I drink dont contain it. Lots of women Im sure drink herbal teas who are on bc but I just wanted to come here and ask about it too! Do herbal teas, like rooibos teas, affect the bc pill? Thank you Oh and one contains "anise seeds" and I read that affects the bc pill but would that only be in large amounts, like actual supplements? not in small amounts in tea?
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 01-30-2013 11:26 AM
Hi There, There's no evidence showing that herbal teas reduce the effectiveness of hormonal birth control. Drink to your heart's content.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 01-30-2013 11:30 AM
Oh ok thanks I called my pharmacy but no info to speak of and they told me to look on google. I was researching on google and it said some of the individual ingredients in the teas I drink, lower effects of hormonal birth control pills. Although it said nothing of them in tea, it referred to them as herbal supplements, would that be medication?
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 01-30-2013 11:43 AM
My obgyn nurse just spoke with me about this, she said herbal teas are fine although zinc and some other one enchinacia, she couldnt quite remember MIGHT affect it but regular herbal teas are fine. I spoke to her about my concerns on google and she said that its when I take an herbal supplement or medication that I should call and doublecheck but small amounts in tea should be ok! Do you have any information concerning rooibos teas lowering effectiveness of bc pills? ***My ogyn directed me to the pharmacist and he told me that herbal, rooibos and oolong teas are fine with the pill. Thanks again [ 01-30-2013, 12:03 PM: Message edited by: anya008 ]
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 01-30-2013 12:21 PM
No, we have no information about any sort of tea adversely interacting with the pill.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 01-30-2013 12:34 PM
Got it, so just to make sure I understand what you're trying to tell me correctly, theres no evidence showing that any sort of tea reduce the effectiveness of hormonal birth control?
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 01-30-2013 01:12 PM
You got it.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 01-31-2013 11:09 AM
My obgyn nurse just called me to tell me that she talked to the NP and was informed that st. johns wort, red clover/bush, black cohash and dong quai decrease efficiency of the pill. I told her some of the ingredients of my tea and was told the ones I told her were ok although one of the teas, rooibos is also called red bush but red clover is something totally different. I asked her if I can continue to drink herbal tea and she said to just stop drinking it in general unless I wanted to call them and have them research each specific ingredient. Im a bit confused and I was wondering if you can help me because Im getting so much different information. The pharmacist there said theres nothing wrong with drinking herbal teas on birth control and that she does so herself. Ive been drinking herbal tea the past two weeks, not in huge amounts, maybe a cup and a half of the rooibos and a half a cup of this other tea. Could my bc pill is ineffective or it has lowered effectiveness?
Karybu
Member # 20094
posted 01-31-2013 04:36 PM
St John's wort is the only herb I'm aware of that's been shown for sure to lower the effectiveness of the pill. (I've had a quick glance through the literature, and there doesn't seem to be anything about rooibos interacting with hormonal birth control.) I'd go with what the pharmacist has to say on this: they're usually the best resources of information on various interactions between medications and other compounds, and tend to have the most up to date info. I can keep poking around for you, to see if there's any more information available, but I really think you're just fine to continue drinking whatever kind of tea you like. (And, if it would help lessen your anxiety, you can always back up your birth control with something like condoms, which we recommend anyway for STI protection.)
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 01-31-2013 11:56 PM
I was just a bit concerned about the rooibos, also called red bush but if theres nothing you saw about that them decreasing effectiveness the it should be all good then If you dont think theres anything wrong with the herbal teas and the pharmacist seems to agree, its ok to stop looking through the info through I truly appreciate the offer!!
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 10:38 AM
Im in need of your opinion! On Friday night, my boyfriend and I had a condom break and so I've been debating whether or not I should get plan B and I know effectiveness is decreased the longer I wait. Would Plan B not really bolster the effectiveness of my pill at preventing pregnancy? I know you've told me that herbal teas don't affect my pill effectiveness although now with the condom break, my anxiety is getting the best of me so I would appreciate your thoughts on whether Plan B is needed in light of this herbal tea and birth control pill situation! Thank you!
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 10:44 AM
If you have been taking your birth control pill properly, it is more effective than Plan B. It also operates in the same way Plan B does, only more effectively. So, no, Plan B would be unlikely to add any effectiveness. I've worked in this field for a long time now, and St. John's Wort is the only herbal supplement/tea I have ever seen with data that suggests, credibly, it might make BCPs less effective. But by all means, if you feel better taking Plan B, it's not like it isn't okay to take it. And if you want to talk about how to use condoms properly, I'm happy to do that with you. used properly, condom breaks are very rare (about one in every 2,000 uses), so when they break, it's usually because of a user error of some kind.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 10:56 AM
I have been taking it effectively, not taking any or late or missing any which Ive read here is about 99% effectiveness although since that was done in clinical labs, more people are about typical rate so Im somewhere in between, I think. I just wanted to come here and ask if there would be Plan B would have any added benefit to pregnancy prevention on to my pill and Ive gotten my answer which Im very grateful to btw!! So do you think that drinking herbal teas that dont contain St. Johns wort would be ok?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 10:58 AM
Also, if it helps, with two clinics I've worked for, and in others I know of, the substances they list as known, likely interlopers when it comes to BC effectiveness are the ones we have listed on this page here: Combined Oral Contraceptives (The Pill) . Those are: quote: Barbituates Tetracycline Cloribrate Neomycin Rifampin Chloramphenicol Penicillin Sulfonamide Ampicillin Nitrofuratonin Griseofulvin Benzodiazepines Metronidazole Fluconazole Anti-Migraine Medications
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 11:00 AM
Like I said, I don't know of any study that has shown those substances she told you were issues to be issues. But what's obvious is that you don't feel comfortable using your pill alone, period, so I think rather than investing energy into thinking about what tea you're drinking, it'd make a lot more sense to make sure you and yours know how to use condoms properly.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 11:06 AM
Doing one more check for you for some of those other substances, btw, and finding what I suspected there would be, a lot of "there isn't any research, but it could be possible...." Personally, when we're talking about medications which are rolling in profits, which are intensely studied, and the pill is very much one of those, has been for a long time, and there isn't any research on things like this, I feel very confident saying that's because there likely doesn't need to be. I also think that we need to remember that the pill has been studied in users on ALL continents, not just here in the west, and diets and medicines vary widely around the world. Studies on the pill are going to include people with a vast array of diets (including beverages). This kind of reminds me of a user we had a while back who felt convinced that tofu, because of phytoestrogens, must make the pill less effective, who only realized the flaw in that logic when I reminded her that tofu was a staple in the diet of two VERY large Asian countries where the pill is just as effective as it is in areas where it's not such a big part of people's diets.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 11:08 AM
Right now, Im trying to figure out whether those teas did lower my effectiveness so I can take the necessary precautions regarding the condom break but what Im understanding from what Im reading here is that those teas dont lower my effectiveness? & yes I think I need help with learning how to best use condoms!
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 11:17 AM
You're not going to be able to figure that out since there isn't any study on them for you to get that information. I can't tell you if they do or don't definitively, because I can't find any actual study on the compounds that nurse mentioned. All I can say is that I haven't seen anything to suggest they ARE known to have an impact. Seriously, if you're asking me? Let this go. Then decide if you would feel better using Plan B or not whether or not you actually need it; even if it's maybe a placebo for you, basically. Then use it or don't depending on your decision. Next? Figure out what you need to engage in sex without freaking about pregnancy. If it's using a backup with your pill, then for sure, let's make sure it's one you are using correctly. If even that doesn't make you feel better? Then accept that right now, that kind of sex isn't something you feel comfortably doing and table it until it is.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 11:56 AM
"Then decide if you would feel better using Plan B or not whether or not you actually need it; even if it's maybe a placebo for you, basically. Then use it or don't depending on your decision." Sorry, I dont quite understand the beginning part of the question! I calmed down and realized the logic behind what you're saying and what everyone has been telling me concerning this. Im thinking through it and I know that Im not going to get any definitive answers because of the lack of studies. Although what youre saying really does make sense as herbal teas Im sure is a common beverage in various countries!
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 11:58 AM
Sure. If you feel Plan B, even if it didn't actually add any extra effectiveness, would make you feel better (thus, if it was a placebo), and you can afford it, then by all means, use Plan B.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 12:49 PM
Unfortunately, I dont have the funds for it which is why Im really trying to think everything through, everything you're telling me and what Ive been told!!
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 12:51 PM
So, there you go. If you can't afford it, then it's out of the question, period. So, all you can do now, then, is let this go and, moving forward, figure out what your best options are per what you want and need and how to best go about them.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 01:07 PM
If I can take up more of your time, would you mind telling me else could possibly decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control? I feel like I need information, reliable information from reliable sources and not user forums on google! I grew up in an environment that was very anti-sex and pro abstinence and so I feel like my ideas of how pregnancy can occur is a lot more exaggerated than the truth and so leads to freaking out over small trivial things like this because I feel like there are countless women who use the pill and yet dont even second guess the teas they're drinking and I feel worse about it.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 01:18 PM
Did you check out that list and link I have you up there and read through it? How about the patient information leaflet on your pill? Really, I think it's important to recognize -- as it sounds like you do -- that your worries and fears are based more in religious ideas, which have no bearing per how a medicine works, or propaganda than in how to take your pill correctly. When we get any prescription medication, we get information on how to take it properly. When there are things we need to know about taking it properly, they are in that information. When something isn't in that information, we can safely assume it's a non-issue, or something we simply don't have control over. On the whole, all you need to do to have the full effectiveness the pill can provide is to take that pill as directed, which is primarily just about taking it every day without fail around the same time of day. And then, if and when you're using a medication listed as having a possible impact on your pill, you back up your pill with another method. I swear, that's really all you need to concern yourself with per taking the pill properly. But like I said before, if you find you have pervasive fears even when you use the pill properly AND back up, then your next step is to take care of yourself by reevaluating if you truly are comfortable engaging in the kind of sex that can present pregnancy risks right now. It's okay if you're not: not everyone is all the time, and it's not like people can't have a sexual life without having that kind of sex -- period, or sometimes.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 01:31 PM
Yes I did, thank you! My pamphlet just warns against diarrhea and vomiting and Ive learned what those two terms mean. You're right, it is more about my fears and beliefs and I guess its lack of control and the unknown that worries me and I know its irrational to worry about every little thing that COULD impact the pill. I suppose I have difficulty differentiation between what is a valid fear/concern and what isnt although you telling me how to take the pill properly in black and white terms really does help me. It makes me realize that the taking the pill properly so as to prevent pregnancy is quite simple and shouldnt be overcomplicated.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 01:35 PM
It really is. The hardest time people usually have with taking it -- and why it typically fails -- is remembering to take it on time every day. That and being able to keep up with having pills, rather than running out and realizing they don't have a refill. Maybe you'd benefit from having an educational visit with your prescribing physician? or even in getting a good book to read about all of this, including information on the pill? My book does all of that, but the current edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, which I also worked on, is as excellent as that book always is: it's an outstanding reference.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 01:43 PM
Its interesting because thats the thing that I have never had a problem with. So I should basically stick with the facts, the info you have given me and the list of possible interactions in my pamphlet and its that simple? Ill try my best to not overcomplicate and question things that have not been proven to be a problem. May I ask what the title of your book is please?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 01:56 PM
Well, the facts are what are real when it comes to how your medication works. A set of beliefs can't change how a medication works or doesn't. But I do think we all also need to value our feelings. NOT in how we *feel* a medication may or may not work, because again, that's about facts. But in terms of what we earnestly know ourselves to be ready for and capable of dealing with. Get the gist? Here's all the info on my book here: http://www.scarleteen.com/article/read/all_about_s_e_x_the_scarleteen_book
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 03:11 PM
I think I understand, like I cant let my beliefs or feelings make me think a medication isnt working when nothing about my taking the medication goes against the facts, like taking it on time and taking precautions when Im on a medication thats on the list of meds that interact with the pill?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 03:15 PM
Right, but where your feelings ARE useful is in making your own sexual choices, and doing what you can to make sure you're not choosing to engage in anything sexual you don't feel equipped to handle and feel good about.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 03:19 PM
Thank you, I never thought to think about that, I guess I need time to sort out my fears and where my beliefs come into play. Theres so many factors that led me to this, with my catholic upbringing, my going to an all girl high school where pregnancy was such a big no no and all those "condoms never work, there could be teeny tiny holes" and user forums. I never really had a good reliable source for sex education and so I always thought methods of preventing pregnancy were super reliable because of all the stories I read on the internet.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 03:23 PM
oops were *not super reliable!
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 03:28 PM
I hear you. So, how about stepping BACK from sex for a little bit while you play catch-up? In other words, what about taking sex off the table while you work through some of that baggage, get more of the education you need, and then have the time to make your sexual choices WITH more information and after having let go of more of the yuck and fear you're toting around?
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 03:32 PM
That sounds like a good start for me & I think I'll do that! Learn more about sex in general. Thanks for answering my questions, its such a huge help to have this site. I appreciate receiving factual information and in a way that makes me have to think for myself, its a lot better for me in the short and long run!
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 03:36 PM
I'm happy to help you out with this, you're welcome. Do you feel capable of/comfortable communicating with your current partner about the sexual limits you need for a while so you can do this for yourself?
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-03-2013 03:42 PM
Yes, he's always been very supportive of my decisions when it comes to sex. I mean this sounds like it could be a fun thing as well as beneficial for our relationship We could think of other stuff to do, like outings, and we always thought sexual activity shouldnt be the only ways of expressing affection in a relationship.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 02-03-2013 03:42 PM
Fantastic!
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-04-2013 06:28 AM
Im freaking out, I just went to the bathroom and found brown discharge/blood like at the beginning/end of my withdrawal bleed but Im not due for mine until next week Monday...could this be implantation bleeding?? Or some sort of spotting as a side effect of my pill
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 02-04-2013 08:08 AM
It's most likely that it's spotting, which, as you've said, is a pretty common side effect of taking the pill.
anya008
Member # 102306
posted 02-04-2013 09:46 AM
It seemed like a lot, of brown discharge/blood, more than little small drops, kinda like a wide streak as long as a persons ring/pinky finger. Does that seem like spotting? If its a side effect, it doesnt mean decreased effectiveness right?
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 02-04-2013 09:56 AM
Yes, that can count as spotting. No, side effects from the pill have nothing to do with its effectiveness.