A variety of hormonal birth control options are available for women to choose from, including pills, shots, implants, intrauterine devices, transdermal patches and vaginal rings. Hormones contained in these forms of birth control make your body less effective at absorbing vitamins B-6, B-12, C and folic acid. Therefore, vitamin supplements may be necessary to ensure your overall health while taking hormonal birth control. Consult your physician prior to using birth control or dietary supplements.
Step 1
Take your birth control at the same time that you normally do. Oral birth control must be taken at the same time each day to ensure stable levels of the hormones in your body and to prevent pregnancy.
Step 2
Eat a meal or snack prior to taking vitamin supplements. Supplements can cause stomach upset when taken on an empty stomach. Vitamin supplements may be taken at any time of day.
Step 3
Take a vitamin C supplement and a vitamin B-complex supplement immediately after eating. These supplements should be taken in addition to a daily multivitamin if you and your doctor agree that a multivitamin is beneficial for your health. Multivitamins do not contain adequate doses of B-vitamins or vitamin C for women on birth control, according to the textbook "Contemporary Nutrition," due to your body's inability to properly absorb these vitamins while influenced by hormonal contraceptives.
Step 4
Plan to take vitamin supplements at the same time daily. To help you remember, you may wish to take vitamins at the same time that you take birth control pills. According to the textbook "Focus on Nursing Pharmacology," there are no problems associated with taking birth control pills and vitamins at the same time.
References
- "Contemporary Nutrition"; Gordon M. Wardlaw and Anne M. Smith; 2007
- "Focus on Nursing Pharmacology"; Amy Morrison Karch; 2009
- "Foundations of Nursing"; Lois White, Gena Duncan and Wendy Baumle; 2010
