Though it's generally safe to take birth control pills and consume caffeine, the combination can cause side effects like jitters, headaches and sleeplessness. Typically, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, like more than four cups of coffee a day causes side effects and could interfere with how other medications react in the body, says MedlinePlus.
Slowed Caffeine Elimination
Consuming caffeine while you're on birth control pills can make it take longer for caffeine to leave your body. Birth control pills slow down the elimination process, and can cause you to hold onto caffeine for four hours longer than those not on oral contraceptives, according to a study in the "Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine," published in 1980.
Reduced Mineral Excretion
Taking birth control pills and caffeine at the same time also makes it so your body excretes a reduced amount of minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and zinc, according to a study in the "Journal of Nutrition" published in 2003.
Increased Effects
If you consume caffeine while on birth control pills, you may notice an increase in side effects as well like jitters, rapid heart rate, headaches, and anxiety. You may also suffer from insomnia. How much caffeine you consume will largely determine the severity of these side effects.
Increased Drug Interactions
When you have birth control hormones and caffeine in your body at the same time, other medications may react differently in your body as well. For instance, the anxiety and insomnia drug, Ativan, may work less effectively when you take birth control pills and caffeine, according to a study published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in 2003.
References
- MedlinePlus: Caffeine in the Diet
- "Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine"; Impaired Elimination of Caffeine by Oral Contraceptive Steroids; R.V.Patwardhan; April 1980g
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Use of Oral Contraceptives Blunts the Calciuric Effect of Caffeine in Young Adult Women; M.A. Ribeiro-Alves et al.; February 2003
- Stanford School of Medicine: What Meds: Psychiatric Medications
