Medication and dietary supplements, including milk thistle, can reduce the efficacy of Loestrin Fe. This oral contraceptive is one of many available formulas of birth control pill. Milk thistle is a traditional medicinal herb used for more than 2,000 years that grows wild in dry, sunny areas of the United States, according to information from the University of Maryland Medical Center, which also advises against taking milk thistle with birth control pills.
Loestrin Fe
Loestrin Fe makes it more difficult for the sperm to fertilize the egg and attach to the uterine wall. It prevents the release of the egg from your ovaries, as well as causes changes in your cervical mucus and uterine lining. The packet has 28 days' worth of birth control pills, along with seven reminder pills. If you miss one active dose, you can take two pills the next day you remember, but this does increase your risk of getting pregnant.
Milk Thistle
People use the above-ground parts of the milk thistle plant as herbal medicine. You can eat the leaves like lettuce and roast the seeds as a coffee substitute. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates milk thistle as possibly effective for heartburn and lowering blood sugar in type 2 diabetics. Milk thistle extract can act like estrogen, and you should not take it if you have a health condition aggravated by estrogen. However, common forms of milk thistle seed extracts do not seem to do this, according to information from Medline Plus.
Decreased Drug Action
Milk thistle may decrease the drug action of oral contraceptives, including Loestrin Fe. A flavonoid in milk thistle called silibinin may inhibit beta-glucuronidase, according to the March 1994 issue of the journal “Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin.” Beta-glucuronidase is a bacteria enzyme that helps make oral contraceptives effective, explains information from the Langone Medical Center.
Considerations
Taking Loestrin Fe can cause side effects and interact with medications. Side effects of Loestrin Fe include vaginal itching, changes in weight and increased hair growth. Acetaminophen, antibiotics and seizure medications can reduce the efficacy of Loestrin Fe. Even vitamin C can reduce the effectiveness of this oral contraceptive. Talk to your doctor about all the medications and dietary supplements you take to avoid reducing the efficacy of Loestrin Fe and other oral contraceptives.
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