Birth Control And Smoking

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

My girl friend will be shortly starting BC, she smokes. I'm wondering if it has any effects on the efficienty of it? Plus it'd be good way to try to get her to quit if it actually did affect it.

[Jm33]

I think it effects it by 1%, but I'm not sure. It may just effect the side effects. I will leave this one to Brandye.

[thetease13]

I'm not sure it decrease the effect of the BC itself, but it can cause other health problems including blood clots and heart problems.

I pulled this off a site.

WARNING: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from oral contraceptive use. This risk increases with age and heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day) and is quite marked in women over 35 years of age. Women who use oral contraceptives should be strongly advised not to smoke. More specifically, risks increase for heart attacks, blood clots, stroke, liver cancer, and gallbladder disease, although the risk is very small in healthy women without underlying risk factors.

[Brandye]

You are getting good answers. Smoking will not decrease the effectiveness of the pil but will amplify side-effects, especially the terrible that increase with age. There is so much other horrible stuff the smoking does that she is better off on the pill than not.

[STKMIKECAMPO2]

thanks tease... where did u get that info?

[nursefluffykins]

i have taken care of a few clients over the years who developped blood clots in either their lungs or their legs after using the pill and smoking at the same time... its not terribly common but it does happen... im not quoting real information right now just talking from personnal work experience ... the clots in the lungs produced effects similar to an asthma attack because they block circulation to part of the lung so treatment is given to thin the blood and unblock the circulation.... luckily for those women the dammage was not more severe, I have never seen dammage more severe but it could be possible...

[ageless_gypsy]

What is the best form of birth control to use as a smoker?

[Brandye]

We know smoking women on the pill over thirty-five have about twice the likelihood of stroke (blood clots cause these) as those who do not smoke. I recommend to my patients on hormonal birth control that they stop smoking. I do not refuce to prescribe but assure that they understand the risks. A woman over thirty-five has greater risk in pregnancy as a result of smoking as well. On balance, she is probably better off on the pill than getting pregnant. The patch appears to be a particular problem and the ring places much less hormone in the system.

Gypsy, avoid hormonal birth control such as pill, shot, patch, injections or ring to avoid the statistics above. Use an IUD or the most common birth control for women in their thirties is sterilization of themselves or their partners.

I give my patients the facts; they decide.