I’ve been on birth control pills for years, never really thought twice about mixing meds until last Tuesday. Woke up feeling like death warmed over – sore throat, stuffy nose, the whole nine yards. Grabbed that little red gel cap of DayQuil without blinking.
Popped that pill like candy, then froze mid-swallow. Holy crap – does this thing screw with my birth control? Started sweating bullets right there in my kitchen. Texted my girl Sarah who’s a nurse, but she took forever to reply. Googled like a maniac, found a bunch of mommy blogs screaming “YES IT MESSES WITH BC!” and some health sites saying “nah you’re good.”
Panic mode activated. Drove straight to Walgreens, cornered the pharmacist dude behind the counter. Leaned in real close and whispered, “Listen man – if I take DayQuil with my birth control, am I gonna end up with a baby I didn’t plan for?” He blinked slow like I’d asked him to explain quantum physics.
Guy pulls out his thick-ass drug bible, flips pages like his life depended on it. Pointed at the DayQuil box ingredients – dextromethorphan, acetaminophen, phenylephrine. Then spins his computer screen around showing some drug interaction database. “See this?” He taps the screen. “Zero interactions between these chemicals and oral contraceptives.”
But wait – my friend Jamie swore she got pregnant after mixing Sudafed and birth control! Pharmacist shrugs. “Totally different ingredients that actually mess with liver enzymes. DayQuil? Doesn’t touch that system. You’re safer than a nun in a convent.”
Why’d I go full detective mode? Back in college, my roommate popped antibiotics with her BC pills like it was nothing. Nine months later? Baby shower. Saw that trauma firsthand and been paranoid ever since. Truth is, unless your cold med has rifampin or seizure drugs (which DayQuil ain’t got), you can chill. Still keeping my pill pack and DayQuil in separate drawers though – better safe than changing diapers.
