Artestatin Birth Control Interaction?
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Does anyone know if these chinese herbs will affect my progestin-only birth control? I would like to take this as a preventative measure for future travel, but am not sure how it will affect my birth control. There are no direct correlations listed on the website, but it states St. John’s Wort interacts with it, so I’m not sure if any of these herbs will as I’m not familiar with Chinese Medicine.
Here’s the ingredients: Health Concerns Artestatin - 270 Tablets Artestatin 270 tablets Chinese Therapeutic Actions: Clear Summer Heat, Expel Parasites, Circulate Stagnant Qi Ingredients: Artemesia anua concentrate (Qing Hao), Dichroa (Shu Chi), Pulsatilla (Bai Tou Weng), Magnolia bark (Hou Po), Pinellia (Ban Xia), Pogostemon (Huo Xiang), Dolichos (Bai Bian Dou), Ginseng (Ren Shen), Citrus (Chen Pi), Licorice (Gan Cao), Coptis (Huang Lian), Red Atractylodes (Cang Zhu), Ginger (Gan Jiang), Cardamon (Sha Ren)
Thanks for your help!
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Comments / Discussions:
comment by "StephenS" (acupuncturist)
on Jun 2015
First off since each individual has unique physiological and biochemical functioning it is technically impossible to say with 100% certainty that this or any herbal formula, Chinese or otherwise, will or will not interact with your birth control. That being said, the likelihood of this particular formula having any effect on the hormone system is next to nothing. Most of the herbs either have a function to strengthen digestion or clear heat, neither of which, in my experience anyway, affects the hormones one way or another. To further reduce any possible interaction effect I’d also recommend not taking the herbal formula at the same time as the birth control, generally one hour separation should work.
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comment by "ChadD" (acupuncturist)
on Jun 2015
As @Stephen mentioned most of the formulas are balanced enough that the interactions are minimized (one of the benefits of formulas vs. individual herbs). St. John’s Wort is different in that it blocks the uptake of many different medications and substances - notably birth control, so that is good to avoid.
In that formula, the only one that is referenced as a potential influencer is Gan Cao (licorice root), but that would generally have to be used in larger amounts to conflict.
Others not in that formula that could potentially be problematic are Dang Gui, Chaste Tree Berry, Black Cohosh and potentially even large amounts of soy consumption.
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comment by "juliaet"
on Jun 2015
Thank you both very much @Stephen and @Chad_Dupuis! This was very informative and reassuring…I really appreciate it.
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