Will Birth Control Pills Lose Their Effectiveness if I Take Vitamin B-6?

Taking vitamin B-6 supplements will not cause birth control pills to lose their effectiveness. In fact, increasing your intake of vitamin B-6 while taking the pill may even prove beneficial, as birth control pills may lower levels of vitamin B-6 in the body for some women. However, always talk to a doctor before beginning any type of new supplement, including vitamin B-6 supplements.

Effects of Birth Control Pills on Vitamins

Birth control pills may affect the blood levels of certain vitamins and minerals in your body. Birth control pills may decrease the amount of thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, calcium, zinc, magnesium and folic acid. Because of this, it may prove beneficial to take a multivitamin supplement containing all of these nutrients while you are taking oral contraceptives. In addition, birth control pills may increase the amount of vitamin A, copper and iron in your body. If you have specific questions or concerns about how your brand of birth control is affecting the vitamin or mineral levels in your body, call your doctor.

Interactions

While birth control pills and vitamin B-6 supplements do not negatively interact with each other, they may negatively interact with other medications or supplements. Some medications and supplements known to interact negatively with birth control pills include ampicillin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, ritonavir, rifampin, primidone, phenytoin, penicillin, griseofulvin, troglitazone and tetracyclines. Always use a back-up or additional method of birth control when you use any of these medications. Medications known to interact negatively with vitamin B-6 include the medications isoniazid and L-DOPA. Other medications and supplements may also interact negatively with birth control pills and vitamin B-6 supplements, so always report all of your current medications and supplements to a doctor before beginning something new.

Considerations

Vitamin B-6 is thought to be useful in treating a number of medical conditions, including depression, anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome, cardiovascular disease, attention deficit disorder and asthma. However, as of June 2011, scientific research has not proven that vitamin B-6 is effective at treating these conditions. If you are interested in taking vitamin b-6 for these reasons, talk to a doctor first.

Warning

Although vitamin B-6 supplements are unlikely to cause any adverse effects to the efficiency of your birth control pill, it may cause other adverse effects when taken in excess. Too much vitamin B-6 may cause temporary nerve damage to the arms and legs. Because of this, never take more than 100mg of vitamin B-6 a day unless specifically instructed by your doctor to do so. Taking excessive amounts of birth control medication may also cause adverse reactions. Always carefully follow your doctor's instructions when taking any supplement or medication to avoid adverse reactions.