Diet taboos for emergency contraceptive pills

Try to fast for 2 hours before and after taking the medicine. Absolutely avoid grapefruit and grapefruit products and try not to touch alcohol for 3 days before and after taking the medicine. There are no absolute taboos in other ordinary diets. Don't be overly kidnapped by the sayings such as "can't eat spicy food, can't eat ice, and can't touch seafood" circulated on the Internet.

Let’s talk about the fasting requirement that everyone is most confused about. In the early years, the preparation process of emergency contraceptive pills was mediocre. Levonorgestrel had strong gastrointestinal irritation, so it was clearly required to be taken on an empty stomach for 2 hours to avoid vomiting caused by food irritation and spitting out the medicine. But now the clinical practice is actually not so stuck. During the two years when I stayed in the gynecological clinic, when I met a girl with a bad stomach, I would actively suggest that she take a few mouthfuls of soda crackers before taking medicine, so as to avoid severe acid reflux and vomiting after eating on an empty stomach, which would be more than worth the loss. Last week, a sophomore girl came for a follow-up consultation. She said that she was so hungry that her stomach hurt just an hour after taking the medicine. She couldn't help but eat a bowl of wontons, and she didn't feel nauseous. Later, her aunt came on time and there was no problem at all. To put it bluntly, this 2 hours is a reference value. The core bottom line is not to vomit. If you are really hungry and have stomach cramps, it will easily cause problems. Don't hold on to the time and make yourself miserable.

Compared with the controversial requirement of fasting, there is one thing that you should absolutely avoid and don't touch, and that is grapefruit (also called grapefruit). This is not an alarmist. The furanocoumarins in grapefruit will directly inhibit the liver enzyme CYP3A4 that metabolizes levonorgestrel, which will increase the concentration of the drug in the blood by 2-3 times. Not only will the side effects of nausea and chest swelling be aggravated, but the probability of subsequent withdrawal bleeding and aunt disorder will also increase. Moreover, this inhibitory effect can last up to 72 hours. I met a girl before. She went to drink milk tea with her friends on the same day after taking the medicine. She ordered a large glass of Grapefruit Duoduo, and she started bleeding that night. The bleeding continued on and off for almost 10 days. Finally, she went to the hospital and was prescribed a hemostatic medicine to stop it. She really couldn't commit such a crime just for a sip of drink. As long as grapefruit-flavored sparkling water, gummies, and complex juices are added with grapefruit ingredients, don’t touch them for three days.

Let’s talk about alcohol. This is not to say that alcohol will directly make the medicine ineffective, but on the one hand it will aggravate gastrointestinal tract irritation. It is easy to feel nauseous when taking medicine, and it is easier to vomit after drinking alcohol.； On the other hand, the effect of alcohol on liver drug enzymes fluctuates quickly and slowly. Some people's metabolism speeds up after taking medicine and drinking alcohol, and the efficacy of the medicine is reduced. Some people's metabolism slows down and the side effects worsen. This is a completely uncontrollable risk. If you really accidentally drank some, don't panic. If you don't vomit, you don't need to take more medicine. Just pay more attention later. Don't scare yourself and insist on taking another pill. Excessive hormones will be more harmful to the body.

As for the mythical saying "You can't eat spicy food, you can't eat ice, and you can't touch seafood" that's so popular on the Internet, it's completely nonsense. The reason why these claims are widely spread is that you are afraid that if you have a delicate stomach and eat these things, you will cause vomiting and spit out the medicine. There is no conflict with the ingredients of the medicine. If you usually eat spicy hot pot iced milk tea every day, it will be fine. It is perfectly fine to take some after taking medicine an hour after taking medicine. There is no need to act like a confinement confinement person who dare not even touch an iced coke, which will only increase anxiety. I have seen too many girls who only dared to drink plain porridge for three days after taking the medicine. They were so hungry and dizzy that they asked if it was a side effect. It was really unnecessary.

Another pitfall is that the supplements or medications that many people take have a greater impact than food. For example, St. John's wort is added to many sleep-aid gummies and antidepressant supplements, as well as the anti-tuberculosis rifampicin and the anti-epileptic carbamazepine. These are liver enzyme inducers and will speed up the metabolism of emergency contraceptive pills, which will really reduce the effectiveness of the medicine. If you are taking this kind of medicine for a long time, it is best to take a pregnancy test about 2 weeks after taking emergency contraceptive pills to make sure you don't miss out. As for vitamin C, which is the most frequently asked question, you can eat it. Not only will it not affect the efficacy of the medicine, some doctors will also proactively prescribe vitamin C to relieve the nausea and discomfort caused by the medicine. Don’t believe the rumors on the Internet.

One last thing to say, emergency contraceptive pills are remedies in themselves, and are only about 85% effective. They are not 100% successful in preventing pregnancy. Regardless of whether you strictly abide by dietary taboos, it is best to take a pregnancy test 10-14 days after intercourse. It is much more reliable than worrying about what you can and cannot eat. As for the statement "take it up to three times a year", don't take it too seriously. You can just take it when you really need it. However, after all, the hormone dose is several times that of conventional short-acting contraceptive pills. Use it as little as possible and do regular contraception in advance, so you really don't have to suffer these sins.