Happy Camper Reaction with Birth Control


 I recently bought Happy Camper from NutraSanus, I need to make sure that the ingredients will not cancel out my birth control pills. Im taking Microgestin FE/120. Please help!

 Currently there is not a lot of data regarding how certain herbs interact with oral birth control pills.  The only documented herbs that are known to potentially decrease the effectivness of oral contraceptives  are St. John's Wort and Milk Thistle.  The biggest concern currently for reducing the effectiveness of birth control pills is the use of antibiotics.  It is recommended that women use another form of contraception when on antibiotic therapy.


As for the herbs in the Happy Camper product, there is very little information.  What we can look for are trends that certain herbs have for affecting how a drug might be metabolized by understanding how it interacts with other systems of the body, particularly the liver.  Some herbs stimulate the same pathways in the liver that metabolize a medication.  If metabolism of the drug is increased this can result in lower blood levels thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the medication.

None of the herbs in the Happy Camper product are known to greatly enhance liver metabolism pathways although it is likely that this does occur to some extent.  However the chances that it will affect the same pathways that metabolize the birth control pill and blood levels of your medication are quite slim and as mentioned, there is no current research to suggest that this might be a possibility although this is most likely due to the fact that it has never been studied. 

What I can tell you is that many women take herbal based products along with their oral contraceptives and do not have increased rates of pregnancy.  I use herbs very regularly in my practice and to date have no reported cases of women getting pregnant while on the birth control pill.  However, the decision is ultimately up to you and what you are the most comfortable with knowing that at this current time there is no definitive information proving that the herbs in the product will increase or decrease the effectiveness of your oral contraceptive. 





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As a certified and fully trained Naturopathic Doctor, Passero has trained and preceptored with some of the nation's leading doctors in the field of natural medicine, working under the guidance of MD’s, Chiropractors, Naturopaths and Acupuncturists. Furthermore, he is currently the Vice President of the Maryland Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

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