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Taking Clonazepam And Saphris For Depression. Taking Sprintec But Not On The Same Time. Effective?

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Posted on Fri, 17 May 2013
Question: Hi my wife has been on sprintec 28 for 3 months, my question is she was told by the Dr that as long as she gets a dose every day it would be ok, she takes it every morning but not at the same exact hour.
I just wonder if thats ok? is that the proper use or effectiveness might be compromised?
Whats the percentage of effectiveness you would rate it at on the way my wife has been taking it?
Also my wife has depression, she is also taking the next medications:
cymbalta, clonazepam and saphris 5 mg
So far i havent found anything that says it would reduce the birth control effect, but would like to know your opinion.
what about medications when you have a flu? we take XL3 cold medicine which contains:
Active Ingredients

Acetaminophen325 mg , Chlorpheniramine Maleate (4mg)Antihistamine , Phenylephrine Hydrochloride (10 mg)Decongestant

Inactive Ingredients

Lactose , Stearic Acid , Povidone , Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose , Polyethylene Glycol , Titanium Dioxide , FD&C Yellow 5 Aluminum Lake (CI 0000)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size : 1 Tablet
Amount Per Serving      % Daily value*

Finally we dont really drink very often but when so, that shouldnt represent a problem would it?
Thanks a lot!!!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (4 hours later)
Hi and thanks for the query,
Compliance to medication is a key to therapeutic success in any illness. It does not however mean that one should be mathematically always exact when he or she takes drugs. A therapeutic difference of 1 to 2 hours is actually very acceptable. The success rates are very comparable. It becomes an issue when the differences in the time the drugs are taken exceed 4 hours. Within a 2 hour fluctuation window, its very fine.
The drugs she is taking with respect to depression have little or ]no interactions with medications used in birth control , especially if these are hormones.
Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine and Phenylephrine are a standard combination, which as of now, is the most used therapeutic combination in everyday practice to control flu symptoms. Except for specific indications like severe liver disease, they are relatively very safe and generally effective when used appropriately.
I think the issue here is simply that she should improve compliance to her medications, and as I said, she does not need to be purely mathematically exact to obtain therapeutic success.
Thanks as I hope this helps and best regards,
Wishing you all good health.
Luchuo, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (8 days later)
Ok i see Dr. So as far as the medicine i mentioned there are no interactions with birth control right?
My wife has also had a little constipation lately and was recommended metamucil fiber, besides that she also eats every morning some gel straight from the aloe vera leaf.

Are there any interactions with her birth control pills as far as making them less effective when taking the above mentioned?

Thanks again
doctor
Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (16 minutes later)
Hi and thanks for the query.

I do not think there are any interactions to worry about as far as the efficacy of the treatment is concerned. The most important thing is for her to take the medications as prescribed, and report anything major unusual finding she might notice to her physician.

If eating fibre, vegetables and fruits and drinking much water still is accompanied by constipation, she might need a review by her physician. But generally, such health measures should to adequate amelioration in her health condition.

I think you do not need to worry for now. But feel free to ask any further questions if need be.

Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Mohammed Kappan
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (1 hour later)
As a matter of fact she has been doing really good after taking the fiber and the daily dose of aloe vera gel, constipation has pretty much gone. I guess my only concern was that i read somewhere that some plants could reduce birth control effectiveness such as laxatives too, so i just wanted to make sure that those two things wouldn't interfere.

Once again thanks.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (1 hour later)
Hi and thanks for writing back,

I think there is no problem for the moment. I suggest you stay calm for the moment and do not hesitate asking further questions if need be.

Wishing you all good health and best regards,

Luchuo, MD.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 3092 Questions

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Taking Clonazepam And Saphris For Depression. Taking Sprintec But Not On The Same Time. Effective?

Hi and thanks for the query,
Compliance to medication is a key to therapeutic success in any illness. It does not however mean that one should be mathematically always exact when he or she takes drugs. A therapeutic difference of 1 to 2 hours is actually very acceptable. The success rates are very comparable. It becomes an issue when the differences in the time the drugs are taken exceed 4 hours. Within a 2 hour fluctuation window, its very fine.
The drugs she is taking with respect to depression have little or ]no interactions with medications used in birth control , especially if these are hormones.
Acetaminophen, Chlorpheniramine and Phenylephrine are a standard combination, which as of now, is the most used therapeutic combination in everyday practice to control flu symptoms. Except for specific indications like severe liver disease, they are relatively very safe and generally effective when used appropriately.
I think the issue here is simply that she should improve compliance to her medications, and as I said, she does not need to be purely mathematically exact to obtain therapeutic success.
Thanks as I hope this helps and best regards,
Wishing you all good health.
Luchuo, MD.