Did you know that antibiotics could affect the menstrual cycle? Indeed, most of them can have an effect on menstrual periods, with some reporting delays. Find out more about the connections between antibiotics and the menstrual cycle below. Your Regular Cycle During the first 14 days of a 28-day menstrual cycle, your follicle will start to grow and kick-start the initial production of additional estrogen. It will start to make the endometrium lining thicker. When ovulation commences, the estrogen hormone will be joined by the progesterone hormone from the corpus luteum to make the endometrium mature and thicker. How Antibiotics
Antibiotics and menstrual cycle
Hellow
My case is i used levofloxacin on 3rd may i have throat ulcer….my period was supposed to start 20th may according to my calendar but suprisingly enough i haven’t seen my period this is a 2nd week (9days late)
Could the reason of my delay be from the drugs i took in the beginning of this month..????
Hello Jessy, the antibiotics might have delayed your period.
Hello, my period has always bn regular. I was placed on Zinnat antibiotics for an infection and my period is delayed by 9days now. Kinda worried
Hello there Mama, antibiotics are known for delaying a woman’s period.
Two weeks ago I was prescribed metronidazole ( 2 pills a day for 7 days), last Thursday I finished taking the medication. I had unprotected sex on April 23rd and also May 4th. My period is now 3 days late and pregnancy test is negative (though I have several other signs of early pregnancy). Could the metronidazole have just caused my cycle to be delayed? Or could I be pregnant and need to retake a test in a few days?
Hello Tammy, yes the antibiotic mentioned might be the reason for your period being delayed.
My doctor gave me cephalexin 4 times a day for 7 days for a bite that was getting bad but i haven’t had sex. I may have came in contact with some sperm. I’m two months late.
Hi Maria, while the antibiotics could have delayed your period by a bit, I would talk to your doctor. Two months without a period seems to be a significant amount of time (especially if you aren’t on hormonal birth control). Now you say that you haven’t had sex but that you “may have come in contact with sperm” so depending on what that means, I would take a pregnancy test first and then contact your doctor.
hello..I had UTI which I was given nitrofurantoin and augmentin..is still not going away. I have been having a light period since February and it was confirmed I am not pregnant nor infected. What could be the cause.
Hi Bernerdict, if you are still bleeding, since February, I would recommend another appointment with your doctor. Bleeding for that long is something that one should not take lightly. They can hopefully get your cycle back on track.
Hi,
Was on ciprofloxacin and metronidazole for treatment of infection, was supposed to have my period on the 14th and it is still not here. Though I have taken home pregnancy test and it’s negative. Could it be the antibiotics?
Hi Brianna, between the infection and the medications your period could definitely be delayed and affected. Our bodies are sensitive to change and are very good at shutting down the reproductive parts when the body is not healthy enough. I would give it some time (however we are now some time since then) and if you have’t gotten your period by the second month I would call your doctor.
Thank you so much Daniella, got my period last month. But it’s late again this month, went to the doctor but I was told no cause for alarm. I really want to get pregnant. Really worried
Hi Good evening. I took azithromycine to treat RTI .The first day I take it in the morning and I was also fasting at the same time but in the evening I saw blood thinking I’ve menstrated but the blood didn’t come again till my due time for mensuration and it also was delayed. Please am I having any problems? Thank you.
Hi Hannah, Doesn’t sound like it. Taking an antibiotic can affect your cycle enough hat it may be delayed for a bit. Your body is fighting a lot of things at once so it will cause your period to be later sometimes. If you have gotten your cycle since then you should be good.
Hi please I suppose to get my menses on 13th of this month but hv not yet received I did a pregnancy text and was negative. I was having candida so I took in some antibiotics including ciprolex tz. Is it becos of the antibiotics dat has delayed my menses
Hello Mawunam, yes the antibiotics might be responsible for delaying your period.
Hello.. I had sex the day before I started treating infection with antibiotics, suppose to start my period on the 10th of this month but it didn’t come… And it has been 18 days late now Have done pregnancy test twice and it’s been negative,
Is there any way I’m pregnant..
Hello Emmy, the delay might be due to you taking the antibiotics. This might have delayed your period.
Can I use antibiotics while menstruating?
Hello Ose, see your doctor about this based on the condition you are treating,
Hello. My doctor prescribed norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol to correct my irregular menstrual cycle and also to stop my bleeding because I bleed for more than a week. Two weeks later I went to see a skin doctor because of the dark spots and ingrown hairs on my face. The doctor place me on amoxicillin 875mg. Two after starting this medication, I started bleeding heavily again. Please do you know why this happened?
Hello there Heavenly King, you need to see another doctor to get a second opinion. Or see your doctor again for further tests and medical assessment.
Alright. Thank you Alison.
Hello.. I had sex the day I was suppose to start my period but it didn’t come… And it has been 6 days late now .. is there any way I’m pregnant.. I took beecham ampiclox a week ago..
Hello there Dee dee, antibiotics delay the period, this might be the reason for the delay in the starting of your period.
Hi,
I’ve been taking doxycycline for MRSA for a few weeks now and I’ve missed my period. It’s usually very regular (I’m on the pill) so it’s super unusual. I had unprotected sex before my last period and I still got it, so I concluded I wasn’t pregnant. But now I’m worried that I am. I haven’t had sex since then and the only other thing I could put it down to is that I’m on doxycycline now. Do you think that’s what has made me skip a period?
Hi there Becky, yes, antibiotics do delay the period. However if you think you might be pregnant then take a pregnancy test to determine same.
Hi, I had unprotected sex for 7 days and took
ampiclox for that 7 days, and my period is delaying, but I am having a sign of it.
Hi, am Susana
I was injected with cefuroxime injection since the injection, my menstruation was not flowing that much ,what can be the cause.
Hi Susana, antibiotics can delay your period or cause changes to it. I wouldn’t be too concerned if your period is late or different than it usually is.
Hi! I was prescribed doxycycline twice a day to treat Lyme disease (acute stage). My period was due a few days after I started the course (15 days ago) but never came. I have another 15 days to go with this intense treatment. I assume the combo of Lyme and antibiotics can delay it, but just wondering if this is normal or if my cycle should regulate when the antibiotic regime is over. Thanks.
Hi Pam, most likely your period will regulate after you start your next cycle. The combination of being sick and taking antibiotics does affect your cycle and can delay it. I would still take a pregnancy test though just to be sure.
Thank you! Also, silly question, is there any way doxycycline could cause a false negative pregnancy test or does it just tend to delay your period? I’ve been getting negative tests but haven’t tested in about a week. Thanks again!
Hi Pam, No. False positives don’t generally happen unless it’s a faulty test or your weren’t far enough along for the hormones to be detected. The medications will only tend to delay your period and nothing more.