Kkt asked
Would Thrive W capsules affect my birth control, Microgestin?
Answer
Thrive capsules, manufactured by Level and advertised as “premium lifestyle capsules,” are formulated with naturopathic (or “non-drug”) vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, anti-oxidants, enzymes, probiotics, and enzymes.
A few of the ingredients in Thrive capsules mayinteract with your birth control, Microgestin, but most are not likely of clinical concern.
Drug interactions are based on severity (minor, moderate, or major) and how likely they are to occur. Interactions are graded as minor, moderate, or major.
- A minor interaction means you should be aware that there is a chance that the agents might interact, although the severity tends to be minor.
- A moderate interaction means use products together cautiously or avoid the combination.
- A major interaction means do not use these agents in combination.
How likely the interaction is to occur is graded as “likely to occur”, “probable to occur”, “possible to occur”, or “unlikely to occur.” These are rather self-explanatory, but specifically for Thrive and birth control, possible means the interaction might occur in some patients and probable means the interaction will occur in a significant portion of patients.
Thrive capsules contain a long list of ingredients, including:
- Several probiotics (e.g. B. lactis, L. acidophilus)
- Guarana
- Green tea
- Glucosamine
- White willow extract
- Glutamine
- Green coffee bean
- PEA
- Kelp
- Irvinga extract
- BCAA blend
- Theobromine
- Ginger extract
- Synephrine
- Aspartic acid
- L serine
- Grape seed extract
- Selenium
- White tea extract
Be sure to the see packaging for a complete list.
Birth Control - Thrive W Interactions
The ingredients that may have an interaction with oral contraceptives (or “birth control”) include:
- Green coffee
- Green tea
- Guarana
- Selenium
Below, we discuss these in more detail. However, it is important to note, that none of the ingredients have reported or documented cases of reducing the efficacy of your birth control.
Green coffee
- Interaction Severity: Mild
- Occurrence: Possible
Green coffee refers to raw or un-roasted beans. Green coffee contains caffeine. Studies suggest that oral contraceptives can decrease the rate of caffeine clearance by 40% to 65%, depending on the individual. This has the potential to increase the effects of caffeine.
Green tea
- Interaction Severity: Mild
- Occurrence: Possible
Like green coffee, green tea contains caffeine. As described above, oral contraceptives can reduce how quickly caffeine is cleared from the body.
Guarana
- Interaction Severity: Mild
- Occurrence: Possible
Guarana contains 3.6% to 5.8% caffeine, depending on the source. The same interaction for caffeine applies as discussed above.
Selenium
- Interaction Severity: Insignificant
- Occurrence: Possible
Studies suggest that oral birth control pills can increase serum selenium levels in women taking oral contraceptives, although data isn't conclusive. This is generally assumed to be a non-significant interaction.
Summary
- While there may be a few minor interactions with Thrive W capsules and your birth control, none are of great concern nor will any decrease the effectiveness of your birth control.
