How long after stopping antibiotics is birth control "effective" again?

[collision.livejournal.com]

I was taking HBC and antibiotics for a few months. I have been off of my antibiotics for over a week now. What I'm wondering is how long does it take until the birth control is considered "effective" or "most effective" again? I'll be going on 3 weeks without antibiotics when my boyfriend comes back home, so I want to know if we would be okay to only use HBC and no other forms of protection.

Thanks for any help and happy holidays! :)

Thinning hair related to HBC?

[katie-g-lynn.livejournal.com]

I am 24 years old, and my hair is thinning a lot. I read this can happen after going off HBC, and I am pretty sure that's the case with this. I noticed this happening last time I went off the pill several months ago. I stopped using the pill again last month, and now my scalp is really tender and red just like before. This time, however, my hair is thinner than ever, and it seems really obvious when I examine my scalp. Does anyone have any experiences like this? Is this normal? I have been taking prenatal vitamins for a while. I just ran out, so at the moment I am just taking biotin. Should I see a doctor? If I go back on the pill will I notice a difference? Thanks for any advice you guys might be able to share.

PMS / hormonal acne

[eatswithfork.livejournal.com]

12 years after puberty, I'm finally realizing that my acne is hormonal. I break out from the time I ovulate until my period's done, so essentially half of my life. I really want to avoid hormonal birth control so of course I ended up researching things on the internet like it was my job and came up with evening primrose oil supplements. Allegedly the gamma linoleic acid bumps up estrogen and thereby suppresses PMS symptoms including breakouts and breast pain, which I get as well. Does anyone know more about this, if it works, if it's dangerous, etc? Thanks!

Nuvaring Effectiveness Question

[sprintz123.livejournal.com]

I'm on my first month of Nuvaring and absolutely hate it.

I can feel it. I've tried inserting it in every single position possible with and without a tampon applicator. I've even gotten the tampon applicator stuck inside of me trying to push it up to get it in (extremely painful to get out BTW).
I'll go for a few hours without feeling it (upper part is hooked around the cervix and lower part tucked behind the pubic bone) before it slides down. Sometimes it'll stick out of me a tiny bit- not much, literally just a small part of it pokes out the edge. But nonetheless it'll stick out. Sometimes (such as if I'm at work and can't get on a short break) it'll stay like that for an hour or two before I can shove it up again.

Is this ruining the effectiveness of the ring? I'm using it so I don't get pregnant... while we're careful (condoms every time and never finishes in me even with the condom on). I can't go to my normal Dr for another few weeks (but have rings to last me in the meantime).

Is the ring still effective? All other times its left inside of me- including sex and any foreplay. Its just when it decides to come down a little or stick out a bit. I don't know if its being fully effective or not!