Other Brand Names Containing the Same Estrogen and Progestin

Beyaz, Ocella, Yaz

Yasmin was approved by the FDA in 2001 and was the first birth control pill to use drospirenone as its progestin element.

Recent News Regarding Yasmin

• FDA Votes to Update Yaz Label to Reflect Blood Clot Risk
• FDA Debating Recall of Yaz
• Side Effects of Yaz
• More news about Yasmin

What Makes it Different

• Drospirenone demonstrates biochemical behavior closer to natural progesterone, lessening the incidence of certain side effects, including weight gain and unwanted hair growth.
• Yasmin may decrease bloating and water retention due to its effect on sodium levels in the body.
• Drospirenone has been linked to an increased risk of dangerous blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism that can lead to heart attack and stroke. The risk appears to be 2 to 3 times that of oral contraceptives containing the progestin levonorgestrel and as much as 6 times greater than the risk for women not taking a birth control pill at all.

How it Works

Yasmin (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) is a combination of the female hormones estrogen and progestin, which work to prevent pregnancy in three ways. First, the hormones prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from one of the ovaries). The hormones also cause the cervical mucus to thicken, blocking sperm from reaching and fertilizing the egg. Lastly, Yasmin prevents the uterine lining from thickening, making it less hospitable to implantation.

How to Use

Yasmin comes in a pack of 28 tablets: 21 active tablets and 7 inactive tablets. Starting on either the first day of your period or the first Sunday after your period starts, take one tablet daily. Pills must be taken at the same time each day to ensure effectiveness.

Your period should start 2-3 days after the last active pill. Do not continue use of active pills after 21 days in order to delay your period.

If you miss a dose of Yasmin, your risk of pregnancy will be increased. There are ways to make up for missing a pill that will maintain the effectiveness of the birth control. For further instruction, contact with your healthcare provider immediately upon realizing you’ve missed one or more pills.

Cost

Depending on your insurance status, Yasmin may cost between $15-$60 a month.

Effectiveness

Yasmin is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken exactly as directed.

As with all oral contraceptives, Yasmin prevents pregnancy but does not protect against the transmission of HIV or other sexual transmitted infections.

Benefits

The main benefit of Yasmin is the prevention of pregnancy. Further benefits may include:

• The regulation of your menstrual cycle
• A decrease in menstrual cramps and lighter flow (reducing changes of anemia)
• Reduced water retention and bloating
• Lessened frequency of noncancerous cysts or lumps in the breast
• Less risk of ectopic pregnancies
• Acute pelvic inflammatory disease may occur less frequently
• A decrease in the severity of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

Risks

Birth control pills are known to increase the chances of blood clots, stroke and heart attack. Because Yasmin contains drospirenone, this risk is further elevated to 2 or 3 times that of other non-drospirenone oral contraceptives.

Yasmin also may lead to excessive levels of potassium in women who have conditions effecting the kidneys and liver or who take certain medications.

Do not take Yasmin if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Kidney or liver impairment or disease
• Adrenal insufficiency
• Smoke and are over the age of 35
• History of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
• Heart, arterial or vascular disease
• History of breast or other estrogen- or progestin- sensitive cancer

It is important to disclose current medications to your health care professional. Some medications increase potassium retention and should not be combined with Yasmin.

• Long-term and daily use of ibuprofen or naproxen
• Spironolactone or other potassium-sparing diuretics
• Potassium supplementation
• ACE inhibitors (Capoten®, Vasotec®, Zestril®, etc)
• Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists (Cozaar®, Diovan®, Avapro®, etc)
• Aldosterone antagonists
• Heparin

Possible side effects include:

• Changes in mood
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Abdominal pain or tenderness
• Nausea
• Breast tenderness
• Headache
• Irregular uterine bleeding
• Changes in appetite and weight