Beyaz

Other Brand Names Containing the Same Estrogen and Progestin

Ocella, Yasmin, Yaz

What Makes it Different

• Beyaz provides a daily dose of folate, a B vitamin. This vitamin aids in the production and maintenance of new cells in the body.
• Beyaz is one of four birth control pills that is FDA approved to treat acne.
• Some studies show that drospirenone, the newest generation of progestin that is found in Beyaz, could put women at a higher risk for blood clots than older generation progestin.
• Two recent studies concluded that the risk of life-threatening blood clots (venous thromboembolism) is 2 to 3 times higher for women taking drospirenone-containing pills such as Beyaz, than pills containing levonorgestrel.
• In May 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about Beyaz and announced its plans to evaluate birth control pills containing drospirenone, stating the recent studies had stimulated the FDA’s concern over pills including Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella.
• In December 2011, the FDA demanded that warning labels of all drospirenone-based pills be changed to reflect the heightened risk of blood clots. The FDA also concluded its evaluation of two studies that measured the risk of blood clots associate with Yaz and concluded that the of drospirenone-containing birth control pills outweigh the dangers, based on current information.

How it Works

Beyaz (drospirenone, ethinyl estradiol and levomefolate calcium) 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, Beyaz prevents the uterine lining from thickening, making it less hospitable to implantation.

Oral contraceptives are only to be utilized as a form of birth control. They do not protect against the transmission of HIV (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

How to Use

You will take your first pill on the first day of your period or the first Sunday after your period has begun. Use Beyaz as your healthcare provider has instructed. Beyaz differs from other birth control pills, because instead of the typical 21 active pills there are 24. Thus, you take the three additional active pills and may shorten your period by those three days. Do not take more often or for longer than your healthcare provider mandates.

If you miss a dose of Beyaz, 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

Birth control pills range from $15-50 per pack. A pack lasts one month.

Effectiveness

Beyaz has been shown to prevent pregnancy in over 98-99% of situations when it is the only birth control method utilized and when Beyaz is used exactly as directed.

Benefits

Beyaz is an effective method of birth control when used as specified. It contains the suggested daily amount of folic acid for women of the childbearing age. If a woman becomes pregnant while taking Beyaz or shortly after discontinuing use of Beyaz, adequate folate levels can help ensure fetal neural health in the first few weeks after conception.

Beyaz may also be prescribed to treat moderate acne in women over 14 years of age.

All birth control pills, Beyaz included, have also been shown to possibly have the following benefits:

• Menstrual cycle may become more regular, and blood flow may become lighter (reducing the chances of anemia)
• Cramps or other pain during menstruation may become less intense and/or frequent
• Noncancerous cysts or lumps in the breast may occur less frequently
• Ectopic pregnancies may occur with less frequency
• Acute pelvic inflammatory disease may occur less frequently

Risks

All birth control pills, including Beyaz, can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack, especially for women who smoke and/or are older than 35. Women who smoke should not take Beyaz.

Taking Beyaz or other pills containing drospirenone may increase the risk of blood clots by 2 to 3 times when compared to pills containing levonorgestrel.

The progestin hormone in Beyaz may excessively increase potassium. Consult your doctor before taking Beyaz if you have kidney, liver or adrenal issues, as it could cause serious problems. There are also drugs that interact with the progestin in Beyaz so be notify your doctor of all drugs you are taking, so they can decide if Beyaz is right for you.

Possible Side Effects Include

• Changes in weight or appetite
• Swelling of hands or feet
• Changes in menstrual period
• Breast tenderness, swelling or secretion
• Increased hair growth or loss of scalp hair
• Freckles or darkening of facial skin
• Vaginal itching or discharge
• Problems with contact lenses