Yasmin

Who is Yasmin for ?

Yasmin is used to prevent pregnancy or to regulate your menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptive products (also called birth control pills) such as ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone are more effective than any other method of contraception, but they are not effective in preventing the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Yasmin is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Yasmin is a combination of an estrogen hormone (ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin hormone (drospirenone). It prevents pregnancy by blocking ovulation and by changing the consistency of the cervical mucus. Changing the consistency of the cervical mucus makes it harder for sperm to travel through the cervix to the uterus to reach the egg. Yasmin also adjusts hormone levels that may be contributing to irregular menstrual cycles or acne.

When should I be careful taking Yasmin ?

Before using Yasmin,

• know that women who use oral contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from oral contraceptive use. This risk increases with age, becoming quite marked in women over 35 years old, and is even greater for those who are heavy smokers (15 or more cigarettes per day).
• know that you should not take oral contraceptives if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. Exposure to estrogen and progestin hormones can potentially harm a developing baby. If you become pregnant while taking oral contraceptives, you should stop taking it and call your doctor immediately.
• know that oral contraceptives slightly increase your risk of strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure, heart attacks, gallbladder disease, and liver tumors. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the patient labeling which explains these risks in more detail.
• know that it may take a while for you to become pregnant after you stop taking oral contraceptives. Discuss this issue with your doctor.
• know that Yasmin may cause a patchy, darkening of the skin on the face (melasma). Higher-strength oral contraceptives are more likely to cause melasma. Sunlight may intensify this darkening and you may need to avoid prolonged sun exposure and sunlamps. Consult your doctor or pharmacist regarding use of sunscreens and protective clothing.
• know that if you are near-sighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems while using oral contraceptives. Also, your tolerance for wearing contact lenses may decrease. Contact your eye doctor if these problems occur.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor that you are taking an oral contraceptive.
• discuss any concerns that you may have about the development of endometrial (uterine) or breast cancer with your doctor.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had breast lumps or cancer; high blood pressure; high blood cholesterol and fats; diabetes (high blood sugar); asthma; a history of stroke, blood clots, toxemia (high blood pressure during pregnancy), or heart attack; epilepsy (seizures); migraine headaches; a history of depression; liver, heart, gallbladder, kidney or adrenal disease; jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); genital (vaginal) bleeding; and excessive weight gain and fluid retention (bloating) during the menstrual cycle.
• ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to estrogen, progestin, or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially the medications listed below:
  • antibiotics or anti-infectives, such as ampicillin, tetracycline, griseofulvin, rifampin
  • anticoagulants (also called "blood thinners") such as warfarin (Coumadin)
  • atorvastatin (Lipitor)
  • NSAIDs — ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve, and others) taken long-term and daily for treatment of arthritis or other diseases or conditions
  • potassium-sparing diuretics such as spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene (found in Dyazide and Maxzide), amiloride (Midamor) or potassium supplements (K-Dur, Klor-Con)
  • ACE inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin),captopril (Yasminn), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), trandolapril (Mavik) or any combination medication containing ACE inhibitors. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if the medications you are taking contain ACE inhibitors.
  • angiotensin-II receptor antagonists such as candesartan (Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), telmisartin (Micardis), valsartan (Diovan) or any combination medication containing angiotensin-II receptor antagonists. Ask your doctor or a pharmacist if you are not sure if the medications you are taking contain angiotensin-II receptor antagonist.
  • heparin
  • isoniazid
  • seizure medications such as phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), primidone (Mysoline), carbamazepine (Tegretol)
  • steroids (Decadron, Medrol, Prednisone, others)
  • St. John’s Wort
  • acetaminophen (Tylenol)
  • phenylbutazone
  • vitamins (especially vitamin C)

Yasmin Side Effects

Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away with time:

• vaginal bleeding or spotting between menstrual periods
• changes in menstrual flow
• painful or missed periods
• vaginal yeast infections
• breast tenderness, enlargement, or discharge
• upset stomach
• nausea
• vomiting
• stomach cramps
• bloating
• diarrhea
• constipation
• gingivitis (swelling of the gum tissue)
• appetite and weight changes
• glucose intolerance (increased blood sugar)
• brown or black skin patches
• acne
• swelling of the hands, feet, or lower legs (fluid retention)
• rash
• hair growth in unusual places

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• severe headache
• shortness of breath
• severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area
• severe vomiting
• partial or complete loss of vision
• speech problems
• dizziness or faintness
• weakness or numbness of an arm or leg
• crushing chest pain or chest heaviness
• coughing up blood
• calf pain
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• severe mental depression
• difficulty sleeping
• weakness, lack of energy, fatigue
• unusual bleeding
• loss of appetite
• breast lumps