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What is Yasmin
 Drospirenone
is a form of progesterone and ethinyl estradiol is a form
of estrogen. These are both female hormones involved in conception.
Together, drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol prevent ovulation
(the release of an egg from an ovary) from occurring.
Yasmin
is used to prevent pregnancy.
Yasmin
may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this
medication guide.
General medical information about Yasmin
Yasmin
does not offer protection from sexually transmitted diseases--including
HIV or AIDS. Using a condom is the only way to obtain protection
from these diseases.
Take
one pill every day, no more than 24 hours after the last
dose. Try to take the pills at a time that you will remember
every day--for example, just before bed, with a meal, or
first thing in the morning.
Avoid smoking cigarettes
while taking Yasmin. Smoking greatly increases the risk
of heart attack, stroke, and blood clot.
Some other
medicines may decrease the effectiveness of Yasmin, which
may result in unintended pregnancy. Talk to your doctor
before taking any other medicines while taking Yasmin to
determine if an additional form of birth control may be
needed temporarily.
What you should find out before taking Yasmin
Drospirenone may increase potassium in the body.
The following list of conditions and medications may also
affect potassium levels in the body. Do not take Yasmin
without first talking to your doctor if you have or are
taking:
- liver disease or a history of yellowing
of the skin or eyes due to pregnancy or previous use of
birth control pills;
- kidney disease;
- adrenal
insufficiency;
- a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, others),
naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox, others), and others;
- a potassium-sparing diuretic such as spironolactone
(Aldactone, others), triamterene (Dyrenium, Dyazide, Maxzide,
others), amiloride (Midamor, others), or eplerenone (Inspra);
- a potassium supplement such as Klor-Con, K-Dur,
K-Tab, Kaon, others;
- an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril
(Lotensin), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), enalapril (Vasotec),
and others;
- an angiotensin II receptor antagonist
such as candesartan (Atacand), losartan (Cozaar), telmisartan
(Micardis), and others; or
- heparin.
Also,
do not take Yasmin without first talking to your doctor
if you have
- had a stroke, heart attack, or blood
clot;
- high blood pressure, angina, or heart disease;
- a bleeding or blood-clotting disorder;
-
breast, uterine, or another hormone-related cancer; or
-
undiagnosed, abnormal vaginal bleeding.
Before taking
Yasmin, also tell your doctor if you have diabetes; high
cholesterol; gallbladder disease; migraines or other headaches;
epilepsy; a history of depression; a history of scanty or
irregular menstrual periods; smoke cigarettes; or need an
extended period of bed rest due to surgery or illness.
Yasmin is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that
it has been reported to cause birth defects in an unborn
baby. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can have very serious
negative effects on a developing baby. Do not take Yasmin
if you are pregnant or if you think you might be pregnant.
Yasmin passes into breast milk and may decrease milk
production. Do not take Yasmin without first talking to
your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should take Yasmin Take Yasmin exactly as directed by your doctor. If
you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist,
nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Take the
first pill in a package on the first day of your period
or on the first Sunday after your period begins as directed
by your doctor.
Take one pill every day, no more
than 24 hours after the last dose. Try to take the pills
at a time that you will remember every day.
Taking
the pill at night may reduce noticeable side effects such
as headache or nausea.
If you are on a 28-day cycle,
take one pill every day. When the pack runs out, throw it
away. Begin a new pack the following day. The 28-day cycle
contains seven pills that are placebos (with no active ingredients).
These are "reminder" pills to keep you on a regular
cycle. They are taken while you are menstruating.
Follow your doctor's instructions about using a second form
of birth control when you first start taking Yasmin, when
you are taking other medications, or if you miss a pill.
If you are unsure what to do in any of these cases, talk
to your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor about how to ensure
that you will not become pregnant.
Have yearly physical
exams and examine your breasts for lumps monthly while taking
Yasmin. Your doctor may also want you to have blood tests
to monitor potassium levels in your blood.
Store
Yasmin at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
If you miss a dose: Missing a pill increases the risk of becoming pregnant.
Follow the exact directions on the package information insert
concerning missed doses, it may have slightly different
instructions in the case of missed pills.
If you
do not have a package information insert, call your pharmacist,
doctor, or nurse to find out what to do. In general:
If you miss one yellow "active" pill, take the
dose as soon as you remember or take two pills at the time
of your next regularly scheduled dose. You do not need to
use backup birth control.
If you miss two yellow
"active" tablets in a row in week one or two,
take two tablets each for the next two regularly scheduled
doses (one missed tablet plus one regularly scheduled tablet
for 2 days in a row). Use another form of birth control
for at least 7 days following the missed tablets.
If you miss two yellow "active" tablets in a row
in week three, or if you miss three tablets in a row during
any of the first 3 weeks, throw out the rest of the pack
and start a new package on the same day if you are a Day
1 starter. If you are a Sunday starter, keep taking a pill
every day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw out the rest of
the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day. You
may not have a period that month, but this is expected.
However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call
your doctor because you might be pregnant. You may become
pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills.
You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms
or spermicides) as a back-up for those 7 days.
If
you miss one of the reminder pills in week four, skip that
dose and take the next one as directed.
What happens if you overdose: Consult a doctor, emergency room, or poison control
center for advice if an overdose is suspected.
Symptoms
of an overdose include nausea, vomiting, and menstrual bleeding.
Avoid while taking Yasmin Avoid smoking. Smoking greatly increases the risk
of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot formation.
Yasmin does not offer protection from sexually transmitted
diseases--including HIV or AIDS. Using a condom is the only
way to obtain protection from these diseases.
Possible side effects of Yasmin If you experience any of the following serious side
effects, stop taking Yasmin and seek emergency medical attention
or contact your doctor immediately:
- an allergic
reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling
of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
- sharp
chest pain, coughing of blood or shortness of breath (possible
blood clot in the lung );
- pain in the calf (possible
blood clot in the leg);
- crushing chest pain or
heaviness in the chest (possible heart attack);
-
sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting,
disturbances of vision or speech, weakness, or numbness
in an arm or leg (possible stroke);
- partial or
complete loss of vision (possible clot in the eye);
-
stomach pain or tenderness, yellowing of the skin or eyes,
fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark-colored urine, or
light-colored stools (possible liver problems);
-
difficulty sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue ,
or change in mood (possibly severe depression); or
-
new or changing breast lumps.
Other, less serious
side effects may also occur. Continue to take Yasmin and
talk to your doctor if you experience
- headache
or dizziness;
- changes in menstrual cycle or breast
tenderness;
- changes in weight or appetite;
-
water retention;
- intolerance to contact lenses;
- changes in skin color; or
- changes in blood
sugar.
Side effects other than those listed here
may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect
that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect Yasmin
Drospirenone
may increase potassium in the body. The following list of
medications may also affect potassium levels in the body.
More specific examples of these medicines are listed in the
section entitled "What you should find out before taking Yasmin?". Do not take Yasmin without first
talking to your doctor if you are on daily, long-term treatment
with:
-
a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID);
-
a potassium-sparing diuretic;
- a potassium supplement;
- an ACE inhibitor;
- an angiotensin II receptor
antagonist; or
- heparin.
Many
other drugs may interact with Yasmin. Some interactions (e.g.
with certain antibiotics, protease inhibitors, seizure medications,
St. John's wort, and other medications) may result in decreased
effectiveness of the medication and therefore increase the
risk of unintended pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
before taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medications,
including vitamins and minerals and herbal products. |
