Yasmin (also known as the combination of medications drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) stands for an orally taken contraceptive medicine (also called as birth regulating pills) that is applied only by women in order to prevent unplanned pregnancy. Basically referred to oral contraceptive means Yasmin pills contain such components as progestin and estrogen. The peculiarity of this drug is in its oral intake and the daily use - a woman should swallow one pill every day, preferably at the exactly same time. Some of the severest adverse reactions of this birth regulating pill are pain in breasts, nausea and headaches.
The several clinical trials proved the high efficacy of Yasmin as a birth regulating pill. In a nutshell, during the trail only one patient out of 100 women who took this medication as it was recommended became pregnant. Yasmin is more efficient if to compare this medication with any other preparation or method used for contraception. To compare efficacy of Yasmin with other birth regulating pills, look at the statistics, about 14 percent of women whose partners are using condoms get pregnant.
It is essential to use these pills exactly as your gynecologist prescribed. Never use more pills per day than recommended and do not forget to use these pills on a daily basis. Thoroughly read and follow all instructions from Yasmin's label.
You can recognize brand Yasmin pills by their manufacturer - Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. Right now it is also legal to release the generic versions of this preparation. You can buy generic Yasmin offered under such titles as Syeda, Ocella or Zarah.
Brand medication under the title Yasmin is sold only in a single strength where one yellow pill (one pack has 21 active yellow bars and 7 inactive white tabs) contains 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone. White Yasmin pills have only inactive components.
You need to store these tablets only in their authentic package since it was designed to prompt how to take these oral contraceptive tabs day by day. Please, make sure Yasmin tabs are stored only at room temperature, they are safe from moisture or heat. Also store these birth regulating pills in a place where children can't reach them.
Nowadays the contemporary medicine can offer few diverse birth regulating methods including orally taken pills for preventing pregnancy like Yasmin. Each of these methods has its pros and cons, not every method can be applied by every woman. To the most well known and allowed as efficient ones birth regulating methods are referred:
Surgical sterilization for women also called by specialists as tubal ligation (when "tubes are getting tied") or a procedure for men known as vasectomy
Withdrawal method is when a penis is removed/withdrawn from a vagina prior to ejaculation
Progestin-only contraceptive methods are: the so-called "mini-pills", implants and injections
Periodic abstinence (also called as a natural family planning, a.k.a. the rhythm method) when partners having sex during period of the fertile phase of a woman's menstrual cycle
Spermicides are widely applied and they are: jellies, foams, suppositories, inserts and gels
Barrier contraceptives are also quite popular and they include: cervical caps, diaphragms, condoms and some other methods physically blocking the uterus from the sperm during ejaculation
Combined hormonal contraceptives are methods for preventing pregnancy that contain progestin along with estrogen. They are mostly: rings, patches and the majority of oral birth regulating pills
Intrauterine devices (shortly called as IUDs) stand for devices implanted to a female body for effective and reversible prevention of pregnancy
Yasmin use
Most birth regulating pills can be referred to more than one category of medications, For instance, if we take the popular Today sponge we'll see it can work equally good as a spermicide and a barrier contraceptive. The same is referred to Yasmin pills that equally effectively serve as a combined hormonal contraceptive (since it contains such ingredients as estrogen (a.k.a. ethinyl estradiol) and drospirenone (also known as progestin). The health advantages of Yasmin as a combined hormonal contraceptive are:
High efficacy and easy-to-follow intake
Menstrual bleedings are getting lighter and more regular
Less pain during menstruation
Less risk of having endometrial (the lining of the uterus is affected) or ovarian type of cancer
But despite all mentioned benefits not all women can use pills, patches or rings referred to combined hormonal contraceptives since these medications can significantly enhance the risk of blood clots formation and some other health problems. Like almost any other type of a contraceptive method, this type of birth regulating has to be applied equally properly and regularly.
Please, carefully consider the fact that Yasmin pills won't be able to save you from HIV/AIDS or any other STD (sexually transmitted disease). If you are not sure in your partner's sexual health it is better to apply condoms in addition to the intake of Yasmin pills.
Indications for Yasmin's use in children and teenagers
FDA allowed using Yasmin pills in female teenagers of reproductive age. This fact denotes that children and teenagers who have not yet their first menstruation can't use Yasmin orally taken pills.
Non-allowed by FDA indications
Yasmin FDA
In certain cases, your therapist or gynecologist may advise using these particular birth regulating pills for other purposes than contraception. In such way, you start using Yasmin for its off-label use, i.e. for the use not allowed by the FDA. Nowadays it is legal but not yet allowed to take these birth regulating pills for treating such conditions as:
You are to use Yasmin pills as recommended in a leaflet - one pill at the exactly same time once per day. If you fail in using these pills as prescribed in such way prepare for facing the risk of getting pregnant.
The blister pack of Yasmin was designed to help a patient in using this medication with maximal efficacy. If you missed to use a single pill, you are to take it as soon as you remember about it.
If you are a gynecologist, you need to instruct your patient on applying Yasmin pills whether on the first day of a menstrual period or on the first Sunday after the onset a menstrual cycle. Both ways of Yasmin's start are described below.
How to start using Yasmin on the first day?
If to start using Yasmin pills according to the first day of menstruation, you are to use one yellow pill from a package day by day at exactly same time - during 21 consecutive days and then on the 22nd day a woman should start using white Yasmin pills until the 28th day. It is strongly recommended to use these birth regulating pills as prescribed on a strict daily schedule and use them every evening after taking a meal or before night sleep. Note that you can apply Yasmin without any regards to food intake.
If you start using Yasmin later than on the first day of your menstrual period then consider the fact it will start to reveal its contraceptive effect only after a week of regular intake. Do not forget to use any other birth regulating method except hormonal contraceptives if you were late in using Yasmin from the first day of your menstruation.
How to start using Yasmin on Sunday?
Yasmin treatment can be initiated on the first Sunday after the onset of a menstrual cycle if you were late to start using these pills on the first day of menstruation. The rules are the same - at first take all 21 yellow tabs (every day - one pill at the exactly same time) and then from the 22nd day till the 28th day use 7 white pills (one per day).
Yasmin 21 yellow pills
The next cycle of Yasmin's package of 28 pills should be started on the same day of the week when was started the first 28-day regime with the exactly same schedule. The first yellow pill of the new package should be taken after 24 hours after the intake of the last white pills from the previous Yasmin package. If you forgot to use pills when recommended you are to use additional contraceptives (non-hormonal ones).
Dosage strengths and types of Yasmin pills
Being the combination of two active components - ethinyl estradiol/ EE (estrogen) and drospirenone/ DRSP (progesterone) - these orally taken contraceptive pills are offered in specially designed blister packs. Each Yasmin package is made of a specially designed blister pack with 28 bars (21 yellow and 7 white film-coated pills). All pills are round and bi-convex with the following strengths:
21 yellow pills (where each has 3mg of DRSP and 0.03 mg EE) are imprinted with DO in a hexagon on the front side;
7 white pills (having no active components, inert) that are imprinted with DP in a hexagon on the front side.
Like most preparations applied for birth regulating Yasmin pills have their precautions and warnings to follow during their intake. Appeal you therapist or gynecologist if you suffer from any of these conditions before starting to swallow these pills on a regular basis:
Yasmin warnings
Any kind of liver insufficiency like failure, hepatitis, tumors or cirrhosis
Do not forget to tell your therapist about all medications you are currently taking or have recently ceased using before starting to apply Yasmin pills - including herbal supplements and vitamins - to prevent any kind of drug interactions that may alter the efficacy of Yasmin pills.
Special precautions and warnings referred to Yasmin pills
Before applying Yasmin yellow or white pills please consider the following special instructions you are to follow to prevent negative consequences for your health:
Do not use any preparations containing DSPR or EE that can enhance potassium levels in your body. Never use Yasmin pills with any kind of potassium containing bars.
Bear in mind that Yasmin just like any other tabs won't save you from HIV/AIDS or any other STD like syphilis or gonorrhea. It is strongly recommended to apply condoms prior to using Yasmin pills.
Do not apply these pills in a case you are a hardcore smoker (especially if your age is over 35 years) or a have a stroke/chest pain history since you are in a risk group for getting a blood clotting disorder and Yasmin can only worsen you chances against this kind of disorder. The studies have proved that DSPR in Yasmin is more likely to cause blood clots than levonorgestrel used in many other oral combined hormonal contraceptives.
Yasmin can also enhance the risk of getting cervical, endometrial or breast cancer, enhance the risk of the development of liver tumors. Also, note that such oral contraceptives can also serve as a saveive measure against uterine and ovarian cancer.
Beware: Yasmin can negatively affect women suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or having gallbladder disorders. This medication can also enhance the levels of sugar in blood in women suffering from diabetes. Appeal your therapist if you have any vision changes - this may be a sign of blood clot in an eye triggered by the Yasmin intake.
All combined hormone contraceptives especially DSPR can cause severe menstrual bleeding changes. If you experienced bleeding between periods or did not have your period (unless you are pregnant) please immediately appeal to a gynecologist.
If you have depression, Yasmin can worsen your mental state.
Please, appeal your therapist if you use contact lenses before starting to apply Yasmin since this medication can severely enhance eye disorders.
Yasmin and pregnancy
Yasmin and pregnancy/lactation
The FDA pregnancy categorized Yasmin pills to the most dangerous X category meaning that under any circumstances pregnant women are to use this oral contraceptive if they are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Usually combined hormonal contraceptives do not pass to a baby through breast milk. But if you are planning to breast-fed when using Yasmin please appeal your therapist at first. In the most cases Yasmin and similar birth regulating methods are not advised to be used during lactation.
Who can't apply Yasmin tabs?
It will be prohibited for you to use these pills if you have:
An allergy (hypersensitivity) to any compounds of Yasmin (like DSPR or EE)
Migraines with "aura"
Diabetes form that affected severely your kidneys, eyes or blood vessels
Any kind of liver, kidney or adrenal insufficiency
A major surgery that will immobilize you for few days
A breast cancer or a history of breast/endometrial cancer
A history of a stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack)
Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding
Any kind of blood clotting or heart valves related disorder
High blood pressure
Jaundice
Tumors in liver or kidneys
Been diagnosed pregnant
Been a hardcore smoker (i.e. you usually smoke more than 15 cigarettes per day)
Immediately cease using Yasmin pills and ask a medical emergency if you suffer from an allergic reaction to this drug's components (symptoms: hives; difficulties with breathing; swelling of facial parts or throat) or have experienced one of severe adverse reactions triggered by the use of these birth regulating pills. The most frequent and severe by-effects of Yasmin include:
Yasmin side effects
Unexpected and severe migraines or headaches including problems with vision, balance or speech
Sleep deprivation, changes in mood, weakness and other signs of depressive state
Bayer Healthcare is a manufacturer of Yasmin and Yaz birth regulating tabs applied as COCs - combined oral contraceptives with estrogen and progestin as the main active ingredients preventing unplanned pregnancy in women. The successfully tested combination of these two hormones used in Yasmin blocks ovulation processes, slows down fertilization and in such way makes it hard for a woman to get pregnant. The FDA allowed Yasmin for sale in 2001 and its derivative Yaz got an approval in 2006.
Being a combined oral contraceptive Yasmin like any other birth regulating tablet is based on estrogen and progestin hormones. These pills work pretty much the same - they block the processes of ovulation (when female eggs release from the ovaries making a fertile environment). In order to prevent pregnancy Yasmin also changes the cervical mucus (the cervix's discharge) providing sperm's inability to mix with it to enter the uterus. Moreover, the lining of the uterus is also altered by Yasmin to turn it to be less receptive to the development of an embryo.
DSPR also provides the anti-androgenic effect by working against male hormones like testosterone. In such way Yasmin is various than other similar pills where progesterone as the active component is not related like DSPR to spironolactone - more known as a "water pill" or diuretic. Females who have severe acne problems get used of them due to the intake of Yasmin because of this unique effect.
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals is a licensed manufacturer of brand Yasmin pills applied as an orally taken contraceptive. But generic titles of Yasmin are also legal for sale. Being less expensive and in the most cases not covered by insurance companies (just like brand Yasmin) they can serve a great alternative for you if you intend to save money.
Generic Yasmin
Titles of generic versions
You can find Yasmin generic versions under such well-known titles as Ocella, Zarah and Syeda (sometimes Yaz is also considered the generic version of Yasmin). Despite their generic status these drugs work pretty much the same as Yasmin birth regulating pills. These names were given to generics to prevent confusion of new medications with similar active formulas and long titles but offered at different strengths.
Yasmin vs Ocella and Zarah: compare efficacy
Despite their different strengths and cheaper prices all generics undergo the same tests as brand medications. The FDA (a.k.a. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) after checking the clinical tests makes a decision whether to consider tested generics equivalent to the brand-title preparation. Each generic gets a rating. For example, an "AB" rating denotes that a generic medicine is equal to its brand-title "parent" medication. All generics of Yasmin - Ocella, Zarah and Syeda - have a rating "AB" denoting they are equal by efficacy results to Yasmin pills.
Note that Yasmin's generics may contain different inactive ingredients than the authentic brand-title oral contraceptive. These ingredients may cause allergic reactions or additional side effects so it is recommended to read the leaflet with precautions for every Yasmin's generic prior to using it.
