What are the risks and warnings for Yasmin?
Yasmin can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Cigarette smoking and serious heart problems
Risk factors: Females over 35 years old who smoke cigarettes
If you smoke cigarettes, using combined oral contraceptives (COCs), like Yasmin, raises your risk for serious health problems, such as strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots. Females age 35 years and older who smoke are at even higher risk for these problems. If you smoke, talk with your provider about safer birth control alternatives.
Blood clots and stroke
Risk factors: Females over 35 years old who smoke | Females over 40 years old who don't smoke | Recent surgery with a long period of bed rest | Starting Yasmin less than a month after childbirth | High blood pressure | People identified as obese | Diabetes | Higher dose of estrogen
Yasmin raises your risk of blood clots. These clots can occur anywhere in your body, including your lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE), legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT), brain (stroke), and heart (heart attack). Get emergency help right away if you have any signs of a blood clot:
Brain: weakness or numbness in your arms, legs, or face on one side of the body, trouble speaking, blurred vision, dizziness, loss of balance, trouble walking, or confusion
Eyes: trouble seeing, bulging eye, double vision
Heart: chest pain, sweating, nausea, or dizziness
Lungs: trouble breathing, chest pain, or cough
Legs: cramps, swelling, pain, or muscle tightness
If you need to have surgery, tell your provider you're taking Yasmin. They might have you stop taking it 4 weeks before until 2 weeks after your surgery to lower your risk of blood clots.
Risk of breast and cervical cancer
Risk factors: History of breast cancer | Taking COCs for a long time
Study results are mixed, but there's a possibility that Yasmin and other COCs can raise your risk for breast and cervical cancer.
Don't use Yasmin if you have breast cancer because some types of breast cancer grow faster in the presence of estrogen, an ingredient in this birth control pill. To help with early breast cancer detection, you can do monthly breast self-checks at home and yearly breast exams with your healthcare provider. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any abnormal changes or feel lumps, pain, or swelling in your breasts.
Get medical help right away if you experience abnormal vagin*l bleeding, discharge, or pain during sex, since these could be signs of cervical cancer.
Liver problems
Risk factors: Liver problems or infection in the liver | Taking COCs with 50 mcg of estrogen or higher
Though rare, Yasmin can cause liver problems, such as liver damage and liver tumors. These problems are linked more with earlier formulations of COCs that contained higher levels of estrogen (50 mcg or higher), and less so with Yasmin since it only contains 30 mcg of estrogen. Don't use this medication if you already have liver problems. Call your provider right away if you experience symptoms of liver problems, such as tiredness, stomach pain, or yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes.
High blood pressure
Risk factors: High blood pressure | Older age | Using COCs for a long time
Yasmin and other COCs can raise your blood pressure. Your provider might ask you to check your blood pressure regularly. If you notice your blood pressure is higher while you're taking this medication, contact your provider. If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, Yasmin might not be the best option for you.
High blood sugar and lipids (fats)
Risk factors: Prediabetes or diabetes | Personal or family history of high triglycerides
COCs like Yasmin might raise your blood sugar and triglyceride (fat) levels. In addition, some progesterones could raise LDL levels ("bad" cholesterol). If you have diabetes, let your provider know if you experience any changes in your blood sugar. If your lipids aren't under control, you might need to use a different form of birth control. Make sure to go to all of your check-ups so your provider can monitor any changes.
Headache
Headaches are a common side effect of COCs like Yasmin. But, if you experience a new migraine, a migraine that's worse than normal, or a new headache that keeps coming back or is severe, call your provider so you can be checked out.
Depression
Risk factors: History of depression
Let your provider know if you experience symptoms of depression or worsening depression while taking Yasmin. In cases of serious depression, your provider might have you stop taking it.
Interactions with other medications
Certain medications can make Yasmin get broken down faster in your body, making it less effective (not work as well). This can lead to pregnancy. Some examples include carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin). Use a back-up method or other form of birth control for at least 28 days after stopping any of these medications. Other medications can raise the amount of Yasmin in your body, which can lead to more side effects. Make sure to tell your provider or pharmacist all of your medications so they can make sure they don't interact with Yasmin.
If you have hepatitis C and need to be treated with Viekira Pak (dasabuvir / ombitasvir / paritaprevir / ritonavir), let your provider know right away that you're taking a COC. You'll need to stop Yasmin before starting Viekira Pak because taking them together can cause liver problems. You can start Yasmin again 2 weeks after you stop Viekira Pak.
High potassium
Risk factors: Kidney, liver, or adrenal gland problems | Taking medications that raise potassium levels | Taking medications that raise Yasmin levels
Yasmin contains drospirenone, which can cause high levels of potassium in some people. Taking Yasmin with medications that raise potassium levels like ACE inhibitors, potassium-sparing diuretics, or potassium supplements can put you more at risk. Your provider should monitor your potassium levels during your first cycle of Yasmin and periodically while taking this medication.
Contact your provider if you experience signs of high potassium like nausea, irregular heartbeat, or muscle weakness.
Yasmin dosage forms
The average cost for 3 packages of 28 tablets of 3mg/0.03mg of Yasmin is $140.05 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 30.87% off the average retail price of $202.59.
Package
Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
---|---|---|---|
28 tablets of 3mg/0.03mg | 3 packages | $140.05 | $46.68 |
Typical dosing for Yasmin
Your medication might look different and have slightly different directions depending on which branded generic your provider prescribes. Please take the medication as instructed by your provider. In general:
Yasmin (and its branded generics) comes as a pre-packaged course (28 days) of medication. There are 21 active tablets and they each contain 3 mg drospirenone and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol. There are 7 placebo tablets and they don't contain any active medication.
The typical dose is to take 1 active tablet by mouth daily for 21 days, followed by 1 placebo tablet daily for the remaining 7 days. The tablets must be taken in order as shown on the medication packaging.
Yasmin contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person shouldnot take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditionsor if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Yasmin will not be safe for you to take.
Kidney, liver, or adrenal gland problems
Women over 35 years old who smoke
High risk of blood clots
Blood vessel problems that affect the heart or brain
Abnormal uterine bleeding where the cause have yet to be diagnosed by your provider
History of certain heart conditions
Uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes
Pregnancy
Breast cancer (current or previous) which might be hormone-sensitive
Headaches involving the spinal cord or brain
Migraine headaches with or without aura if over 35 years old
Liver tumor
Current treatment with Viekira Pak (dasabuvir / ombitasvir / paritaprevir / ritonavir)