Published on Apr 22, 2019 and last reviewed on Oct 10, 2019 - 6 min read
Abstract
Yasmin birth control pill is a combination birth control pill. It is made of two female hormones and is used to prevent pregnancy.
Yasmin birth control pill is a combination birth control pill.
It is made of two female hormones and is used to prevent pregnancy.
It is prescribed as a 28-day or 21-day oral contraceptive pill.
It works by inhibiting ovulation.
One tablet has to be taken orally every day at the same time.
Taking this tablet after dinner or during bedtime reduces some side effects.
It will not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like HIV and syphilis.
Smoking increases the risk of heart attacks from the use of combination contraceptive pills.
Yasmin pills are available as 28 or 21 film-coated tablets. The 28 tablets contain:
21 yellow tablets - These are the active pills which contain hormones.
7 white tablets - These 7 tablets are chemically inactive.
The 21 tablets pack do not have the 7 white pills.
The 21 active yellow pills contain two hormones:
Ethinyl Estradiol (Estrogen).
Drospirenone (Progestin).
Both Ethinyl estradiol and Drospirenone are synthetic compounds of female hormones estrogen and progesterone respectively.
The 7 inactive white pills contain:
Lactose monohydrate.
Corn starch.
Povidone.
Magnesium stearate.
Titanium dioxide.
Ferric oxide.
These pills work by:
Preventing the release of an egg, that is ovulation, during the menstrual cycle.
Preventing the sperm from reaching the egg for fertilization by making the vaginal fluid thicker.
Preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall by changing the uterine lining.
It is recommended to start taking the yellow pill either on the first day of the menstrual period or the first Sunday after the periods start. You should take one tablet preferably at the same time daily. The ideal time to take the tablet is after the evening meal or at bedtime
Yasmin 28 - Take yellow pills from day 1 to 21, and from day 22 to 28, take the white pills. Start the new packet on the 29th day, irrespective of whether periods has occurred or is still in progress. You will most likely get your periods any day from day 22 to 28.
Yasmin 21 - Take 1 yellow pill every day for 21 consecutive days, and do not take any pill from day 22 to 28. Start the new packet on the 29th day, irrespective of whether periods has occurred or is still in progress. You will most likely get your periods any day from day 22 to 28.
It is crucial that you take this medicine as prescribed by your gynecologist, and do not even miss a single pill, as the chances of becoming pregnant increases. But in case you missed a pill, read the instruction leaflet that came along the pill.
If you miss one pill, then take the pill as soon as you remember, and take the next day pill at the usual time.
During the first 2 weeks of your cycle, if you miss 2 pills, then take 2 pills as soon as you remember, and take 2 pills the next day. After that, continue taking 1 pill daily till the pack gets over.
If you miss 2 pills in the 3rd week of your cycle or if you miss 3 or more pills at any time, then discard the pill pack and start a new pack the day you remember. You might miss your period that month.
If you miss taking white pills from the pack of 28 pills, dispose of the pill you missed and continue taking 1 pill daily until the pack is empty.
If you do not get periods for two consecutive months, consult your gynecologist. There are chances of pregnancy for 7 days after missing a pill, so use other non-hormonal birth control methods, for example, condoms or spermicide, during that period.
Always read the patient information leaflet carefully before you start using the pills.
Always take the pills on your gynecologist’s recommendations, do not self-medicate.
Chances of pregnancy increases if you miss a pill, start the new packet late, or alter the time you take the pill.
You should ideally get your period on the third day after taking the last yellow pill. If you miss two consecutive periods, consult your doctor.
If this is the first time you are taking the pill, and if you started taking the pill on a Sunday, then for the first 7 days, use other non-hormonal birth control methods. This gives time for the medicine to work.
If you are switching to Yasmin from another birth control pill, then Yasmin should be started on the day you would have started the previous packet of birth control.
If you are switching to Yasmin from an intrauterine device or implant, then Yasmin should be started on the day of removal.
If you vomit after 2 to 3 hours of taking a tablet, then it is considered as a missed pill and you might require additional contraceptive measures.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Breast tenderness.
Weight gain.
Intermenstrual spotting.
Abdominal discomfort.
Bloating.
Nipple discharge.
Increased hair growth.
Darkening of facial skin.
Hormones alter how you contact lenses fit.
Reduced libido.
Vaginal discharge.
Changes in your periods.
Blood clots.
Stroke.
Heart rhythm problems.
Rarely, liver tumors.
Depression.
Gallbladder disease.
Stop taking the pill and get immediate medical attention if you have the symptoms of:
Stroke - sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, slurred speech, sudden headache, and vision problem.
Blood Clot - Stabbing chest pain, shortness of breath, and sudden vision loss.
Allergy - Skin rashes, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, and tongue.
Heart Attack - Chest pain, sweating, nausea, and jaw pain.
Liver Problems - Jaundice, clay-colored stools, itching, dark urine, and loss of appetite.
Hypertension - Severe headache, shoulder and neck pain, and blurred vision.
Yasmin can interact with some of the other medicines you take and can cause unwanted side effects or might prevent the drug from working well. Some of the drugs that can interact with Yasmin are:
Rifampin - Antitubercular drug.
Levothyroxine - Hypothyroid medication.
Phenytoin, Carbamazepine - Antiepileptic drugs.
Clarithromycin, Erythromycin - Antibiotics.
Statins - Cholesterol drugs.
Itraconazole, Fluconazole - Antifungal medicines.
Morphine, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen - Painkillers.
Mycophenolate - Immunosuppressant drug.
Enalapril, Losartan - Antihypertensives.
Tell your doctor if you are using any of these medicines, as you may need additional contraception or it might raise your potassium levels or cause intermenstrual bleeding.
You should avoid taking this medicine in the following conditions:
If you think you are pregnant.
If you smoke.
A history of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack.
If you have heart valve or rhythm problems.
High blood pressure.
History of breast cancer.
Liver, kidney, or adrenal diseases.
If you are depressed.
Combination birth control pills are one of the most effective ways to prevent pregnancy. Yasmin is very effective, and only 1 woman out of 100 women gets pregnant while taking this pill correctly. Take this pill only after consulting your gynecologist. You can consult gynecologists online, as they will help you choose the best birth control method depending on your condition.
Yasmin pills are oral birth control tablets taken by mouth with water. They come in a strip of 21 tablets with markings on the strip.
- Take one tablet each day corresponding to the markings on the strip.
- Take it with or without food as advised by your doctor.
- Take it at the same time every day.
- Do not crush or chew the pill; take it as a whole.
- Make sure the time between two consecutive pills does not exceed 24 hours.
- If you forgot to take the pill and not more than 12 hours have passed, you can take it as soon as you remember and continue the next day’s dose at the usual time.
- If you are taking Yasmin-21 for the first time, take the first pill (yellow pill) on the first day of your period for 21 days. After that, you have pill-free 7 days. Again start the next pack on the 29th day.
- If you are taking Yasmin-28 for the first time, take the first pill (yellow pill) on the first day of your period for 21 days. Continue with the white pill from 22nd to 28th day. Continue with the next pack from the 29th day.
- Otherwise, it is also good to start on the first Sunday after your period starts. This is only to ease your pill schedule.
Yasmin can be started on any day of your menstrual cycle. However, starting on the first day of your period establishes increased effects of contraception. You can start as soon as you get the tablets.
It is always better to take Yasmin on the first day of your period for immediate protection against pregnancy.
Yasmin, taken on the first day of the period, becomes effective immediately. If you start Yasmin any other day apart from the period days or within 2 to 5 days of starting your period, you will have to wait for 7 days for the Yasmin to be fully effective. Meantime you must use other contraceptive barriers to prevent pregnancy.
Yasmin is a reliable combined contraceptive pill consisting of progestin and estrogen. It prevents pregnancy without interrupting your sexual perceptions.
Yasmin prevents ovulation by preventing the release of eggs. It also affects the sperm movement within the womb and makes the uterine wall unsuitable for pregnancy.
Birth control pills are hormone-based, and hence altered levels of hormones in a woman’s body make the breasts swell and enlarge. Such changes are temporary and revert within a few months of drug discontinuation.
According to the manufacturer, Yasmin is more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy in clinical trials, but it is only 92% effective in preventing pregnancy in the real population due to some daily-life conditions like taking other medicines, vomiting, diarrhea, missed pills, etc. Such conditions decrease the efficacy of the pill.
Depression is one of the side effects of Yasmin. Not all taking Yasmin experience depression. How hormone-based birth control pills cause mood changes or depression is unclear. However, if you use birth control pills and experience depression or anxiety, consult your doctor for a change of medicine or other alternative birth control methods.
Skipping the seven pills to be taken from the 22nd to the 28th day and continuing with the next pack of Yasmin-28 pack stops the withdrawal bleeding that occurs after 21 days of Yasmin.
The time taken for getting pregnant is not the same with every woman. It differs. While some conceive after a month of stopping Yasmin, some take 2 to 6 months, and some at least a year.
Mild loss of weight is noted in women taking Yasmin. This is linked to the diuretic-like effect of Yasmin.
Combined hormonal oral contraceptives help reduce the symptoms of endometriosis. They suppress ovulation and keep the woman in a menopause-like state. However, birth control pills high in progestin only solve the purpose.
Last reviewed at:
10 Oct 2019 - 6 min read
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Obstetrics And Gynaecology
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