Yasmin Tablets

• Do not use Yasmin if you are pregnant or if you have recently had a baby.
• You should not take Yasmin if you have any of the following conditions: uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, a blood-clotting disorder, circulation problems, diabetic problems with your eyes or kidneys, unusual vaginal bleeding, liver disease or liver cancer, severe migraine headaches, if you smoke and are over 35, or if you have ever had breast or uterine cancer, jaundice caused by birth control pills, a heart attack, a stroke, or a blood clot.
• Taking Yasmin can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack, especially if you have certain other conditions, or if you are overweight.
• Smoking can greatly increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. You should not take Yasmin if you smoke and are over 35 years old.

Before taking Yasmin

Taking Yasmin can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. You are even more at risk if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or if you are overweight. Your risk of stroke or blood clot is highest during your first year of taking birth control pills. Your risk is also high when you restart Yasmin after not taking them for 4 weeks or longer.

Smoking can greatly increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. Your risk increases the older you are and the more you smoke. You should not take combination birth control pills if you smoke and are over 35 years old.

Do not use if you are pregnant. Stop taking Yasmin and tell your doctor if you become pregnant, or if you miss two menstrual periods in a row. If you have recently had a baby, wait at least 4 weeks before taking Yasmin.

You should not take Yasmin if you have:

• untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure;
• heart disease (coronary artery disease, uncontrolled heart valve disorder, history of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot);
• a blood-clotting disorder or circulation problems;
• problems with your eyes, kidneys or circulation caused by diabetes;
• a history of hormone-related cancer such as breast or uterine cancer;
• unusual vaginal bleeding that has not been checked by a doctor;
• liver disease, liver cancer, history of jaundice caused by pregnancy or birth control pills; or
• severe migraine headaches (with aura, numbness, weakness, or vision changes), especially if you are older than 35.

To make sure Yasmin are safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• high blood pressure, varicose veins;
• high cholesterol or triglycerides, or if you are overweight;
• an electrolyte imbalance (such as high levels of potassium in your blood);
• a history of depression;
• diabetes, underactive thyroid, gallbladder disease;
• seizures or epilepsy;
• tuberculosis; or
• a history of fibrocystic breast disease, lumps, nodules, or an abnormal mammogram.

The hormones in Yasmin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Yasmin may also slow breast milk production. Do not use if you are breast feeding.

How should I take Yasmin?

• Take Yasmin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. You will take your first pill on the first day of your period or on the first Sunday after your period begins. You may need to use back-up birth control, such as condoms or a spermicide, when you first start using Yasmin. Follow your doctor's instructions.
• The correct way to take the pill is to take one pill every day at the same time in the order directed on the package. Preferably, take the pill after the evening meal or at bedtime, with some liquid, as needed. Yasmin can be taken without regard to meals.
• When the pills run out, start a new pack the following day. You may get pregnant if you do not take one pill daily. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of pills completely.
• Yasmin packs contain 21 yellow pills (with hormones) and seven white "reminder" pills. The reminder pills give you a break from the hormone pills and keep you on your regular cycle. Your period will usually begin while you are using the white reminder pills.
• You may have breakthrough bleeding, especially during the first 3 months. Tell your doctor if this bleeding continues or is very heavy.
• Use a back-up birth control if you are sick with severe vomiting or diarrhoea.
• If you need surgery or medical tests or if you will be on bed rest, you may need to stop using Yasmin for a short time. Any doctor or surgeon who treats you should know that you are using birth control pills.
• While taking birth control pills, you will need to visit your doctor regularly.
• Store Yasmin at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Follow the patient instructions provided with your medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand these instructions. Missing a pill increases your risk of becoming pregnant.
• If you miss one active pill, take two pills on the day that you remember. Then take one pill per day for the rest of the pack.
• If you miss two active pills in a row in Week 1 or 2, take two pills per day for two days in a row. Then take one pill per day for the rest of the pack. Use back-up birth control for at least 7 days following the missed pills.
• If you miss two active pills in a row in Week 3, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack 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 that day.
• If you miss three active pills in a row in Week 1, 2, or 3, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack 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 that day.
• If you miss two or more pills, you may not have a period during the month. If you miss a period for two months in a row, call your doctor because you might be pregnant.
• If you miss a reminder pill, throw it away and keep taking one reminder pill per day until the pack is empty. You do not need back-up birth control if you miss a reminder pill.

What should I avoid while taking Yasmin?

• Do not smoke while taking Yasmin, especially if you are older than 35 years of age.
• Yasmin will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases - including HIV and AIDS. Using a condom is the only way to protect yourself from these diseases.

Yasmin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Yasmin: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Yasmin and call your doctor at once if you have:

• signs of a stroke - sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
• signs of a blood clot - chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, coughing up blood, swelling or warmth in one or both legs;
• heart attack symptoms - chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;
• liver problems - severe stomach pain, fever, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• a change in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches;
• swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet;
• a breast lump; or
• symptoms of depression - sleep problems, weakness, tired feeling, mood changes.

Common Yasmin side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting;
• breast tenderness;
• headache, mood changes, feeling tired or irritable;
• weight gain; or
• changes in your menstrual periods, decreased sex drive.

What other drugs will affect Yasmin?

Many drugs can interact with birth control pills and make them less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Ethinyl estradiol can also affect blood levels of certain other drugs, making them less effective or increasing side effects. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

References:

http://www.drugs.com/yasmin.html

http://www.medicines.ie/medicine/2135/SPC/Yasmin+0.03+mg+3mg+film-coated+tablets/

http://www.rxlist.com/yasmin-drug.htm

http://patient.info/leaflets/yasmin.htm

http://patient.info/medicine/combined-hormonal-contraceptives

http://www.drugs.com/uk/yasmin-tablets-leaflet.html