Yasmin 0.03mg/3mg - 63 Tablets (3-month course)

Contraception Doctor Service

Yasmin is a Combined Oral Contraceptive (COC) tablet also called pill ('the Pill') and is used to prevent pregnancy.

Each tablet contains a small amount of two different female hormones, namely ethinylestradiol and drospirenone.

• Contraceptive pills that contain two hormones are called "combination" pills.

These help to stop you from getting pregnant, just as your natural hormones would stop you conceiving again when you are already pregnant.

The COC pill protects you against getting pregnant in three ways:

• Alter the lining of the womb to make it less likely to accept a fertilised egg.
• Stop the ovary from releasing an egg each month (ovulation).
• Also thicken the fluid (at the neck of the womb making it more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg.

Combined contraceptive pills can be prescribed for females who experience painful or irregular menstruation in order to ease the pain and regulate the period.

You can order Yasmin tablets from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. To see if you are suitable for this treatment, complete the online assessment and checkout. Our UK registered doctors will review the order and after approval pass the prescription to the Pharmacy team. We will then dispense and dispatch your order to your chosen address.

• Yasmin is not intended for use in females whose periods have not yet started.
• Yasmin is not intended for use after the menopause.
• This medicine is not recommended for females who have an elevated risk of having thrombosis. 

A good self care guide and information for contraceptives is available on the NHS website.

NHS - Contraception

What Is In Yasmin?

Yasmin contains two synthetic hormones, ethinylestradiol and drospirenone. These are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.

How Does Yasmin Work In Birth Control?

Yasmin works by tricking the body into thinking an egg has been released, by keeping hormone levels high. This prevents an egg being released into the ovaries each month. The hormones also work by thickening the mucus lining of the womb, making it more difficult for sperm to pass through.

How Long After Taking Yasmin Are You Protected?

If you started taking Yasmin on days 1-5 of your period, you will be protected immediately in your next cycle. If you started taking Yasmin after day 5, you should use additional contraception measures for SEVEN DAYS, until Yasmin will offer protection against pregnancy.

Can Yasmin Make You Gain Weight?

One of the side effects of contraceptive pills is that there can be fluctuations of weight. If you find your weight gain is difficult to control, you should speak to your GP about switching pills.

What Are The Side Effects Of The Contraceptive Pill? 

While side effects are usually uncommon and mild in nature, it is best to be aware of any that may occur. Some of the most common side effects include mood swings, headaches nausea, breast tenderness. For a full list of side effects and more information, you can read the Patient Information Leaflet of the medication.

What Are The Advantages Of The Combined Oral Contraceptive?

• Can improve acne symptoms 
• Can reduce the risk of some cancers
• Can reduce menopausal symptoms

What Are The Disadvantages Of The Combined Oral Contraceptive?

• Can increase blood pressure
• Can cause headaches, breast tenderness and mood changes
• Can experience breakthrough bleeding

What Are The Advantages Of Progesterone Only Contraceptives?

• Can be used during breastfeeding
• Reduced likelihood of side effects associated with combined pill
• Can help with premenstrual symptoms

What Are The Disadvantages Of Progesterone Only Contraceptives?

• Can cause periods to be more frequent, or stop altogether
• Can cause irregular periods
• Must be taken at the same time each day

Which Pill Is Right For Me?

Prescribers will take a thorough medical history before choosing the right contraceptive pill for you. For most people, the combined contraceptive pill works best. For those who are over 35, smoke, suffer from migraine or have other risk factors your doctor will look into, the Progesterone-only pill may be more suitable.

Am I Protected Straight Away?

Some pills, if taken correctly, will provide protection immediately, while others take time to provide contraceptive cover. Refer to your patient information leaflet to find out when you are protected on your pill.

Do I Still Need To Use A Condom?

Although you will be covered against pregnancy with the pill, it is always advised to use a condom. This is to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them. If you get any side effects, particularly if severe and persistent, or have any change to your health that you think may be due to Yasmin, please talk to your doctor.

An increased risk of blood clots in your arteries is present for all women taking combined hormonal contraceptives.

The following is a list of the side effects that have been linked with the use of Yasmin:

Serious side effects – See your doctor straight away

• Signs of a severe allergic reaction to Yasmin: - swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat
• Signs of breast cancer include: - dimpling of the skin, changes in the nipple, any lumps you can see or feel.
• Signs of cancer of the cervix include:
  - vaginal discharge that smells and/or contains blood
  - unusual vaginal bleeding
  - pelvic pain
  - painful sex
• Signs of severe liver problems include:
  - severe pain in your upper abdomen
  - yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)
  - inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
  - your whole body starts itching

If you think you may have any of these, see a doctor straight away. You may need to stop
taking Yasmin.

Common side effects (between 1 and 10 in every 100 users may be affected):

• depressive mood
• headache, migraine
• nausea
• breast pain, breast tenderness, menstrual disorders, bleeding between periods, thick whitish vaginal discharge, vaginal yeast infection

Uncommon side effects (between 1 and 10 in every 1,000 users may be affected):

• breast enlargement
• altered interest in sex
• high blood pressure, low blood pressure
• vomiting, diarrhoea
• acne, severe itching, skin rash, hair loss (alopecia)
• vaginal infection
• fluid retention
• body weight changes

For a full list of side effects, read the Patient Information Leaflet.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, our Rightdose pharmacists or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.

You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Patient Information Leaflet Yasmin 0.03mg/3mg Film-coated Tablets

Other medicines and Yasmin

Always tell your doctor which medicines or herbal products you are already using. Also tell any other doctor or dentist who prescribes another medicine (or the pharmacist) that you take Yasmin. They can tell you if you need to take additional contraceptive precautions (for example condoms) and if so, for how long, or, whether the use of another medicine you need must be changed.

Some medicines
- can have an influence on the blood levels of Yasmin
- can make it less effective in preventing pregnancy
- can cause unexpected bleeding

These include medicines used for the treatment of

• epilepsy (e.g. primidone, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine)
• tuberculosis (e.g. rifampicin)
• HIV and Hepatitis C Virus infections (so-called protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as ritonavir, nevirapine, efavirenz
• fungal infections (griseofulvin, ketoconazole)
• arthritis, arthrosis (etoricoxib)
• high blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs (bosentan)
• the herbal remedy St. John’s wort

Yasmin may influence the effect of other medicines, e.g.:

• medicines containing ciclosporin
• the anti-epileptic lamotrigine (this could lead to an increased frequency of seizures)
• theophylline (used to treat breathing problems)
• tizanidine (used to treat muscle pain and/or muscle cramps).

Do not use Yasmin if you have hepatitis C and are taking the medicinal products containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir as this may cause increases in liver function blood test results (increase in ALT liver enzyme). Your doctor will prescribe another type of contraceptive prior to the start of the treatment with these medicinal products. Yasmin can be restarted approximately 2 weeks after completion of this treatment.

Laboratory tests
If you need a blood test, tell your doctor or the laboratory staff that you are taking the pill, because
hormonal contraceptives can affect the results of some tests.

Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you must not take Yasmin. If you become pregnant while taking Yasmin you must
stop taking it immediately and contact your doctor. If you want to become pregnant, you can stop taking
Yasmin at any time (see also page 15 “If you stop taking Yasmin”).
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.

Breastfeeding
Use of Yasmin is generally not advisable when a woman is breastfeeding. If you want to take the pill while you are breastfeeding you should contact your doctor. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.

Driving and using machines
There is no information suggesting that use of Yasmin affects driving or the use of machines.

Yasmin with food and drink
Yasmin may be taken with or without food, if necessary with a small amount of water.

Yasmin contains lactose
If you cannot tolerate certain sugars, contact your doctor before you take Yasmin.

How to store Yasmin

• Do not store above 30 °C. Store in the original package.
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the packaging after “Do not use after:” or
  “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Before using any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Yasmin tablet is for oral use only.

How To Take Yasmin

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Yasmin comes in strips of 21 pills, each marked with a day of the week.

• Swallow one tablet per daywith water for 21 days. Do not chew the pill. Take your pill at the same time every day.
• Start by taking a pill marked with the correct day of the week. Follow the direction of the arrows on the strip. Take one pill each day, until you have finished all 21 pills.
• Then have seven pill-free days. After you have taken all 21 pills in the strip, you have seven days when you take no pills. So, if you take the last pill of one pack on a Friday, you will take the first pill of your next pack on the Saturday of the following week.

Within a few days of taking the last pill from the strip, you should have a withdrawal bleed like a period. This usually starts on the 2nd or 3rd day after the last tablet of Yasmin. This bleed may not have finished when it is time to start your next strip of pills.

You don’t need to use extra contraception during these seven pill-free days – as long as you have taken your pills correctly and start the next strip of pills on time

Then start your next strip

Start the following strip after the last day of the seven pill-free days, whether your bleeding has stopped or not. Always start the new strip on time.

When can you start with the first strip?

If you have not used a contraceptive with hormones in the previous month.

Begin with Yasmin on the first day of your cycle (that is, the first day of your period). If you start Yasmin on the first day of your period you are immediately protected against pregnancy.

You may also begin on day 2-5 of the cycle, but then you must use extra protective measures (for example, a condom) for the first 7 days.

After a miscarriage or abortion

If you have had a miscarriage or abortion during the first three months of pregnancy, your doctor may tell you to start taking Yasmin straight away. This means that you will have contraceptive protection with your first pill.

After having a baby

You can start taking Yasmin between 21 and 28 days after having a baby. If you start later than day 28, use a so-called barrier method (for example, a condom) during the first seven days of taking Yasmin. If, after having a baby, you have had sex before starting Yasmin (again), you must first be sure that you are not pregnant or wait until your next period.

If you are breastfeeding and want to start Yasmin after having a baby

If you want to take the pill while you are breastfeeding you should contact your doctor. Use of Yasmin is generally not advisable when a woman is breastfeeding.

If you take more Yasmin than you should

There are no reports of serious harmful results of taking too many Yasmin tablets. If you take several tablets at once then you may have symptoms of nausea or vomiting. Young girls may have bleeding from the vagina. If you have taken too many Yasmin tablets, or you discover that a child has taken some, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

If you miss one pill and are less than 12 hours late then your protection from pregnancy will not be reduced. You should take the missed tablet as soon as you remember even if it means taking two in one day. Take the following pills at your usual time.

If you are more than 12 hours late taking your pill, your protection from pregnancy may be reduced. Continue to take your pill as normal but you should avoid unprotected sex for 7 days. If you have already had unprotected sex (after your missed pill), you will need to use emergency contraception.

If you miss a pill and your strip ends within the next six days, you should skip your usual 7-day break and continue with the next strip of pills.

If you want to stop taking Yasmin

You can stop taking Yasmin whenever you want. If you do not want to become pregnant, ask your doctor for advice about other reliable methods of birth control.

If you want to become pregnant, stop taking Yasmin and wait for a menstrual period before trying to become pregnant. You will be able to calculate the expected delivery date more easily.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Do not use Yasmin

You should not use Yasmin if you have any of the conditions listed below. If you do have any of the conditions listed below, you must tell your doctor. Your doctor will discuss with you what other form of birth control would be more appropriate.

• if you have any of the following diseases that may increase your risk of a clot in the arteries;
• if you have (or have ever had) angina pectoris (a condition that causes severe chest pain and may be a first sign of a heart attack) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA – temporary stroke symptoms);
• if you have ever had a heart attack or stroke;
• if you need an operation or if you are off your feet for a long time;
• if you know you have a disorder affecting your blood clotting – for instance, protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, antithrombin-III deficiency, Factor V Leiden or antiphospholipid antibodies;
• if you have (or have ever had) a blood clot in a blood vessel of your leg (deep vein thrombosis, DVT), your lungs (pulmonary embolus, PE) or other organs;
• severe diabetes with blood vessel damage
• very high blood pressure
• a very high level of fat in the blood (cholesterol or triglycerides) a condition known as hyperhomocysteinaemia
• if you have (or have ever had) a type of migraine called ‘migraine with aura’;
• if you have (or have ever had) liver disease and your liver function is still not normal
• if your kidneys are not working well (renal failure)
• if you have (or have ever had) had a tumour in the liver
• if you have (or have ever had) or if you are suspected of having breast cancer or cancer of the genital organs
• if you have any unexplained bleeding from the vagina
• if you are allergic to ethinylestradiol or drospirenone, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine. This may cause itching, rash or swelling.

Do not use Yasmin if you have hepatitis C and are taking the medicinal products containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor if any of the following conditions apply to you.

In some situations you need to take special care while using Yasmin or any other combination pill, and your doctor may need to examine you regularly. If any of the following conditions apply to you, tell your doctor before starting to use Yasmin.

If the condition develops, or gets worse while you are using Yasmin, you should also tell your doctor.

If you have:

• if a close relative has or has ever had breast cancer;
• if you have a disease of the liver or the gallbladder;
• if you have diabetes;
• if you have depression;
• if you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease);
• if you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS –a disorder of blood clotting causing failure of the kidneys);
• if you have sickle cell anaemia (an inherited disease of the red blood cells);
• if you have elevated levels of fat in the blood (hypertriglyceridaemia) or a positive family history for this condition. Hypertriglyceridaemia has been associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
• if you need an operation, or you are off your feet for a long time;
• if you have just given birth you are at an increased risk of blood clots. You should ask your doctor how soon after delivery you can start taking Yasmin;
• if you have an inflammation in the veins under the skin (superficial thrombophlebitis);
• if you have varicose veins;
• if you have epilepsy;
• if you have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE - a disease affecting your natural defence system);
• if you have a disease that first appeared during pregnancy or earlier use of sex hormones (for example, hearing loss, a blood disease called porphyria, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), itching of the whole body (pruritis), skin rash with blisters during pregnancy (gestational herpes), a nerve disease causing sudden movements of the body (Sydenham’s chorea))
• if you have ever had a discolouration of the skin especially on the face or neck known as “pregnancy patches” (chloasma). If so, avoid direct sunlight or ultraviolet light.
• if you have hereditary angioedema, products containing oestrogens may cause or worsen the symptoms. You should see your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms of angioedema such as swollen face, tongue and/or throat and/or difficulty swallowing or hives together with difficulty breathing.

Blood Clots

Using a combined hormonal contraceptive such as Yasmin increases your risk of developing a blood clot
compared with not using one. In rare cases a blood clot can block vessels and cause serious problems.

Blood clots can develop

• in veins (referred to as a ‘venous thrombosis’, ‘venous thromboembolism’ or VTE);
• in the arteries (referred to as an ‘arterial thrombosis’, ‘arterial thromboembolism’ or ATE);

What Yasmin contains

The active substances are drospirenone and ethinylestradiol. Each active tablet contains 0.030 milligrams ethinylestradiol and 3 milligrams drospirenone.

The other ingredients in the active tablets are lactose monohydrate, maize starch, pregelatinised maize starch, povidone K25, magnesium stearate (E470b), hypromellose (E464), macrogol 6000, talc (E553b), titanium dioxide (E171) and iron oxide yellow (E172).

What Yasmin looks like and content of the pack

Yasmin tablets are film-coated tablets; the core of the tablet is coated. The tablets are light yellow, round with convex surfaces; one side is marked with the letters "DO" in a regular hexagon.

Yasmin is available in packs of 1, 3, and 6 blisters each with 21 tablets.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.