THE PREPARATION DESCRIPTION IS NOT INTENDED FOR
MEDICATION WITHOUT PARTICIPATION OF THE DOCTOR!
What is it used for?
Preventing pregnancy. It is also used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) or certain types of acne in women who are using Yasmin for birth control. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
Contraindications and cautions:
You must not use YASMIN if:
• you have, or have ever had a disorder affecting the blood circulation. In particular, those conditions relating to thrombosis. Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot. This may occur in the blood vessels of the legs (deep vein thrombosis), the lungs (pulmonary embolism), the heart (heart attack), the brain (stroke), or other parts of the body
• you have or have had a stroke (caused by a blood clot or a rupture of a blood vessel in the brain)
• you have or have ever had a condition that may be a first sign of a heart attack (such as angina pectoris or chest pain) or stroke (such as transient ischaemic attack or small reversible stroke)
• you have or have had a pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas) associated with high levels of fatty substances in your blood
• you have diabetes mellitus with blood vessel damage
• you or someone in your immediate family have or have had high blood levels of cholesterol or triglycerides (fatty substances)
• you have jaundice (yellowing of the skin) or severe liver disease
• you have or have had cancer of the breast or the genital organs
• you have a severe kidney insufficiency or an acute failure of your kidney
• you have or have had a benign or malignant liver tumour
• you have a history of migraine accompanied by e.g. visual symptoms, speech disability, or weakness or numbness in any part of your body
• you have any unexplained vaginal bleeding
• you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant
• you are allergic to any of the ingredients of YASMIN
You should tell your doctor if:
• you smoke
• you have diabetes
• you are overweight
• you have high blood pressure
• you have a heart valve disorder or a certain heart rhythm disorder
• you have an inflammation of your veins (superficial phlebitis)
• you have varicose veins
• anyone in your immediate family has had thrombosis, a heart attack or a stroke
• you suffer from migraine
• you suffer from epilepsy
• anyone in your immediate family has had breast cancer
• you have liver, kidney or gallbladder disease
• you have an increased potassium blood level (e.g. due to problems with your kidneys) and additionally use a diuretic or other medicine that may increase the potassium in your blood (ask your doctor)
• you or someone in your immediate family has or has had high blood levels of cholesterol or triglycerides (fatty substances)
• you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease)
• you have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; a disease affecting the skin all over the body)
• you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS; a disorder of blood coagulation causing failure of the kidneys)
• you have sickle cell disease
• you have a condition that occurred for the first time or worsened during pregnancy or previous use of sex hormones (e.g. hearing loss, a metabolic disease called porphyria, a skin disease called herpes gestationis, a neurological disease called Sydenham's chorea)
• you have or have had chloasma (yellowish-brown pigmentation patches on the skin, particularly of the face); if so, avoid too much exposure to the sun or ultraviolet radiation
Side effects:
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Breast tenderness; bleeding or spotting between menstrual periods; nausea; stomach cramps or bloating; vomiting; weight gain.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); breast lump or discharge; calf or leg pain, swelling, or tenderness; change in the amount of urine produced; chest pain or heaviness; confusion; coughing of blood; fainting; irregular heartbeat; left-sided jaw, neck, shoulder, or arm pain; mental or mood changes (eg, depression); migraines; missed menstrual period; numbness of an arm or leg; one-sided weakness; persistent, severe, or recurring headache or dizziness; persistent vaginal spotting; severe or persistent trouble sleeping; severe stomach pain or tenderness; shortness of breath; slurred speech; sudden severe vomiting; swelling of the fingers, hands, legs, or ankles; symptoms of liver problems (eg, yellowing of the skin or eyes, fever, dark urine, pale stools, loss of appetite); unusual or severe vaginal bleeding; unusual tiredness or weakness; vaginal irritation or discharge; vision changes (eg, sudden vision loss, double vision).
Interactions: Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some oral medicines may stop YASMIN from working properly. These include medicines used for the treatment of epilepsy (e.g. primidone, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, felbamate) and tuberculosis (e.g. rifampicin, rifabutin); and antibiotics (e.g. ampicillin, tetracyclines, griseofulvin) for some other infectious diseases; and the herbal remedy St. John's wort (primarily used for the treatment of depressive moods). Some medicines (e.g. ketoconazole, erythromycin, cyclosporin) may inhibit the metabolism of YASMIN. The Pill may also interfere with the working of other medicines. Always tell the doctor who prescribes YASMIN which medicines you are already using. Also tell any other doctor or dentist who prescribes another medicine (or the dispensing pharmacist) that you use YASMIN. They can tell you if you need to take additional contraceptive precautions and if so, for how long.
There is a theoretical potential for an increase in serum potassium if you are taking YASMIN with other medicines that may increase serum potassium levels. Such drugs include ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-II-receptor antagonists, certain anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. indomethacin), diuretics that may increase the potassium in your blood, and aldosterone antagonists. However, in a study in women taking drospirenone together with an ACE inhibitor, no significant difference in the potassium blood level could be observed compared with placebo.