Uses

This is a birth control pill containing drospirenone, a progestin hormone. It helps prevent pregnancy, but does not prevent STDs, and does not offer protection against AIDS.

Dosage

Yasmin comes as a pack containing 28 tablets. The active pills are the first 21 pills containing the active ingredients, like ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone, and are known as the active pills. The seven pills at the end of the cycle contain no hormones, and act as reminder pills. These are of a different color from the previous 21.

For a Day 1 start: at the start of your period, begin by taking the first pill of the pack within the first 24 hours after your period. There is no need for another contraception method, since you`re beginning the pack on the first day of your period.

For a Sunday start, begin the pack by taking the first pill on the Sunday after the start of your period. If your period begins on a Sunday, open the pack on the same day. If you have sexual intercourse in the seven days after you begin a pack of Yasmin, use another form of contraception.

Warnings

Smoking while taking Yasmin can increase the risk of cardio vascular disease like heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. If you have a history of migraines, irregular or light periods, and suffer from high levels of cholesterol, epilepsy, diabetes, gallbladder disease, or have had surgery that required extended bed rest for any period of time, inform your doctor before starting on Yasmin. If you smoke or have a history of depression, also inform your doctor. If you have had a heart attack or stroke, suffer from blood clots, suffer from high blood pressure, or angina, or other forms of heart disease; uterine or breast or other hormone-related cancers, or unusual vaginal bleeding, consult your doctor before this medication. If you`re pregnant, or think that you might have conceived, don`t continue taking Yasmin. This is a pregnancy category X drug of the FDA, which means that it is known to cause harmful effects in a fetus. Also avoid Yasmin if you are breastfeeding, as it has been found to be transmitted through breast milk to a nursing infant.

Missed Dose

Follow the following schedule in case of missed dosage. If you miss only one active yellow pill, take it the moment you remember, even if this means that you take two pills in the same day. Take the next pill as scheduled.

In the case of two missed active yellow pills in the first or second week of your pack, take two Yasmin pills on the day you remember about the missed dosage, and take two pills the very next day. Thereafter, continue with one pill each day until you compete the pack cycle. In the event that you miss a pill, you might conceive if you indulge in sexual intercourse in the seven days after the missed pill. Remember to use some form of back up contraception to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

In case of two missed active yellow pills in week 3 of your Yasmin pack cycle, discard the pack and open a fresh new one, if you`re on a Day 1 start. In the case of a Sunday start, continue to take one pill daily until Sunday. Then, discard the pack on Sunday, and begin with a fresh new pack. If you don`t get your period in this month, it may not signify anything. But if you miss a period for 2 months in row, take a pregnancy test and consult your doctor. If you indulge in sexual intercourse in the seven days after your missed dosage, there is a chance of conception, so use another from of contraception like condoms.

If you miss a total of 3 or more active yellow pills consecutively in the first three weeks, discard the pack the same day, and begin a fresh one if you`re a Day 1 starter. If you`re on a Sunday start, continue with a pill each day till Sunday. Then, discard the pack on Sunday and begin a fresh one. If you don`t menstruate that month, don`t worry. However, if you miss a period for two consecutive months, consult your doctor about a possible pregnancy. In the 7 days subsequent to the missed pills, you must make use of a form of back up contraception like condoms, or you could end up becoming pregnant.

Side effects

There can be vaginal bleeding which can range from light staining in between your cycle, to irregular bleeding which feels like a normal menstrual period. Yasmin may also cause edema or swelling in your ankles and fingers, and also melasma, a condition which cause a dark spottiness of the skin. If you notice any changes in your vision or difficulty in wearing contact lenses, consult your medical practitioner. There night also be other kinds of side effects like appetite changes, dizziness, headache, depression, and nervousness, loss of hair, vaginal infections and skin rashes.

Storage

Yasmin should be stored at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, although a range from 59 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit is acceptable.

Overdose

There may be nausea or withdrawal bleeding in case of an overdose. Yasmin has antiminerelocortoid properties, and therefore concentrations of sodium and potassium, need to be carefully monitored in the event of an overdose.