Yasmin Online UK

Yasmin is a combined oral contraceptive (COC) pill. It contains two hormones. The first is drospirenone, a progestogen (a man-made version of the hormone progesterone).

It also has anti-mineralocorticoid and anti-androgenic effects, which means it can reduce fluid build-up and the action of male hormones. The second is ethinylestradiol, a man-made oestrogen.

Yasmin mainly works by stopping ovulation. It does this by acting on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, the brain and ovary signals that control your cycle.

It also thickens cervical mucus and changes the womb lining so it is harder to get pregnant. The anti-mineralocorticoid action of drospirenone may cut water retention.

Some women find this helps with bloating before a period. The anti-androgenic effect can ease mild acne and oily skin (seborrhoea). Clinical trials report a Pearl Index of about 0.

72 per 100 woman-years, a measure of how reliable the pill is. You take Yasmin in a 21/7 pattern: 21 active tablets, then a 7-day pill-free break. A withdrawal bleed happens during this break.

The BNF lists Yasmin under combined hormonal contraceptives. It is one of the most widely prescribed COCs in Europe.

NICE guidelines say all combined hormonal contraceptives should use the lowest oestrogen dose that still gives reliable contraception and good cycle control.

Take one tablet daily for 21 days in a row. Take it at about the same time each day. Then have a 7-day tablet-free break. Swallow the tablet whole with water.

Start your first pack on day 1 of your period. You are protected straight away. If you start on days 2-5, also use a barrier method, such as condoms, for the first 7 days.

You may miss a tablet by more than 24 hours but less than 48 hours. If so, take it as soon as you remember. Then take the rest of the tablets at your usual time.

If you miss two or more tablets in a row, check the patient information leaflet for full guidance. You may need extra contraception.

If you are sick (vomit) within 3-4 hours of taking a tablet, count it as a missed dose.

Take one tablet daily for 21 days, then have a 7-day break. Each tablet gives you drospirenone 3 mg and ethinylestradiol 0.03 mg. You cannot raise or lower the dose with this pill.

The 7-day break must not last longer than 7 days. A longer gap reduces how well the pill protects you. On medical advice, you can take Yasmin without a break (skipping the pill-free week).

This can help with conditions such as endometriosis pain or migraine linked to your period, but this use is off-label (not part of the licence).

You do not need to change the dose based on your body weight.

These side effect rates come from clinical trial data and reports gathered after the pill went on sale.

Common (≥1/100 to <1/10): Mood changes and low mood, headache, feeling sick (nausea), breast pain or tenderness, irregular bleeding or spotting, vaginal discharge.

Uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100): Migraine, lower or higher sex drive, being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea, acne, an itchy rash (urticaria), larger breasts, fluid retention, weight gain or loss.

Rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000): A blood clot in a vein, called venous thromboembolism (VTE, which covers deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), a blood clot in an artery, called arterial thromboembolism (stroke, heart attack), red tender lumps on the skin (erythema nodosum), and a rash with target-shaped spots (erythema multiforme).

The anti-mineralocorticoid action of drospirenone is about the same as 25 mg of spironolactone. This usually does not matter for your health.

But your potassium level should be checked during the first cycle if you take ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, potassium-sparing diuretics, aldosterone antagonists, or NSAIDs.

All combined hormonal contraceptives carry a risk of blood clots in the veins and arteries.

The MHRA and the European Medicines Agency have found that drospirenone pills may carry a slightly higher VTE (blood clot) risk than levonorgestrel pills.

The figures are about 9-12 versus 5-7 per 10,000 woman-years. Talk through your own risk factors before you start.

Stop Yasmin at least 4 weeks before major planned surgery or a long spell of being unable to move. Smoking sharply raises heart and blood vessel risk.

Smoking above the age of 35 is a relative contraindication for Yasmin. Your blood pressure should be checked before you start and at regular times while you use it.

There is a small rise in breast cancer risk with current and recent use of combined hormonal contraceptives. This risk falls after you stop.

Because drospirenone has anti-mineralocorticoid effects, take care if you are at risk of high potassium (hyperkalaemia).

Do not use Yasmin if you have, or have had, a blood clot in a vein (VTE) or artery, or a known clotting disorder.

Avoid it if you get migraine with aura, have high blood pressure that is not controlled, or have diabetes with blood vessel damage.

Do not use it with severe liver disease or liver tumours, or with a cancer that is known or thought to grow with sex hormones.

Avoid it with vaginal bleeding that has no clear cause, with pancreatitis linked to very high blood fats (hypertriglyceridaemia), or with severe kidney problems or sudden kidney failure.

Do not use Yasmin if you are allergic to drospirenone, ethinylestradiol, or any other ingredient.