Yasmin

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

Nausea and vomiting

Headache/migraine

Breast tenderness, enlargement

Weight changes

Retention of water in the body tissues (fluid retention)

Vaginal thrush (candidiasis)

Change in menstrual bleeding

Menstrual spotting or breakthrough bleeding

Depression

Skin reactions

Decreased sex drive

Rise in blood pressure

Irregular brown patches on the skin, usually of the face (chloasma)

Steepening of corneal curvature which may make contact lenses uncomfortable

Disturbance in liver function

Gallstones

Blood clots in the blood vessels (eg, DVT, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke - see warnings above)

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.

If you are taking any of the following medicines at the same time as Yasmin, the manufacturer recommends that you should have a blood test during the first month of taking Yasmin to check the amount of potassium in your blood, particularly if you have any kidney problems:

ACE inhibitors, eg captopril

angiotensin II antagonists, eg losartan

aldosterone antagonists, eg metyrapone

potassium-sparing diuretics, eg spironolactone

long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), eg diclofenac

potassium supplements.

The following medicines speed up the breakdown of the hormones in this contraceptive by the liver, which makes it less effective at preventing pregnancy:

antiepileptic medicines, eg phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate

aprepitant

barbiturates

bosentan

griseofulvin

modafinil

nelfinavir

nevirapine

ritonavir

rifampicin

rifabutin

the herbal remedy St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum).

If you regularly take any of these medicines, this contraceptive is not recommended for you, because these medicines are likely to make this contraceptive ineffective at preventing pregnancy. You should talk to your doctor about other contraceptive options. You should keep using the alternative contraception that you choose for four to eight weeks after stopping treatment with any of these medicines.

If you are prescribed a short course of any of these medicines, your doctor may prescribe you another pill to take in combination with this one. (This is unlicensed.) You should also use an additional method of contraception (eg condoms), while you take the medicine and for at least four weeks after stopping it.

If you are prescribed rifampicin or rifabutin, an alternative method of contraception is usually always recommended, because these particular antibiotics make the pill so ineffective.

Other antibiotics do not affect the breakdown of the pill by the liver. However, if you are prescribed another antibiotic medicine (eg amoxicillin, doxycycline) while taking this contraceptive, there is a very low risk that the antibiotic may make your pill less effective at preventing pregnancy. Although the risk of this is very low, the personal and ethical consequences of an unwanted pregnancy can be very serious. For this reason, it is recommended that you use an extra method of contraception (eg condoms) while you are taking the antibiotic and for seven days after finishing the course. If these seven days run beyond the end of a pill packet, a new packet should be started without a break. For more information talk to your pharmacist.

If you are prescribed an antibiotic for longer than three weeks, eg for treating acne, then you don't need to use extra contraception after you have been taking that antibiotic for three weeks or longer. But, if you are then also prescribed a short course of a different antibiotic, you will need to use extra contraception again, as above. For more information talk to your pharmacist.

This pill may increase the blood level of the immunosuppressant medicine ciclosporin.

Some women with diabetes may need small adjustments in their dose of insulin or antidiabetic tablets while taking this contraceptive. You should monitor your blood sugar and seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist if your blood sugar control seems to be altered after starting this contraceptive.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredients

There are currently no other contraceptives available in the UK that contain this combination of hormones.

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