Description
Yasmin®, a combined oral contraceptive, is available in a 28-pill package and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2001. Each active tablet contains a newer Progestin - Drospirenone 3 milligrams and Estrogen - Ethinyle Estradiol 30 micrograms.
How It Works
Drospirenone is a newer progestin which is a spironolactone analogue. Drospirenone is progestogenic, antiandrogenic and antimineralocorticoid, but has no androgenic effect. The antimineralocorticoid effect of drospirenone prevents excess of water and sodium in the body and in some cases increases potassium level, which makes it different from other progestin derivatives.
Failure Rate
Over one million women have used Yasmin to date with a failure rate of 1-5 percent.
Advantages and Precautions
Apart from being highly effective, safe and well tolerated, Yasmin provides excellent cycle control with low incidence of breakthrough bleeding and spotting, particularly after the third cycle. Blood pressure, lipids, glucose, electrolytes, and hematology values stayed within the normal ranges in the majority of women during the clinical trials. The other advantages of Yasmin are the same as currently available combined oral contraceptive pills.
Over and above the precautions for prescribing other combined oral contraceptive pills, women having hepatic dysfunction, renal insufficiency or adrenal insufficiency should not take Yasmin.
Women taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, other drugs such as Naproxen, potassium sparing diuretics (Spironolectone), Acetyl Cholinesterase inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor antagonist and Heparin should not take Yasmin.
The counseling guidelines and instructions for use of Yasmin and the adverse reactions are same as for other combined oral contraceptive pills.
