Home » Health & Wellness » Birth Control » Yasmin, Is It Right For You?

Yasmin, Is It Right For You?

© Debbi Carter

Yasmin, approved by the FDA in November 2001, and in use in European countries since 2000, is different from your usual birth control pill. Yasmin is a low dose monophasic pill, which means that it contains the same amount of synthetic hormones (drospirenone 3mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.030mg) in each of the 21 active pills. What makes it different is the drospirenone, the synthetic progestin part of the pill. Drospirenone may affect the additional sodium and water in your body by decreasing it and may also raise your potassium level, which may be a good side effect for some, and a risk for others. Over 1,000,000 women world wide have used Yasmin as their birth control method, and Yasmin is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken at the same time each day.

Some side effects are common to all birth control pills. These include irregular bleeding or spotting, breast tenderness, depression, decreased libido, headaches, nervousness, dizziness, a skin rash, or increased vaginal infections. There are other possible side effects of taking Yasmin which you should discuss with your doctor before deciding on this method. This includes an increase in your potassium level, which could be a serious health risk for some women.

But there are beneficial side effects of taking Yasmin. Because of the synthetic progestin, women may not gain any weight or may loose weight while taking Yasmin. Yasmin is also good for women that have mild to moderate acne, and many see an improvement in their skin in just a few weeks. The best way to find out if any birth control pill's side effects will be 'long term' or not is to use the pill for at least three months. If after three months there are still side effects that you don't want, it is time to switch to a different brand and try it for three months.

You should not take Yasmin if you have kidney disease, liver disease, or adrenal disease because of the risk of serious heart and health problems. You also should not take Yasmin if you are also taking any of the following medications on a regular daily basis - NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen, potassium supplements, potassium-sparing diuretics like spironolactone, ACE inhibitors like Capoten, Vasotec, Zestril, Heparin, or any angiotensin-II receptor antagonists like Cozaar, Diovan, or Avapro. Anyone that takes any of these medications daily and feels that Yasmin might work, should have their potassium levels tested in the first month of Yasmin use.

The copyright of the article Yasmin, Is It Right For You? in Birth Control is owned by . Permission to republish Yasmin, Is It Right For You? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.