Yasmin Pill

Yasmin is a combined oral contraceptive pill or birth control pill. This means there are two types of hormone (ethinylestradiol and drospirenone) inside each Yasmin pill. These hormones work to stop you from releasing an egg from your ovaries, so you can’t get pregnant.

It is 99% effective when used perfectly. Yasmin does not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). You should wear a condom and go to a sexual health clinic for regular checkups to prevent STIs.

You can take Yasmin with or without food. The best way to take Yasmin is with a glass of water. Follow the days and arrows on the blister strip as follows:

• Take one Yasmin pill at the same time each day for 21 days
• Then you have 7 days where you do not take any Yasmin pills, and you will have a withdrawal bleed
• After your 7 day break, start a new strip of 21 Yasmin pills
• Don’t chew the pills, instead you should swallow them whole

Make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions if they are different to these.

When do I start taking Yasmin?

You can start Yasmin on the first day of your period and you will be protected straight away. If it’s after the fifth day of your period, you have to take 7 days of Yasmin pills to be protected from pregnancy. During these seven days, you must use a barrier method, like condoms, for protection during sex.

What do I do if I forget to take it?

Try to remember to take your Yasmin pill at the same time each day. Sometimes you might forget or miss a pill. Here is what you need to do:

• If you have only missed one pill, take it as soon as you remember, even if you have to take 2 pills at once. Continue to take the rest of your pack as usual. You’ll still be protected against pregnancy.[Text Wrapping Break]
• If you have missed 2 or more pills, take the most recently missed pill as soon as you remember and leave any previous pills in the strip. This may mean taking two pills at once. Continue to take the rest of your pack as usual. But if you have fewer than 7 pills left in the pack, start a new pack without taking a pill free break. You will need to use extra contraception such as condoms for seven days as you may be at risk of pregnancy. [Text Wrapping Break]
• If you have missed more than 2 pills in the first week of your pack you may need to use emergency contraception.

For more information about what to do if you forget to take your pill, read the patient information leaflet that comes in your pack of Yasmin. You can also message one of our doctors for free advice in your patient account.

Can Yasmin be taken on a regular basis?

You can take Yasmin on a regular basis. You should have your blood pressure checked at least once a year while taking Yasmin.

What do I do if I take Yasmin twice?

You should be fine if you take two Yasmin tablets on the same day because you have missed a pill. Otherwise, you might start to feel ill, vomit or bleed from your vagina. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.

Can pregnant women and nursing mothers take Yasmin?

You should not take Yasmin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Speak to your doctor before you take Yasmin, for advice if you are planning a baby or think you might be pregnant.

What should I watch out for if I want to stop taking Yasmin?

If you stop taking Yasmin, you won’t be protected from getting pregnant, so use a condom. Expect a vaginal bleed a few days after you take your last Yasmin pill. You should speak to your doctor for an alternative method of contraception to prevent pregnancy.

You can take Yasmin if you:

• Have never had a blood clot, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or any blood vessel problems that led to a blood clot
• Don’t have migraines with aura
• Are not allergic to any of the ingredients in Yasmin such as lactose
• Have never had a tumour or breast cancer 
• Have no cholesterol problems
• Have not got diabetes
• Are not overweight
• Do not have high blood pressure

Please speak to your doctor or pharmacist for further advice if you are unsure that Yasmin is suitable for you to take.

You should not take Yasmin if you are:

• pregnant or planning a pregnancy
• allergic to any of the ingredients in Yasmin
• taking medicines to treat hepatitis C
• at high risk of having blood clots
• about to have an operation where you can’t move around afterwards

Yasmin should not be taken if you have:

• ever had a heart attack or stroke
• liver or kidney problems
• vaginal bleeding with an unknown cause
• a tumour or history of cancer, such as breast cancer
• migraines with aura
• high blood pressure
• diabetes

Your doctor may offer a progesterone only pill (POP) or mini pill as an alternative if you can’t take Yasmin because it contains oestrogen.

You can get side effects when you take Yasmin. The most common side effects include:

• Mood changes
• Headache, migraine
• Nausea
• Breast pain, breast tenderness or soreness
• Vaginal bleeding between periods
• Vaginal discharge or thrush
• Weight changes
• Fluid retention (bloating)
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting

Read the patient information leaflet in your Yasmin pack for more details about side effects. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you think you might have side effects after taking Yasmin.

Rare side effects of Yasmin include:

• Hearing problems
• Asthma
• Chest pain
• Skin rash
• Blood clots that can lead to a heart attack, stroke or organ damage
• Breast cancer or cancer of the cervix
• Liver disease or jaundice
• High blood pressure
• Allergic reaction

If you think you have any of the above side effects, please see your doctor or pharmacist right away.

You can report side effects to the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme online, or on the Google App or Apple App Store.

Yasmin can have drug interactions with medicines, supplements or foods that you might be taking. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you take any of the following:

• Epilepsy medicines such as carbamazepine or phenytoin
• Tuberculosis medicines such as rifampicin
• HIV, hepatitis C medicines, or other antivirals such as ritonavir
• Antifungal medicine such as griseofulvin
• Arthritis medicine such as etoricoxib
• Herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements that contain St John’s Wort

When you take Yasmin, your risk of thrombosis (blood clots) is slightly higher than normal.You can get a blood clot in a vein or an artery in your:

• Leg (deep vein thrombosis or DVT)
• Lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Eye (retinal vein thrombosis)
• Heart (heart attack)
• Brain (stroke)

The active ingredients in Yasmin are ethinylestradiol (30 micrograms) and drospirenone (3 milligrams).

The other ingredients in Yasmin are lactose monohydrate, maize starch, pregelatinized maize starch, povidone K25, magnesium stearate (E470b), Hypromellose (E464), macrogol 6000, talc (E553b), titanium dioxide (E171), and iron oxide yellow (E172).

If you have an allergy or lactose intolerance, please speak to your doctor for advice before you use Yasmin.

Yasmin and Lucette contain the same active ingredients and in the same amount. Each tablet of Yasmin or Lucette contains ethinylestradiol (30 micrograms) and drospirenone (3 milligrams). They both work the same way and are more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy if used perfectly. You can use either Yasmin or Lucette to help treat acne too.

How should Yasmin be stored?

Store Yasmin pills in their original box, below 30°C and in a safe place away from children. Do not pop the pills out of their blister pack until you need to take one.

How must the product be disposed of?

Take your unused, or expired, Yasmin pills to a local pharmacy where they can safely dispose of them. Do not put Yasmin pills in your bin at home.

What does Yasmin look like?

Yasmin tablets are light yellow, round, and film-coated. You can see the letters “DO” inside a hexagon on one side of each Yasmin pill.

In which pack sizes is Yasmin available?

You can buy boxes of Yasmin with 1, 3, or 6 blister strips inside. Each blister strip has 21 pills.

Information on the manufacturer

The marketing authorisation holder for Yasmin is Bayer plc, 400 South Oak Way, Reading, RG2 6AD, United Kingdom.

The manufacturer of Yasmin is Bayer AG, 13342 Berlin, Germany.

Please note, we may occasionally provide imported medical products. This is to ensure timely fulfilment of prescription requests in case of stock issues.