Yaz

Yaz is an FDA-approved oral contraceptive that is also approved to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and acne. Women may take it on its own or in combination with other treatments to produce the desired effects.

Each Yaz pill contains 3 mg of drospirenone and 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol.

Yaz is not the same as two similar-sounding medications: Yasmin and Yasminelle. All three drugs are contraceptives, but Yasmin contains more ethinyl estradiol than Yaz. Yasminelle has the same amount of ethinyl estradiol as Yaz but contains three extra placebo pills in a month’s supply.

Yaz prevents pregnancy in two ways. Hormones in the drug prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs. They also thicken your cervical mucus and thin your uterine lining, making it difficult for sperm to travel or for a fertilized egg to attach to your uterine wall.

A month’s supply of Yaz contains 24 pink pills with hormones in them and four white placebo pills. While taking the placebo pills, you’ll get your period. Women may also opt to continue taking the pink pills uninterrupted, skipping the placebos and avoiding having a period.

Women should take Yaz pills one at a time at the same time each day. Follow the order of the pills in the blister pack. If you choose to take the inactive white pills, only do so when you’ve completed all of the pink in the pack.

You can take Yaz pills with or without food. It’s best to take them after your evening meal or at bedtime with some liquid.

Missing an active dose of Yaz can reduce its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy. If you miss a dose, take the missed pill as soon as you remember.

Vomiting and severe diarrhea can also disrupt your body’s ability to absorb the drug. If you throw up three hours after taking Yaz, consider it a missed dose.

Daily Yaz Dosage

You can start taking Yaz on the first day of your period or the first Sunday after your period starts. Take one pink pill daily for 24 days and then one white pill for four days. The timing for taking Yaz can adjust if you change from one birth control pill or method to Yaz.

Yaz doesn’t become fully effective until you take it for at least seven days. Use an alternate form of birth control, such as condoms or contraceptive sponges, while Yaz builds to full strength.

The most common side effects of Yaz are spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods, breast tenderness, nausea and headache. These side effects are usually mild and often go away. Yaz is also less likely to make you gain weight compared to other birth control pills that are not formulated with drospirenone.

Yaz also carries a black box warning stating that women who smoke cigarettes while taking the drug have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The risk is higher for women over the age of 35. Women who smoke should not take Yaz or any other oral contraceptive that contains estrogen.

Common Yaz Side Effects

The package insert for Yaz indicates that the most common side effects identified in clinical trials include headaches, irregular periods, and nausea or vomiting. These symptoms are generally mild and resolve on their own. People with a history of migraines with aura are advised against taking Yaz. A significant number of trial participants reported experiencing breast pain or tenderness and mood swings with Yaz.

Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz, also lists depressive mood, vaginal discharge and fungal infection as frequent side effects. Those who take Yaz as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) report side effects including fatigue, irritability, decreased libido and weight gain.

Most birth control pill side effects resolve once you’ve taken the medication for several months. However, you should notify your health care provider about any adverse reactions so that they can be reported to the FDA.

Serious Yaz Side Effects

High potassium levels in your blood, or hyperkalemia, may not result in symptoms but can lead to complications like weakness, sudden cardiac arrest or kidney failure.

Certain patients, including those with a history of blood clots, stroke, heart attack or kidney failure, face an increased risk of developing blood clots and other serious reactions while taking Yaz. Patients with uncontrolled blood pressure or migraine headaches with aura are also advised against taking Yaz.

Blood Clots

As explained in the package warning, some studies indicate that people taking Yaz have an approximately three-fold chance of developing blood clots. Deep vein thrombosis is a type of blood clot that forms in the legs and often causes pain and swelling. If a blood clot dislodges in any part of the body, it can become stuck in the heart, lungs or brain, posing serious health risks or even death.

Bayer, Yaz’s manufacturer, agreed to pay more than $2 billion in a settlement to resolve Yaz lawsuits over its failure to warn patients adequately about the risk of blood clots. A large multidistrict litigation over this failure closed on January 2, 2019. But many women remain unaware of the increased risk of blood clots associated with oral contraceptive use.

Gallbladder Disease

Gallbladder disease is a rare but serious potential side effect of Yaz birth control pills, but the exact cause of the risk is unknown.

Disease of the gallbladder can cause intermittent pain and may progress to include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever and chills. The later symptoms require medical attention and could result in the need for surgical removal of the gallbladder.

“Long term, Yaz may increase the risk of gallstones due to fluctuations in estrogen,” Sazan Sylejmani, owner and pharmacy manager of Westmont Pharmacy in Westmont, Ill., told Drugwatch. “Studies show a small increased risk, especially in the first year of use, but the risks seem to decrease over time.”

Hyperkalemia

Patients taking Yaz face a small risk of developing high potassium levels, a condition known as hyperkalemia, because the active ingredient drospirenone interferes with kidney function. The FDA requires a warning of this risk on Yaz packaging.

Symptoms of hyperkalemia include an irregular heartbeat, weakness, paralysis, dizziness and fatigue. Some diuretics and medications for pain and high blood pressure may also increase the risk of kidney dysfunction and hyperkalemia.

Other Potential Yaz Side Effects

Some evidence points to an increased risk of liver disease, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers in people who take hormonal birth control pills including Yaz. Most of the evidence linking oral contraceptives to cancers comes from observational studies that do not prove a causal relationship. However, many of these studies point to an increased risk of cervical and breast cancer with hormonal birth control use.

Most Yaz side effects resolve on their own with consistent use. You may find relief from mild pain and discomfort with over-the-counter medications. However, you should always check for the risk of interactions when taking multiple medications.

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any symptoms that might indicate a blood clot or hyperkalemia, such as dizziness, extreme fatigue, or swelling and pain in your legs. Left untreated, blood clots and high potassium levels can cause serious health complications and death.

Yaz may not be the best birth control option for some women. Discuss your full medical history with your doctor before taking Yaz, especially any history of heart disease, blood clots or hormone-sensitive cancer. Taking Yaz could make these problems worse.

Don’t take Yaz unless your doctor says it’s safe for you. If Yaz is not an option for you, ask your physician what type of birth control fits someone with your medical history.

As of 2022, women who have experienced rare, but serious adverse effects are filing Yaz lawsuits.

Certain foods, drugs and supplements interact with Yaz and render it less effective or amplify its side effects. The medication’s absorption rate is slower when taken following high-fat meals

Discuss your diet and other medications with your doctor before taking Yaz. If you need to take medications with known interactions, your doctor may prescribe a different type of birth control for you.

Yaz’s manufacturer, Bayer, recalled approximately 33,000 boxes of Yazin 2009 because of incorrect specifications for the dose of drospirenone in the drug. Bayer had incorrectly claimed that the levels of drospirenone in its product fell within normal parameters.

Despite this controversy, the many Yaz settlements that were paid out and the introduction of generic competitors to the market, sales of Yaz still generate millions of dollars in revenue for Bayer. The drug is considered safe to take as long as your doctor reviews your medical history with you first.