Is there a nurse or doctor who can tell me the difference between these two birth control pills: yaz & yasmin?

Question

My doctor gave me a freee sample of Yaz but gave me a perscription for Yasmin. But he wrote the perscription "yazmin"

Scarlett, can you contact me offline? [e-mail]

Answer 1

I can give you some info on birth control pills- Sex hormones used as a contraceptive pill come in several different forms, but are mainly divided into the combined pill, which contains both ostrogen & progestogen, & the mini pill, which has only progestrogen. Some of the combined pills have a two or three phase variation in their dosage during the month.
In 1961, a woman taking the first form of the oral contraceptive pill was taking more than 32 times the amount of hormone every month than the modern woman on the three-phase type pill. Over the past few decades, the pill has been subjected to more clinical trials & more intensive investigation than any other medication used by womenkind. There is no doubt that it is now much safer to take the contraceptive pill for many years than it is to have one pregnancy, & that is the realistic basis on which to judge the safety of any contraceptive.
Two different hormones (oestrogen & prosgestrogen) control the menstrual cycle. At the time of ovulation, the levels of oestrogen drops, & progestrgen rises, triggering the egg's release from the ovary.
When the hormones revert to their previous level two weeks later, the lining of the womb is no longer able to survive & breaks away, giving the woman a period. The contraceptive pill maintains a more constant hormone level, & thus prevents the release of the egg. With the triphasic pills, the level of both hormones rises at the normal time of ovulation & then drops slightly thereafter to give e more natural hormonal cycle to the woman, while still preventing the release of an egg. When the pill is stopped(or the sugar pills started) at the end of the month, the sudden drop in hormone levels cause a menstrual period to start.
The so-called mini pill contains only one hormone (a progestogen), which is taken constantly without any sugar pills or break at the end of the month. this type of pill must be taken very carefully, as even missing it by four hours one day may drop the hormone levels sufficiently to allow ovulation & pregnancy. The failure rate of the mini pill is significantly higher than that of the combined pill.
The pill has several positive benifits besides almost prevention of pregnancy. It regulates irregular periods, reduces menstrual pain & premenstrual tension, may increase the size of the breasts, reduces the severity of acne in some women, & libido (the desire for sex) is often increased. It even reduces the incidence of some types of gynaecological cancer. Women who have unwanted side affects from the pill can be assessed by a doctor, & a pill containing a different balance of hormones can be prescribed.
If taken correctly, the pill is very effective as a contrceptive, but missing a pill, or suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting can have a very pregnant result. some antibiotics can also interfere with the pill, as can vitamine C. There is no need these days to take a break from the pill every year or so, as many have been the case in earlier years. On the other hand, many women find they can successfully skip a period by continuing to take the active pills of a monophasic combined cotraceptive pill (does not work with biphasic, triphasic or progestogen only pills).
The effects of the pill are readily reversible. If a women decides to become pregnant, she can find herself in that state in as little as two weeks after ceasing it, with no adverse effects on mother or child.
Diane & Marvelon were intoduced in 1994. Diane is particulary useful in women with acne.
Femoden, Minulet, Tri-Minulet & Trioden introduced in 1995, & are particulary usefiul in controlling heavy & irregular periods.
Yasmin was introduced in 2001 as a new combination of hormones that suits some women better than those used traditionally. The 'morning after' pill is described under its active ingredient- Levonorgestrel. The contraceptive implant is described under etonogestrel. the contraceptive injection is described under medroxyprogesterone acetate.
Sorry, once I get writing I can't stop.
Regards, Starlet..

Answer 2

I've done Yasmin. The difference between the Yasmin and the Yaz is the amount of hormones in the medication. I have had experience with Yasmin. I took it for 6 months in 2006. If you have other questions for me please feel free to e-mail or IM me off site any time.

Answer 3

it's all the same

Answer 4

i think one is the generic. but they are the same meds.

Answer 5

New indication for YAZ® approved in the U.S.
Berlin – Bayer Schering Pharma AG announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved a new indication for the company’s oral
contraceptive YAZ® (3 mg drospirenone/20 mcg ethinyl estradiol), to treat moderate
acne in women who desire an oral contraceptive for birth control.
With this approval, YAZ becomes the first and only oral contraceptive ever approved
by the FDA for three distinct indications. YAZ received FDA approval as an oral
contraceptive in March, 2006, and as a treatment for the emotional and physical
symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in October, 2006. YAZ has
demonstrated statistical and clinical significance in treating mood swings, irritability,
headaches, feeling anxious, bloating and food cravings caused by PMDD that impact
a woman’s life.
“We are delighted to have received the approval for YAZ in this third indication.
Through its innovative active ingredient drospirenone, it offers additional benefits to
women who want reliable birth control,” said Phil Smits, Head of the Business Unit
Womens’ Healthcare at Bayer Schering Pharma. “YAZ is the fastest growing oral
contraceptive brand in the U.S. We are convinced that through its unique features,
YAZ will further strengthen our worldwide leading market position in the field of
female contraception.”
Additional information
Two multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials of over
1000 patients revealed the statistically significant efficacy of YAZ in treating acne. In
the trials, treatment with YAZ resulted in significant reductions in total lesion counts
and in inflammatory/non-inflammatory lesion counts. Further, investigator ratings of
“clear” and “almost clear” skin as rated on the Investigator’s Static Global.


YASMIN® is the only OC with the novel, dual-property progestin, drsp™ (drospirenone) — the only progestin that has AntiMineralocorticoid and AntiAndrogenic* properties. Drospirenone represents a unique class of progestins with an entirely different molecular structure and activity profile than the currently available progestins. Drospirenone is an analogue of spironolactone.

Click here to see the similarities between the molecular structures of drospirenone and spironolactone. YASMIN® with drsp™ contains 3 mg of the progestin drospirenone. Drospirenone is a spironolactone analogue, and the drospirenone in YASMIN®has AntiMineralocorticoid activity equivalent to 25 mg of spironolactone. Because of this activity, YASMIN® with drsp™ affects the sodium and water balance. Like spironolactone, YASMIN® with drsp™ should not be used in certain women with renal, hepatic, or adrenal problems that could predispose to hyperkalemia. And, like spironolactone, women receiving daily, long-term treatment for chronic conditions or diseases with medications that may increase serum potassium should have their serum potassium level checked during the first treatment cycle.†

Drospirenone provides an AntiMineralocorticoid effect
Ethinyl estradiol, the estrogen found in today's combination OCs, can increase the amount of angiotensinogen produced by the liver, inducing renin activity and the accompanying aldosterone release. When aldosterone activates its receptors, the kidneys reabsorb sodium and water. Drospirenone blocks aldosterone receptors in the kidney, counteracting the effect of increased aldosterone levels caused by ethinyl estradiol. While drospirenone increases sodium and water excretion, it does not promote potassium loss.

Drospirenone provides an AntiAndrogenic* effect
Unlike other progestins available in the US, drospirenone blocks the action of androgens by acting as an antagonist at the androgen receptors. In addition, drospirenone does not counteract sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) synthesis. Further, it does not prevent SHBG-testosterone binding, leaving less free testosterone to bind with androgen receptors. Finally, it inhibits production of ovarian androgens.

Clinically proven benefits of YASMIN®with drsp™
YASMIN® with drsp™ works like other combination OCs to prevent pregnancy by suppressing gonadotropins, inhibiting ovulation, and inducing changes in the cervical mucus and endometrium. With a corrected Pearl Index of 0.55, YASMIN® with drsp™ is more than 99% effective — just as effective as other OCs. YASMIN® with drsp™ provides excellent cycle control, with a low incidence of breakthrough bleeding and spotting. Overall, occurrences of breakthrough bleeding and spotting decreased significantly after the first 3 cycles.

For a bar graph displaying intermenstrual bleeding percentages with YASMIN®, click here.

Worldwide experience
YASMIN® with drsp™ has been prescribed to more than four million women worldwide.

Proven tolerability profile
In clinical trials, YASMIN® with drsp™ was shown to have a low incidence of adverse events that are typical of those associated with OC use. Blood pressure, lipids, glucose, electrolytes, and hematology values stayed within normal ranges in the majority of women in clinical trials.

YASMIN® is contraindicated in patients with renal insufficiency, hepatic dysfunction, or adrenal insufficiency.

OCs do not protect against HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. The use of OCs is associated with increased risks of several serious side effects. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects; women who take OCs are strongly advised not to smoke.

*AntiAndrogenic activity seen in preclinical studies.
†Drugs that may increase serum potassium when taken daily and long-term for chronic conditions include ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-II receptor antagonists, potassium-sparing diuretics, heparin, aldosterone antagonists, and NSAIDs.


Resource library for healthcare professionals
YASMIN® with drsp™ overview
YASMIN® with drsp™ slide presentation
Other resources for healthcare professionals
Physician prescribing information