Life

Side effects Tell your physician if you notice any unwanted effect, especially if severe or persistent, or if there is a change in your health that you think might be caused by Yasmin. Serious reactions associated with the use of combined oral contraceptives such as Yasmin, as well as the related symptoms, are described in the section "Before you use Yasmin". Please read this section carefully and consult your physician where appropriate. The following have been reported in users of combined oral contraceptives such as Yasmin, although they may not be caused by the contraceptive pill. Such undesirable effects that occur in the first few months that you are using Yasmin will probably lessen with time. * 1. breast tenderness, enlargement, pain and secretion * 2. dizziness, headache; migraine * 3. nervousness * 4. Changes in sexual drive; depressive moods/mood changes * 5. changes in the cornea of the eye, contact lens intolerance, disease of the nerves of the eye (optic neuritis) * 6. nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and feeling sick * 7. changes in vaginal secretion, bleeding between periods, vaginal thrush * 8. rash, urticaria, certain skin disorders (erythema nodosum or erythema multiforme), acne * 9. fluid retention * 10. changes in body weight * 11. reduced carbohydrate tolerance * 12. hypertension * 13. hypersensitivity reactions Precautions Do not use Yasmin if you have any of the conditions listed below. If any of these apply to you, tell your physician before starting to use Yasmin. Your physician may advise you to use a different type of hormonal contraception or an entirely different (non-hormonal) method of birth control. You must not use Yasmin if: * you have, or have ever had a disorder affecting the blood circulation. In particular, those conditions relating to thrombosis. Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot. This may occur in the blood vessels of the legs (deep vein thrombosis), the lungs (pulmonary embolism), the heart (heart attack), the brain (stroke), or other parts of the body * you have or have had a stroke (caused by a blood clot or a rupture of a blood vessel in the brain) * you have or have ever had a condition that may be a first sign of a heart attack (such as angina pectoris or chest pain) or stroke (such as transient ischaemic attack or small reversible stroke) * you have or have had a pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas) associated with high levels of fatty substances in your blood * you have diabetes mellitus with blood vessel damage * you or someone in your immediate family have or have had high blood levels of cholesterol or triglycerides (fatty substances) * you have jaundice (yellowing of the skin) or severe liver disease * you have or have had cancer of the breast or the genital organs * you have a severe kidney insufficiency or an acute failure of your kidney * you have or have had a benign or malignant liver tumour * you have a history of migraine accompanied by e.g. visual symptoms, speech disability, or weakness or numbness in any part of your body * you have any unexplained vaginal bleeding * you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant * you are allergic to any of the ingredients of Yasmin If any of these conditions appear for the first time while using Yasmin, stop taking it at once and consult your physician. In the meantime, use non-hormonal contraceptive measures. If Yasmin is used in the presence of any of the conditions listed below or they appear for the first time or recur or worsen during treatment, you may need to be kept under close observation. You physician can explain this to you. You should tell your physician if: * you smoke * you have diabetes * you are overweight * you have high blood pressure * you have a heart valve disorder or a certain heart rhythm disorder * you have an inflammation of your veins (superficial phlebitis) * you have varicose veins * anyone in your immediate family has had thrombosis, a heart attack or a stroke * you suffer from migraine * you suffer from epilepsy * anyone in your immediate family has had breast cancer * you have liver, kidney or gallbladder disease * you have an increased potassium blood level (e.g. due to problems with your kidneys) and additionally use a diuretic or other medicine that may increase the potassium in your blood (ask your physician) * you or someone in your immediate family has or has had high blood levels of cholesterol or triglycerides (fatty substances) * you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease) * you have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; a disease affecting the skin all over the body) * you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS; a disorder of blood coagulation causing failure of the kidneys) * you have sickle cell disease * you have a condition that occurred for the first time or worsened during pregnancy or previous use of sex hormones (e.g. hearing loss, a metabolic disease called porphyria, a skin disease called herpes gestationis, a neurological disease called Sydenham's chorea) * you have or have had chloasma (yellowish-brown pigmentation patches on the skin, particularly of the face); if so, avoid too much exposure to the sun or ultraviolet radiation You should stop treatment and see your physician immediately if you get a blood clot while you are taking Yasmin. Warning signs to look out for are: * an unusual cough * severe pain in the chest which may reach the left arm * breathlessness * any unusual, severe, or prolonged headache or migraine attack * partial or complete loss of vision, or double vision * slurring or speech disability * sudden changes to your hearing, sense of smell, or taste * dizziness or fainting * weakness or numbness in any part of your body * severe pain in your abdomen * severe pain or swelling in either of your legs