Prescription medication · Combined Oral Contraceptive

drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol

Also sold as Yaz, Yasmin. This medicine can prevent pregnancy.

Data updated 2026-05-15

72,136
FDA reports
30
InteractionsSeveral interactions
$4.40
Brand price (NADAC)

What the data shows

drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Yaz) is a prescription Combined Oral Contraceptive, with 72,136 FDA adverse-event reports on file, with 30 documented drug interactions.

Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.

drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Yaz) is a prescription Combined Oral Contraceptive. This medicine can prevent pregnancy.

This medicine contains drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, which are hormones that prevent pregnancy. It also contains folate to help raise folate levels.

Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →

Drug Pricing (NADAC)

Brand Price

$4.40/unit

Generic Available

No

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Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →

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What it does

This medicine can prevent pregnancy.

Common side effects

Headache or migraine, Irregular periods, Nausea or vomiting

Key warnings

Cigarette smoking increases your risk of serious heart problems when using birth control pills.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

This medicine prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). It also changes the lining of the uterus, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant. The folate helps increase folate levels in the body.

Side Effects (from patient reports)

Based on 72,136 FDA adverse event reports.

Most-reported reactions

Adverse reactions in FAERS for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol, by number of reports

reports

What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.

Source FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

Serious Warnings

Cigarette smoking increases your risk of serious heart problems when using birth control pills. This risk is higher if you are over 35 and smoke. Women over 35 who smoke should not use this medicine.

Known Drug Interactions

major estradiol

Potential to Increase Serum Potassium Concentration There is a potential for an increase in serum potassium concentration in women taking drospirenone, ethinyl estradiol and levomefolate calcium tablets and levomefolate calcium tablets with other drugs that may increase serum potassium concentration [see Warnings And Precautions ( 5.2 ) and And Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. 7.3 Concomitant Use with HCV Combination Therapy – Liver Enzyme Elevation Do not co-administer drospirenone, ethinyl estradiol and levomefolate calcium tablets and levomefolate calcium tablets with HCV drug...

Mechanism: Drospirenone can cause your body to keep too much potassium, and taking it with other similar drugs can make this effect stronger.

minor atorvastatin

Substances Increasing the Plasma Concentrations of COCs Co-administration of atorvastatin and certain COCs containing EE increase AUC values for EE by approximately 20%.

Mechanism: Taking atorvastatin can cause the level of estrogen from your birth control pill to increase in your body.

minor omeprazole

COCs Increasing the Plasma Concentrations of CYP450 Enzymes In clinical studies, administration of a hormonal contraceptive containing EE did not lead to any increase or only to a weak increase in plasma concentrations of CYP3A4 substrates (e.g., midazolam) while plasma concentrations of CYP2C19 substrates (e.g., omeprazole and voriconazole) and CYP1A2 substrates (e.g., theophylline and tizanidine) can have a weak or moderate increase.

Mechanism: The birth control pill slows down how your body breaks down omeprazole. This can cause the level of omeprazole in your blood to rise slightly.

minor lamotrigine

COCs have been shown to significantly decrease plasma concentrations of lamotrigine, likely due to induction of lamotrigine glucuronidation. This may reduce seizure control; therefore, dosage adjustments of lamotrigine may be necessary.

Mechanism: The birth control pill makes your body get rid of lamotrigine much faster than usual. This can lower the amount of medicine in your blood and make it less effective at preventing seizures.

minor topiramate

Some drugs or herbal products that may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives include phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, bosentan, felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, rifampin, topiramate and products containing St.

Mechanism: Topiramate causes your body to process birth control hormones faster than normal. This can make the birth control pill less effective at preventing pregnancy.

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This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

What should I do if I experience severe abdominal pain?
Contact your doctor immediately, as it could indicate a serious problem.
Can this medication be used to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?
No, this medication is not for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It is for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Will this medication protect me from sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
No, this medication does not protect against STIs. Use condoms to protect yourself from STIs.
Can I take this medication if I have high blood pressure?
You should not take this medication if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure.
What if I have a headache with vision changes?
If you have headaches with vision changes, contact your doctor right away.
Can I take this with St. John's Wort?
No, St. John's Wort can make this medicine less effective.
What do the different colored pills mean?
The pink pills contain active hormones, and the orange pills contain folate.
Can this medicine affect my weight?
Some people may experience weight changes while taking this medicine.
What if I start spotting between periods?
Spotting is common, especially in the first few months. If it continues, talk to your doctor.
Is it okay to drink grapefruit juice while taking this?
Grapefruit juice can increase the levels of this medicine in your blood. Talk to your doctor.
What are the common side effects of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol?
The registry lists Headache or migraine, Irregular periods, Nausea or vomiting, Breast pain or tenderness among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol. The compiled record contains 72,136 FDA adverse-event reports. These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
Does drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol interact with other medications?
The registry has 30 documented interaction rows for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol. Notable source-record pairings include estradiol, atorvastatin, omeprazole. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol?
drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol belongs to the Combined Oral Contraceptive drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). This medicine can prevent pregnancy.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol?
The FDA label for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.

Related Medications in Combined Oral Contraceptive

Other drugs grouped near drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol - same-class peers and common alternatives.

abiraterone

Zytiga

Abiraterone (Zytiga) is a medicine used with prednisone to treat prostate cancer that has spread.

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anastrozole

Arimidex

Anastrozole is a medicine used to treat breast cancer in women after menopause.

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bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens

Duavee

Duavee is a combination medicine containing estrogen and a drug that blocks estrogen in some parts of the body.

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cabergoline

Dostinex

Cabergoline is a medicine that helps lower the amount of prolactin in your body.

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clomiphene

Clomid, Serophene

Clomiphene citrate is a medicine that helps women ovulate.

Compare with drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol →

Compare drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol vs abiraterone side-by-side →

Medication Guides

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What the FDA Data Shows for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol

The FDA label for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (sold under brand names such as Yaz, Yasmin) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Combined Oral Contraceptive class. This medicine can prevent pregnancy. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Headache or migraine, Irregular periods, Nausea or vomiting.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 72,136 voluntary reports. The database also lists 30 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: December 8, 2025

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page