drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol
Brand names: Yaz, Yasmin
This medicine contains drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, which are hormones that prevent pregnancy. It also contains folate to help raise folate levels.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$4.40/unit
Generic Available
No
BAYER HLTHCARE
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
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.
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.
How to Take It
Take one tablet every day, at the same time each day. Follow the order of the tablets on the blister pack. You can start on the first day of your period or the first Sunday after your period starts. You can take this medicine with or without food.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Do not use this medicine if you are pregnant. This medicine can reduce milk production while breastfeeding. If possible, use other birth control methods until you stop breastfeeding.
Missed Dose
If you miss a pill, take it as soon as you remember. Continue taking one pill each day.
Storage
Store this medicine at room temperature.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 72,136 FDA adverse event reports.
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
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 combinatio...
Mechanism: Drospirenone can cause your body to keep too much potassium, and taking it with other similar drugs can make this effect stronger.
What to do: Your doctor should check your blood potassium levels regularly while you are on these medications.
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.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor you for side effects related to higher estrogen levels.
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.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor you for side effects or adjust your dose of omeprazole.
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.
What to do: Your doctor may need to increase your dose of lamotrigine to ensure it still works correctly.
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.
What to do: Talk to your doctor about using a backup method of birth control, like condoms, while taking this medication.
Common Questions
What should I do if I experience severe abdominal pain?
Can this medication be used to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?
Will this medication protect me from sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
Can I take this medication if I have high blood pressure?
What if I have a headache with vision changes?
Can I take this with St. John's Wort?
What do the different colored pills mean?
Can this medicine affect my weight?
What if I start spotting between periods?
Is it okay to drink grapefruit juice while taking this?
What are the common side effects of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol?
Does drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol interact with other medications?
What drug class is drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol?
Is drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol safe during pregnancy?
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.
Compare with drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol →
anastrozole
Arimidex
Anastrozole is a medicine used to treat breast cancer in women after menopause.
Compare with drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol →
bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens
Duavee
Duavee is a combination medicine containing estrogen and a drug that blocks estrogen in some parts of the body.
Compare with drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol →
cabergoline
Dostinex
Cabergoline is a medicine that helps lower the amount of prolactin in your body.
Compare with drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol →
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 further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
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. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: December 8, 2025
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages