Do You Know Serious Drug Interaction With Birth Control Pills?

Yasmin and Yaz are two most popular brands of birth control pills in U.S.A. Both are combined oral contraceptive pills, which contain special progestin hormone called drospirenone, which is not found in other combined pills. Both the pills contain two main hormones: drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, which protect against pregnancy up to 99% if taken as directed.

In a recent report published in the well-known contraception journal, physicians have stressed that some of the medicines that used to raise potassium may interact with birth control pills containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, which very much present in Yasmin and Yaz. It is so because both these pills may increase potassium level and interaction with medicines, which are also responsible for raising potassium level, may cause highest potassium level at the alarming level. Potassium retention is found in the medicines that are recommended for high blood pressure, treatment for heart problems, anti-inflammatory medicines (like Ibuprofen). Similarly, this level could also be found in "water retention" types of pills like diuretics.

Now, both Yasmin and Yaz birth control pills come with product label instruction for physicians and healthcare providers recommending these products to monitor the serum potassium levels in the first month for those patients who are also under treatment with other potassium retention drugs.

It has been found that 18% of women were taking Yasmin birth control pills along with other potassium retaining drug, surprisingly, this 30% of such cases happened in the first month of the Yasmin birth control pills dosage. Family practice or physicians or OB/GYN prescribes almost 18% of women who are taking Yasmin with other potassium retaining medicines at the same time.

What drug(s) may interact with drospirenone; ethinyl estradiol?

1. anastrozole

2. antibiotics or medicines for infections, especially rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, and griseofulvin 3. aprepitant, a medicine used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

4. barbiturate medicines for producing sleep or treating seizures (convulsions)

5. bosentan

6. carbamazepine

7. caffeine

8. clofibrate

9. cyclosporine

10. dantrolene

11. doxercalciferol

12. exemestane

13. grapefruit juice

14. hydrocortisone

15. letrozole

16. medicines for anxiety or sleeping problems, such as diazepam or temazepam

17. medicines for mental depression

18. medicines for diabetes, including troglitazone and pioglitazone

19. mineral oil

20. modafinil

21. mycophenolate

22. nefazodone

23. oxcarbazepine

24. phenytoin

25. prednisolone

26. ritonavir or other medicines for HIV infection or AIDS

27. selegiline

28. soy isoflavones supplements

29. St. John's wort

30. tamoxifen or raloxifene

31. testolactone

32. theophylline

33. topiramate

34. warfarin

Drugs that can increase your potassium level include:

• certain medications for high blood pressure or heart conditions (examples include ACE-inhibitors like Altace®, Capoten®, Lotensin®, Mavik®, Monopril®, Prinivil®, Univasc®, Vasotec®, Zestril®, and also Angiotensin-II receptor blockers like Atacand®, Avapro®, Cozaar®, Diovan®, Micardis®), as well as Eplerenone (Inspra™)
• dietary salt substitutes (these may contain potassium)
• heparin
• NSAIDs (antiinflammatory drugs which include Advil®, Aleve®, Ansaid®, Cataflam®, Clinoril®, Daypro®, Feldene®, Indocin®, Lodine®, Naprosyn®, Orudis®, Motrin®, Voltaren®, and others) if they are taken long-term and daily, like for arthritis
• potassium supplements
• some 'water pills' (diuretics like spironolactone or Aldactone®, Dyazide®, Midamor®, Moduretic®, and others)

Since the Yasmin and YAZ are two popular brands among women and if you are planning to go for either of them for your contraception needs, please inform your physician or healthcare provider if you were on any other type of medicine, specially those described above potassium raising drugs.