Opinions on Yaz BC?

August 28, 2006 9:05 AM

I am just about to start using bcp for the first time in my life. My gynie prescribed Yaz, which I understand is quite new. Has anyone here been on it? Any comments, impressions, advice?
posted by barrakuda to Health & Fitness (22 answers total)

It's certainly been mentioned in a lot of threads. Might be worth clicking through the search results, too.
posted by occhiblu at 9:09 AM on August 28, 2006

It's what all the cool kids call Yasmin birth control pills. At least, it's what all the cool kids in the TV ads in which young pretty female doctors try to get all their friends on the same birth control pill while talking about how smart they were for getting through med school call it.
posted by occhiblu at 9:13 AM on August 28, 2006

Response by poster: occhiblu, I am specifically asking about Yaz, a newer cousin of Yasmin. I am not asking about Yasmin itself.
posted by barrakuda at 9:14 AM on August 28, 2006

I was on yasmin. It was no better or worse than the other pills, though more expensive.

Your tags would probably be more helpful if you used yasmin instead if yaz.
posted by necessitas at 9:15 AM on August 28, 2006

Oops, sorry about the Yaz comment. I've never heard of the pill. When I see the word Yaz, I only think of the band.
posted by necessitas at 9:16 AM on August 28, 2006

Oops, I'm sorry, barrakuda. Those ads have been annoying me so much with their chummy friendly slangy tone that I assumed they were shortening the name. Sorry for the derail!
posted by occhiblu at 9:21 AM on August 28, 2006

Best answer: FYI, Yaz is not the same as Yasmin (well, it may be chemically the same, but it's a different drug according to the FDA). It's a new pill by the makers of Yasmin that is designed to make your periods shorter and lighter.

Did your doctor give you a specific reason for prescribing that drug instead of one of the dozens of others available? If there's no specific reason, I would tend to suspect that your doctor has been influenced by heavy drug company marketing of the drug. When a new drug is released, drug companies blast doctors with freebies and marketing materials designed to get them to believe that the new drug, which is usually more expensive than older ones, is crucially better than other treatments. Often, it's not any better/different than the older, cheaper drugs.

If you don't pay for your own medications, this may not matter to you, but if you pay out of pocket or have a lower copay for generic drugs, I would recommend asking for a generic monophasic pill. If you're concerned about the duration or frequency of your periods, you can take any monophasic pill for several months straight, skipping the inactive week, to reduce frequency, and most pills after a few months will reduce heaviness and duration. This will likely be cheaper than the fancy new pill you've been prescribed, and you may feel more comfortable knowing that it's been on the market for longer if that's your concern.
posted by Amy Phillips at 9:22 AM on August 28, 2006

to clear something up, Yaz is not the same as Yasmine. Yaz is an even lower dose than yasmin, which was the lowest dose available before. i have been on yaz for two weeks after having alot of issues with yasmine affecting my hormones and libido. so far other than the first few days being a hormonal mess it does seem alot better. but its also kinda early to tell.
posted by trishthedish at 9:23 AM on August 28, 2006

"gynie"? "bcp"? "Yaz"
posted by croutonsupafreak at 12:11 PM EST on August 28 [+fave] [!]

OK, so yaz is real, but the other two?
posted by caddis at 9:26 AM on August 28, 2006

i see amy beat me to it, also yaz isnt really prescribed to make your periods shorter and lighter, it has a lower dose of estrogen that has been tested to relieve alot of the side effects of birth control, so it is aimed at people that cant handle most birth control like myself.
posted by trishthedish at 9:27 AM on August 28, 2006

not sure why she says gynie instead of gynocologist and bcp is birth control pills.
posted by trishthedish at 9:29 AM on August 28, 2006

Also, if you're specifically looking for a low-dose pill, there are generic low-dose pills. (Nearly all of the pills on the market today are a lower dose than the birth control pills of the 70s and 80s, but there are many types that are even lower than the standard modern pills) However, there is, as far as I know, no medical evidence that low-dose pills are safer than pills with higher hormone levels that are currently on the market. They may be better tolerated by some women who have had bad side-effects from other pills, but since you say you've never been on the pill before, there's no real reason to believe you'd be unable to tolerate one of the more common generic pills. But if the lower-dose pill makes you feel more comfortable, you still have lots of options.

IANAD, but I try to do my homework.
posted by Amy Phillips at 9:34 AM on August 28, 2006

I was on Yasmin and it made me gain weight. Don't know about Yaz.
posted by k8t at 9:56 AM on August 28, 2006

Response by poster: "gynie"? "bcp"? "Yaz"

bcp = birth control pill
'gynie' because it's shorter and more affectionate than gynecologist and also easier to spell as trishthedish may attest (sorry trish it's spelled with an e not an o)
:)
posted by barrakuda at 9:57 AM on August 28, 2006

yeah i was wondering. i spelled it right the first time and then kept thinking about people that call it their gyno and completely confused myself.
posted by trishthedish at 10:31 AM on August 28, 2006

I've recently been prescribed Yaz myself, and both my nurse practitioner and I starting singing "Don't Go" when she told me the scrip she was writing.

Yes, Yaz (and Yasmin) are both low-dose pills in terms of estrogen, but what distinguishes them from other low-dose birth control pills (such as Loestrin, which I was on -- quite happily -- for several years until various side effects crept up on me, which made me have to stop) is that it contains a completely different form of progestin. For some women, apparently, this new form of progestin (drospirenone) has a better track record in terms of incidence of certain side effects like depression. (Note: I haven't switched onto it yet, so it's too early to report what my personal experience is.)
posted by scody at 10:32 AM on August 28, 2006

Best answer: I was on Yasmin and it destroyed my sex drive. I had zero, none. Drosperinone, the progestin used in Yaz and Yasmin, has a strong anti-androgenic effect. This means you have less testosterone, which women need if they want to have a libido. On the plus side, it made my skin perfectly clear and I didn't gain weight.

I got off it after I saw an article (which I can't find right now) saying some research suggested that BCP-related libido drops can become permanent. I now have a Paragard IUD and am happy with that.
posted by amber_dale at 10:34 AM on August 28, 2006

Yeay for the Paragard IUD! Yeay for not having to remember to pack pills on vacations, and yeay for never ever having to remember to take them, or worry when I forget. Yeay for absolutely no artificial hormones! And super yeay for it being more effective than the pill and lasting TEN years.
posted by Eringatang at 11:07 AM on August 28, 2006

ditto to those who are cheering for their no-hormone IUD. I lovelovelove it.
posted by raedyn at 12:18 PM on August 28, 2006

Best answer: I have been taking Yaz since May. I have had none of the side effects that other bcps gave me (weight gain, nausea, craziness.) It works wonders for PPMD (which, to the boys in this thread, is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome.) The big con is that, because of the low level of hormones, you really have to be vigilant about taking it at the exact same time every day, or you will most likely get breakthrough bleeding.
posted by Ruki at 1:10 PM on August 28, 2006

I am somewhat irritated this morning as I pour through the various entries on Yaz (this site and others). I am just finishing up my second month on Yaz and came here looking for answers so to speak.. the experiences of other women taking Yaz. I am have been on birth control pills for nearly ten years now and have always had trouble finding one that works best for me. I have tried just about every low hormone birth control pill that is out there and nothing seems to work just right for me. My doctor just prescribed Yaz for me because the hormon level was too high on the last pill I was on. I developed severe PMS symptoms that I didn't normally have and developed Melasma on my face.. despite the fact that the pill I was on was a low dose. And generics never work for me either.. I always seem to respond better to brand name pills. Since I have been on Yaz I have been feeling much better emtionally and physically. However, I have not yet had my period. So I went online searching for others' experiences on Yaz. But instead I find numerous entries from people that: (1) Aren't even on Yaz, (2) Don't even know what Yaz is and that is not the same as Yasmine, or (3) and this is my biggest pet peave.. women complaining about the side effects of Yaz (i.e., weight gain & bleeding) but yet go on to admit that they have not taken Yaz as it is meant to be taken.. missing doses.. ect. Of course there are going to side effects if not taken as prescribed!! All I am looking for is some helpful and intelligent feedback on anyone taking Yaz. P.S. who cares if users abbreviate words? You all knew what they meant, correct? I mean it doesn't take rocket science to figure out that BCP probably stands for birth control pill. Anyways.. I am done with my tangent.. like I said any useful feedback about Yaz would be great!
posted by cmhills at 8:11 AM on October 24, 2006

Response by poster: UPDATE: After three months I am feeling pretty good (although I don't have a frame of reference as I haven't taken any other bcp). In the first month I was pretty emotional (read: cried a lot) but have since returned to normal. My period comes once a month, is very light and lasts 3-4 days (used to be heavy and last for up to 7). I haven't really gained weight (maybe 2-4 pounds BUT in the same time I quit smoking and my boyfriend moved in putting me on a more regular eating schedule). The boobs have grown by a size. The only annoying negative is that I've started regularily getting canker sores in my mouth (2-5 per month) which is v. painful and annoying. I read somewhere that it may be caused by hormonal changes and I am still hoping for it to go away.
posted by barrakuda at 10:56 PM on November 17, 2006