It is not safe for everybody to take Yasmin. You cannot take the Yasmin contraceptive pill if you need an operation, if you have been off your feet for a considerable period of time, if you’ve ever had a blood clot, a clotting disorder, a heart attack or stroke, angina, diabetes with nerve damage, very high blood pressure, high fat levels in the blood, hyperhomocysteinemia, migraines with aura, liver disease or impaired liver function, kidney failure or kidney damage, liver tumours, breast cancer or cancer of the genitals, unexplained vaginal bleeding or if you’re allergic to anything in Yasmin.
You must disclose your full medical history to the doctor. It's particularly important that you let them know if you or a relative has ever had breast cancer, any gallbladder condition, diabetes, depression, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, any condition involving clotting, sickle cell anemia, elevated levels of fat in the blood, inflamed veins under the skin, varicose veins, epilepsy, any disease which affects the natural defence system, any disease which occurred during pregnancy, any discolouration of the skin problems or hereditary angioedema. You should also tell them if you need to have an operation, or have just given birth.
Similarly, tell the doctor about any medications you take. This includes recreational drugs and those you bought over the counter. It's especially important that they are informed if you take medication for the following conditions:
- Epilepsy (primidone, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine)
- Tuberculosis (rifampicin)
- HIV and Hepatitis C infections (ritonavir, nevirapine, efavirenz)
- Fungal infections (griseofulvin, ketoconazole)
- Arthritis, arthrosis (etoricoxib)
- High blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs (bosentan)
- Depression (St. John’s wort)
Tell the doctor if you take any medicines containing cyclosporine, the anti-epileptic lamotrigine (this could lead to an increased frequency of seizures), theophylline (used to treat breathing problems) or tizanidine (used to treat muscle pain and/or muscle cramps). Do not take Yasmin if you have Hepatitis C and take any of the following: ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir or dasabuvir.