SIDE EFFECTS

The following serious adverse reactions with the use of COCs are discussed elsewhere in the labeling:

• Serious cardiovascular events and stroke [see BOXED WARNING and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Vascular events [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Liver disease [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

Adverse reactions commonly reported by COC users are:

• Irregular uterine bleeding
• Nausea
• Breast tenderness
• Headache

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, the adverse reaction rates observed cannot be directly compared to rates in other clinical trials and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

Contraception and Folate Supplementation Clinical Trials

The data provided reflect the experience with the use of Yasmin (3 mg DRSP/0.03 mg EE) in the adequate and well-controlled studies for contraception (N=2,837) and folate supplementation (N=172). For contraception, the US pivotal clinical study (N=326) for the oral contraception indication for Yasmin was a multicenter, open-label trial in healthy women aged 18 -35 who were treated with Yasmin for up to 13 cycles. The second contraceptive pivotal study (N=442) was a multicenter, randomized, open-label comparative European study of Yasmin vs. 0.150 mg desogestrel/0.03 mg EE conducted in healthy women aged 17-40 who were treated for up to 26 cycles. The primary efficacy study using Safyral for folate supplementation was a randomized, single-center European trial in 172 healthy, female subjects aged 18-40 years comparing the pharmacodynamic effects of Yasmin + 0.451 mg levomefolate calcium to Yasmin co-administered with folic acid during 24 weeks of treatment followed by 20 weeks of open-label Yasmin.

The adverse reactions seen across the 2 indications overlapped and are reported using the frequencies from the pooled dataset. The most common adverse reactions (≥ 2% of users) were: premenstrual syndrome (12.4%), headache/migraine (10.3%), breast pain/tenderness/discomfort (8.1%), nausea/vomiting (4.4%), mood changes (depression, depressed mood, irritability, mood swings, mood altered and affect lability (2.3%), and abdominal pain/discomfort/tenderness (2.2%).

Adverse Reactions (≥ 1%) Leading to Study Discontinuation

Contraception Clinical Trials

Of 2,837 women, 6.7% discontinued from the clinical trials due to an adverse reaction; the most frequent adverse reaction leading to discontinuation was headache/migraine (1.5%).

Folate Clinical Trial

There were no subjects who discontinued due to an adverse reaction.

Serious Adverse Reactions

Contraception Clinical Trials

depression, pulmonary embolism, toxic skin eruption, and uterine leiomyoma.

Folate Supplementation Clinical Trial

none reported in the clinical trial

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of Yasmin. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

Adverse reactions, including fatalities, are grouped into System Organ Classes and ordered by frequency.

Vascular disorders: Venous and arterial thromboembolic events (including pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, intracardiac thrombosis, intracranial venous sinus thrombosis, sagittal sinus thrombosis, retinal vein occlusion, myocardial infarction and stroke), hypertension

Hepatobiliary disorders: Gallbladder disease

Immune system disorders: Hypersensitivity

Metabolism and nutrition disorders: Hyperkalemia

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: Chloasma

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Safyral (Drospirenone/Ethinyl Estradiol/Levomefolate Calcium Tablets and Levomefolate) »