Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Chi chi on October 13, 2015, 03:42:01 PM
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I've been prescribed this today and wondered if anyone is or has been on it and what's your thoughts?
Thanks :)
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Hi Estelle,
Have you read the patient information leaflet for Yaz? It states that it should not be taken by women over 35 who smoke.
http://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/fhc/YAZ_PI.pdf
I would suggest having an internet search for Yaz and you will find some not very pleasant reading. I would not take it myself and I hope you don't!
Jenna x
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Prescribed by whom exactly?
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Professor Studd prescribed it
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I'd love to have taken this as the progesterone is very well tolerated. It's a very similar dose to Qlaira which I take, but it's not bio identical, so it's effectively stronger. It's the weaker sister to Yasmine (which is 3mg of estrogen). It has really good reviews, but does have one of the highest risks of all BCP (Yasmine, that is) and has therefore been banned in some countries. Think I am right in saying it's not prescribed in Sweden and Scotland.
On here, it would come under Yasmine, next to Mercilon, so in the big picture, you can see it's not at all progesterone dominant (so on the right hand side) and is very low in estrogen, so at the bottom rung.
Will be really interested to hear how you go. xxxx
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I'll be very interested to hear how you get on. I would largely ignore the warnings about not taking it if you're over 35 etc, etc.
I currently take the BCP rather than HRT and according to all the literature I shouldn't because I'm over 35.
But I am not overweight and don't smoke so my GP is happy for me to take it. I think if more women stayed on the BCP into their 40s there would be fewer women suffering peri menopausal difficulties.
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I stayed on the pill until I was 48 hasn't help me going forward,but guess I wouldn't know if things would have started getting rough earlier or not.
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Drugs really don't get banned for nothing so why ignore the warnings and the fact it is no longer prescribed in some counties.
There are plenty of options, so why run the risk.
Honeybun
X
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Estelle, didn't mean to confuse you - it's Yasmin that's not prescribed in some countries, not Yaz. Yasmin has same progesterone as Yas but lmore estrogen. In the U.S., it's one of the most well tolerated pills. Risks are higher than first generation pills, but still relatively low. I think it's something like 3 in 10,000 will get a clot without taking any medication; 6 in 10, 000 taking first gen pill, 12 in 10, 000 on pills like Yasmin and I think it was 15 in 10, 000 chance of clot when pregnant (ie highest risk of all). Do check to confirm this. (I'd only trust professional data like this , preferably from the UK medical authorities).
It's a very personal choice and depends on how much quality of life you will gain v the potential risks. For me, I knew it was my only choice. HRT wasn't enough and I was at risk of losing my career, partner and sanity if I didn't do something to help the symptoms. When the consultant said I'd be more likely to have a stroke when pregnant than on the pill, I decided to risk it. However, I fully respect anyone who chooses not to take it. It's a very personal choice. X
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Agree with you Briony. The odds of a clot for me were 10 in 10,000. The odds of me living 1 in 3 days in abject misery, and tainting the lives of my poor family was an odds on certainty.
I know which odds I preferred.
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It is worrying but tbh im just so fed up of feeling crap and i don't feel ready for a hysterectomy yet especially when there's no guarantee I'll feel any better :-\ I've still got my appointment with Annie Evans on Thursday and intend to discuss it with her to get her take on it?
Briony I read on one site that Yaz and Yasmin are totally different then on another site that they are sisters, all very confusing and not much help but I did see it had good reviews especially for PMS/PMDD.
There's been times in the past when I've been prescribed things by my GP and the information leaflet has said can't be taken with this or that so I've queried it with GP and he's said not to worry? There's been things in the past I shouldn't have taken due to having headaches etc but GP still prescribed them ???
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Sorry just read the new posts after I posted. That's the thing, I don't want to carry on feeling crap which for the last 3 years HAS been a definate :-\
Even if I just tried it for 6 months or so I might find it makes no difference whatsoever, I might also find I get ME back? At least then I'll know for definite the cause of my symptoms, low mood etc
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They are very similar in that they have the same progesterone and that's the controversial bit. They are different in that one has 1 mg more estrogen and the other has fewer blank pill/gap days. Hence the reason some say they are alike and others disagree. Both have good user reviews, as you say. The progesterone is one of the least androgynous, so good for mood, acne and bloating. Yasmin does have the slightly elevated risk I mentioned previously.
My doc explained it to me: with higher risk people like you (smoker?) and me (migraines with aura/young age stroke in family) you try the safer options first eg. Diet/lifestyle changes, then HRT. If they don't work, then you weigh up risks verses benefits. The modern pills have far less estrogen than the original ones and research now shows, if all other risks are equal, being 40-50 years makes no difference. That's how she prescribed me the pill, despite me having some element of risk.
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Sorry just read the new posts after I posted. That's the thing, I don't want to carry on feeling crap which for the last 3 years HAS been a definate :-\
Even if I just tried it for 6 months or so I might find it makes no difference whatsoever, I might also find I get ME back? At least then I'll know for definite the cause of my symptoms, low mood etc
You sum up how I feel, totally. I'm only 43, not even had a family or married yet, got so much I want to do in life and am not prepared to let my weird hormones dictate my future. I really was desperate - I was way beyond the 'just think positive' stage, as I know so many on here are. Taking Qlaira has restored some form of life quality that nothing else managed. I really hope you see an improvement too xxxx
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The last 3 years have been a total waste, there's been so many things/days/moments that I can't get back that I should have enjoyed more, my daughters 21st for example :-\ I don't want to look back in 10 or even 5 years time feeling the same :-\
We only get 1 crack of the whip as they say ;)
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"It states that it should not be taken by women over 35 who smoke." ???
Or by ladies who:
drink
sit too long
fly coach 2hr+
play contact sports
avoid non contact exercise
avoid good oral hygiene
eat smoked/cured meats
breath in fumes whilst waiting on a bus.....
Etc etc etc
I'd love to meet the person who dreams up these nonsensical and vague notions. When so much else can affect our lives.
We really have to take things with a pinch of salt and get on with the quality of life BCP, HRT or whatever we choose provides.
There are lots of things that can make us prone to clots and vascular issues (bad teeth being one of the top issues).
Relax and enjoy yourself (and don't forget to floss once a week) :)
:-*
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That made me chuckle peegeetip :D
I hadn't even read the leaflet!
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On a side note, what are the 4 white pills at the end of the packet?
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They are the four blanks. That's one of the good things about Yas compared with other pills - only a short blank time so hopefully no hormonal dip :)
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Oh ok thanks Briony :) Prof Studd told me to take 1 pack after the other without breaks
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http://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/fhc/YAZ_PI.pdf
-DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION-----------------------
Take one tablet daily by mouth at the same time every day. (2.1)
Tablets must be taken in the order directed on the blister pack. (2.1)
---------------------DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS----------------------
Yaz consists of 28 film-coated, biconvex tablets in the following order (3):
24 light pink tablets, each containing 3 mg drospirenone (DRSP) and
0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol (EE) as betadex clathrate
4 white inert tablets
If you look here, the four white pills have nothing in. They are blanks. This means you do effectively get a break, so therefore everyone who takes it takes it 'back to back' (as in takes every pill in the pack, then goes on to the next pack). That's different to the 21 day pill packs where you are meant to take nothing for 7 days, but some people dont have the break and this is referred to as 'back to back'.
Hope that makes sense!
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Thanks Briony ;)