Yaz and Potassium
Potassium – most of us probably know that we can get potassium from eating certain foods like bananas and oranges, but for those of us whose last biology class was more than a few years back, we may forget what potassium actually does in the body. Potassium is mineral that helps the kidneys function normally and it is also an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity in the body, along with sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. Potassium is crucial for your heart to function properly, and maintaining a healthy level of potassium is important to your health.
So how does this relate to Yaz? The Yaz birth control pill, along with Yasmin and Ocella, contains the synthetic progestin known as drospirenone, which can increase potassium levels in the blood. The problem is that increased potassium levels can lead to a potentially dangerous condition known as hyperkalemia. Possible complications from hyperkalemia include:
- Arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms)
- Cardiac arrest
- Changes in nerve and muscle (neuromuscular) control
Women with conditions such as kidney, liver or adrenal disease should not take Yaz because it can cause serious heart or health problems, including hyperkalemia. Other medications can also increase potassium levels in the blood, which could be very dangerous if taken in conjunction with Yaz.
As the FDA said in its 2003 Warning Letter to Bayer (the manufacturers of Yasmin), “Women taking Yasmin must be concerned about drug interactions that will increase potassium, in addition to the drug interactions common to all COCs [oral contraceptives]. Therefore, these women and their healthcare providers must weigh Yasmin's additional health risks when considering Yasmin over COCs [oral contraceptives] without drospirenone.”
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