This article describes the dosage and strength of Yaz birth control pills and gives details on how to take them. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for Yaz. If you want to know more about Yaz, see this overview article. It covers details about the drug’s uses and side effects, ways to save on cost, and more.
Yaz is a brand-name medication that comes as a blister pack of 28 tablets. It’s available in a generic version called drospirenone/ ethinyl estradiol. This article describes dosages of Yaz.
Boxed warning: Risk of cigarette smoking and serious cardiovascular events
Yaz has a boxed warning for the risk of cigarette smoking and serious cardiovascular events. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
See the end of this article for more information about this warning.
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Form and strength of Yaz
Yaz comes as follows:
- Form: blister pack of 28 tablets that you take by swallowing
- 24 light pink tablets with active drug (“active” tablets)
- 4 white tablets without active drug (“reminder” tablets)
- Strength: 3 milligrams (mg) of drospirenone and 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol
Note: The active ingredients of Yaz are the hormonal medications drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. An active ingredient is what makes a drug work. Drospirenone is a type of hormone called a progestin and ethinyl estradiol is a type of hormone called an estrogen.
Dosage of Yaz
This article describes the recommended dosage for Yaz. The drugmaker provides these dosages.
If your doctor prescribes this medication, you should follow the dosage they prescribe. Your doctor will determine the dosage that best meets your needs. Do not change your dosage of Yaz without your doctor’s recommendation.
Usual recommended dosage of Yaz in adults
Doctors may prescribe Yaz oral tablet to:
- prevent pregnancy in females* at any age who can become pregnant (reproductive age)
- treat symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in females*
- treat acne in females* age 14 years and older who choose to use oral contraception
*Sex and gender exist on spectrums. In this article, we use the term “female” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth.
Yaz is a form of hormonal birth control. The recommended dosage of Yaz is one tablet per day. Your doctor will tell you which day to take your first dose of Yaz. Typically, it’ll be the day your period starts or the Sunday right after your period starts.
You’ll take the tablets in the order indicated on the Yaz blister pack as follows:
- Day 1 through day 24: 1 light pink (active) tablet once per day
- Day 25 through day 28: 1 white (reminder) tablet once per day
Usually, doctors start by prescribing a low dosage of Yaz. Then, they’ll adjust it over time until the right dosage is reached. Ultimately, your doctor will prescribe the smallest dosage of Yaz that gives the desired outcome.
Dosage of Yaz in children
Yaz is prescribed to prevent pregnancy and treat certain hormonal conditions in females of reproductive age. This includes females younger than 18 years old. The dosage of Yaz for children is the same as the dosage of Yaz in adults. For details, see “Usually recommended dosage of Yaz in adults” above.
Missed dose of Yaz
If you miss a dose of Yaz, your next dose depends on certain factors, like:
- the day you started taking Yaz
- how many doses you’ve missed
- the week you missed your dose
- whether you missed a light pink (active) tablet or a white (reminder) tablet
Missed doses of Yaz can make the drug less effective for preventing pregnancy or treating your hormonal condition. What to do if you forget to take a dose of Yaz depends on where you were in your 4-week menstrual cycle when the missed dose(s) occurred.
Missed dose instructions are below. You can talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have more questions. They can also advise you about whether you’ll need to use a backup form of birth control, such as a condom, due to your missed dose(s) of Yaz.
Missed dose instructions
If you miss 1 light pink (active) Yaz tablet at any time:
- Take the missed dose as soon as possible. Take the next tablet at the regular time. This means 2 tablets may be taken in a single day.
- A backup birth control method is not needed.
If you miss 2 light pink (active) tablets in a row in week 1 or week 2 of your cycle:
- Take 2 light pink (active) tablets as soon as possible, and 2 light pink (active) tablets the next day. Then take 1 tablet per day until the pack is empty.
- Additional nonhormonal contraception (such as condoms or a spermicide) should be used as backup if you have sex within 7 days after missing the doses.
If you miss 2 light pink (active) tablets in a row in week 3 or week 4:
- Day 1 start: Throw away the blister pack and start a new pack the same day.
- Sunday start: Keep taking 1 tablet once per day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw away the blister pack and start a new pack the same day.
- Additional nonhormonal contraception (such as condoms or spermicide) should be used as backup if you have sex within 7 days after missing the doses.
If you miss 3 or more light pink (active) tablets in a row at any time:
- Day 1 start: Throw away the blister pack and start a new pack the same day.
- Sunday start: Keep taking 1 tablet once per day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw away the blister pack and start a new pack the same day.
- Additional nonhormonal contraception (such as condoms or a spermicide) should be used as backup if you have sex within 7 days after missing the doses.
If you miss 1 white (reminder) tablet at any time:
- Throw away the tablets that were missed and keep taking 1 tablet per day until the pack is empty.
For tips on how to plan your doses of Yaz and avoid missing a dose, read this article. You could also try:
- downloading a reminder app on your phone
- setting an alarm
- putting a note where you’ll see it, such as on your calendar, bathroom mirror, or bedside table
Frequently asked questions
Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about Yaz and its dosage.
How does the dosage of Yaz compare with the dosage of Yasmin?
Both Yaz and Yasmin are prescribed to prevent pregnancy. Just like Yaz, the active ingredients of Yasmin are the hormonal medications drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. An active drug is the ingredient that makes the drug work. Yasmin comes in a 28-tablet blister pack with 21 yellow (active) tablets and 7 white (reminder) tablets. One active tablet of Yasmin contains 3 mg drospirenone and 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol.
The recommended dosage of Yasmin is 1 tablet by mouth once per day, taken in the order directed on the blister pack.
If you have questions about the dosage of Yaz compared with the dosage of Yasmin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
When will my period start when I start taking Yaz?
The type of birth control used and your body chemistry both play a role in when to expect your next period. While taking Yaz, you can expect to have a menstrual period about every 24 days. Your period will likely start 1–3 days after you take the last light pink (active) tablet in the blister pack. And your period may continue for a few days once you start a new blister pack.
If you have questions about the start of your period while taking Yaz, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Is Yaz taken long term?
Yes, doctors typically prescribe Yaz as a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that it’s safe and effective for your condition, you’ll likely take it long term.
If you have questions about how long you should take Yaz, talk with your doctor.
How Yaz is taken
You swallow a Yaz tablet once per day. Yaz may be taken with or without food.
There’s no best time of day to take Yaz. But your doctor may advise that you take this medication around the same time each day. This helps keep a consistent amount of the drug in your body. And that can help the drug work more effectively.
If it’s hard for you to swallow tablets, view this article. It provides suggestions on how to swallow medications that come in pill form.
Also, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re having difficulty taking your medication. They can offer recommendations about taking it.
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