Beyaz

Beyaz

Generic Name: drospirenone, ethinyl estradiol and levomefolate calcium

Date of Approval: September 24, 2010

Company: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Treatment for: Birth Control, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Acne

FDA Approves Beyaz

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Beyaz, an estrogen/progestin combined oral contraceptive that also contains a folate (levomefolate calcium 0.451 mg).

Beyaz is based on the approved product Yaz, which contains the same doses of estrogen and progestin, and is approved for prevention of pregnancy, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris in women at least 14 years of age, only if the patient desires an oral contraceptive for birth control. Beyaz also is approved for the secondary indication in women who choose to use an oral contraceptive as their method of contraception, to raise folate levels for the purpose of reducing the risk of a neural tube defect in a pregnancy conceived while taking the product or shortly after discontinuing the product.

Patient Labeling for Beyaz

WARNING TO WOMEN WHO SMOKE

Do not use Beyaz if you smoke cigarettes and are over 35 years old. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects (heart and blood vessel problems) from birth control pills, including death from heart attack, blood clots or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.

Birth control pills help to lower the chances of becoming pregnant when taken as directed. They do not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

What Is Beyaz?

Beyaz is a birth control pill. It contains two female hormones, a synthetic estrogen called ethinyl estradiol and a progestin called drospirenone. Beyaz also contains levomefolate calcium, which is a B vitamin.

The progestin drospirenone may increase potassium. Therefore, you should not take Beyaz if you have kidney, liver or adrenal disease because this could cause serious heart and health problems. Other drugs may also increase potassium. If you are currently on daily, long-term treatment for a chronic condition with any of the medications below, you should consult your healthcare provider about whether Beyaz is right for you, and during the first month that you take Beyaz, you should have a blood test to check your potassium level.

NSAIDs (ibuprofen [Motrin, Advil], naproxen [Aleve and others] when taken long-term and daily for treatment of arthritis or other problems)

Potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone and others)

Potassium supplementation

ACE inhibitors (Capoten, Vasotec, Zestril and others)

Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists (Cozaar, Diovan, Avapro and others)

Heparin

Aldosterone antagonists

Beyaz may also be taken to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) if you choose to use the Pill for birth control. Unless you have already decided to use the Pill for birth control, you should not start Beyaz to treat your PMDD because there are other medical therapies for PMDD that do not have the same risks as the Pill. PMDD is a mood disorder related to the menstrual cycle. PMDD significantly interferes with work or school, or with usual social activities and relationships with others. Symptoms include markedly depressed mood, anxiety or tension, mood swings, and persistent anger or irritability. Other features include decreased interest in usual activities, difficulty concentrating, lack of energy, change in appetite or sleep, and feeling out of control. Physical symptoms associated with PMDD may include breast tenderness, headache, joint and muscle pain, bloating and weight gain. These symptoms occur regularly before menstruation starts and go away within a few days following the start of the period. Diagnosis of PMDD should be made by healthcare providers.

You should only use Beyaz for treatment of PMDD if you:

Have already decided to use oral contraceptives for birth control, and

Have been diagnosed with PMDD by your healthcare provider.

Beyaz has not been shown to be effective for the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), a less serious set of symptoms occurring before menstruation. If you or your healthcare provider believe you have PMS, you should take Beyaz only if you want to prevent pregnancy; and not for the treatment of PMS.

Beyaz may also be taken to treat moderate acne if all of the following are true:

Your healthcare provider says it is safe for you to use Beyaz.

You are at least 14 years old.

You have started having menstrual periods.

You want to use a birth control pill to prevent pregnancy.

Beyaz may also be taken to provide folate supplementation in women who elect to use an oral contraceptive. It is recommended that women of reproductive age supplement their diet with 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid daily to lower their risk of having a pregnancy with a rare type of birth defect (known as a neural tube defect). The amount of folate contained in Beyaz supplements folate in the diet to lower this risk should you become pregnant while taking the drug or shortly after stopping it.

How Well Does Beyaz Work?

Your chance of getting pregnant depends on how well you follow the directions for taking your birth control pills. The better you follow the directions, the less chance you have of getting pregnant.

Based on the results of one clinical study, 1 to 2 women out of 100 women, may get pregnant during the first year they use Beyaz.

How Do I Take Beyaz?

Be sure to read these directions before you start taking your pills or anytime you are not sure what to do.

The right way to take the pill is to take one pill every day at the same time in the order directed on the package. Preferably, take the pill after the evening meal or at bedtime, with some liquid, as needed. Beyaz can be taken without regard to meals.

If you miss pills you could get pregnant. This includes starting the pack late. The more pills you miss, the more likely you are to get pregnant. See "WHAT TO DO IF YOU MISS PILLS” below.

Many women have spotting or light bleeding at unexpected times, or may feel sick to their stomach during the first 1-3 packs of pills.

If you do have spotting or light bleeding or feel sick to your stomach, do not stop taking the pill. The problem will usually go away. If it does not go away, check with your healthcare provider.

Missing pills can also cause spotting or light bleeding, even when you make up these missed pills.

On the days you take two pills, to make up for missed pills, you could also feel a little sick to your stomach.

If you have vomiting (within 3 to 4 hours after you take your pill), you should follow the instructions for "WHAT TO DO IF YOU MISS PILLS." If you have diarrhea or if you take certain medicines, including some antibiotics and some herbal products such as St. John's Wort, your pills may not work as well.

Use a back-up method (such as condoms or spermicides) until you check with your healthcare provider.

If you have trouble remembering to take the pill, talk to your healthcare provider about how to make pill-taking easier or about using another method of birth control.

If you have any questions or are unsure about the information in this leaflet, call your healthcare provider.

Before You Start Taking Your Pills

Decide What Time of Day You Want to Take Your Pill

It is important to take Beyaz in the order directed on the package at the same time every day, preferably after the evening meal or at bedtime, with some liquid, as needed. Beyaz can be taken without regard to meals.

Look at Your Pill Pack – It has 28 Pills

The Beyaz-pill pack has 24 pink pills (with hormones and folate) to be taken for 24 days, followed by 4 light orange pills (without hormones, containing folate) to be taken for the next four days. It is important to take the light orange pills because they contain folate.

Also look for:

Where on the pack to start taking pills,

In what order to take the pills (follow the arrows)

Be sure you have ready at all times (a) another kind of birth control (such as condoms or spermicides) to use as a back-up in case you miss pills, and (b) an extra, full pill pack.

When To Start the First Pack of Pills

You have a choice for which day to start taking your first pack of pills. Decide with your healthcare provider which is the best day for you. Pick a time of day which will be easy to remember.

Day 1 Start:

Take the first pink pill of the pack during the first 24 hours of your period.

You will not need to use a back-up method of birth control, since you are starting the Pill at the beginning of your period. However, if you start Beyaz later than the first day of your period, you should use another method of birth control (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up method until you have taken 7 pink pills.

Sunday Start:

Take the first pink pill of the pack on the Sunday after your period starts, even if you are still bleeding. If your period begins on Sunday, start the pack that same day.

Use another method of birth control (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up method if you have sex anytime from the Sunday you start your first pack until the next Sunday (7 days). This also applies if you start Beyaz after having been pregnant, and you have not had a period since your pregnancy.

When You Switch From a Different Birth Control Pill

When switching from another birth control pill, Beyaz should be started on the same day that a new pack of the previous birth control pill would have been started.

When You Switch From Another Type of Birth Control Method

When switching from a transdermal patch or vaginal ring, Beyaz should be started when the next application would have been due. When switching from an injection, Beyaz should be started when the next dose would have been due. When switching from an intrauterine contraceptive or an implant, Beyaz should be started on the day of removal.

What to Do During the Month

Take one pill at the same time every day until the pack is empty.

Do not skip pills even if you are spotting or bleeding between monthly periods or feel sick to your stomach (nausea).

Do not skip pills even if you do not have sex very often.

When you finish a pack of pills, start the next pack on the day after your last light orange pill. It is important to take the light orange pills because they contain folate. Do not wait any days between packs.

What to Do if You Miss Pills

If you miss 1 pink pill in Week 1 of your pack:

Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take two pills in one day.

You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.

If you miss 2 pink pills in a row in week 1 OR week 2 of your pack:

Take two pills on the day you remember and two pills the next day.

Then take one pill a day until you finish the pack.

You could become pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you restart your pills. You must use another birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up for those 7 days.

If you miss 2 pink pills in a row in week 3 or week 4 of your pack:

If you are a Day 1 Starter:

Throw out the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.

If you are a Sunday Starter:

Keep taking one pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.

You could become pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you restart your pills. You must use another birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up for those 7 days.

You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period two months in a row, call your healthcare provider because you might be pregnant.

If you miss 3 or more pink pills in a row during any week:

If you are a Day 1 Starter:

Throw out the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.

If you are a Sunday Starter:

Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.

You could become pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you restart your pills. You must use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicides) as a back-up for those 7 days.

You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period two months in a row, call your healthcare provider because you might be pregnant.

If you miss any of the 4 light orange pills in Week 4:

Throw away the pills you missed.

Keep taking one pill each day until the pack is empty.

You do not need a back-up method.

Finally, if you are still not sure what to do about the pills you have missed:

Use a back-up method (such as condoms and spermicides) anytime you have sex.

Contact your healthcare provider and continue taking one active pink pill each day until otherwise directed.

Who Should Not Take Beyaz?

Your healthcare provider will not give you Beyaz if you:

Ever had blood clots in your legs (deep vein thrombosis), lungs (pulmonary embolism), or eyes (retinal thrombosis)

Ever had a stroke

Ever had a heart attack

Have certain heart valve problems or heart rhythm abnormalities that can cause blood clots to form in the heart

Have an inherited problem with your blood that makes it clot more than normal

Have high blood pressure that medicine can't control

Have diabetes with kidney, eye, nerve, or blood vessel damage

Ever had certain kinds of severe migraine headaches with aura, numbness, weakness or changes in vision

Ever had breast cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to female hormones

Have liver disease, including liver tumors

Have kidney disease

Have adrenal disease

Also, do not take birth control pills if you:

Smoke and are over 35 years old

Are or suspect you are pregnant

Birth control pills may not be a good choice for you if you have ever had jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) caused by pregnancy (also called cholestasis of pregnancy).

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had any of the above conditions (your healthcare provider can recommend another method of birth control).

Tell your healthcare provider if you are already taking daily folate supplements.

What Else Should I Know about Taking Beyaz?

Birth control pills do not protect you against any sexually transmitted disease, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Do not skip any pills, even if you do not have sex often.

If you miss a period, you could be pregnant. However, some women miss periods or have light periods on birth control pills, even when they are not pregnant. Contact your healthcare provider for advice if you:

Think you are pregnant

Miss one period and have not taken your birth control pills every day

Miss two periods in a row

Birth control pills should not be taken during pregnancy. However, birth control pills taken by accident during pregnancy are not known to cause birth defects.

You should stop Beyaz at least four weeks before you have major surgery and not restart it until at least two weeks after the surgery due to an increased risk of blood clots.

If you are breastfeeding, consider another birth control method until you are ready to stop breastfeeding. Birth control pills that contain estrogen, like Beyaz, may decrease the amount of milk you make. A small amount of the pill's hormones pass into breast milk.

If you are currently on daily, long-term treatment for a chronic condition with any of the following medications, you should consult your healthcare provider before taking Beyaz:

NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen and others)

Potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone and others)

Potassium supplementation

ACE inhibitors (captopril, enalapril, lisinopril and others)

Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists (Cozaar, Diovan, Avapro and others)

Heparin

Aldosterone antagonists

Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines and herbal products that you take. Some other medicines and herbal products may make birth control pills less effective, including:

Barbiturates

Bosentan

Carbemazepine

Felbamate

Griseofulvin

Oxcarbazepine

Phenytoin

Rifampin

St. John's wort

Topiramate

Consider using another birth control method when you take medicines that may make birth control pills less effective.

Birth control pills may interact with lamotrigine, an anticonvulsant used for epilepsy. This may increase the risk of seizures, so your healthcare provider may need to adjust the dose of lamotrigine.

Folates may make certain drugs, including some used for epilepsy, less effective, so talk to your healthcare provider about any medicines you take.

If you have vomiting or diarrhea, your birth control pills may not work as well. Use another birth control method, like condoms and a spermicide, until you check with your healthcare provider.

If you are scheduled for any laboratory tests, tell your doctor you are taking birth-control pills. Certain blood tests may be affected by birth-control pills.

What are the Most Serious Risks of Taking Birth Control Pills?

Like pregnancy, birth control pills increase the risk of serious blood clots, especially in women who have other risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, or age greater than 35. It is possible to die from a problem caused by a blood clot, such as a heart attack or a stroke. Some examples of serious clots are blood clots in the:

Legs (thrombophlebitis)

Lungs (pulmonary embolus)

Eyes (loss of eyesight)

Heart (heart attack)

Brain (stroke)

A few women who take birth control pills may get:

High blood pressure

Gallbladder problems

Rare cancerous or noncancerous liver tumors

All of these events are uncommon in healthy women.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have:

Persistent leg pain

Sudden shortness of breath

Sudden blindness, partial or complete

Severe pain in your chest

Sudden, severe headache unlike your usual headaches

Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or trouble speaking

Yellowing of the skin or eyeballs

Beyaz side effects

What are the Common Side Effects of Birth Control Pills?

The most common side effects of birth control pills are:

Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods

Nausea

Breast tenderness

Headache

These side effects are usually mild and usually disappear with time.

Less common side effects are:

Acne

Less sexual desire

Bloating or fluid retention

Blotchy darkening of the skin, especially on the face

High blood sugar, especially in women who already have diabetes

High fat (cholesterol; triglyceride) levels in the blood

Depression, especially if you have had depression in the past. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have any thoughts of harming yourself.

Problems tolerating contact lenses

Weight changes

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you develop any side effects that concern you. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No serious problems have been reported from a birth control pill overdose, even when accidentally taken by children.

See also: Beyaz side effects (in more detail)

Do Birth Control Pills Cause Cancer?

Birth control pills do not seem to cause breast cancer. However, if you have breast cancer now, or have had it in the past, do not use birth control pills because some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones.

Women who use birth control pills may have a slightly higher chance of getting cervical cancer. However, this may be due to other reasons such as having more sexual partners.

What Should I Know about My Period when Taking Beyaz?

Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting may occur while you are taking Beyaz. Irregular bleeding may vary from slight staining between menstrual periods to breakthrough bleeding, which is a flow much like a regular period. Irregular bleeding occurs most often during the first few months of oral contraceptive use, but may also occur after you have been taking the pill for some time. Such bleeding may be temporary and usually does not indicate any serious problems. It is important to continue taking your pills on schedule. If the bleeding occurs in more than one cycle, is unusually heavy, or lasts for more than a few days, call your healthcare provider.

Some women may not have a menstrual period but this should not be cause for alarm as long has you have taken the pills according to direction.

What if I Miss My Scheduled Period when Taking Beyaz?

It is not uncommon to miss your period. However, if you miss two periods in a row or miss one period when you have not taken your birth control pills according to directions, call your healthcare provider. Also notify your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of pregnancy such as morning sickness or unusual breast tenderness. It is important that your healthcare provider checks you to find out if you are pregnant. Stop taking Beyaz if you are pregnant.

What If I Want to Become Pregnant?

You may stop taking the pill whenever you wish. Consider a visit with your healthcare provider for a pre-pregnancy checkup before you stop taking the pill. See your health care provider about appropriate folate supplementation if you stop taking Beyaz, are pregnant, or plan on becoming pregnant.

General Advice about Beyaz

Your healthcare provider prescribed Beyaz for you. Please do not share Beyaz with anyone else. Keep Beyaz out of the reach of children.

If you have concerns or questions, ask your healthcare provider. You may also ask your healthcare provider for a more detailed label written for medical professionals.