Does Yaz Birth Control Cause Weight Gain?

Yaz is a registered trademark for drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol, which is sold as a birth control pill. It is also prescribed to reduce the sumptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and to treat acne. It is a "combination "pill, meaning that it contains two types of hormones, an estrogen and a progestin. It works by causing a woman's body to act as though she is pregnant. She doesn't ovulate and her cervical mucus is thicker to prevent male cells from traveling to her uterus, in the case that an egg does get released. When used correctly, it is 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.

Yaz has a 24/4 day dosing schedule, which means that a woman takes an active pill for 24 days. Then she takes inactive pills for four days before beginning the next 24/4 cycle. This is the same whether she is taking it for birth control or to treat PMDD or acne.

According to the official website for Yaz, one of the side effects that occurred in studies was weight gain. However, while some subjects did have a gain, others experienced a loss. Weight gain is not an unavoidable side effect, but rather one of many that may occur, depending on how Yaz affects a particular individual. Other side effects included nausea, vomiting, headaches, breast tenderness, and irregular bleeding, and breast tenderness. Often they were mild and disappeared during the first few months that users took Yaz. Like other birth control pills, Yaz also raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in women who are over 35 years old and who smoke. This effect is generally more of a concern than the possibility of weight gain.

Even though Yaz may contribute to weight gain, users should weigh its benefits against this effect before deciding not to use it. Besides its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy and treating PMDD and acne, Yaz can make a women's periods be lighter and more regular, with milder menstrual cramps. It can also reduce the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, etopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, and noncancerous breast cysts and lumps. It may offer some protection again loss of bone density as well. Women who are concerned about weigh gain may be able to offset it by other means such as modified diet and increased exercise.

Because Yaz is available by prescription only, a woman must visit a doctor in order to obtain it. This gives her a chance to discuss all of the potential benefits and side effects with an expert and to get the doctor's professional opinion and insights. If she decides to take Yaz, she can contact the doctor if she notices weight gain or has any other negative effects in order to get help dealing with them.