Oral Contraceptives

If you have undiagnosed and/or unexplained abnormal vaginal bleeding, do not take oral contraceptives.

In addition, if you have liver, kidney, or adrenal disease, you should avoid the Yasmin brand of oral contraceptive. It contains an ingredient that can increase potassium levels in the body, leading to serious problems if you have one of these diseases.

Finally, you should not take oral contraceptives if you are having major surgery with a prolonged period of being immobile.

Special warnings about Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives should be used with caution if you are over 40 years old; smoke tobacco; have liver, heart, gallbladder, kidney, or thyroid disease; have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, or porphyria (a blood disorder); or tend to be seriously overweight. Caution is also advised if you have blood circulation problems or have had a heart attack or stroke in the past. Be cautious, too, if you have problems with depression, migraine or other headaches, irregular menstrual periods, or visual disturbances.

Because oral contraceptives may speed up development of gallbladder disease, see your doctor right away if you develop symptoms such as sharp stomach pains, fever, or nausea and vomiting.

If you have a family history of breast cancer or other cancers, you might want to consider using a progestin-only product. The estrogen in combination oral contraceptives has been linked with an increase in the risk of breast cancer during use of the pill, though this added risk appears to decrease once you stop taking it. If you do use a combination, choose one with a relatively low amount of estrogen. Take high-estrogen pills (0.05 milligrams of estrogen) only if your doctor feels it's necessary.

You should also be aware that some studies link oral contraceptives with an increased risk of cervical cancer. However, some experts think other factors besides the pill are to blame.

Since the blood's clotting ability may be affected by oral contraceptives, your doctor may take you off them prior to surgery. If bleeding lasts more than 8 days while you are on a progestin-only oral contraceptive, or if you have no period at all, be sure to let your doctor know. The risk of blood clots is greater with oral contraceptives that contain desogestrel, such as Ortho-Cept. This risk is also higher during the first year you take a combined oral contraceptive.