Yaz Side Effects Now Include Pancreatitis, According to FDA

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an order to all manufacturers of certain birth control pills to include pancreatitis on warning labels of birth control pills that contain the hormones drospirenone and estrogen. Such oral contraceptives, including the controversial Yaz and Yasmin brands, have been linked to pancreatitis in the past, but it is now clear that there is a definitive link as the disease is now an “official” side effect. The Food and Drug Administration’s order could cause legal trouble for many drugmakers. Individuals are contacting Yaz lawyers to discuss how to pursue legal action.

Many Yaz and Yasmin patients are now worried about their risk of pancreatitis as associated with the birth control pill. Women who have a family history of hypertriglyceridemia or suffer from the condition themselves run a higher risk of contracting Yaz-related pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a condition marked by inflammation of the pancreas. This can result in digestive enzymes attacking the pancreas, pancreatic duct, and tissues nearby – the most common symptoms of this condition are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and rapid pulse. The pancreas is the organ which secretes digestive enzymes and it also regulates production of insulin.

Pancreatitis is a serious condition, and in some cases it can be fatal. A number of other side effects of Yaz have proven to be fatal in some cases, including blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks, which have all been linked to the popular birth control pill. A study has shown that, while there is a risk of blood clot with any hormonal birth control method, patients who use drospirenone-based birth control such as Yaz are two to three times more likely than women who used birth control based on any other hormone to develop side effects like deep vein thrombosis and blood clots.

Many women have chosen to take legal action against companies responsible for the manufacture of these hormonal forms of birth control. They are seeking damages that will help cover medical and hospital bills as well as other costs related to the side effects they have experienced. The Food and Drug Administration’s recent announcement is likely to lead to an increase in the number of these Yaz lawsuits.