Pulmonary Embolisms a Deadly Side Effect of Yaz Birth Control

The Food and Drug Administration has already had to give Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceuticals corporation behind drospirenone-based birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin, a warning regarding their advertising of the oral contraceptive. Yaz and Yasmin were both originally touted as safe, effective birth control methods with added benefits, including properties that could help clear skin and reduce severe PMS symptoms. However, Bayer neglected to mention most of the laundry list of severe side effects the pills have been known to come with, including stroke, gallbladder disease, blood clotting problems such as deep vein thrombosis, and among the most life-threatening, pulmonary embolism.
A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot travels through the bloodstream and lodges in one of the major arteries in the lung. Pulmonary embolism can be fatal, and around 60,000 people die every year due to pulmonary embolism. Although it is unclear how many of these deaths can be tied to the patient’s use of Yaz or Yasmin birth control, it is worth nothing that any of the Yaz or Yasmin-related pulmonary embolism deaths could – and should – have been prevented. A study published by the British Medical Journal in 2009 showed that women taking Yaz and Yasmin birth control as opposed to another hormone-based oral contraceptive were six times more likely to develop a blood clot, and therefore much more likely to suffer a pulmonary embolism as well.
Pulmonary embolisms related to Yaz are caused by two factors, which can either stand on their own or combine to form an extra-deadly combination. Hyperkalemia, which causes excess potassium to be retained in the blood, can cause the condition, and so can hypercoagulability, which is the increased tendency for blood to clot. Both of these conditions have been linked to Yaz and Yasmin birth control as well as other forms of drospirenone-based oral contraceptive.

Is Birth Control Just Another Yaz Side Effect?

When women decided to take Yaz, they were doing so because it was supposed to be a safe form of birth control. Now that the drug has had time in the market to show how dangerous it truly is, was birth control just another side effect of taking Yaz? Yaz has side effects such as pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, and many more. These side effects were not rare either. In fact, they happened pretty commonly.
So the question remains: when signing up to take Yaz, were users signing up to get a birth control pill or a gallbladder disease pill?
Drugs like Yaz work by introducing hormones into the users body that make pregnancy impossible. However, the hormones which help to avoid pregnancy also cause a host of lethal side effects. The hormones drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol cause terrible side effects in women who are otherwise completely healthy. When the hormones are ingested, they make their way to the liver, and while they are there they completely alter the natural bile that the liver produces and sends to the gallbladder. This altered bile can not break down gallstones, and this leads to gallbladder disease.
Some critics have retorted by saying that women are naturally more likely than men to develop gallbladder disease, but this is only true in women that have become post-menopausal. Because all of the users of Yaz and similar drugs are have obviously not reached that stage in their lives, the fact that they are coming down with so much gallbladder disease is a telling sign for Yaz. It is solid evidence which shows that the drug has serious side effects.
The time has now come for payback. Although it comes many years later, it is still not too late for those negatively affected by the drug Yaz. More than one thousands cases have already been filed against the makers of Yaz in court. The cases claim that Bayer, the ones who made Yaz, did not warn users of the drug about all of the side effects. The Yaz lawsuit cases are being consolidated in a process known as multidistrict litigation, which will take place in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
These cases are the first step towards a conclusion for those affected by the drug Yaz. Many young women have been affected by the drug since it was released. Hopefully they will soon be able to find some peace in their lives.

Settlement Amounts for Yaz Lawsuits Pending

Women throughout the country have suffered serious side effects from taking Yaz birth control pills, and many are now choosing to file lawsuits to claim compensation. They are seeking damages for time lost from work, medical costs, and critical permanent injuries. AnyYaz settlement amounts are currently pending, as the litigation process continues. The side effects linked to Yaz use include blood clots that can lead to circulatory issues, vein problems, and a whole host of other ailments.

Critical Yaz Side Effects

The most serious side effects that can come from use of Yaz or Yasmin oral contraceptives include:

• Heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Liver bleeding, liver tumors, liver cancer
• Breast cancer
• Formation of blood clots
• Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT
• Pulmonary embolism
• Cerebral hemmorage
• Blindness

Women with no personal or family history of blood clots have also developed the life-threatening side effects of Yaz that come from blood clots. Such clots often originate in the legs, and are then called DVT or deep vein thrombosis. But blood clots can happen in many other parts of the body too, including the head, pelvis, arms, lungs, and eyes, all of which can lead to serious health troubles.

Symptoms of Yaz Side Effects

Severe health problems produced by the formation of blood clots can cause symptoms such as the following in Yaz users:

• Pain in the lower leg
• Blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision
• Swelling and pain in the limbs
• Elevated blood pressure
• Sudden, sharp headaches
• Sharp or heavy chest pain
• Coughing up blood

The product information booklets and warning labels on oral contraceptives do provide some warning. Nevertheless, Bayer, the maker of Yaz and Yasmin, is accused of such irresponsible acts as:

• Failing to conduct proper research and testing on their drugs
• Failing to recall the medication once there were increased reports of life-threatening side effects among users (while the market was filled with a variety of safer alternatives)
• Providing misleading information to doctors and consumers by touting the acne-curing benefits and neglecting to mention the most serious side effects patients experience when taking Yaz for its skin-clearing ability

Irresponsible Reporting of Yaz Risks

In 2008, the FDA announced that Bayer had improperly represented their oral contraceptive’s risks and benefits to users, warning the company to take down all misleading advertisements and commercials. Since that time there has been a great increase in the number of cases filed against the manufacturer. Many women allege they should have continued to enjoy perfect health were it not for the severe side effects caused by Yaz.

A Side Effect of Using Yaz and Yasmin – Heart Attack

An increased incidence of heart attacks is one of the more serious side effects of using the Yaz and Yasmin contraceptive drugs. Of course, this has led to a large number Yaz lawsuits filed by aggrieved parties. Yaz and Yasmin birth control drugs can lead to excess potassium in the blood because they contain the progestin “drospirenone”. In women who have taken Yaz birth control, this significant Yaz side effect may cause heart attacks, stroke, and even death. The increased potassium levels may easily go completely undetected and untreated because they commonly don’t have noticeable symptoms, and as a result may substantially increase the risk to women using the Yaz and Yasmin birth control products.

The importance of understanding the symptoms of a Yaz heart attack

It’s critically important that women who use Yaz and Yasmin birth control learn to recognize the symptoms of heart attacks (and also of the risk factors for developing a heart attack in the first place) so that they may know to seek immediate emergency medical care in the event of a Yaz and Yasmin-induced heart attack. And, perhaps most importantly, understanding will help them make an intelligent decision about finding an alternate birth control method. This is especially important if there’s a family history of heart problems, or they’re otherwise at high risk of developing heart trouble.

Recognize the symptoms of a Yaz heart attack

If women who use the Yaz and Yasmin contraceptive products exhibit any of the following symptoms, they may be developing a Yaz heart attack and should seek emergency medical help immediately. Symptoms include; abdominal pain, heartburn, chest pain or chest pressure, discomfort or pain in the neck, jaw, shoulder or upper back, dizziness, faintness or lightheadedness, feelings of extreme anxiety or nervousness, inexplicable fatigue or weakness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, or excessive sweating. If these symptoms occur, call 911 immediately.

Increased risk factors for Yaz-related heart attacks

As with any drug, some women with additional risk factors will be in greater danger than others of developing a Yaz-related heart attack. Women with the highest risk include those who have the following aspects in their medical history: a previous heart attack or any heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, depression, menopause (or low levels of estrogen), metabolic syndrome (a condition whose symptoms include abdominal fat and high blood sugar), or unhealthy lifestyle habits that include diets high in fat, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and not exercising regularly.

What to do in case of a Yaz heart attack

If you believe you are having a heart attack, you must get medical care immediately to save your life! Call 911, go to the hospital, and call your doctor. Afterwards, exactly adhere to your follow-up recommendations, including all lifestyle changes, prescriptions, and treatments so that you may restore your good health, and lower the possibility of future heart-related issues.
Innocent young women all over the country continue to be exposed to these perilous, even life-threatening adverse side effects of taking Yaz and Yasmin contraceptive drugs. How many more women who put their trust in these birth control products will get desperately sick?

Life Threatening Yaz Side Effects

All across the United States, young women report severe life-threatening side effects caused by the “fourth-generation” birth control products Yaz and Yasmin. This prescription medication marketed primarily to teenage girls has been clearly associated with these dangerous Yaz side effects, which include:

• Blood clots
• DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Serious Yaz gall bladder problems
• Breast cancer
• Liver cancer, liver tumors, severe liver bleeding
• Cerebral hemorrhage
• Total loss of vision

One of the more significant side effects from the use of Yaz and Yasmin is blood clots. Yaz blood clots have manifested in healthy young women that have shown no prior history of clots. They often develop in the legs, which is known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. Blood clots that form in one area can break loose and move to other areas of the body, especially the lungs. Blood clots can cause serious health problems, including heart attack or stroke.

Yaz and Yasmin side effects symptoms to watch out for

The following symptoms could indicate serious heath issues caused by blood clots:
• Sharp or heavy chest pain
• Severe headaches that come on quickly
• High blood pressure
• Pain or swelling in the legs and arms
• Back of lower leg pain
• Blurred or double vision
• Total loss of vision
• Coughing blood

Additional risk factors for Yaz and Yasmin side effects

These risk factors can increase the likelihood and severity of the Yaz and Yasmin side effects:
• Smoking cigarettes, especially more than 15 cigarettes a day
• High blood cholesterol
• Excess body weight
• Age over 35 years old

Public Citizen, the valuable “consumer watchdog” organization, has long pushed for an FDA ban on third-generation contraceptives, due to insufficient clinical studies researching their serious side effects and the resulting impact on the health of the women who put their trust in these birth control drugs. Both Yaz and Yasmin are fourth-generation contraceptives and use a combination of hormones that the third-generation contraceptives do, but also use drospirenone, a new synthetic hormone.

On their web site, Public Citizen states: “There is no medical reason you should be using Yasmin rather than one of the older pills containing the progestins norgestrel, levonorgestrel or norethindrone.”

Many young women find themselves suffering devastating injuries from the significantly perilous side effects and potential health risks ascribed to these drugs. Are the life-threatening side effects worth the risk of using these unsafe contraceptives?

Yaz Side Effects: Two Different Women with One Terrible Thing in Common

Brenda Hamilton and Susan Gallenos are two of the over three thousand woman who are filing Yaz lawsuits against Bayer Pharmaceuticals because they have suffered negative side effects after taking their popular birth control method, Yaz. Both Brenda and Susan suffered strokes, but other serious side effects have been reported, including pulmonary embolism, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, and gallbladder disease.

The Bayer Pharmaceuticals company received a warning from the Food and Drug Administration regarding their advertising, which portrayed the product as a safe and effective birth control method that could help fight mild to moderate acne. The ads did not mention that side effects could be severe and life threatening, even though 64 percent more women suffered a serious blood clot issue while on Yaz than while on other oral contraceptives.

Brenda Hamilton, a Broadway actress, was only twenty-seven when she suffered her stroke, and had been taking Yasmin for two years. Susan Gallenos was a young mother who had only been taking Yaz for a month when she had hers. Brenda has luckily since made a full recovery, but Susan has suffered complications from her stroke, such as a diminished IQ and a changed personality. Physical rehabilitation and medical treatment can help stroke victims recover, but a full recovery is not guaranteed, and strokes can be fatal.

Both of these women consulted a Yaz lawyer in order to recover damages from Bayer Pharmaceutical.  If you've been injured, it's important to find out if you have a claim for damages against the manufacturer.

Yaz and Yasmin Side Effects Result in Lawsuit Filings

Fourth-generation drospirenone-based birth control methods Yaz, Yasmin, and the generic Ocella have been hit with several thousand Yaz lawsuits from women who have suffered from severe side effects of the medication since its launch in 2006. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States previously issued a warning to Bayer Pharmaceuticals, makers of Yaz and Yasmin, regarding its methods of advertisement for the products. TV and print ads claimed that Yaz and Yasmin were effective, safe birth control pills that came with the added bonus of helping to clear acne and deal with some of the more symptoms of PMS.

Some of the more serious side effects that women have been experiencing while on Yaz and Yasmin oral contraceptives include gallbladder disease, heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and even death. Less serious side effects can include decrease in sex drive, weight gain, vaginal discharge, headaches, yeast infections, spotting between periods, nausea, and vomiting. It is for these reasons and others that women have been filing lawsuits by the thousands against Bayer Pharmaceuticals and other manufacturers of drospirenone based birth control pills, hoping to seek compensation for hours of work missed, out-of-pocket medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other costs of these side effects.

As the side effects of Yaz and Yasmin are becoming more known worldwide, more and more women are filing lawsuits, some due to the fact that some of the conditions Yaz and Yasmin induce are chronic and can affect women for the rest of their lives or cause serious complications with their health. However, the Bayer healthcare corporation maintains that Yaz and Yasmin are safe and effective products and do not seem to have any plans to pull them from the market, despite mounting concerns for the safety of consumers and the possibility of putting million more lives at risk.

Yaz lawyers are evaluating cases all over the country from young women who have suffered permanent and life-threatening side effects of Yaz and Yasmin.  If you've been injured, understand your rights.