Yaz Side Effects

All medications have the potential for side effects and the oral contraceptive, Yaz, is no exception to this very well known rule. However, not everyone experiences side effects and, if they do, the side effects are minimal in most cases.

Yaz, manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, has been under the microscope with 32 federal court cases pending against Bayer regarding their famous contraceptive. It seems to not be one of those medications that sport few side effects and are hardly a blip on the side effect radar. As a matter of fact, Yaz has left quite the mark due to its side effects and the number of women reporting experiencing them.

As for what is the alleged cause of these side effects is the ingredient drospirenone, which is not found in other oral contraceptives. This is an ingredient that not only prevents ovulation, but also changes the cervix and the uterine lining in a way that a fertilized egg cannot attach to the uterus even if fertilization does occur.

Although this sounds fantastic and is why Yaz is an extremely popular birth control pill, there have been numerous side effects listed and they are not your average birth control pill side effects. These are more serious side effects that include:

• Blood clots in the legs – Oral contraceptives have warned of the potential for blood clots for years, but it has been alleged that Yaz causes deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which can lead to a pulmonary embolism (PE). If you have pain in your calf, leg cramps, or swelling in your feet and legs, it is important to seek medical attention immediately because this could be a sign of a serious condition.
• Pulmonary embolism (PE) – If you experience shortness of breath, sharp chest pains, or you are coughing up blood, you are experiencing signs of a PE.
• Heart attack – If you feel heaviness in your chest or chest pains, you could be having a heart attack.
• Stroke – You may experience a severe headache, numbness or weakness in a single arm or leg, or changes in your vision or speech.
• Liver damage – Liver damage has also been associated with Yaz in that individuals become Jaundiced (yellowing of skin or whites of eyes), pain in the upper-right abdomen, and dark urine.
• High cholesterol – High cholesterol can later lead to issues with the circulatory system that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

These side effects are a far cry from the usual dizziness, nausea, and headache side effects that accompany most oral contraceptives. However, other oral contraceptives do not use drospirenone as one of their ingredients. Although proven to be quite effective in preventing pregnancy, treating PMDD, and also treating acne, some women have developed the more serious side effects that have led to severe conditions that required medical intervention. This has led to a total of over 30 federal cases against Bayer Pharmaceuticals regarding the side effects of Yaz. As it stands, there has been no recall of the birth control pill by the Food and Drug Administration.

Contact the McEwen Law Firm today at 800-732-3070 to speak with an attorney or fill the form out to the right.

Yaz and the Pulmonary Embolism Link

Many women are asking their doctors about the popular birth control pill, Yaz, and they are getting exactly what they ask for. However, there are a number of side effects that have been associated with Yaz and these side effects are appearing in more and more women the longer the contraceptive is on the market.

However, the side effects that are encountered are going beyond the normal nausea, headache, reduced sex drive, and possible fatigue. As a matter of fact, actual conditions are being brought forth in women who appear to be perfectly healthy, but lose that good health after taking Yaz for a period of time. This is thought to be due to the chemical drospirenone.

Drospirenone elevates the potassium levels within the blood, which causes a condition called hyperkalemia. This condition can do such things as disrupt heart rhythms and also lead to death. But there is one condition that is extremely severe and is one of the reasons why lawsuits are mounting against Bayer. The condition is pulmonary embolism (PE).

A PE is a condition in which blood is unable to travel through the lung due to a blockage in an artery that belongs to the lung. Lung function is compromised and a number of symptoms are experienced.

If you have taken Yaz and you experience the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, then you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. The symptoms of a PE are:

• A bloody cough.
• Chest pain that radiates into the shoulder, arm, neck, or jaw.
• A rapid heartbeat.
• Shortness of breath that happens suddenly.

If you’re having a PE, then you may also experience bluish-colored or clammy skin, fever, excessive sweating, anxiety, lightheadedness, fainting, leg swelling, wheezing, or a weak pulse.

A third of people who have a PE that has not been treated will not survive it. Those who do survive may have to suffer with heart damage and pulmonary hypertension.

Although not all women taking Yaz will develop a PE, there are certain women at higher risk. The risk seems to be associated with a high risk for blood clots. Those women who are at a higher risk of developing PE while taking Yaz are those who smoke, those over 35, and those who have a family history of PE.

For those women over 35 who also smoke, they are encouraged to either stop smoking or to refrain from taking Yaz in order to avoid the potential for a Yaz pulmonary embolism. Yaz does disclose this on their packaging, but the disclosure deals more with the blood clots themselves rather than explaining that a PE can be the result of those blood clots traveling from the arms and legs to the lungs.

At this time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not issued a recall, but there are over 30 Federal cases pending that allege Yaz is the cause of conditions ranging from PE to sudden death. It is expected that more lawsuits will be filed. As it stands, there are a number of states with awsuits against the Bayer Corporation for not disclosing the more severe side effects to the public.

Contact the McEwen Law Firm today at 800-732-3070 to speak with an attorney or fill the form out to the right.