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.