The oral contraceptive sold as Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella has been found to create heightened health risks for women who use it. In April 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills such as Yaz “may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.”

On its website, the maker of Yaz, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, warns that “Yaz increases the risk of serious conditions including blood clots, stroke and heart attack. … The risk of blood clots is highest during the first year of use.”

The FDA advises women to talk to their doctors before deciding whether to use Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella. The agency also advises doctors to consider the risks and benefits of drospirenone-containing birth control pills, including a woman’s risk for developing blood clots, before they prescribe these drugs.

Blood Clots Can Lead to Potentially Fatal Conditions

Yaz is a birth control pill. It is made with drospirenone, which is a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone (also called progestin). Since May 2011, the FDA has warned that drospirenone may increase the user’s risk of developing blood clots.

The medical term for a blood clot is “thrombus.” If a blood clot forms in a vein, it is called “venous thrombosis.” A blood clot that forms in a deep vein in the body is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

If a blood clot breaks loose from the vein and moves through the body, it can cause a blockage in one or more arteries in the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism (PE). A heart attack is caused by a blood clot in the heart. Stroke is caused by a blockage of blood to the brain. Any of these conditions can lead to disabling injury or death.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about half of the people who suffer DVT have no symptoms. The most common symptoms of DVT that do occur in the affected part of the body are:

• Swelling
• Pain

• Tenderness
• Redness of the skin.

A pulmonary embolism can also occur without warning. Typical signs of PE include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Faster than normal or irregular heart beat
• Chest pain or discomfort, which usually worsens with a deep breath or coughing

• Anxiety
• Coughing up blood
• Very low blood pressure, lightheadedness, or fainting.

If you have any of the symptoms above for DVT or PE, you should seek medical help immediately. This is an emergency medical situation, but medications can be administered to dissolve a patient’s blood clots.

The FDA says it continues to monitor research and findings about drospirenone-containing birth control pills and will communicate any new information about oral contraceptives made with drospirenone and the risk of blood clots when it becomes available.

Contact a Yaz Blood Clots Lawyer Today

Yaz lawsuits are currently being filed and settled. If you or a loved one has taken Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella as prescribed and suffered blood clots, stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), it is crucial that you call today to speak to an experienced Yaz lawsuit attorney.

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, has helped clients injured by dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices for more than a decade. Attorney John J. Driscoll solely represents plaintiffs and focuses on complex product liability cases, consumer class actions and personal-injury litigation.

To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call us today at 877-812-4524 or fill out our online contact form. We can discuss your legal rights and options and get started on your case right away.