The Dangerous Side Effects of YAZ Birth Control Pills
Baron & Budd is investigating cases of serious health problems caused by YAZ oral contraceptive, Ocella, and Yasmin side effects. Physical connections to the serious side effects of YAZ, Yasmin and Ocella birth control pills include:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blood clotting
- Cerebral hemorrhage
- Hypertension
- Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Pulmonary embolism (PE)
- Gallbladder complications
- Liver tumors
YAZ Warning from the FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in October 2008, informing the company that its advertising of YAZ birth control pills was misleading because it exaggerated claims about the drug’s effectiveness and minimized the risk of serious side effects of YAZ usage.
The FDA determined that Bayer’s advertisements over-promised the benefit of taking the YAZ oral contraceptive. The FDA warned Bayer that YAZ was approved only for treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and moderate acne vulgaris, but Bayer’s advertisements at that time promoted use of YAZ for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and all forms of acnes.
Yasmin, Ocella and YAZ Side Effects
The FDA was also concerned that Bayer’s advertising would lead women to underestimate the risks of taking YAZ. In fact, some women who have taken the birth control pills have experienced serious YAZ, Ocella and Yasmin side effects, such as blood clots, stroke, heart attack and gallbladder complications.
All three oral contraceptive drugs — YAZ, Yasmin and Ocella –contain ethinyl estradiol (a form of estrogen) and drospirenone (a form of progestin). The Yasmin, Ocella and YAZ birth control pills are the only oral contraceptives sold today that contain drospirenone, a drug that can increase the level of potassium in the blood to dangerously high levels.
And because YAZ, Yasmin and Ocella birth control pills use a different active ingredient (drospirenone) than many other oral contraceptives, you could be at risk for developing health problems as a result of taking these drugs even if you have taken other oral contraceptives without problems in the past.
History of YAZ, Ocella and Yasmin Oral Contraceptives
Yasmin birth control pills were introduced by Berlex Laboratories in 2001. Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals acquired Berlex in 2006. Bayer then introduced YAZ oral contraceptives, an update of Yasmin. In 2008, the Ocella birth control pills were introduced, manufactured by Barr Laboratories using the same active ingredients as YAZ and Yasmin — ingredients supplied to the company by Bayer.
