Yasmin and Yaz are two types of birth control pills manufactured by Bayer Healthcare, and the generic, Ocella, is marketed and distributed by Barr Laboratories, Inc. Yasmin and Yaz contain the same estrogenic compound, ethinyl estradiol, that has been used in "The Pill" since the 1970s, but the progestin in Yasmin and Yaz is new. Yasmin and Yaz both contain drospirenone, a "fourth generation" progestin – no other birth control pills contain drospirenone, except for a recently approved generic version, Ocella. The oral contraceptive drugs Yasmin and Yaz have both been linked to serious, life-threatening injuries including blood clot, stroke, heart attack and death. Yasmin and Yaz are known as combination oral birth control drugs because they contain a combination of the hormones estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drospirenone). Yasmin was approved for use in the United States in 2001, while Yaz, a lower dose version, was approved for use in 2006. A generic version of Yasmin, marketed as Ocella, has been on the market since 2008. The difference between the two is in the amount of the estrogen component, ethinyl estradiol. Yasmin contains 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol, while Yaz contains a lower dose of 20 mcg.
Drospirenone may act as a diuretic causing dehydration and increased unsafe potassium levels in the blood, which can disrupt heart rhythms and slow the flow of blood. This can lead to blood clotting. The FDA has warned that increased serum potassium can be dangerous. Since potassium acts as a key control in cardiac rhythm, this imbalance can cause hyperkalemia and heart rhythm disturbances. Symptoms of hyperkalemia include nausea, fatigue, muscle weakness or tingling sensations. A simple blood test can determine whether you are suffering from hyperkalemia. Treatments for hyperkalemia include a reduced-potassium diet; I.V. glucose, insulin and calcium; sodium bicarbonate; and in some serious cases, dialysis. This process can result in the formation of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, and even death. Dehydration can also cause kidney stones and gallbladder disease. Yaz has also been linked to serious gallbladder damage. Because you lose water due to the drospirenone's diuretic effect, you develop sludge or bile that injures the gallbladder.
From the first quarter of 2004 through the third quarter of 2008, well over 50 reports of death among users of Yasmin and Yaz have been filed with FDA. These include numerous deaths with reported cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, intracardiac thrombus (blood clots in the heart), pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) and stroke in women under 50 years of age. In fact, some of the deaths occurred in women as young as 17 years old. Significantly, reports of elevated potassium levels are frequently included among the symptoms of those suffering fatalities while using Yasmin or Yaz.
The Houston personal injury law office of John K. Zaid & Associates, PLLC has recovered millions of dollars in damages for clients with various personal injuries, if you or someone you know has suffered from:
- Death
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
- Gallbladder Disease
- Serious Blood Clot
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Kidney Stones
PLEASE CALL the Law Office of John K Zaid & Associates, PLLC today for a free consultation at 281- 333-8959. You may call us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reach us through our Web site by completing the brief contact a lawyer form.
