The Yaz birth control pill could be putting millions of young women at risk of serious side effects, including stroke, heart attack and even death. Bayer USA, the maker of Yaz, has already been warned by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for running TV commercials that minimize the potential health consequences of Yaz.
In the summer of 2009 several lawsuits were filed by women who claimed Yaz made them ill. The lawsuits allege Bayer overstated the benefits of Yaz and failed to warn that it could put women at risk of serious injury. It is expected that similar Yaz lawsuits will be filed in the near future.
Yaz Birth Control Pill
Yaz is a combination birth control pill for women that contains both estrogen and progestin. Yaz is considered a low-dose pill because it contains no more than .035 milligrams of estrogen.
Yaz received FDA approval as an oral contraceptive in March 2006, and as a treatment for the emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in October 2006. Finally, in January 2007, Yaz was approved to treat moderate acne in women who desire an oral contraceptive for birth control.
Yaz is one of the best-selling oral contraception pills in the United States, with sales of $616 million in 2007.
Yaz Side Effects
Evidence is growing that Yaz carries serious health risks. Yaz contains a synthetic type of progestin called drospirenone. According to the FDA, drospirenone can lead to hyperkalemia, a condition caused by excessive amounts of potassium in the blood, in high risk patients. This condition may result in potentially serious heart and health problems.
Because of this risk, women with conditions that predispose them to hyperkalemia (such as renal insufficiency, hepatic dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency) should not take Yaz. Women taking Yaz must also be concerned about the drug interactions that could increase potassium, in addition to the drug interactions common to all combination oral contraceptives.
In order for Yaz users to avoid high potassium levels, blood tests should be drawn every few months. Most women who take Yaz don’t know about taking these blood tests because the instructions to take the tests are given in a small package insert with the birth control – something few people ever read.
Women involved in Yaz lawsuits have claimed that they suffered from a variety of serious ailments. These Yaz side effects include deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. Yaz has also allegedly been associated with heart attacks and deaths in young women.
Finally, the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) lists a variety of other side effects reported by Yaz users. These include severe allergic reactions, rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, chest tightening, fainting, irregular heartbeat, liver problems, unusual or severe vaginal bleeding, unusual tiredness or weakness, vaginal irritation or discharge, and vision changes.
