The Yaz® birth control pill has been on the market since 2006. Yaz is taken orally once daily to prevent pregnancy.
Yaz differs from other birth control methods because it contains a progestin hormone called drospirenone, which can increase potassium levels in the bloodstream.
Yasmin®,
a birth control drug very similar to Yaz, has been on the market since
2001. It contains the same hormone as Yaz and is associated with the
same health issues. Ocella® is sometimes supplied by pharmacies instead
of Yaz or Yasmin, and carries the same risks.
Dangerous Side Effects
Yaz
has been linked with serious adverse heart problems in women taking the
drug. In a reprimanding letter sent to the manufacturer of Yaz, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns of blood clots, heart attack, stroke, and gallbladder disease in Yaz users (1).
The FDA goes on to say, "Yaz has additional risks because it contains the progestin, drospirenone [...] can lead to hyperkalemia in high risk patients, which may result in potentially serious heart and health problems.
Women taking Yaz must be concerned about the drug interactions that
could increase potassium, in addition to the drug interactions common to
all combination oral contraceptives (1)."
What Have Yaz Studies Revealed?
The British Medical Journal
(BMJ) released a report revealing that blood clots in Yaz and Yasmin
are as frequent as with third generation birth control pills. Third
generation pills had an established warning for blood clots, but Yaz and
Yasmin did not yet have such a warning.
The FDA then released
results from a study that included over 800,000 American women who were
taking various forms of birth control between 2001 and 2007. The
research revealed that women taking Yaz had a 75 percent higher chance
of getting a blood clot than women taking older forms of birth control
pills.
Elevated Potassium Levels
Yaz also has been linked to a condition known as hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is a condition that describes abnormal levels of potassium in the bloodstream, which can lead to fatal arrhythmias. Arrhythmias are disorders of the speed at which the heart beats.
Heart Attack, Stroke, and Blood Clots
Yaz and other oral contraceptives present an increased risk of heart attack in users (2), especially in smokers. In addition to heart attack, there is an established link between oral contraceptives and blood clots and stroke.
Quality Control Issues
U.S.
health regulators warned the manufacturer of Yaz about its quality
control issues at a plant that makes several of the ingredients in Yaz.
The FDA said inspectors found testing problems at the company's plant in
Berghamen, Germany. One of the drugs on the list that may not be up to
standards is Yaz's main ingredient, drospirenone (4).
Bloomberg
reports that lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer of Yaz,
claiming that Bayer unlawfully promoted the drug by concealing side
effects, including blood clots, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolisms
in Yaz users.
Furthermore, a Swiss health regulation investigation
into the death of a woman who took Yaz and died of a blood clot in her
lung is currently underway.
Yaz Marketed for Unapproved Uses
In
January 2009, the FDA required the maker of Yaz, which ran commercials
claiming Yaz could be used to cure headaches and severe acne (uses that
are not approved by the FDA), to launch a campaign correcting those
false claims.
The FDA said, "These violations are concerning from a
public health perspective because they encourage use of Yaz in
circumstances other than those in which the drug has been approved,
over-promise the benefits and minimize the risks associated with Yaz
(1)."
Yaz is approved for use as an oral contraceptive, to treat moderate acne in women ages 14 and older, and to help reduce some emotional
and physical symptoms of PMDD (a condition in which a woman has severe
depression symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation). Yaz
is not approved to cure PMS, severe acne, or all of PMDD's symptoms.
Despite
the dangers, marketing violations, and manufacturing issues Yaz has
been associated with, it is still on the market today.
We Want to Help
If
you or someone you care about took Yaz and suffered a blood clot,
stroke, or heart attack, someone at our law firm would like to speak
with you. We may be able to help.
Sources:
- "Yaz (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets Warning Letter to Bayer HealthCare," from the Food and Drug Administration (www.fda.gov).
- "Yaz Prescribing Information," from the Yaz warning label. Accessed 4/3/09 via www.yaz-us.com.
- "Hormonal contraception and risk of venous thromboembolism: national follow-up study" from the British Medicine Journal. Accessed 8/20/09 via www.bmj.com.
- "FDA warns Bayer over German manufacturing plant," from The Associated Press via www.yahoo.com.
This law firm is not associated with, sponsored by, or affiliated with The Associated Press, Barr Laboratories, Inc., Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the British Medicine Journal, the Food and Drug Administration, or Yahoo!
