Teens May Be at Risk of Developing Blood Clots When Taking Yaz

Yasmin and Yaz birth control have been in the news quite a bit in recent months because of the serious side effects that have been associated with taking the drug.

A lawsuit claiming that women who take Yasmin birth control are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, blood clots, and stroke, has been filed. The serious risks do not only affect older women, but also teens and otherwise healthy women who had no other risk factors.

There have been all sorts of reports of women who have been affected by these serious side effects. Daily Mail told the story of a woman who experienced a stroke when she was 17 years old after taking Yasmin birth control. She was young and healthy and did not have risk factors that would have indicated she was in any danger of having a stroke, so her doctor believes that she suffered the stroke as the result of taking Yasmin birth control.

When a younger person has a stroke they have a better chance of recovering and healing fully than an older person who has a stroke. However, it is still possible for anyone who suffers a stroke to have permanent damage. In this woman’s case, her peripheral vision in one eye was affected by the stroke. She has to take an aspirin daily to thin her blood and avoid clots.

The woman was actually pretty pretty fortunate, as not all women who suffer a stroke after taking Yasmin or Yaz birth control survive. Another woman filed a lawsuit against Bayer in 2011 after her daughter had a fatal stroke. The woman’s lawsuit alleges that Yaz caused her 19-year-old daughter’s stroke. She had been at college for only one month when she had a stroke while walking to class. She collapsed and it was discovered that she had a blood clot in her lung. She passed away.

There had been an FDA advisory committee panel regarding the risks of Yaz compared to the risks of other birth control pills and this mother was one of those who spoke before the committee. She said her daughter was healthy and had a promising future that was taken away because of Yaz. She asked that the drug be taken off the market as soon as possible because leaving the unsafe drug on the market is too confusing.

Another woman spoke before the panel and told her story. She began taking Yaz at age 16 to cope with irregular periods. Several weeks after starting the pills she began feeling pains in one of her legs and her chest. She was diagnosed with a blood clot, two and a half foot long deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.

After the meeting of the committee was concluded, the FDA advisory panel did not recommend that warnings saying that Yasmin and Yaz are riskier than other birth control pills be issued, but did recommend that there should be warnings which state women who take birth control are at an increased risk of developing blood clots. The panel believed that the benefits of taking the pills still outweigh the risks.

St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers

Blood clots are typically a risk associated with taking birth control. However, there have been studies done that show that birth control that contains drospirenone may put women at an increased risk. Yet other studies have gotten conflicting results that show there is no increased risk.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of taking Yaz or Yasmin birth control, contact an attorney at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm. We can help you determine what your legal options are and help you navigate the legal system.

To schedule a free consultation fill out our online contact form or call us at (314) 588-7200.