Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

More than 50 women in Indiana are suing Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., the makers of Yaz, Yasmin and its generic brand Ocella, claiming the birth control pills caused them heart attacks and strokes. The women are among hundreds across the country who say they were not appropriately warned of the risk of serious adverse events associated with the drugs.

Even the commercials for Yaz point out that it is a different type of birth control pill, specially designed to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS, as well as moderate acne. Yaz is the only birth control pill to contain drospirenone, a diuretic that can increase potassium levels in the blood and lead to serious health problems such as heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clots, kidney failure, seizures, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease, hepaic adenomas and sudden death.

Nearly 30 percent of women who take oral contraceptives take Yaz or Yasmin. Bayer claims that the oral contraceptives are safe, but that women with a family history of blood clots shouldn’t take them. The company also claims that the drugs’ labels warn consumers of the possible risks.

But the women who suffered from serious adverse events after using Yaz say the warnings were not adequate enough. An attorney representing some of the women injured by Yaz says he expects the lawsuits to become part of a class-action lawsuit that could take years to litigate.

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