800 Canadians taking part in lawsuit against Yasmin, Yaz maker
April 12th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Despina Papparis says her daughter Chloe is alive by “sheer luck.” The Canadian teenager, now 18, was rushed to the hospital after suffering from bad migraines and vomiting that was originally thought to be symptoms of the swine flu. But an emergency room doctor ordered a CT scan that found five blood clots in her brain. Doctors said if she had she waited one more day to seek treatment, she would have died. But it was what they said caused the malady that took the Papparises by surprise. They said her birth control pills were to blame.
The Papparises are among 800 Canadians taking part in a $15 million class-action lawsuit against Bayer Healthcare, the manufacturer of the popular Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills claiming Bayer did not adequately warn women that taking the pills would put them at greater risk of serious health problems. According to the lawsuit, seven Canadian women and more than 50 American women have died while taking Yaz, Yasmin, or its generic Ocella.
Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella have been touted for benefits beyond just birth control. The pill has been marketed as an effective treatment for moderate acne as well as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition of severe emotional and physical premenstrual symptoms. The pills are formulated differently from other birth control pills because they contain drospirenone, a diuretic that can increase the potassium level in blood. This increase in potassium can cause heart rhythm disturbances that can cause blood clots as well as problems with the gallbladder.
Source: Calgary Herald