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Woman worries about long-term effects of Yaz
May 19th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Dawn Varrechio, a mother of four, was shocked to discover that her breathing problems were due to blood clots in both of her lungs. But she became angry when she found out her birth control pills were the culprit. “It’s scary to think that at 35, you could be gone, like that quickly,” she told CBS3 News.
Like many women, Dawn was taking Yaz birth control pills, the most popular oral contraceptive in America. What she didn’t realize is that by taking Yaz she was putting herself at greater risk for life-threatening blood clots. Last year, two studies published in the British Medical Journal found women on Yaz to be at greater risk of developing blood clots than on other forms of birth control. Bayer HealthCare, makers of Yaz, sponsored two previous studies that discount those claims, arguing that Yaz doesn’t increase blood clot risk any more than other brands of birth control pills.
Yaz, also known by the brand name Yasmin and the generic Ocella, is the only birth control pill that contains drospirenone, a diuretic, and ethinyl estradiol. The pills were touted not only for pregnancy prevention but also for the treatment of severe acne and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. Yaz soared in popularity, becoming a blockbuster money maker for Bayer.
But as Bayer began collecting its profits, reports of serious injuries and deaths in women who took the drug began pouring in. Bayer now faces more than a thousand lawsuits from women who say Yaz caused them to suffer from health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, and gallbladder disease.
Survivors can only hope their problems don’t return. “It’s scary,” said Dawn, who says she now worries about the long-term effects Yaz will have on her. “It’s really scary.”
