Woman blames birth control pills for nearly killing her
September 7th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Last spring, Tara Jones gave into her dermatologist’s advice and agreed to take birth control pills to clear up moderate acne. Doing so almost killed her. “I had a deep vein thrombosis in my leg that broke off into many blood clots that traveled through my heart and into my lungs. If large enough, these clots, called pulmonary embolisms, could cause sudden death,” Jones wrote for BSU Daily.
Instead of instant death, these blood clots slowly filled Jones’ lungs for an entire month before she started experiencing symptoms – difficulty breathing and pain in her side. Doctors said it was caused by her birth control pills and aggravated by a genetic blood disorder called factor V Leiden. “Factor V is hereditary and can be passed down from one or both parents,” she said. She first learned she had the condition while lying in the hospital bed fighting for her life.
All birth control pills carry a risk for blood clots, but some people argue that the one-time best-seller pills Yaz and Yasmin carry an even greater risk of serious side effects including pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, stroke and even gallbladder problems. To date, more than 2,000 lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Yaz and Yasmin from women who say they were not adequately warned that by taking the pills their lives could be in danger.
“I’ve been given different reports from my doctors, but the truth is that there is a risk for getting blood clots from birth control pills,” Jones writes. “Those warning statements and fine lines after TV commercials are there for a reason. Blood clots can cause heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, kidney problems and even death. I don’t have anything against birth control, but before going on it, be aware and recognize the possible side effects.”