It’s the same question thousands of woman are asking after suffering serious health problems they say were caused by Yaz and Yasmine birth control pills. The pills are a unique formulation that combine a new hormone called ethinyl estradiol with the diuretic drospirenone. Bayer Healthcare, the company that produces the pills, claimed the formulation not only prevented unwanted pregnancies, but also helped curb symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and moderate acne.

However, experts say the diuretic causes an increase in potassium levels that can lead to blood clots, which puts women at an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and even death. More than 2,000 women have filed suit against Bayer claiming they were not adequately warned that taking Yaz or Yasmin put them at risk for serious and life threatening health problems.

“There are a bunch of people out there (who have fallen ill after taking Yaz),” Mollie writes. “Let’s hope we can find them and make other girls aware just how dangerous Yaz really is.”

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Yaz blood clot victim hopes to warn others

Birth control pills increase a woman’s risk of life-threatening blood clots, a condition obese women are already at greater risk for than normal-weight women. Birth control pills with higher estrogen levels put women at even greater risk for developing blood clots, which can lead to deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke and even death. Thus, prescribing high-dose birth control pills to obese women can be dangerous.

The clinical trial involved 226 normal-weight or obese women who were randomly assigned to take pills with either a lower or higher estrogen dosage. All women underwent blood tests to determine if they were using the pills consistently. After three or four cycles, the women received multiple ultrasounds and blood tests to determine if their ovaries were making eggs. About 90 percent of normal-weight women and 72 percent of obese women had hormone levels that indicated consistent use.

Of the remaining 150 women who used the oral contraceptives regularly, three out of the 96 normal weight women conceived compared to one out of the 54 obese women, leading researchers to determine that obese women were just as protected against unwanted pregnancies while on the pill as normal-weight women.

This fall, the National Institutes of Health will convene a group of experts to investigate whether further research is necessary on obesity and oral contraceptives. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration plans to hear evidence that a new emergency contraceptive pill is less effective in obese women.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Study: Birth control pills just as effective for obese women

Bayer

“Bayer is committed to vigorously enforcing its intellectual property and continues to pursue its patent infringement case filed earlier against Teva in Nevada,” Bayer said in a statement. The suit filed in Nevada asks for an injunction to prevent Teva from selling Gianvi. Teva was awarded a 180-day marketing exclusivity period for Gianvi by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after being the first company to file an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA). Bayer says Teva is prematurely launching its new drug.

Bayer says it dropped its suit in Delaware because Nevada was a more appropriate venue. Concentrating its efforts in Nevada “will eliminate the risk of inconsistent adjudications,” Bayer said in a statement.

The fight between Bayer and Teva over their rival birth control pills has become heated over the past few weeks. Last month Bayer argued that Teva made claims on Gianvi’s safety label that were false. Gianvi’s label claimed that the pill contained the same technology as Yaz that would extend its shelf life. Teva has agreed to inform U.S. pharmacists on a weekly basis for three months about the corrected physician prescribing information on the label. The information has already been sent to the FDA for review and added to Teva’s website.

Bayer’s legal woes concerning Yaz are expected to continue for some time. The company faces more than 1,100 lawsuits from women who claim the popular birth control pill caused them to suffer from serious injuries such as blood clots, strokes, gallbladder problems, and even death.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Bayer drops lawsuit against Teva over Yaz/Gianvi, but the fight continues

“Defendants have been issued warnings by the FDA at least three times – in 2003, 2008 and 2009 – for misleading the public through the use of ads which overstate the efficacy of YAZ/Yasmin and minimize serious risks associated with the drug,” the lawsuit reads.

Heather was prescribed and took Yaz/Yasmin beginning in October 2008 through July 2009 and during that time suffered multiple pulmonary emboli. She believes her birth control pill put her at greater risk for developing the serious side effects and blames Bayer for ignoring the link between the use of the pills and the increased risk of serious and life threatening side effects. Heather’s is one of more than a thousand lawsuits filed against Bayer for inadequately warning women of the risks of blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, gallbladder problems and other serious health issues, including death.

Heather’s lawsuit was filed against Bayer Corporation as well as Bayer Healthcare, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Berlex, Berlex Laboratories, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, and Bayer Healthcare AG under the Louisiana Products Liability Act. She is seeking damages for medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical disfigurement, physical impairment, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, interest, and court costs.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Another woman files lawsuit against makers of Yaz

Dawn Varrechio

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.”

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Woman worries about long-term effects of Yaz

Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 143,500 people each year, according to the Internet Stroke Center. They also are the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Research shows that the number of people age 20 to 45 who had a stroke 2005 was up 7.3 percent from a decade earlier.

Considered separately, birth control pills and cigarettes both increase a woman’s risk for stroke. The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system. Estrogen is the culprit in birth control pills. Oral contraceptives, even the low estrogen varieties, cause blood to clot more easily. The higher the level of estrogen in any contraceptive pill or patch, the greater one’s risk. Another risk factor for stroke – migraines. Some studies also suggest people who suffer from migraine headaches are more likely to suffer a stroke as well.

Mix the three risk factors together, and you get a deadly combination. Women who smoke, take birth control pills and have a history of migraine headaches are 34 times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to a woman with none of those risk factors, said Thomas Hemmen, M.D., a neurologist at the University of California, San Diego, Stroke Center, to CNN. “If you’re going to take the pill, you absolutely should not smoke.”

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Birth control pills, smoking, history of migraines a deadly combination

Yaz, also known by the brand name Yasmin and the generic brand Ocella, is Bayer’s top-selling oral contraceptive and one of the most popular choices among women and doctors for birth control. Last year, the company raked in more than a billion dollars from the sale of Yaz. The pill is different from other birth control pills because it contains a diuretic, drospirenone, that can raise the potassium in blood to dangerous levels and cause to blood clots that can lead to sudden cardiac death, pulmonary embolism or strokes.

The lawsuits allege that Bayer didn’t do enough to warn women about the serious health risks to women who take Yaz. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cracked down on the drug company, saying advertisements for the birth control pill were overstating its benefits and understating the risks involved. Yaz commercials touted added benefits such as treatment for symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and acne. Since the FDA crackdown, Yaz was forced to run a series of ads clarifying the use of Yaz and clearly stating the dangers of taking the drug.

Victims say it’s too little, too late.

Bayer’s 2009 annual report does not specify how many women have died from the drug, but the FDA puts the count as high as 59.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Bayer facing more than 1,100 lawsuits from women injured by Yaz

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.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Indiana women sue makers of Yaz after suffering serious side effects

What Adrienne didn’t know was that while the combination birth control pill had benefits, it also increased users’ risk of serious side effects such as heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias, stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clots, kidney failure, seizures, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease, hepaic adenomas and sudden death. Adrienne believes Ocella caused her to suffer from a stroke and other serious side effects. She claims it also left her at an increased risk of developing additional side effects such as blood clots in the deep veins and lungs.

On December 28, 2009, Adrienne and her husband Kenneth, filed a lawsuit against Bayer HealthCare, the manufacturer of Yaz, and other manufacturers and distributors, seeking $75,000 from each defendant, as well as punitive damages and compensation for medical care, pain, suffering, and mental anguish.

Adrienne’s lawsuit is one of hundreds from women who say they have suffered serious side effects from Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that between 2004 and 2008, more than 50 deaths have been attributed to the drugs.

SOURCE: Yaz Lawsuit › Woman claims Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella caused her stroke