Yaz, also known Yasmin or by its generic name, Ocella, is currently the top-selling birth control pill in the United States, generating more than $600 million in sales in 2008. The combination pill contains both estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy.
The estrogen, ethinyl estradiol, affects the release of the eggs. The progestin, drospirenone, interferes with the lining of the uterus. Drospirenone is a diuretic and is unique to Yaz, Yasmin and generic Ocella, making these newer birth control pills potentially more dangerous than other oral contraceptives.
Drospirenone at 3mg (the amount found in Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella) causes a rise in potassium which can lead to hyperkalemia or unsafe levels of potassium. Extreme hyperkalemia is a medical emergency because it means there is a high risk of potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms. These abnormal heart rhythms can then cause the slowing of blood to the heart, which often causes the formation of blood clots. Those clots can lead to heart attacks or sudden cardiac death. The clots can also break off and travel to the lungs causing pulmonary embolism or to the brain, causing a stroke. Other side effects include deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder problems leading to gallbladder removal and kidney problems. Individuals who have pre-existing kidney, liver and adrenal disease could be particularly susceptible.
Yaz, Yasmin or it’s generic name Ocella is the only birth control currently sold in the U.S. that contains drospirenone.
INJURIES
Serious adverse events reported after use of Yaz, Yasmin or it’s generic name Ocella include:
- Heart attack
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Stroke
- Pulmonary embolism
- Blood clots
- Kidney failure
- Seizures
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Gallbladder disease
- Hepaic adenomas
- Sudden death
Blood Clots (DVT)
Abnormal blood clots can be extremely dangerous and quite harmful — even fatal. When a blood clot blocks normal circulation, it may cause symptoms such as swelling and pain at the affected area. If an internal blood clot breaks free from the place where it formed and travels through the circulatory system, it may block the flow of blood to the body’s vital organs.
Signs and Symptoms of Blood Clots
Get emergency medical attention if you are taking Yaz, Yasmin or it’s generic name Ocella and you experience:
- a sudden change in your vision, such as double, blurred, or decreased vision (blood clots can form in the eyes)
- sudden weakness or numbness of your arm, leg or face
- pain that extends to your teeth or jaw, shoulder, arm, or back
- sudden difficulty speaking or in understanding speech (aphasia)
- a squeezing pain, pressure or fullness in the center of your chest
- unexplained shortness of breath
- chronic dizziness or headache
- your palms or soles are throbbing or feel like they're burning
- your arm or leg is numb, swelling, or reddened
Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism is the medical condition in which an artery in the lung (part of the body's pulmonary system) is blocked so the blood can't get through to the lung. Blood clots are the most frequent cause of pulmonary embolisms; a pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot in the body breaks free from the site where it formed and travels to a lung. About a third of the individuals who experience an undiagnosed and untreated pulmonary embolism don't survive. Those who do may suffer pulmonary hypertension or heart damage.
Stroke
When the supply of blood to the brain is significantly reduced or interrupted, the brain tissue doesn't get the oxygen and nutrients that are brought to it by a normal blood flow. The brain cells that make up the deprived tissue start to die — very quickly. A stroke is an extreme medical emergency, and a woman who is showing signs of a stroke should get immediate medical attention.
Another sign of a possible impending stroke is a "mini" stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA). The symptoms of a TIA are the same for a full-on stroke, but they are of shorter duration — just minutes — and then they disappear without leaving any apparent effect (that is, they're "transient"). A woman could have more than one TIA, with different symptoms. A TIA merits immediate medical attention.
Heart Attack
The most common symptom of a heart attack in women is chest discomfort of pain, just as it is for men. However, women are more likely to experience the other symptoms, especially back or jaw pain, nausea, and shortness of breath.
Heart attacks are not always sudden and dramatic. Here are the general signs that may indicate that a person is having a heart attack.
- Chest discomfort or pain — the majority of (but not all) heart attacks induce an uncomfortable feeling or pain in the center of the chest. It may feel like fullness, or being squeezed, or just pressure or pain. The feeling may last for many minutes, or it may go away and then come back again.
- Discomfort or pain in another area of the body such as one or both arms, the neck, jaw, back or abdomen
- Shortness of breath
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea, vomiting
- Lightheadedness
Legal Rights
While all medications have certain, anticipated side effects, drug manufacturers have a legally responsibility to ensure their products are safe, and must inform the public and medical community of any known health risks.
If you or a loved one have been taking Yaz, Yasmin or it’s generic name Ocella and experienced signs of any of the above listed problems, contact Aaronson and Rash PLLC to learn your legal rights. You and your family may be eligible to receive financial help for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages paid by the drug company or other responsible parties. Contact us today by completing the short form. You will speak with an attorney that has been involved in an ongoing investigation into Yaz, Yasmin or it’s generic name Ocella and the resulting injuries suffered. There is no cost or obligation.
