Yaz Class Action Lawsuit

by Steve Fields on November 21st, 2009

Women who have experienced a stroke while using a birth control pill have wondered what their legal options are including whether there is a Yaz class action lawsuit. Currently, women are bringing individual claims for their injuries and cases have been consolidated into what is referred to as multi-district litigation which is different from a class action in that claims are not grouped together into a class, but rather are brought as individual claims.

When a portion of your brain does not receive a constant supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients, you will experience a stroke. It can occur in two ways. A hemorrhagic stroke is characterized by a ruptured blood vessel. The rupture disrupts the flow of blood to your brain while flooding the surrounding tissue. An ischemic stroke occurs due to a clogged artery. A Yaz stroke is ischemic in nature and is one of several potentially life-threatening complications triggered by an increased risk of blood clots.

This article will focus solely on ischemic strokes caused by Yaz and Yasmin oral contraceptives. You’ll discover how these fourth generation combined-hormone birth control pills can cause blood clots which lead to stroke. I’ll also provide an overview regarding how Yasmin and Yaz strokes are treated.

Yaz Blood Clots: Birth Of An Ischemic Stroke

Yaz and Yasmin both contain estrogen and drospirenone, a synthetic progestin. Estrogen has long been considered a risk factor for blood clots. Studies show that taking estrogen-based birth control pills increases the risk of blood clots 4 times relative to non-use. The inclusion of drospirenone may increase this risk. In August 2009, the British Medical Journal published a study that showed oral contraceptives combining drospirenone with estrogen represented a 6.3-fold increase in the risk of blood clots.

When a Yaz blood clot forms in a deep vein, the condition is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If the clot detaches itself from the wall of the vein, it can travel along with your bloodstream toward your lungs, heart, or brain.

Your brain is supplied with blood by multiple carotid arteries. A wandering blood clot can lodge within one of these arteries, thereby preventing it from delivering blood to your brain. This is called a cerebral embolism. It can trigger an ischemic stoke. Within minutes, your brain cells will die, increasing the severity of the stroke’s side effects. You may experience partial blindness, paralysis, memory loss, and even vertigo. These injuries are often permanent.

Treating A Yaz Stroke

Because a stroke can happen quickly, immediate medical attention is crucial. Once a victim’s heart rate and breathing have been restored, a doctor will often administer thrombolytic drugs to help dissolve the clots. Anticoagulants may be necessary to prevent further clotting. In severe cases, a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) may be administered to reestablish blood flow to the brain.

A surgeon may elect to perform a carotid endarterectomy to remove the cerebral clots. While the procedure can reduce the likelihood of future Yaz strokes, it is not without risks. The surgical team may inadvertently dislodge other clots that travel into the carotid arteries, triggering another stroke.

In the event that a carotid endarterectomy presents too high a risk, a surgeon may insert a stent within the artery. Its purpose is to catch subsequent clots before they can advance to the brain and set off subsequent strokes.

Healthy women have reported developing blood clots after taking Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills. As noted, if the clots form in a deep vein (causing DVT), they can break away and travel toward your lungs, heart, or brain. If you or a loved one has suffered blood clots after taking these oral contraceptives, you may be at risk of suffering a stroke. Contact a Yasmin or Yaz class action lawsuit attorney to explore your legal rights.