Yaz Lawsuit Settlement Amounts

by admin on February 27th, 2011

Abnormal clotting is one of the dangerous side effects associated with fourth-generation oral contraceptives, such as Yasmin, Yaz, and Ocella. Please contact us for the latest Yaz lawsuit settlement amounts news and information. Currently, cases are continuing to be filed and there have not been any settlements as litigation is ongoing. These birth control pills combine estrogen with a synthetic progestin hormone called drospirenone. Clinical research has shown this combination sharply increases the risk of clotting. When blood clots form in the deep veins (known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT), they pose a risk of causing several life-threatening secondary conditions. Depending on the circumstances, your doctor may treat such clots (called thrombi) with fibrinolytic medications.

Called clot-busting drugs (and sometimes, thrombolytics), fibrinolytics are an effective solution for treating Yaz side effects involving blood clots. But they pose serious risks. Below, we’ll explain how they differ from anticoagulants, and describe the medical emergencies they help resolve.

How Fibrinolytic Medications Differ From Blood Thinners

The term “blood thinners” is a misnomer. These medications do not technically thin the blood. Instead, they inhibit factors that contribute to your body’s coagulation system, and thus slow the process of clotting. This prevents existing thrombi from growing larger, and new thrombi from forming.

Known as anticoagulants, the most common are warfarin and heparin. Warfarin inhibits production of a clotting factor called prothrombin, which is converted into thrombin during the coagulation process. Warfarin accomplishes this by interacting with vitamin K, the stimulus of prothrombin production.

Heparin interacts with thrombin, which normally converts fibrinogen into fibrin. Fibrin strands provide the structural support for a clot. Thus, by preventing thrombin from stimulating this conversion, heparin can slow the rate of coagulation.

Fibrinolytic drugs work differently. Rather than preventing Yasmin side effects caused by blood clots from forming, they address those that have already developed. The medications are focused upon plasminogen, which converts into an enzyme called plasmin. This enzyme is instrumental in breaking down the fibrin strands that provide support for clots. It cuts into fibrin molecules, and causes the strands to dissolve. As this occurs, the thrombus deteriorates.

Serious Conditions Caused By Yaz And Blood Clots

Thrombi can form within the veins or arteries. Our focus here is on the veins, of which there are two main types: superficial and deep veins. Clots in the former present few, if any, major problems. Clots in the latter, however, are dangerous.

Blood clots that cause a deep vein thrombosis (usually in the legs) can break free of the venous wall. This is known as embolization. As emboli, they are carried by your bloodstream as it returns to your heart and lungs for oxygen.

Once emboli enter your heart, they can be pumped into your pulmonary arteries. These arteries supply blood to your lungs. If the clots cause a blockage, you will experience a pulmonary embolism as a portion of your lung tissue is deprived of blood.

In some cases, emboli that arrive in the right side of your heart can cross over to the left side. This may occur through a small hole in the interatrial septum (the wall that separates the two upper chambers). Once the clots are on your heart’s left side, they can be pumped into the aorta.

In the aorta, emboli can travel into the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the surface of your heart muscle. Here, a blockage will trigger a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack).

If, after being pumped into the aorta, the emboli pass by the coronary arteries, they may travel into one of your carotid arteries. These bring oxygen-rich blood to your brain tissue. An obstruction will cause an immediate stroke.

Potential Risk Of Fibrinolytic Drugs

The most significant risk associated with clot-busting medications is internal hemorrhage. These drugs can cause severe bleeding, which is the main reason doctors are hesitant to use them. If any of the conditions described earlier place your life in danger, however, treatment with thrombolytic therapy may be necessary. Otherwise, your doctor may choose to first administer anticoagulants, and monitor the results.

Yaz Lawsuit Settlements
Yasmin and blood clots are dangerous when they form in the deep veins because they can trigger one or more medical emergencies. Even if they remain attached to the walls of the deep veins, they can damage the one-way valves, and cause problems due to poor venous drainage. If you have suffered from abnormal clotting, DVT, pulmonary embolism, or other serious Yaz side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. Contact a Yaz lawsuit attorney to discuss your options.