Yaz Side Effects

by Steve Fields on February 28th, 2010

Yasmin And Yaz Side Effects

A growing number of women have come forward and reported suffering several life-changing side effects of Ocella, Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills. The byproducts of using these oral contraceptives include blood clots, stroke, heart attack, and pulmonary embolism. In many cases, otherwise healthy women have developed gallbladder problems; these problems are usually treated by surgically removing the organ.

In addition to being used as a contraceptive, these pills are also prescribed to treat mild acne and symptoms related to PMS and PMDD. Please contact us for the latest news regarding Yaz and Yasmin lawsuit gallbladder updates.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Your body’s venous network includes superficial veins and deep veins. Superficial veins lie near your skin’s surface. Deep veins are buried within groups of muscles. The former are connected to the latter by perforating veins.

Blood clots that form in superficial veins rarely pose a danger aside from minor circulation problems. Deep veins are another matter entirely. Blood travels from them to your vena cava, a large vein that leads directly to your heart. Clots that form in the deep veins (a condition known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) can break off and migrate with your bloodstream. If they reach your vena cava, they can travel toward your heart.

One of the dangers of using Yaz and Yasmin birth control is that both contraceptives significantly raise the risk of developing blood clots. This is due to the estrogen and drospirenone (a synthetic progestin) used in the pills. Research has shown that combining these two hormones poses a 6.3-fold rise in the risk of abnormal clotting over non-usage.

If you develop blood clots in your deep veins, you will be vulnerable to other potentially life-threatening Yasmin and Yaz side effects.

Yasmin/Yaz Blood Clots In Major Arteries

As Yasmin and Yaz blood clots migrate through the vena cava toward your heart, they approach major arteries. Some of these arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your lungs, heart, and brain. Any interruption of blood flow to these areas can starve a portion of the organ. That places your life at risk.

Your pulmonary arteries supply blood to your lungs. If a migrating clot (i.e. embolus) forms a blockage within one of these arteries, you will experience pulmonary embolism. The lung tissue can sustain permanent damage, reducing your lungs’ ability to oxygenate blood for the rest of your body. It’s worth noting that DVT is the most common precursor to pulmonary embolism.

Your coronary arteries feed blood to your heart. A blockage within any of these arteries results in a heart attack. Your heart muscle can become damaged and less able to pump blood throughout your body. Moreover, once you suffer a heart attack, there is a high likelihood you will experience a subsequent attack within several years.

Yasmin and Yaz stroke can occur if an embolus travels toward your brain and blocks a carotid artery. These arteries supply blood, oxygen, and nutrients to your brain’s nerve cells. A blockage interrupts the supply and triggers ischemic stroke. Within minutes, the nerve cells in the affected area begin dying, setting off one or more debilitating side effects, including vision problems, paralysis, and vertigo. Depending on the stroke’s severity, many of these symptoms can become permanent.

Yaz/Yasmin Gallbladder Problems

Bile fluid is stored within your gallbladder until it is called to your small intestine to help digest fats. The fluid is secreted from your liver and is partly comprised of cholesterol. Yaz and Yasmin are thought to increase the amount of cholesterol contained in the bile fluid. Moreover, they hamper your gallbladder’s contractions, which normally propel bile into your common bile duct. As a result, the cholesterol-based bile sits in your gall bladder and thickens. Eventually, it goes through a process called supersaturation during which gallstones form.

Yaz and Yasmin gallbladder disease develops as the result of stones that prevent the release of bile from your gall bladder. The organ becomes inflamed, triggering intense abdominal pain.

Each of the Yasmin and Yaz side effects described above can have a lasting impact on your life. Deep vein thrombosis places you at perpetual risk of pulmonary embolism, stroke, and heart attack. Meanwhile, gallbladder problems are typically resolved by surgically removing the organ.

If you or someone you know has suffered any of these conditions after using Ocella, Yasmin or Yaz, you may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact one of our Yaz side effects attorneys to discuss your options.