Basic facts about Yasmin and Yaz

In order to understand claims being asserted in the lawsuits against Bayer, as the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin, it is important to know a little more about the drugs themselves. The following is some basic information about Yasmin and Yaz and the harmful side effects they have.

Yasmin and Yaz are combination birth control pills that contain drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Yasmin, approved by the FDA in April 2001 and originally developed by Berlex Laboratories, Inc., contains 3mg of drosperinone and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol per tablet. Yaz, approved by the FDA in 2006 and marketed by Bayer Corporation, contains 3mg of drospirenone and 0.02mg of ethinyl estradiol. Both pills are considered "fourth generation" oral contraceptives because of their use of the progestin, drospirenone. Drospirenone (DRSP) is not used in other combination oral contraceptives on the market in the United States.

The use of Yaz or Yasmin is said to have a prothombotic effect which can result in pulmonary embolism, stroke or DVT. Thrombosis is the formation or presence of a blood clot (thrombus) in a blood vessel. If the thrombus breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream, it is a thromboembolism. The clot may plug a vessel in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), brain (stroke), gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, or leg.

Experts believe the reason Yaz and Yasmin have a prothombotic effect is because drospirenone is a diuretic which can cause an increase in potassium. Unsafe levels of potassium in the blood, also known as hyperkalemia, can disrupt heart rhythms and slow the flow of blood. This can lead to blood clotting.

As early as April 2002, Yasmin was linked to venous thrombosis by the Dutch College of General Practitioners who recommended that older second generation birth control pills be prescribed in lieu of Yasmin as a result of 40 cases of venous thrombosis among women taking Yasmin. And about a year later, Yasmin was linked to thromboembolism in a paper published in the British Medical Journal.

Yaz and Yasmin have also been linked to serious gallbladder damage. Because you use water due to the drosperinone's diuretic effect, you develop sludge or bile that injures the gallbladder. Numerous users of the pills have suffered gallbladder removal or sudden death.

Between 2004 and 2008, over 50 deaths of Yaz and Yasmin users were reported to the FDA. In addition, the number of adverse event reports made to the FDA by users of Yaz and Yasmin appear to disproportionately higher than reports for other birth control pills.

If you have taken Yaz or Yasmin and suffered a serious injury, we'd like to hear from you. Please feel free to post your comments to our blog or contact us here.