About Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella)

About the Birth Control Drug Yaz (Yasmin / Ocella)

Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) is a birth control pill manufactured and sold by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and introduced to the U.S. market in 2006. It is known in generic form as Gianvi and Loryna. Yaz is one of several birth control pills that contain drospirenone – which is a progestin, the name for synthetic versions of the female hormone progesterone.

Yaz ,Yasmin and Ocella is prescribed by physicians to prevent pregnancy. It is also used to treat symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), moderate acne, and to raise folate levels in women. Millions of women have prescriptions for Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella. It is the fourth most popular oral contraceptive, according to Bloombeg News, earning more than $1.5 billion for Bayer in 2010.

Studies – including one funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – have linked Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) to an increased risk of blood clots. Injuries that can result from blood clots include:

  • Strokes
  • Heart attacks
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • Pulmonary embolisms

Women who allege they have been harmed by their use of Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella have brought injury lawsuits. Bayer has settled many of those Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella lawsuits by paying some $400 million.

If you took Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella birth control pills and have suffered blood clots, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack or a pulmonary embolism, it is not too late for you to obtain compensation. Call The Driscoll Firm, LLC, at 314-932-3232 today to speak to an experienced Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) lawyer about your case. There is no charge for the consultation.

Safety Report Names Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella Second-Worst Drugs

Prior to Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella), Bayer marketed a similar oral contraceptive known as Yasmin. Introduced in 2001, Yasmin also contains drospirenone. The progestin component of Yasmin and Yaz works on different chemical receptors than other progestins and contains a potassium-sparing diuretic. Taking Yaz and Yasmin can result in dehydration, increased levels of potassium in the body, arrhythmia and blood clots.

In the May 31, 2012, issue of QuarterWatch, published by the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, Yaz and Yasmin were ranked as the second-worst drugs in 2011 because of the number of complications that have been reported to the FDA.

Included in the Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) packaging is a long list of medical conditions under the title “Who Shouldn’t Take Yaz.” It is suggested that women who fall into the categories below should not take Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella:

  • Those who have or had treatment for a chronic condition such as chronic inflammatory disease or cardiovascular disease
  • Women who have or had kidney, liver, or adrenal disease
  • Anyone taking any of a long list of other medications, including long-term ibuprofen and diuretics.

The major problem with Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella and other birth control products lies in the ingredient drospirenone. Studies have shown that drospirenone causes a significant increase in the risk of blood clots. The British Medical Journal published research from Denmark and the Netherlands that studied the effects of drospirenone-containing products like Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) in more than 3,000 women. The results linked Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella and other birth control pills containing drospirenone to a six-fold increase in the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) – a condition where blood clots form in the lower leg or thigh – compared with birth control pills not containing drospirenone.

The FDA’s own research shows that women taking Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella may be three times more likely to develop blood clots than women taking other oral contraceptives.

Blood clots are dangerous because they can cause a stroke, heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

The FDA has directed Bayer to place warnings about the increased risk of blood clots on Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella packages.

The Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) label lists other adverse reactions. When used in clinical trials as a contraceptive or to treat acne, the most frequent side effects were:

  • Headache / migraine (6.7 percent)
  • Menstrual irregularities (4.7 percent)
  • Nausea / vomiting (4.2. percent)
  • Breast pain / tenderness (4 percent)
  • Mood changes (2.2 percent).

When used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in clinical trials, the most frequent side effects of Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) were:

  • Menstrual irregularities (24.9 percent)
  • Nausea (15.8 percent)
  • Headache (13 percent)
  • Breast tenderness (10.5 percent)
  • Fatigue (4.2 percent)
  • Irritability (2.8 percent)
  • Decreased libido (2.8 percent)
  • Increased weight (2.5 percent)
  • Affect lability (rapid shifts in outward emotional expressions) (2.1 percent).

Lawsuits against Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) and Bayer HealthCare are expected to rise in coming months. Millions of dollars have already been paid to women with Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella injury claims.

Contact a Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella Litigation Lawyer Today

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, and its lawyers are currently investigating national claims of Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) injuries and accepting cases for potential Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella injury lawsuits. If you or a loved one has suffered from blood clots, a pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, stroke, heart attack or another side effect that has adversely affected your life, call today to speak to one of our Yaz (Yasmin and Ocella) injury attorneys at 314-932-3232.

The Driscoll Firm, LLC, has represented clients injured by dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices for more than a decade and has recovered nearly $170 million in settlements for our clients in the last three years alone.

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