In March 2006, FDA-approved Yaz quickly became the best-selling oral contraceptive on the market. The popular pill drove sales of $616 million in 2008 alone. Yaz featured compelling ads showing happy, free women. The ads promised menstrual cramp relief, help with acne, and even fewer anxious, moody feelings. But the ads failed to communicate the drug’s blood clot risks, or that thousands of women reported Yaz birth control injuries. For this reason, lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer are now underway.
Where Yaz Went Wrong
The problem with Yaz vs. other birth control options is in its composition. Other birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen or progestin (often both), at least in some amount. Yaz, however, contains a progestin-based hormone called drospirenone. Drospirenone isn’t used in most contraceptives, and it can increase blood clot risks more than other forms of progestin.
Most of the Yaz birth control injuries reported to the FDA are related to blood clots, which is why in 2012, the FDA released a Drug Safety Announcement, explaining that drospirenone-containing contraceptives (such as Yaz) are much more likely to cause injury than their drospirenone-free competitors. And while the labels have since been updated to include the increased risk of blood clots, it is too late for the hundreds of thousands of women who already took Yaz and experienced birth control injuries.
What Yaz Birth Control Injuries Look Like
Blood clots are the most serious (and likely) Yaz side effects. Still, they definitely aren’t the only injuries the popular birth control pill may cause. Other negative side effects may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Bloating
- Swelling of the ankles/feet
- Fluid retention
- Breast tenderness
- Weight change
- Vaginal bleeding between periods
- Increased blood pressure
- Muscle weakness
- Slow/irregular heartbeat
Those with high blood pressure, adrenal gland problems, stroke history and blood clots face an increased risk for dangerous Yaz side effects. Always tell your doctor about your medical history before taking Yaz. Unfortunately, Yaz’s label contained too little information for physicians and pharmacists prior to the FDA’s intervention. As a result, many women already experienced Yaz birth control injuries.
Fraudulent Marketing Leads to Lawsuits
If you or a loved one experienced a Yaz birth control injury such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or a stroke, get the justice you deserve. Because Bayer fraudulently marketed Yaz, thousands of women were hurt. Get your Yaz lawsuit today and get a free evaluation and Yaz lawsuit information to see if you may qualify for compensation.
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.