Approximately one hundred million women take oral contraceptives worldwide. Because a drug has undergone clinical trials and has been approved by the FDA, we assume that it is safe and will cause us no serious harm. Unfortunately, many medications currently on the market have the potential to cause devastating harm to consumers, and some of these injury risks have not yet been revealed to the public. For example, a number of studies in recent years have highlighted the link between the oral contraceptive, Yaz, and severe health conditions, including pulmonary embolism. Despite these risks, Yaz is still on the market today and women who take this drug may be exposing themselves to major injury and illness without even knowing it.
A pulmonary embolism is a medical condition in which an artery in the lung is blocked so that the blood flow to the lung is disrupted. Pulmonary embolisms typically occur when a blood clot travels through the bloodstream from another part of the body, usually the leg. When no blood reaches a section of the lung, that portion of the lung becomes damaged and dies. The most common symptoms of pulmonary embolism are chest pain, cough, sweating, shortness of breath, anxiety or apprehension, and loss of consciousness. One of the most prevalent dangers of a pulmonary embolism is that the warning signs are mostly vague and nonspecific symptoms. The mortality rate of pulmonary embolism is alarming, falling between thirty and sixty percent.
The risk of a pulmonary embolism in individuals taking Yaz has been evident for several years. In 2009, the British Medical Journal published a study indicating that individuals who consume drospirenone are 6.3 times more likely to develop blood clots, with can lead to heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism. The dangers associated with Yaz are due in large part to the drug’s status as a “fourth generation” combination birth control pill. This means that Yaz contains a newer type of synthetic progestin called drospirenone, which has been noted by the FDA as causing serious heart and health problems, including stroke, heart attack and blood clots, due to its tendency to increase the level of potassium in the blood.
When consumers are aware of the dangerous side effects associated with certain medications, they can make education decisions regarding the risks versus the benefits. Unfortunately, some drug manufacturing companies intentionally conceal the more serious side effects of their medications in order to ensure FDA approval. Unfortunately this leaves consumers inadequately warned and vulnerable to the significant harm associated with medications they may take on a daily basis.
In 2008, the FDA composed a warning letter to Bayer citing the company for deceptive practices in their Yaz advertising campaign. The FDA asserted that Bayer overstated the drug’s benefits while intentionally distracting viewers from the list of Yaz side effects. Although Bayer pulled these commercials off the market in 2009 and replaced them with new advertisements correcting this issue, the span of elapsed time may have allowed more individuals to take Yaz, unaware of the harmful side effects associated with the drug. The only way to fight the misleading practices of big drug companies and receive reimbursement for your Yaz injuries is to file a Yaz lawsuit.
Blood clots are the most common cause of pulmonary embolism, and the drospirenone component of Yaz is believed to cause severe and abnormal blood clotting. A pulmonary embolism can lead to severe health complications, including pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure, congestive heart failure, and even death. It is estimated that one hundred million women take oral contraceptives like Yaz worldwide, and these women may be at risk for serious health issues, like pulmonary embolism. Victims of a pulmonary embolism should contact a Yaz attorney to discuss the benefits of filing a Yaz lawsuit. A number of lawsuits are currently pending against Bayer for injuries sustained from Yaz use and hundreds of Yaz injury cases are currently being investigated. If you or a loved one has suffered from a pulmonary embolism related to the use of Yaz, a Yaz lawyer can help you collect the compensation you deserve.
