Lawyers for Side Effects of Yaz, Yasmin Birth Control

The popular pills Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz and Ocella may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries in otherwise healthy young women when compared to other types of oral birth control.

Please note that the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are no longer taking on new cases involving Yaz/Yasmin. The content on this page is provided for informational purposes only.

Yaz, Beyaz, Yasmin and Ocella are different from other birth control pills available in the United States because they contain drospirenone, a progestin which can increase blood potassium levels and could cause blood clots and other side effects.

The Yasmin and Yaz lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential birth control lawsuits for women who have suffered an injury that may have been caused by the drugs. All case are reviewed under a contingency fee agreement, which menas there are no fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained.

New cases are no longer being accepted by Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.

YAZ AND YASMIN PROBLEMS

Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz and Ocella contain a combination of the hormones ethinyl estradiol (estrogen) and drsp or drospirenone (progestin). 

Although other birth control pills are combined hormonal oral contraceptives, drospirenone is unique to the Yaz family of medications.

Originally developed by Berlex Laboratoriesin April 2001, Yasmin was the first birth control pill in the United States to contain drospirenone.  After Bayer Healthcare acquired Berlex in 2006, they began marketing a nearly identical drug as Yaz. 

Both drugs contain 3mg of drospirenone, with the difference being that Yasmin contains 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol per tablet and Yaz contains 0.2 mg of ethinyl estradiol.  In addition, while Yasmin is taken on a more traditional 21/7 cycle, Yaz is taken on a 24/4 cylce.  This results in three extra days of taking the active pill.

The serious health problems linked to Yaz and Yasmin side effects may be caused by drospirenone, which is closely related to the diuretic or water pill spironolactone.  It causes the body to retain potassium, which can lead to hyperkalemia.  This can cause an increased risk of Yasmin and Yaz heart problems and other health concerns.

Women could be at a particularly high risk of Yazmin and Yaz side effects if they already have elevated blood potassium levels or are taking other medications that increase potassium levels, such as NSAIDS (Motrin, Advil, Aleve), Heparin and ACE inhibitors (Capoten, Vasotec, Zestril).

MISLEADING ADVERTISING ABOUT YAZ AND YASMIN SIDE EFFECTS

Bayer and Berlex have been warned several times about false and misleading statements made in advertisements for Yasmin and Yaz, which failed to adequately warn about the risks associated with the drugs.

  • In 2003, Berlex was warned by the FDA that Yasmin advertisements downplayed risks associated with the drug and implied it was superior to other birth control pills, which is not true.  The FDA indicated that the ads raised significant public health and safety concerns.
  • In 2008, the FDA warned Bayer that two Yaz commercials made deceptive claims.  The ads were designed to give the impression that Yaz is approved to treat all severities of acne, while it is only approved to treat moderate acne, and that it can be used as a treatment for symptoms of PMS, while it is only approved for the more severe condition PMDD, where symptoms interfere with daily activities.  The ads also allegedly minimized the potential risk of Yaz side effects by featuring distracting music and fast moving images while describing the risk of potentially fatal blood clots.
  • In 2009, Bayer HealthCare began running a $20 million advertising campaign to correct misrepresentations made about Yaz safety in ads.  This was done as part of an agreement with the FDA and states attorneys from 27 states.  In addition, the drug maker agreed to submit all Yaz advertisements to federal regulators for screening before running them.

LAWSUITS FOR YAZ AND YASMIN SIDE EFFECTS

The attorneys at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. were previously reviewing potential Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits for women throughout the United States who have suffered a:

Compensation may be available as a result of the manufacturers failure to warn about the potential health problems with Yaz and Yasmin.

New cases are no longer being accepted by Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.