Suffer from DVT While Taking Yasmin Birth Control?

Yaz, Yasmin and other fourth-generation pills put patients at a greater risk for deep venous thromboembolism then older versions of oral contraceptives, according to several studies. Yaz and Yasmin contain a synthentic hormone known as drospirenone, a type of progestin associated with a higher risk of birth control pills than other forms of the hormone. According to a study of 330,000 Israeli women, those taking birth control pills containing drospirenone were more likely to develop venous thromboembolisms, an umbrella term that refers to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE). While the study revealed just six cases of venous blood clots per 10,000 pill users, the risk was 43 percent to 65 percent higher with oral contraceptives containing drospirenone compared with older birth control pills.

If you suffered from deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism while taking Yaz or Yasmin, you should be aware that Bayer has settled 651 lawsuits alleging that its Yasmin line of pills caused these injuries in users. These settlements have totaled $142 million, and women who suffered from venous thromboembolism still have time to make a claim for compensation. 

Danish Study Adds to Evidence of Yaz Blood Clot Risk

A study of more than 1 million Danish women over three years strengthens evidence that Yaz, Yasmin and other drospirenone-containing birth control pills carry a higher risk of dangerous blood clots. According to the research, these fourth-generation oral contraceptives were linked to a six-fold increase in the risk of venous thromboembolism, which occurs when blood clots form in the thigh or lower leg and have the potential to break loose and travel to the lungs, resulting in a pulmonary embolism. This risk compares to a three-fold increase in women taking older contraceptives containing levonorgestrel, which carries the lowest risk of blood clots.

Deep vein thrombosis is a type of blood clot linked to birth control pills and occurs when a clot develops in one of the body’s deep veins, most commonly the legs. Deep vein thrombosis is a serious condition, because the blood clot can break lose and travel into the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include swelling in the leg; leg pain; changes in skin color; and warmth over the affected area. Should the blood clot cause a pulmonary embolism, the patient may become short of breath, experience chest pain, cough up blood and become dizzy or lightheaded.

Label Update for Yaz, Yasmin

After reviewing studies regarding the risk of blood clots with drospirenone-containing birth control pills, the FDA announced that it would add a stronger warning to these oral contraceptives highlighting this risk. The labels for drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives will reportedly warn patients that a FDA-funded study found that the pills were linked with a “1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots, compared to those made with other progestins,” and that some studies report as high as a three-fold increase in the risk of blood clots when compared to pills containing levonorgestrel or other progestins.

Do I Have a Claim for DVT on Yaz?

It has been reported that Bayer has settled hundreds of lawsuits for venous clot injuries, including deep vein thrombosis, averaging about $218,000 per case. For women who suffered DVT while taking Yaz or Yasmin, it’s not too late to make a claim for medical bills and other damages. 

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