Side Effects of Yaz
We have spent the past month or so taking the Bayer Corporation to task over their line of birth control pills, which go under the names Yaz, Yasmin and Oscella. We have been doing this for quite a few reasons, chief among them the fact that they have decided to use an ingredient called drospirenone that creates dangerous side effects. This synthetic variant of progestin has been shown to increase the likelihood of blood clots not just in women who smoke or women over thirty five, but in any woman who uses the pill at all. The damage from these adverse side effects of this “new and improved” ingredient has been substantial. Hundreds of women have reported serious bad side effects and complications after taking this pill, ranging from strokes and heart attacks to pulmonary embolisms, and the FDA has received over fifty reports of deaths.
A product which establishes a casualty list is bad enough, but what we find equally bad about this whole scenario is that the advertising campaigns that were used to promote Yaz in particular were misleading. They understated the increased dangerous side effects of the pill while promoting supposed secondary benefits of the pill, which, as it turns out, weren’t all that effective in the first place. All of this served to get more and more women to buy a pill under misleading circumstances, which meant that more and more women were in danger.
In all fairness, nearly all birth control pills carry some risk of blood clots and other dangerous side effects. All of the makers and manufacturers of birth control pills are well aware of this. But with other birth control pills, the amount of incidents where blood clots occur are quite small, with the number remaining around 1%. And even with that number, the vast majority of manufacturers of birth control pills advertise their products responsibly. They tell you what the pill does, does not do, and, most importantly, they tell you what the risks and serious side effects are.
For instance, if you look at this Ortho Tri Cyclen advertisement from 2004,the advertisement spends half of the air time selling the product, and the other half very clearly stating what the side effects and risks are:
Serious as well as minor side effects have been reported with the use of oral contraceptives. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you are over 35. Women who use oral contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke. Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as those who are or may be pregnant. The Pill does not protect against HIV or sexually transmitted diseases.
It should also be mentioned that on the website for this pill, they provide the phone number and website information for the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting Program. They have also been providing this same information in some of their advertisements for Tri Cyclen Lo, a new birth control pill that claims to do nothing spectacular except regulate menstruation and prevent pregnancy. Yet they still provide all the safety information that they can on dangerous side effects.
If you contrast this with the initial advertising campaign that Bayer used to promote Yaz, in which the new and potentially dangerous side effect ingredient is not mentioned, dubious claims are made about its secondary benefits (like curing acne or stopping premenstrual dysphoric disorder,) and the standard disclaimers are used as if they would apply perfectly when in fact they did not, it seems that Bayer put profits well above the safety of those who would use their birth control products.
Bayer was actually ordered by the FDA to re-do their whole marketing campaign, which they did at a great expense, and they have even utilized Google Ads that feature permanent links to safety information of Yaz and the actual FDA-approved label.
This is all well and good, but it doesn’t change the fact Bayer is still manufacturing and marketing a pill that uses a dangerous ingredient causing serious side effects that has left hundreds of women with strokes, pulmonary embolisms and gallbladder injuries. Their intention is to keep selling the birth control pill, and to fight any and all challenges to their market share. This means that they will continue to haggle with the FDA and peddle Yaz as a magical elixir that will clear your skin and make you feel better, and they will continue to use flashy and expensive advertising to do so, regardless of the dangerous side effects.
If you have been injured or hospitalized due to the use of Yaz, Yasmin or Oscella, you are not alone, and you also have legal options. In fact, there have been so many cases filed against Bayer across the country that the standards under which the cases will be tried have been consolidated under multi-district litigation. This means that the cases will be handled without added delays and extensive costs of a similar lawsuit.
Greenberg and Bederman is currently offering legal assistance to women in the Washington, D.C. area who have been injured or hospitalized from the dangerous side effects due to the use of Yaz, Yasmin or Oscella. During our twenty five years as a firm, we have helped thousands of people all over Virginia, Maryland and D.C. receive fair compensation for injuries that occurred due to no fault of their own. If you or a loved one has been injured due to Yaz, Yasmin or Oscella, contact Greenberg and Bederman for a free legal consultation today.
To learn more about yaz injuries, please visit our website and click on the yaz page, or visit our site on Youtube and watch our yaz video.
To learn more about yaz side effects, please read our yaz page. To learn more abour our yaz lawyer, Andy Bederman, please read yaz bio or watch his yaz lawyer video.
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