Yasmin Side Effects Lawsuit:
Yaz, Yasmin, and the generic form Ocella is a type of birth control originally developed by Berlex Laboratories (a U.S. affiliate of Schering AG, Germany) that was first approved for use in 2001. In 2006, the drug company, Bayer, acquired Berlex and marketed a more recent version of Yasmin, called YAZ. Ocella is a generic version. Yasmin, Yaz, and Ocella all contain drospirenone, a "fourth generation" progestin. No other birth control pills contain drospirenone, except for these.
Serious Side Effects:
Yasmin contains a different type of hormone known as drsp or drospirenone. Drospirenone can increase a user's potassium levels. This can lead to serious health problems, which are particularly dangerous for those with kidney, liver and adrenal disease. In addition, other serious Yasmin side effects, Yaz side effects and Ocella side effects include::
- Yasmin Heart attack
- Yasmin Stroke
- Yasmin Blood clots
- Yasmin Benign liver tumors
- Yasmin Deep vein thrombosis
- Yasmin Pulmonary embolism
- Yasmin Sudden death
Other Side Effects That May Be Experienced:
- Severe allergic reactions including rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing.
- Tightness in the chest swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue.
- Fainting
- Irregular heartbeat
- Symptoms of liver problems
- Unusual or severe vaginal bleeding
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
- vaginal irritation or discharge
- Vision changes (eg, sudden vision loss, double vision)
There have also been over 50 reports of Yasmn related deaths filed with the FDA since 2004 as a result of Yasmin side effects. These include numerous deaths with reported cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest,
intracardiac thrombus (blood clots in the heart), pulmonary embolism (blood clot
in the lungs) and stroke. Reports of elevated potassium levels are frequently included among the symptoms of those suffering fatalities from Yasmin.
Deceptive Advertising:
Bayer has also improperly encouraged the use of Yasmin for conditions other than those in which the drug has been approved for. These false claims involved the ability of Yasmin to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and all types of acne. In October 2008, the FDA issued a warning letter for the deceptive claims. The FDA said claims made in the ads left the impression that Yaz was a treatment for PMS, when in fact it is only meant as a treatment for PMDD. The FDA also said that both ads left the impression that Yasmin is approved as a treatment for acne of all severities when Yasmin is only approved to treat moderate acne.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent several warning letters to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for what the FDA termed “misleading” advertising spots it found “particularly troubling” because they served to “undermine the communication of important risk information, minimizing these risks and misleadingly suggesting that Yaz is safer than has been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience.” Read the FDA warning letters below:
2003 Yaz/Yasmin FDA Warning Letter
2008 Yaz/Yasmin FDA Warning Letter
2009 Yaz/Yasmin FDA Warning Letter
Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella News Archive >>>