Five Women Who Experienced Side Effects From Yaz or Yasmin File a Lawsuit in Illinois

Five women chose to file a Yaz lawsuit after they suffered side effects from the Bayer manufactured birth control pills Yaz or Yasmin. The filing was made in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illiniois, which is the location of the current multidistrict litigation underway against Bayer.

The plaintiffs—Jennifer Benefield and Cheryl Hill of Alabama; Melissa Wray and Rosemary Hampton of Florida; and Cheryl Campos of Colorado—were all prescribed and used Yasmin or Yaz as a birth control device. Each suffered side effects from the pills and bring counts of inadequate warning, negligence, failure to adequately test, breach of warranties, negligent misrepresentation, and defective design and manufacturing.

Drospirenone is a fourth generation progestin linked to blood clots and stroke

The progestin in Yaz and Yasmin is called “drospirenone” and has been linked to blood clots and stroke. Drospirenone is a “fourth generation” progestin and is only available in Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. Ocella is the generic version of the drug. Other progestins have significant research behind them going back decades, whereas drospirenone doesn’t.

It is believed that drospirenone might interact differently with the estrogen—called “ethinyl estradiol”—in birth control pills. According to the researchers, unlike other progestins, drospirenone doesn’t sufficiently counterbalance clotting effects of estrogen.

It is also a possibility, according to researchers, that drospirenone can cause an increase of potassium in the blood, leading to disturbances in heart rhythms.

Bayer has been accused of over-promoting Yaz and Yasmin and mention the FDA’s warnings in 2003 and 2008 calling the ads misleading. All plaintiffs claim serious injuries after taking the medication. Common side effects of Yaz and Yasmin include blood clots, stroke, and gallbladder problems. The plaintiffs in this case did not take the drugs for a long period of time before they began experiencing their side effects.

Plaintiffs used Yaz or Yasmin for varying amounts of time

Benefield used it for about 28 days. Wray for around a month and nine days. Hampton for approximately five months. Hill and Campos used it for a year or more.

On March 19, 2007, Benefield was diagnosed with having a pulmonary embolism; Wray with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on June 6, 2010; Campos with pulmonary embolism on December 17, 2005 and underwent surgery to remove her gallbladder on July 2, 2004; Hill had gallbladder problems as well and hers was removed on September 24, 2009.

They accuse Bayer of failing to adequately warn of the risks of the pills and seek in excess of $75,000 in damages.

Scientific studies are cited linking drospirenone to blood clots

Scientific studies have been cited to connect drospirenone with blood clots. In 2002, the British Medical Journal reported that it was recommended by the Dutch College of General Practitioners that older second generation birth control pills should be prescribed rather than Yaz following 40 cases of venous thrombosis for women who took Yasmin.

The FDA has warned that birth control pills with drospirenone could present an increased risk of blood clots and resultant health problems.

For more about Yaz and Yasmin, their side effects, and whether you or a loved one might be eligible to file a case and receive compensation, click on the link or contact a Yaz or Yasmin lawyer to discuss your options for free.

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