UK Health Agency Issues Yaz and Yasmin Blood Clot Warning to Patients

Doctors in the United Kingdom have recently been ordered to explicitly advise patients of the blood clot risks involved in taking popular oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin. Both brand name birth control pills are manufactured by German pharmaceutical company Bayer. Specifically, general practitioners throughout Britain will be required to inform patients that contraceptives including Yaz, Yasmin, Marvelon and Femodene subject them to nearly double the risk of dangerous blood clots posed by older formulations.

Study raises alarm about Yaz and Yasmin DVT risk

This move comes on the heels of a pivotal report issued by the European Medicines Agency suggesting that the synthetic hormones used in these contraceptive options substantially boost the risk of deep vein thromboses (DVT), which can be life-threatening events. While it was previously known that these drugs carried some risk of DVT, research has shown that the danger is much more significant than initially believed. Approximately 14 deaths each year in France have been linked to the use of these drugs, and physicians in the UK are now responsible for informing patients of the potentially severe side effects of Yaz and similar contraceptives.

Prior to providing prescriptions for these late-generation contraceptive pills, doctors in Britain will be required to fully disclose the known risks of taking these drugs, utilize a checklist as a means to screen for those patients most at risk, and take precautions to prevent the pills from being prescribed to women who demonstrate risk factors for complications and side effects.

Though these formulations are quite popular because they are less likely to cause the headaches, weight gain and hair growth that often come with older types of drugs, women who are smokers, migraine sufferers or overweight are in fact at greater risk of developing DVT.

Potential dangers of blood clots resulting from Yaz and Yasmin use

Blood clots that form as a result of oral contraceptives can be extremely serious and can even be fatal. Clots that form in the legs have the ability to break loose and travel toward the lungs or the brain, putting patients in imminent jeopardy. Blood clots that reach the brain can produce strokes, while those that move to the lungs often produce deadly pulmonary embolisms. If a clot becomes stuck in a major artery, a heart attack can ensue. For these reasons, the increased risks of clotting that are now being conveyed to patients across the UK may begin receiving additional attention elsewhere.

Women taking Yaz or Yasmin may be at increased risk for developing:

• Blood clots
• Stroke
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Pulmonary Embolisms
• Gallbladder Disease

Since 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued numerous warnings and safety label updates in recognition of the heightened risks posed by Yaz and Yasmin. Bayer has been formally admonished by the agency for overstating the drugs’ effectiveness and minimizing their known risks.

Continuing litigation concerning Yaz and Yasmin

Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits continued unabated in recent years and show no signs of slowing. As of now, Bayer has settled approximately 4,800 cases pertaining to blood clots and Yaz usage and has established a sizable reserve fund for anticipated settlements with plaintiffs who have experienced gallbladder disease as a result of taking the contraceptives.

Victims of Yaz, Yasmin and other drugs of this category still have ample opportunity to seek financial compensation for the injuries they have suffered, and it appears that many continue to do precisely that.

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