Yaz Lawsuits Seek Compensation for Life-Threatening Injuries

More than 150 personal-injury lawsuits have now been filed on behalf of women across the United States who used the popular birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella and suffered a potentially deadly heart attack, stroke, blood clot, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, or other injury.

In the last week, Bayer Healthcare – the maker of Yaz and Yasmin – was named as a defendant in more lawsuits alleging fraud and accusing the company of lying to users about the risks of the contraceptives. One of the lawsuits was brought by a Maryland woman who says she developed pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism (a potentially deadly blood clot in a lung artery) after she started taking Yasmin in 2007, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The civil lawsuits seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost income, and other damages as well as punitive damages to effectively punish Bayer for deceptive marketing of a dangerous product. Similar lawsuits have been filed in courts all over the U.S. by women who claim serious and potentially fatal injuries linked to the use of the contraceptives they took to avoid becoming pregnant or to treat the condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) or moderate to severe acne.

More than 30 of the federal lawsuits were consolidated earlier this year in a proceeding called a multidistrict litigation panel, where a single judge will preside over pre-trial matters.

Different Hormone Blamed for Problems

The health complications associated with the use of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella (the generic form of Yasmin) are believed to be caused by the different type of hormone the pills use compared to other contraceptives. The drugs use a synthetic form of progestin called drospirenone, which has been shown to increase levels of potassium in the blood and cause a potentially deadly condition called hyperkalemia.

High levels of potassium in the blood have been shown to cause irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, and damage to nerves and muscle tissue.

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