Yaz Blood Clots in Wife’s Brain Prompt Pa. Couple to Sue

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Pennsylvania couple Melissa L. Smart and Randall E. Smart are suing Bayer Pharmaceuticals for the injuries the primary plaintiff, Melissa, incurred from ingesting their oral contraceptive product, Yaz. Smart alleges that as a direct result of taking the birth control pill, she suffered severe bodily injuries, which include cerebellar infarction and vertebral artery dissection — serious blood clot injuries that can cause a stroke.

Smart had been prescribed Yaz for the purpose of birth control, and taken it without suffering any complications at first. However, shortly after starting the medication, she started experiencing strange symptoms of unexplained pain. After medical examination, it was revealed on Dec. 11, 2005 that the plaintiff had developed cerebellar infarction and vertebral artery dissection. As of now, Smart is still receiving medical treatment for these conditions.

At the time she made her choice of birth control method, she had not been aware that Yaz had such a strong association with such complications, or additional side effects she had been fortunate enough not to suffer. There were no warnings or indications on the drug’s label, nor had the defendant company notified her or her husband in any way. Smart states that if she had known about these side effects, she never would have chosen Yaz.

So for being directly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug, Smart is suing Bayer Pharmaceuticals. The charges include: negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Yaz and Yasmin Complications

Yaz is a birth control pill manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and was approved by the FDA in 2006. It is one of the most popular oral contraceptives in the United States, with many patients and doctors praising its efficiency. Bayer Pharmaceuticals normally tributes the success of Yaz, and some of their other birth control pills, to the newly formed hormone, drospirenone. Before Yasmin, the older cousin of Yaz that was approved in 2001, drospirenone had never been used in the United States. Due to the fact that drospirenone is so new in the scientific community, there is not much scientific data available on its side effects.

Because there is so little known about it, most scientists are weary of the new hormone, and insist that more scientific studies must be conducted before it’s introduced to the public any more than it already has been. A determined side effect of drospirenone is that it acts as a diuretic, which increases potassium levels in the blood. This can cause the flow of blood to slow, which can allow for the development of heart arrhythmia, blood clots, and other health complications. Leading many medical experts to believe that it is drospirenone is causing patients to suffer side effects, such as what Smart endured.

A study published in the April 2002 issue of the British Medical Journal, conducted at the Dutch College of General Practices, had compared different generations of progestin, and had reported forty cases of venous thrombosis had occurred in the women who took Yasmin. Additionally, in less than a five year period, through 2004 to 2008, over fifty death reports were submitted to the FDA, allegedly in direct result of taking Yaz or Yasmin.

As of now, there is no mentioning of blood clots or any similar side effects mentioned on Yaz’s warning label.

Yaz and Yasmin Litigation Movement

Smart’s case is being transferred to MDL No. 2100, where she will join other plaintiffs who allege similar injuries as she.

In Re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices, and Relevant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2100, in the United States District Court of Southern Illinois.

File a Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuit Today

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of a Yaz and Yasmin injury, you have legal options. Please visit the Yaz and Yasmin Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Yaz and Yasmin lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Yaz and Yasmin attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.