Yaz and Yasmin are combined oral contraceptives, more commonly known as birth control pills. These drugs are similar in many ways, but they also have some important differences.

Yasmin is Introduced

Yasmin was approved by the FDA in 2001 to prevent pregnancy in women and also for the treatment of moderate acne and premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD) in women who also needed to prevent pregnancy. At the time, Yasmin was manufactured and marketed by Berlex.

Yaz is Introduced

In 2006, Bayer purchased Berlex and quickly introduced Yaz, which was approved for the treatment of moderate acne and premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD) in women also seeking birth control. Bayer continues to manufacture and distribute Yasmin.

Different Amounts of Estrogen

Yaz is referred to as low-dosage Yasmin. Both Yaz and Yasmin contain 3.0 mg of the progestin ingredient drospirenone. Yaz contains a smaller dosage of the estrogen ingredient ethinyl estradiol. Yaz contains 0.02 mg and Yasmin contains 0.03 mg.

Different Regimens

Yaz and Yasmin are also different from each other because of their regimen, or how they are taken. They both come in a 28-day supply. Yaz has 24 active pills, followed by 4 inert pills, while Yasmin has 21 active pills followed by 7 inert pills. This means that women taking Yaz receive three extra days of active hormones each month.

Are you taking one of these birth controls?

Source:

http://www.drugs.com/cons/yaz.html

All birth controls are different. They use different ingredients and dosages. While most combined oral contraceptives use the same estrogen ingredient, ethinyl estradiol, they use different amounts of estrogen and different types of synthetic progesterone.

When combination oral contraceptives were first developed to prevent pregnancy in women, they contained a much higher dosage of estrogen than is used in birth control pills today, combined with a progestin. The risk of stroke was very high in women taking birth control pills with a high dosage of estrogen. Over the years, different combinations of estrogen and progestin were developed in an attempt to decrease the risk of serious side effects.

The Newest Progestin, Drospirenone

Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella are known as  fourth-generation birth controls because they use yet another type of progestin, drospirenone. The maker of Yaz touted this new birth control as revolutionary in that it would treat the symptoms of premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD) and moderate acne in women in addition to preventing pregnancy.

It quickly became evident that Yaz caused serious and life-threatening side effects in women. Studies have shown that drospirenone leads to a much greater chance of developing blood clots than other birth control pills.

Did you get seriously ill after taking Yaz, Yasmin or the generic Ocella?

Source:

http://women.webmd.com/features/comparing-birth-control-pill-types-combination-minipills-more

Berlex Laboratories, not Bayer, originally manufactured the birth control pill Yasmin. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Yasmin in 2001.

In 2003, the FDA sent Berlex a warning letter for running TV ads that were misleading and inaccurate. The commercials improperly implied that Yasmin was superior to other combined oral contraceptives on the market.

The FDA also warned Berlex that the commercials did not adequately inform women of the serious health risks of taking Yasmin and were unlawfully minimizing side effects of the drug. The FDA has warned for years about “the added clinical risks associated with drosperinone,” the progestin ingredient in Yasmin and Yaz.

The FDA ordered Berlex to stop running the ad because of the “significant public health and safety concerns” raised by the misleading commercials.

One of the allegations in the litigation against the makers of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella, the generic form of Yasmin, is that many women began taking these drugs after seeing the inaccurate marketing on television over the years.

Are you one of the many women influenced by the deceptive advertising?

Source:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/WarningLettersandNoticeofViolationLetterstoPharmaceuticalCompanies/UCM168914.pdf

If you are coughing up blood (hemoptysis), there could be several reasons. This could take different forms, like bright red or pink and frothy or combined with mucus.

There are several serious causes of coughing up blood, but the major cause is chronic bronchitis, a relatively minor and easily treatable condition. If you are coughing up blood and taking Yaz, don’t assume a benign cause is to blame, even if you have been sick with an upper respiratory disease.

A serious and life-threatening side effect of taking Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in one of the deep veins of the lower extremities. A complication of DVT is pulmonary embolism, where part of the blood clot breaks free and travels (embolizes) to the lungs. The symptoms of pulmonary embolism are shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sharp chest pain, general symptoms of anxiety, sweating, heart palpitations or fainting, and coughing up red or pink foam, froth or blood.

Coughing up blood should always be assessed by your doctor or by going to the emergency room.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/pulmonary-embolism-topic-overview?page=2
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=88679&page=4
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coughing-up-blood/MY01064/DSECTION=causes

Women who have high blood pressure (hypertension) should be extremely cautious when taking birth control pills. High blood pressure on Yaz puts you at risk of developing blood clots and heart problems. The estrogen in Yaz is believed to cause an increase in blood pressure.

High blood pressure is called “the silent killer” because there usually are no symptoms, or symptoms are mild or vague. There is a simple test to determine if your blood pressure is elevated. Many pharmacies and grocery stores have a blood pressure testing chair, and you can purchase a small, portable blood pressure machines at your pharmacy or drugstore.

Sometimes high blood pressure causes the following symptoms:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Nausea

Do you have any of the vague symptoms of high blood pressure? The most reliable test of your blood pressure is done at your doctor’s office. If you have concerns about Yaz and blood pressure, speak with your doctor.

Sources:
http://www.epigee.org/fitness/hypertension.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/high_blood_pressure/page3_em.htm

The most effective treatment for gallstones is surgical removal of the gallbladder, known as cholecystectomy. The surgery is the only known permanent solution for gallstones.

There are two types of cholecystectomy: open and laparoscopic. Open cholecystectomy requires a single large incision, lasts one to two hours and necessitates a hospital stay of up to five days. Laparoscopy is the most common method. It involves four tiny incisions and uses a small lighted scope and miniature remote-controlled surgical tools. The procedure takes the same amount of time as open cholecystectomy, but the hospital stay can be less than a day.

Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002930.htm
http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc6007.htm

Gallstones are bits of hardened digestive fluid, called bile, that form in the gallbladder. The stones can range from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. They are caused when the gallbladder doesn’t empty correctly or there is excess cholesterol or bilirubin—a chemical produced when red blood cells are broken down—in the bile.

There are two types of gallstones: cholesterol and pigment. The cholesterol type is the most common; they are yellow and composed mostly of undissolved cholesterol. Pigment gallstones form when the bile contains too much bilirubin.

Sources:
http://mayoclinic.com/health/gallstones/DS00165
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/gallstones-topic-overview

A number of serious medical conditions have been caused in women taking the birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. Having somewhere to turn to find trustworthy medical information is an important part of recovery and living a full life going forward. With so much information on the Internet, it can be difficult to find information that is accurate and unbiased.

Your doctors are your most important allies in getting your health back on track, but you may need guidance on questions to ask doctors. It is helpful to know what your doctor is talking about when you discuss your medical condition, how it was caused and the plan for getting you well.

The following resources are excellent sources of information on the various Yaz side effects such as gallbladder disease, blood clots, stroke, heart attack and pancreatitis:

General Websites for All Conditions:

Healthfinder
This government website has resources on health from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations to bring you some of the best and most reliable health information on the Internet.

• American Academy of Family Physicians
• Family Doctor
• The Merck Manuals – Online Medical Library
• WebMD
• Mayo Clinic

Specific Conditions:

Gall Bladder Disease

• National Institutes of Health
• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
• American Gastroenterological Association

Pancreatitis

• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

Heart Attack

• Mayo Clinic
• American Heart Association

Stroke

• American Stroke Association
• National Stroke Association
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

DVT and Pulmonary Embolism

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute:

• DVT
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Vascular Disease Foundation

Prescription Drugs:

Blood Thinners:
National Institutes of Health – Medline Plus
Source:
http://www.mlanet.org/resources/userguide.html#5

Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes caused by excess amounts of an orange-yellow pigment called bilirubin. Bilirubin is created when red blood cells break down. Usually the bilirubin is excreted in the body through the stool. But under certain circumstances, there are too many old red blood cells built up, which creates too much bilirubin and causes a yellow cast to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes.

Jaundice can be caused by several conditions, among them pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that can be a side effect of oral contraceptives like Yaz.

Sources:
http://www.health-news-and-information.com/4civista/libv/j06.shtml
http://www.health-news-and-information.com/4civista/libv/i48.shtml

A class action is a lawsuit that is filed against a company or companies on behalf of a named plaintiff (or plaintiffs) and others who are similarly situated; for example, women who have suffered a pulmonary embolism while taking Yaz. Class actions are brought when the number of plaintiffs is determined to be too large to be named individually.

Class actions provide a way for individuals to get compensated for injuries or other wrongs without having to pay a lawyer out of pocket. Attorneys in these cases work for a percentage of the award or settlement from the suit.

Sources:
http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?getdoc+uscview+t26t28+3663+1++%28class%20action%20lawsuit%29