birth control blood clot risk

FDA Adds Warnings to Yaz, Yasmin, and Other Birth Control Pills

By Attorney Ray Maples on April 19, 2012

Federal health regulators have said they will add labeling to contraceptive pills containing the synthetic hormone drospirenone, such as Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella, indicating the risk of blood clots. According to an Associated Press news report, the labeling will apply to Bayer’s Yaz, its predecessor Yasmin, and other drospirenone-containing drugs. The synthetic hormone, which is found in newer generation contraceptive pills, mimics the naturally occurring female hormone progesterone. The decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes in the wake of several recent research studies showing an elevated risk of blood clots for users of birth control pills with drospirenone. Women taking these pills have reported blood clots in their legs. These clots can become fatal if they travel to the heart, lungs or brain.

If you are a woman taking these drugs, you can take precautionary steps to prevent these dangerous side effects. First, talk to your doctor and see if the benefits of taking the drugs outweigh the risks. Also, do address your risk factors. Smoking, obesity, or diabetes could raise your risk of blood clots if you are taking these pills.

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