Beyaz is a new form of birth control — essentially the same as Yaz, but with added folate. Beyaz also contains the synthetic hormone drospirenone, which has been linked to severe side effects, including blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, stroke, heart attack, and death. The FDA has issued a safety warning concerning the increased risk of birth control pills containing drospirenone.
Do I Have a Yaz Lawsuit? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one has been injured by blood clots, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE
September 10, 2012 — An FDA review of Beyaz safety in women under 17 has found that younger women are more likely than older women to suffer blood clots while taking Beyaz or other drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Click here to read more.
FDA Updates Beyaz Safety Warnings
April 2012 — The FDA has recently announced that it will be updating the drug safety information for all birth control pills containing drospirenone. In a statement, they said: “The FDA has concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.” The FDA will be updating the drug safety information to warn about the increased risk of blood clots associated with drospirenone.
What is Beyaz?
Beyaz is among the “fourth generation” of birth control pills containing drospirenone, which is a synthetic type of progestin, a female sex hormone. Other medications in this same class include Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, Zarah, Gianvi, Loryna, Safyral, and Syeda.
Beyaz contains the following active ingredients:
- 3 mg drospirenone (synthetic progestin)
- 0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol (synthetic estrogen)
- 0.451 mg levomefolate calcium (folate dietary supplement)
When taken as directed, Beyaz is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. It uses several mechanisms to decrease a woman’s chance of conceiving. Beyaz inhibits ovulation (when the ovaries release an egg). Beyaz also changes the cervical mucus, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. Beyaz also changes the lining of the uterus, so that even if sperm enters the uterus and fertilizes an egg, the egg will not be able to implant in the uterus and grow.
Are Beyaz and Yaz the same?
Beyaz and Yaz are both manufactured by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. They contain the same doses of active progestin/estrogen. They are both approved for the same indications: preventing pregnancy, treatment of moderate acne, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). They are both expected to have the same side effects.
Beyaz and Yaz are essentially the same medication, except that Beyaz also contains folate. The FDA recommends that all women of childbearing age take a folate supplement, because numerous studies have linked low folate levels to severe neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida. Beyaz is the first FDA-approved contraceptive that also provides women with their recommended daily folate supplement.
Side Effects of Beyaz
The most serious side effect of Beyaz is a blood clot, which can cause stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and death. You should talk to your doctor to learn more about the side effects of using Beyaz.
There are other forms of birth control that do not contain drospirenone, and have a much smaller risk of serious side effects, such as blood clots.
Other side effects:
- Irregular uterine bleeding
- Liver disease
- Gallbladder disease
These side effects are significantly increased for women who smoke and are over 35 years of age.
How does Beyaz cause these side effects?
Beyaz contains drospirenone, a synthetic version of the female sex hormone progestin. In some women, drospirenone increases the level of potassium in the bloodstream too much. High levels of potassium cause the blood to coagulate, which can lead to the formation of blood clots in the extremities. This is called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
Do you know the symptoms of DVT? The symptoms of DVT may be the first warning sign before a stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or other side effect. Symptoms include swelling, sharp pain in the extremity, a “tingling” feeling, numbness, slurred speech, or blurred vision — but often blood clots are symptomless killers. Blood clots usually form in the large arteries in the extremities, such as the leg or arms, but they can occur anywhere. Usually they resolve without causing injury, but if you suspect that you have a blood clot, contact an emergency physician immediately.
If a blood clot breaks loose and begins to travel through the bloodstream, this is called an embolism. Embolisms are extremely dangerous, because if they travel to a major internal organ, they may become stuck and block the supply of blood to the organ. This is how heart attacks, stroke, and pulmonary embolisms occur. A Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is when an embolism travels to the lungs, and blocks the supply of blood to the lungs. If untreated, 30% of people who have a PE will die, usually within the first few hours of the event.
FDA Studies & Safety Warnings
Numerous studies have linked drospirenone to an increased risk of blood clots.
- 2009: Two independent studies found that a woman may be twice as likely to develop a blood clot while using a contraceptive containing drospirenone, compared to contraceptives that contain other hormones.
- 2011: Two additional studies published in the British Medical Journal found that a woman may be up to three times more likely to develop a blood clot while taking birth control containing drospirenone.
- November 2011: Most recently, an Israeli study tracked 329,995 women taking a drospirenone-containing contraceptive. They found a 40% increased risk of blood clots compared to other contraceptives.
The FDA conducted the largest study of drospirenone, following nearly 800,000 women taking oral birth control medications. In October 2011, the FDA issued a new drug safety communicationa fter finding that women may have a 1.5-fold increased risk of developing a blood clot while taking a contraceptive containing drospirenone. The risk is greatest in a woman’s first year of taking the medication.
Do I have a Yaz Lawsuit?
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