• 14
  • February
    2011

A Texas woman recently filed a suit against Bayer Corporation, manufacturers of the oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin.

At the end of January, the woman filed suit in a Texas court, accusing the drug companies of failing to provide patients and healthcare providers with adequate warnings concerning the known risks of taking the drugs.

Yaz and Yasmin are very similar in chemical makeup. Per tablet, Yaz contains 3 mg of a drug called drospirenone and 20mcg of a drug called ethinylestradiol. Yasmin contains 10 more micrograms of ethinylestradiol per tablet, but is otherwise the same.

The Texas woman had reportedly taken both drugs from 2001 to 2008 for the purpose of regulating her menstrual cycle. According to her complaint, she took standard doses of the drugs under her gynecologist's supervision, complying with the drug maker's instructions.

In early 2006, the woman developed severe stomach pain and had her gall bladder removed, but after the surgery she experienced severe chest and upper abdominal pain, as well as continual digestion problems, including diarrhea, indigestion, and intense abdominal pain. Doctors also found that the woman had gallstones. The suit alleges that she continues to suffer from symptoms as a result of her surgery.

Bayer has previously come under fire for issues related to both Yas and Yasmin. In 2008, the FDA required Bayer to correct inaccurate information contained in television advertisements concerning Yaz's approved uses. Later in 2008, 129 lawsuits were filed against the pharmaceutical company concerning side effects of both Yaz and Yasmin. In the fall of 2009, FDA cited Bayer again for distributing low quality batches of oral contraceptives.

Source: The Southeastern Texas Record, "Woman says Yaz caused damage to gallbladder," John Suayan, 9 Feb 2011.