Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
According to the latest published medical research, women on combined hormonal birth control drugs, including the NuvaRing vaginal ring, and Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella birth control pills, may face a significantly higher risk of a heart attack or stroke compared to users of other forms of hormonal birth control.
New England Journal of Medicine June 2012 Study
The New England Journal of Medicine published a study on June 14, which suggests that these forms of birth control that contain a combination of estrogen and progestin can double a woman’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
The Danish study, analyzed more than 1.6 million women aged 15 to 49. These women were taking low-dose estrogen birth control pills combined with progestins. They suffered heart attacks and strokes between 1.5 and 2 times more often than women not using hormonal contraception. The risks were as much 2.5 to 3 times higher among users of combined hormonal device, including vaginal rings, compared to non-users. The highest risks were seen in women over 45, or those who had high blood pressure.
Take Home Message: NuvaRing and Yaz, Yasmin Side Effects
NuvaRing, Yaz and Yasmin users may suffer a serious side effect associated with the use of these drugs, including Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots), Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clots in the leg), Pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lung), Heart Attacks and Strokes. Women need to understand the risks of serious side effects and possibly death, each time they pop a blood control pill or use a NuvaRing birth control device. They are not sugar pills.
What is NuvaRing?
NuvaRing was introduced in 2001 and is manufactured by the Merck/Organon pharmaceutical company. NuvaRing is a hormonal vaginal ring made of plastic that releases a combination of etonogestrel, a synthetic generation progestin, and the estrogen, ethinyl estradiol.
FDA October 2011 Study
In October 2011, a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) study the involving data on 800,000 American women using some form birth control between 2001 and 2008 revealed using NuvaRing increased the risk of blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, by 56% in comparison to older birth control pills.
British Medical Journal 2012 Study
The British Medical Journal, published a study on May 10, 2012, which found that NuvaRing users had a 6.5 times higher risk of experiencing a serious blood clot compared to women who did not use any form of hormonal birth control.
The likelihood of experiencing a dangerous blood clot was 90% higher among users of the vaginal ring than it was for women taking combined oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel.
Over a Thousand NuvaRing Lawsuits
Hundreds of NuvaRing lawsuits alleging the device caused serious side effects, including blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attacks, strokes and wrongful death are currently pending in a multidistrict litigation in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (MDL No. 1964).
Additional NuvaRing lawsuits are pending in a Mass Tort proceeding in the Bergen County Superior Court of New Jersey (Docket No. BER-L-3081-09).
The Problem with Yaz and Yasmin
Yaz and Yasmin both contain ethinyl estradiol, along with a synthetic progestin called drospirenone. Yaz and Yasmin are manufactured by the German pharmaceutical giant, Bayer.
The FDA’s study of hormonal contraceptives that was released last October suggested an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing pills compared to users of other hormonal contraceptives.
In a Drug Safety Communication issued on April 10, 2012, the FDA said it was requiring that the labels for drospirenone birth control be updated to warn that these contraceptives may be linked to a higher risk of blood clots.
Over Ten Thousand Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits
More than 10,000 personal injury lawsuits that allege Yaz and Yasmin caused heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and other serious injuries are currently pending in the Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2100) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
What to do if you have been injured?