"Yasmin Brought Me Close to Death"

Durham, NCAnne started taking Yasmin in 2002, when she saw advertisements attesting that the oral contraceptive was good for the complexion and weight control. Six years later, she was still on Yasmin. "I asked my gynecologist if I should continue on this birth control pill and she said it wasn't a problem," says Anne. But Yasmin turned out to be a very serious problem: it caused four blood clots in Anne's lungs. "I'm lucky to be alive today to tell my story," says Anne.

"In January 2008 I was feeling really awful, like I had a chest cold that didn't go away and it hurt to take a deep breath. One day at work (I'm a school teacher) I doubled over in pain. I literally hobbled to the nurse's office and told her I had to get to a hospital ASAP. As soon as I was admitted to the ER, they did preliminary tests, including a CAT scan. I was blown away by the results: a blood clot in one long and three blood clots in the other. I am a very healthy 53-year-old woman; I've never had health issues and I've never smoked. It was unfathomable.

I was immediately put on heparin to try and dissolve the clots. Nobody could figure out what had caused them. They did all kinds of genetic tests and I even saw a hematologist specialist at Duke University Hospital. No one asked me about birth control, even though I asked them over and over again, 'Could it be from the Yasmin?' They never committed to an answer until 18 months later, when they couldn't find another cause. The specialists said it was likely Yasmin. In a way I was relieved because I finally knew what caused this, but so angry that it happened at all.

They did further testing to find the origin of the blood clots and they found a DVT in my pelvis which had traveled to my lungs. I was terrified and angry, all at the same time. If I had waited any longer, I wouldn't be here today. It's scary, realizing how close to death I was.

I decided to stop taking the pill in the hospital, just in case. If not, I could have died.

I didn't see or hear anything derogatory about Yasmin and its link to blood clots until about a month ago. An ad on TV said, 'If you have had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism and have been on Yasmin…' Omigod, the light bulb finally went on!

I went online, googled Yasmin and read so many articles about Yasmin side effects I couldn't believe it: why didn't I hear about this sooner? I called a law firm immediately.

I can't believe that Yasmin/Yaz is still on the market. Now I've retained a lawyer and they are getting all my medical records. I want to punish [Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals] for not doing their homework, for not being responsible. They should have pulled their product with the first complaint—and there have been many.

I want to send a message to them and every other irresponsible company: I want them put out of business. If it means hurting Bayer monetarily, so be it, but they have to stop before they harm or kill another woman. Would the makers of Yasmin and Yaz allow their wives and daughters to use their product?"