Medical Organization Refutes Yasmin Birth Control Side Effect Claims

Kinston, OntarioA new message from Canadian doctors casts doubt on the side effects associated with Yasmin birth control. Women who say they have suffered Yasmin side effects, or Yaz side effects, however, may not be convinced by the organization's claims. Meanwhile, lawsuits concerning the Yasmin birth control pill and Yaz birth control pills grow.

According to The Gazette (01/11/11), the message was sent by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and suggests that two studies that linked a higher risk of venous thromboembolism to women who used Yasmin and Yaz birth control were flawed. The organization further states that those pills carry the same risks as other birth control drugs available to women.

One study that linked Yasmin to venous thromboembolism was published in 2010 in the British Medical Journal. Researchers there found six times the risk of venous thromboembolism in women who took Yasmin compared with women who used other birth control pills. But, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada say the study was flawed because the number of women included in the study who used Yasmin was small.

Venous thromboembolism (also known as VTE) is a serious condition in which a blood clot forms in the patient's deep veins of the legs or pelvis. If the blood clot breaks away and travels to the lungs, it can block blood flow to the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism.

Some women say they developed a venous thromboembolism within months of starting Yasmin or Yaz birth control, despite being otherwise healthy. Women who take birth control of any sort are already believed to be at an increased risk of venous thromboembolism. Smoking and being overweight increase that risk.

Lawsuits have been filed against the maker of Yasmin and Yaz, alleging that the company, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, did not adequately warn patients about the risk of blood clots.

Symptoms of venous thromboembolism include pain or swelling in the leg, severe headaches and crushing chest pain.

Meanwhile, other possible Yasmin side effects include an increased risk of gallbladder problems. Symptoms of gallbladder problems include pain or discomfort in the upper right of the abdomen, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal bloating.