subject: Common Side Effects of Yaz [print this page] Common Side Effects of Yaz Common Side Effects of Yaz
The oral contraceptive Yaz contains synthetic forms of both estrogen and progesterone. Your 28-day Yaz cycle is meant to mimic a menstrual cycle. For the first 24 days you take pills containing the synthetic hormones; for the remaining four days you take pills without hormones. Side effects associated with Yaz are the same as those associated with many oral contraceptives: breakthrough bleeding; mild nausea, emesis and abdominal cramping; breast tenderness; weight gain; headache and dizziness; vaginal itching and/or discharge; and darkening of the skin.
Many side effects such as bleeding, headache and cramping are associated with fluctuations in your hormone levels. Others such as weight gain are associated with the hormones themselves. Estrogen does not increase the number of fat cells but it will make those fat cells larger. Estrogen may also cause your body to retain fluid which translates as higher numbers on the scale.
Some of Yaz's side effects have the potential to become life threatening. Drospirenone, the synthetic progesterone in Yaz, functions as a diuretic, actually increasing the production of urine in the kidneys and its subsequent excretion to the point where a woman taking Yaz may become dehydrated and develop serious electrolyte imbalances. Research has linked electrolyte imbalances with fatal cardiac arrhythmias and deep vein thrombosis. Indeed, a study published in the May 2009 issue of the British Medical Journal found that women taking Yaz had a chance of developing dangerous blood clots that was 15% higher than women taking other oral contraceptives.
Other serious Yaz side effects may include unilateral numbness or weakness, sudden headache, confusion or blurred vision or speech all of which are associated with stroke; chest pain associated with heart attack; or jaundice associated with pancreatitis or gall bladder disease.
If you are one of the many women using Yaz who has developed one or more of these symptoms, you may be entitled to compensation. Find out by seeking advice from a qualified attorney, experienced in pursuing Yaz lawsuit.
