Yaz and Yasmin cause blood clots that often begin in the deep veins of the legs. A clot, called a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), can break off and move to the brain, where it causes a stroke. If the clot moves to the lung, it causes a pulmonary embolism. If it moves to the heart, it can cause a heart attack.
Within weeks of taking Yaz or Yasmin, women have been stricken by life-changing strokes . For some women, the stroke or heart attack occur without warning. For others, there are warning symptoms. These warning symptoms include:
- Pain in the calf or the back of the leg (Possible DVT)
- Sudden headaches (Possible stroke)
- Unusual swelling in the lower legs (Possible DVT)
- Chest pains or heaviness (Possible heart attack)
- Drooping of the eye or mouth (Possible stroke)
- Weakness in arm or leg or speech problems (Possible stroke)
- Eye problems and loss of vision (Possible eye clot)
Studies show that the risk of clots is higher with Yaz and Yasmin than other birth control drugs that don’t contain drospirenone. Drospirenone is believed to cause strokes in a number of different ways. For example, besides causing clots in the legs, it is believed that the drug changes the rhythms of the heart, slowing blood flow to the point that it clots there as well.