Birth Control and Side Effects

Dangerous and Deadly Side Effects from Birth Control Medications

There have been certain types of birth control that have been found to have dangerous and life-threatening side effects. Below are brief summaries of the birth control types found in recent years to be responsible for serious physical consequences and even wrongful death. Some medications, including birth control, have later been found to be defective products. If you or a loved one has suffered from dangerous side effects from the use of birth control medications, please read on for helpful information or speak to our Springfield, MA personal injury attorney.

NuvaRing The NuvaRing is a two-inch vaginal ring that is soft and flexible. It is worn for three weeks during which time it releases daily hormones. It is then removed and a new one inserted one week later. NuvaRing has been found to cause these dangerous side effects in some users: deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart attack and death. Other serious blood clots can develop.

Mifeprex (RU-486) Also known as the "abortion pill," Mifeprex is its trade name. It acts in the body to block progesterone, which is a hormone necessary to carry a fetus to full term. Information from the FDA webiste, states: Since its approval in September 2000, the Food and Drug Administration has received reports of serious adverse events, including several deaths, in the United States following medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol. The warning states: Patients should contact a healthcare practitioner right away if they have taken these medications for medical abortion and develop stomach pain or discomfort, or have weakness, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea with or without fever, more than 24 hours after taking the misoprostol. These symptoms, even without a fever, may indicate sepsis. Patients should make sure their healthcare practitioner knows they are undergoing a medical abortion.

Sepsis is also called blood poisoning and it occurs when an infection in the body spreads throughout the blood. It is a very serious condition that can cause death and requires immediate medical attention.

OrthoEvra Patch In 2008 the FDA approved changes to the labeling of this birth control product to include the results of a study conducted that found uses of the patch were found to have a higher risk of blood clots than those using birth control pills. The change in labeling provides a warning to women and their doctors to discuss the risks of using the patch.

Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella Yasmin and Yaz are similar types of birth control, their difference being the dose of hormones in the pills. Yaz is the lower-dose version and Ocella is the generic brand of Yaz. These side effects have been linked to both Yasmin and Yaz: serious blood clots that can form in the leg; heart attack or pulmonary embolism which results when a blood clot breaks loose and flows through the heart or lungs; stroke; kidney failure; liver disease/tumors; gallbladder disease; or death.

Legal Help for Women Harmed by Birth Control Medications

Our firm focuses on helping those who have been injured after being prescribed a birth control medication that caused serious side effects, and we pursue fair and full financial compensation for the injured or the family of those deceased. The Law Offices of Alan Goodman work hard, fight hard and get results for women seeking legal assistance. The first step in any potential case is to establish grounds for personal injury claims. Contact our office and speak with one of our legal professionals for more information about how to proceed legally.