http://www.lfpress.com/news/canada/2010/...92181.html
A group of Canadian women is suing the makers of popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin.
CTV News reports the women claim they were not adequately warned about a higher than usual risk for stroke and other health problems before using the drugs.
Yaz and Yasmin, made by Bayer’s Inc., are oral contraceptives that are used by thousands of women across the country, but have some users reporting racing hearts, strokes, and in some cases, gallbladder problems that lead to surgery.
Siskinds LLP filed the lawsuit against Bayer’s on Wednesday, although it has yet to be court-certified.
The pills were approved by Health Canada in 2004 and 2008. More than two million prescriptions for the contraceptives were filled in 2009 according to IMS Health Canada.
Bayer has said its oral contraceptives have been studied all over the world and are “safe and effective” when used according to the product labelling.
However, the lawsuit claims a new formulation which includes the hormone drospirenon — which fights acne and water retention —means Yaz and Yasmin carry higher risks than other oral contraceptives.
Even when I was The Pill (777) YEARS ago, I was warned of heart attack and stroke - especially if I smoked, which I did.
NKB -- yeah, I don't understand. Yaz may have an increased risk, but it's a small increase. The Pill is dangerous (vis-a-vis blood clots and strokes) no matter what.
I'm thinking it has something to do with with the way they advertised before the suit -- they were saying it was basically the same as others pills PLUS you got the benefit of clearer skin. They made it sound like a magic clear-skin pill that happened to prevent pregnancy. You'll notice the ads have changed -- well, they have in America, at least!
LIFE HAS RISKS!!!
Surely these ppl are going to try and sue God one of these days... (actually, there was a true case of this, but the case was dropped because the defendant [god] needs to have a mailing address and no one knows where god gets his mail sent, lol!)
If these people listened to their docs and read the medical advice packaged together with the medication, then they would have known the risks.
I worry about them winning this case because it will set a dangerous precedent. America / Canada has SUCH a litigious culture, what happened to common sense!
oh yeah, common sense isnt all that common *duh!*
(03-11-2010 07:15 PM)PrairieGirl Wrote: [ -> ]NKB -- yeah, I don't understand. Yaz may have an increased risk, but it's a small increase. The Pill is dangerous (vis-a-vis blood clots and strokes) no matter what.
I'm thinking it has something to do with with the way they advertised before the suit -- they were saying it was basically the same as others pills PLUS you got the benefit of clearer skin. They made it sound like a magic clear-skin pill that happened to prevent pregnancy. You'll notice the ads have changed -- well, they have in America, at least!
Yes, the ads have changed here as well. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen an ad in awhile. I knew there was a law suit coming up. I guess that's why.
I was on The Pill for over ten years and I knew the risks because my Dr. told me.
Everyone is in control of what they put into their bodies HOWEVER, if these women were deliberately mislead or given false information then yes, they should sue.
(03-11-2010 07:15 PM)PrairieGirl Wrote: [ -> ]NKB -- yeah, I don't understand. Yaz may have an increased risk, but it's a small increase. The Pill is dangerous (vis-a-vis blood clots and strokes) no matter what.
I'm thinking it has something to do with with the way they advertised before the suit -- they were saying it was basically the same as others pills PLUS you got the benefit of clearer skin. They made it sound like a magic clear-skin pill that happened to prevent pregnancy. You'll notice the ads have changed -- well, they have in America, at least!
I still see lots of ads for Yaz/Yasmine (I forget which one) touting it as more of an acne medication than a birth control pill. And as a cure for PMDD.
I'm in the "all medications have risks" camp (geez, if I sued every manufacturer of a med that screwed me up, I'd be a very wealthy girl!), but I also think that if known risks have been hushed up, people have the right to sue. I still have trouble believing that certain meds are still allowed on the market due to their known side effects. My doctors have been trying to put me on DMARDs (namely methotrexate) for a while, but I won't take them because they might cause cancer, among a million other things. I'll take my current problems over cancer!
I haven't seen an ad for Yaz/Yasmin since the suit, but I have seen plenty of lawyer ads of "If you or someone you know has taken Yaz/Yasmin and experienced...yada yada..." I dunno, I think people take lawsuits too far. The pill has its dangers, and you either accept those dangers and take it anyway or else you don't. I avoid anything hormone-related because I don't want to be one of those statistics. Not that I would be, but I don't think I could feel comfortable taking the risk. I know I'd be worrying all the time. I somehow doubt these women were unaware of the risks. They probably knew the risks but had the attitude that "that just happens to other people" and are shocked that those things can actually happen to you or people you know. Unless they were knowingly misled (which I really doubt) I don't understand how they have a case anyway.