A lot of controversy has swirled around Yaz recently because of its adverse side effects. Yaz is associated with a higher-than-normal risk of blood clots compared to older versions of oral contraceptives and the Food and Drug Administration voted on Thursday that the warning label on the product is inadequate and needs more information warning consumers of the potential risks of blood clots in the legs and lungs.
One teenager is a prime example of someone who has suffered as a result of taking Yaz. Lynsey Lee started taking Yaz at age 16 to relieve her severe menstrual cramps and pelvic pain, but instead of feeling better she experienced severe moods swings, nausea and more pain. Even worse, she started having severe chest pains that sent her to the doctor every couple of days. But doctors assured her that the pains she was experiencing were merely a result of her body getting used the drug. Finally, later that year doctors discovered that Lynsey had a blood clot in her left lung. She is now one of 10,000 American women who have filed a lawsuit against Bayer, the maker of Yaz.
Lynsey, who is now 19 still lives with the blood clot lodged in her lung. Doctors say it is too dangerous to try and remove it and so she takes blood thinners to help loosen it in hopes that it will work its way through her system. She is also too weak and fatigued to work and go to college like most other people her age and must make daily trips to the doctor's to be monitored.
