An understudy actress for the Broadway show "Wicked" is suing Bayer pharmaceuticals, claiming the birth control pill Yasmin caused her to have a stroke at age 27. The suit claims Bayer knew Yasmin had a greater risk of stroke than other pills, but withheld the information from patients. Brenda Hamilton told the Post, "I'm pretty angry that this happened to me...It shouldn't happen to any woman just because they take birth-control pills."
However, Yasmin states on their website that Oral Contraceptives "can be associated with an increased risk of several serious cardiovascular side effects, including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack." The site also warns that women over 35 who smoke are at a higher risk for these side effects, but Hamilton was just 27 when she suffered the stroke, and had no history of health problems.
The FDA already recalled Bayer's YAZ pills last year when it was discovered that some of the pill's dosages of drospirenone were not "within specification" as the company had advertised. Both YAZ and Yasmin contain the ingredient, which can increase potassium levels and cause heart problems.
Hamilton's is just one of 1,100 lawsuits filed against the company which claim the pill lead to life-threatening health problems, but Bayer defends the drug's safety. Yasmin made the company over $1.5 billion last year, and just look how much fun all these women are having on it!
