Do Yasmin Birth Control Pills Pose Blood Clot Risk?
The FDA has issued a safety warning about increased blood clot risk and Yasmin birth control pills. Certain birth control pills that contain drospirenone, a female sex hormone, are now under scrutiny.
The safety alert focused on two new studies that seem to demonstrate that women who take these birth control pills are 2 or 3 times more likely to develop blood clots, published in the British Medical Journal.
The blood clots, or venous thromboembolism (VTE), are potentially dangerous. Blood clots may block the flow of blood, and could block an artery or the lungs. Symptoms of blood clots can include severe chest pain, throbbing in the legs, or shortness of breath.
Drospirenone is most commonly found in newer birth control pills, including leading pills like Yaz and Yasmin, reports The Washington Post.
The FDA is currently not advising women to stop taking these pills. Instead, the FDA is urging women to discuss their birth control options with their healthcare professional first before making any decisions, according to the FDA safety warning.
The FDA is also strongly urging women who have any of the symptoms of VTE to contact their healthcare provider immediately.
As part of the safety warning, the FDA also states that women who are smoking and are over the age of 35 should not take combination oral contraceptives because they could greatly increase the likelihood of Yasmin-related blood clots.
For now, the FDA is urging that any women who have suffered any side effects from taking these medications contact the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program, available online.
And, all women who are worried about the increased Yasmin blood clot risk should check the FDA's MedWatch Safety website for further updates.
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