Woman Alleges Deep Vein Thrombosis from Yaz Resulted in Amputation

An Oklahoma woman is pursuing a claim against Bayer Healthcare, alleging that she had to have her arm amputated as a result of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) caused by side effects of Yaz birth control pills.

According to a local media report by KFOR-TV in Oklahoma, 32-year old Brandy Armantrout had to have her arm amputated in December 2011, after suffering sever blood clots that she alleges were caused by Yaz, which she had taken since 2007.

Armantrout indicates that she sought medical attention after she developed tingling in her left arm, which was turning black. Doctors were unable to find a pulse in her wrist and ultimately amputation took her arm above the elbow due to a deep vein thrombosis suffered on Yaz birth control.

Health care has not covered the cost a prosthetic replacement for Armantrout, according to KFOR-TV, which indicates that she is pursuing a lawsuit against Bayer to seek compensation for the injury caused by Yaz.

Lawsuits Over Yaz, Yasmin Birth Control Pills

More than 12,000 women throughout the United States are pursuing a Yaz lawsuit or Yasmin lawsuit after suffering a deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke or other injury allegedly caused by the drospirenon-based birth control pills.

The popular birth control pills contain the fourth-generation progestin drospirenone, which has been linked to an increased risk of blood clots when compared to certain older birth control pills. However, the initial warnings provided to women using Yaz and Yasmin failed to adequately reflect this increased risk, according to allegations raised by former users who have experienced problems.

In the federal court system, the Yaz and Yasmin litigation has been consolidated before U.S. District Judge David R. Herndon in the Southern District of Illinois, as part of an MDL, or multi-district litigation. Earlier this year, the Yaz and Yasmin MDL became the largest pending consolidated litigation in the United States, with the total number of cases surpassing the asbestos litigation, which was consolidated in 1991.

Bayer has already reached Yaz settlement agreements in thousands of cases involving women who claim that they suffered a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis injury after taking the brand-name birth control pills.

Cases that involve a venous clot injury only account for about half of all lawsuits faced by the drug maker, with other claims alleging that Bayer failed to adequately warn about the increased risk of strokes, heart attacks, gallbladder problems or other injuries.