Yasmin User Believes she was “Headed for a Heart Attack”

Los Angeles, CAWithin weeks after discontinuing Yasmin birth control Karla says episodes of her heart beat “getting out of sync” also discontinued. “I believe I was headed for a heart attack,” she says.

Karla, age 52, was prescribed Yasmin about six years ago to treat her hormonal imbalance. She never associated “heart episodes” that she had experienced over the last few years to the drug because she doesn’t watch TV and missed all the commercials about Yasmin side effects and Yasmin lawsuits and never thought to Google Yasmin.

“There was no rhyme or reason to explain why I had these episodes of my heart getting out of sync,” says Karla. “An incident started out when I would cough and it would last a few minutes, then it would last up to 15 minutes. But for the last six months or so it went on for an entire day, up to the point where I was short of breath and I had to lie down because I would get so dizzy.”

Karla complained about these episodes to her doctor and he hooked her up to a portable EKG in his office. The results were cause for concern: she was referred to a cardiologist who instructed Karla to wear a Holter monitor--a machine that continuously records the heart's rhythms for 24 hours.

“The results showed 6,000 ‘incidents’, which means 6,000 abnormalities,” Karla explains. “But I was getting enough heart beats in my lower heart and that was on a good day. Even though my heart was getting enough beats, I knew better. I might have three beats then none. For instance, there were several occasions when I had to leave my church feeling dizzy and panicked. My friend said I should go to ER but I didn’t-- I am rather strong-willed…”

Luckily Karla also has common sense. She took herself off Yasmin, unaware of its association with heart problems and subsequent Yasmin lawsuits.

“I was about to turn 52 and thought it was time to quit,” she explains. “About six weeks after being Yasmin-free, it just dawned on me one day that there were no more heart episodes. I was talking to my sister on the phone and mentioned it to her. She told me how dangerous these birth control pills containing drospirenone were and there were big lawsuits going on.

"Well, was I surprised! But that also explained a lot. My prescribing doctor had retired and I had a new primary. About 10 weeks ago I saw her for the first time and had a physical. She asked about meds I was taking and I told her the Yasmin situation. She told me that it is best I was off that Yasmin pill. ‘Apparently there is a bad rap with this’, I questioned her. And she said, ‘Yep’. Not long after that my friend sent me a link to LawyersandSettlements, and urged me to file a Yasmin lawsuit. I am blown away by this: I believe I was headed for a heart attack.

"A few months after I went off Yasmin, I felt my heart beat out of sync or race once in a while, but I am pretty sure that I am out of danger now. If not for me taking myself of Yasmin I might not be here today. I can’t believe that Yasmin and Yaz are still on the market.

"I’m not necessarily trying to get compensation but I am angry that this drug has not been pulled and that Bayer, the manufacturer, is putting women at risk. They are just out to make money. I had people praying for me because my heart was so bad and I didn’t even know it was because of a drug I was taking. I pray that all women on Yasmin and Yaz are aware of these dangers."