"Yaz Is a Necessary Evil"

Atlanta, GA"In my book, Yaz benefits outweighed the risks, even if it caused my gallbladder to be removed," says Michelle, who was prescribed the birth control drug to help with her heavy periods and "emotional problems."

"I was prescribed Yaz for unconfirmed endometreotis and emotional problems, I was a bitch on wheels—it wasn't just PMS," says Michelle. "Yaz definitely helped my period so you could say it is a necessary evil for me. I was on ortho ovum from the age of 21 up until my mid-30s and never had any side effects.

"After the first three months on Yaz my quality of life was drastically different; I was like a normal hormonal woman and my periods almost stopped on Yaz—I liked those benefits. It is the only thing that keeps me sane after my divorce in 2007. And I have no health care.

"My husband walked out on me and my health went downhill. I stopped eating when my husband left—I was so stressed out. I hadn't had any problems in my whole life except this heavy period. Now I was having irritable bowel syndrome but and I had an ulcer. I then had an ultrasound and my gallbladder was full of gallstones.

"It wasn't until I had gallbladder problems that the light bulb went on, so I stopped taking Yaz. In hindsight, Yaz could have contributed to gallstones and at the time I didn't suspect the Yaz and neither did any of my doctors because this side effect wasn't known then.

"After my gallbladder was removed in February 2008, I read about all the Yasmin and Yaz class action lawsuits relating to dangerous side effects, including gallbladder problems. I figured you can't close the barn door after the cow's gone. But I was so desperate financially that I wondered whether I qualified for a class action lawsuit.

"You never known with a pharmaceutical what is going to happen down the road. We don't have to take these pills; we choose to. So I began to wonder. I was back on the hormonal roller coaster again so my doctor prescribed Yaz again. Even though I had my gallbladder removed, I cannot prove it was the Yaz, even though I never had gallstone attacks in my life. Instead I think it had more to do with the rapid weight loss after my husband left. In four months I dropped 75 pounds.

"Once I calmed down, my weight returned. I don't even want to discuss how much I weigh now, it is embarrassing. I know that Yaz isn't a good thing to take because I am over 40 but I need to stay on it for the emotional benefit and to control my heavy periods. I still have no insurance (my doctor has been giving me free samples of Yaz). I'm trying to get a job that has prescription drug benefits. In my book, the benefits of Yaz outweigh the risks. But who knows?

"I'm not looking for death or looking to put a bullet in my head but if I wind up with other side effects, that is my choice. We can only go along with the knowledge we have. I know this is naïve. I just don't let it freak me out so much."