Birth Control Pills Associated With Blood Clot Risk

In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication about the potential increased risk of blood clots with the use of drospirenone-containing birth control pills. The FDA was not ready to draw a conclusion at that time, and continued to review the data.

This week, however, the FDA reported its findings and is requiring makers of birth control pills that contain the hormone drospirenone to carry a warning that “some epidemiologic studies reported as high as a three-fold increase in the risk of blood clots” in women that take the pills.

Known as fourth-generation contraceptives, drospirenone-containing birth control pills are made up of a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone and have previously been linked to other serious health complications, including heart problems, high blood pressure and gallbladder disease.  Blood clots had been noted as a risk in some earlier studies.

Yaz, Yasmin and other new contraceptives contain estrogen as well as the next-generation synthetic hormone drospirenone.  Other drugs affected by the FDA’s finding include Beyaz, Gianvi, Loryna, Ocella, Safyral, Syeda, and Zarah.

The FDA reports the risk of blood clots is higher when using any birth control pills than not using them, but still remains lower than the risk of developing blood clots in pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

If you take prescription medications and experience any medical complications, you should contact your doctor immediately.  The potential side effects can be very serious, and should be addressed.

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