Serious pulmonary embolism and Yaz blood clot problems have been reported in women using the contraceptive Yaz. Blood clots including pulmonary embolism, DVT and clots in other areas of the body have been associated with the use of this popular form of hormone-based birth control pill containing drospirenone. Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuits have been filed by some women who have been left with unpaid medical bills, lost wages and permanent lung injuries after suffering from a blood clot in the lungs.

How Is Pulmonary Embolism Treated?

The main goals of treating Yaz pulmonary embolism symptoms (PE) are to:

•        Prevent the blood clot from getting bigger

•        Stop new clots from forming

Treatment may include medications to help thin the blood and slow its ability to clot. If the symptoms are life threatening, the doctor may prescribe medicine to dissolve the clot more quickly. Depending on the severity of the blood clots, the doctor may use surgery or another procedure to remove the clot.

 

Emergency Treatment

When PE is life threatening, doctors may use treatments that remove or break up clots in the blood vessels of the lungs. These treatments are given in the emergency room or in the hospital. Thrombolytics are medicines given to quickly dissolve a blood clot. They’re used to treat large clots that cause severe symptoms. Because thrombolytics can cause sudden bleeding, they’re used only in life-threatening situations.

In some cases, the doctor may use a catheter to reach the blood clot. A catheter is a flexible tube placed in a vein to allow easy access to the bloodstream for medical treatment. The catheter is inserted into the groin (upper thigh) or arm and threaded through a vein to the clot in the lung. The catheter may be used to extract the clot or deliver medicine to dissolve it. Depending on the severity and number of clots, surgery may be required to remove the blood clot.

Medicines

Anticoagulants, which are blood thinner medicines, decrease your blood’s ability to clot. They are used to stop blood clots in the lung from getting larger and to stop clots from forming. They don’t break up blood clots that have already formed, however the body dissolves most clots over the course of time. Blood thinner drugs can be taken as either a pill, an injection, or through a needle or tube inserted into a vein (Lovenox® is an example of a blood thinner that is injected). Warfarin is given in a pill form. (Coumadin® is a common brand name for warfarin.)

Heparin is given as an injection or through an IV tube. Your doctor may treat you with both heparin and warfarin at the same time. Heparin acts quickly, whereas warfarin can take 2 to 3 days before it starts working. Once warfarin starts to work, usually the heparin will be stopped. If you have DVT, treatment with anticoagulants usually lasts for 3 to 6 months. If you have had blood clots before, you may need a longer period of treatment. If you’re being treated for another illness, such as cancer, you may need to take anticoagulants as long as risk factors for Yaz PE are present which sometimes is indefinitely.

The most common side effect of blood thinner drugs is bleeding. This happens if the medicine thins your blood too much which can be life-threatening. Sometimes, the bleeding can be internal. This is why people treated with anticoagulants usually have regular doctor visits and receive blood tests. These tests also help the doctor make sure you’re taking the right amount of medicine. Call your doctor right away if you have easy bruising or bleeding. Thrombin inhibitors are a newer type of anticoagulant medicine. They’re used to treat some types of blood clots for patients who can’t take heparin.

Other Types of Treatment

When you can’t take medicines to thin your blood, or when you’re taking blood thinners but continue to develop clots anyway, the doctor may use a device called a vena cava filter to keep clots from traveling to your lungs. The filter is inserted inside a large vein called the inferior vena cava (the vein that carries blood from the body back to the heart). The filter catches clots before they travel to the lungs. This prevents PE, but it doesn’t stop other blood clots from forming.

Graduated compression stockings can reduce the chronic (ongoing) swelling that may occur after a blood clot has developed in a leg. The leg swelling is due to damage to the valves in the leg veins. Graduated compression stockings are worn on the legs from the arch of the foot to just above or below the knee. These stockings are tight at the ankle and become looser as they go up the leg. This causes a gentle compression (or pressure) up the leg. The pressure keeps blood from pooling and clotting.

We represent women throughout the United States who suffered from pulmonary embolism and Yaz blood clots on a contingency basis which means that there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. For a free confidential case review please call toll free at 1-888-343-5375 or fill out our short online contact form and a Yaz PE lawyer will contact you to answer any of your questions and discuss your legal options.

There are never any legal fees or expenses unless you receive compensation

For more information on Yaz/Yasmin side effects and the latest litigation updates please visit our resource website at: www.Yazsideeffectslawsuit.com.