Yasmin And Heart Attack: Long-Term Yasmin Side Effects

Currently there has not been a national Yasmin class action lawsuit. Claims are being pursued by individual women and have been consolidated through what is referred to as “multi-district litigation”. While myocardial infarction usually occurs as the result of coronary artery disease, it can also be caused by migrating blood clots (i.e. emboli). Sometimes, the clots form within the heart. Other times, they form in a deep vein within your legs, arms, or pelvis. In both cases, the clots travel through your heart, emerge in your aorta, and flow with your bloodstream into one of your coronary arteries. If they form a blockage, they can prevent your heart tissue from receiving oxygen-rich blood. This causes Yasmin side effects leading to a heart attack.

Heart tissue that is deprived of blood and oxygen will begin to die within minutes. If the condition is not treated quickly enough, the muscle will be replaced by scar tissue. That will reduce your heart’s ability to pump blood, which can have long-lasting impacts on your quality of life. Below, we’ll explore the long-term Yasmin birth control side effects of a heart attack.

Impaired Ability To Pump Blood

In order to pump blood, your heart’s four chambers (i.e. two atria and two ventricles) must contract. Tissue that has suffered damage or been replaced with scar tissue cannot contract, and therefore, is unable to contribute to your heart’s pumping activity. The amount of tissue that dies from myocardial infarction has a direct influence on the muscle’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. Extensive damage causes the muscle to work harder than it should, which can lead to heart failure.

Doctors will often prescribe beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors to reduce the workload on your heart. But, neither resolves the underlying problem: damaged tissue.

Ventricular Fibrillation And Arrhythmias

In 9 out of 10 cases, a heart attack triggers arrhythmia. This is an abnormality in the muscle’s electrical system. Normally, electrical impulses are generated by a group of cells in your right atrium called the sinoatrial node. These signals spread throughout your atria and ventricles, and stimulate contractions. Myocardial infarction can disrupt these signals, causing an abnormally slow heartbeat.

A more serious complication is ventricular fibrillation (or, V-fib). This too, is a disruption of your heart’s electrical system. However, rather than merely slowing your heart rate, V-fib prevents the individual chambers from contracting properly. This can lead to cardiac arrest, a life-threatening condition.

Other Complications Of Yasmin Birth Control Side Effects

Yasmin blood clots that block the coronary arteries can also contribute to pericarditis. This is a condition in which the membrane surrounding your heart (called the pericardium) becomes inflamed. When you suffer a heart attack, your body’s immune system reacts. Cells attempt to “clean up” the damaged muscle and in the process, attack the pericardium by mistake. This initiates an inflammatory response. As a result, you might experience a sharp pain in your chest, breathing difficulties, and anxiety.

Heart attack caused by Yasmin can also lead to the formation of blood clots within the atria and ventricles. This poses a risk of subsequent attacks as well as pulmonary embolism and stroke. Other side effects include low blood pressure, rupture of the muscle, and a bulge in the ventricular wall.

Studies have shown that the hormones contained in Yasmin birth control (estrogen and drospirenone) may raise the risk of blood clots. If those clots travel to your coronary arteries, they can cause a heart attack. This is is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention and places your life at risk. Moreover, it is often accompanied by complications that can have a permanent effect on your ability to lead an active lifestyle.

If you have suffered abnormal clotting, gallbladder removal, heart attack, stroke, or other side effects of Ocella, Yaz or Yasmin, you may be due compensation from the manufacturer. Contact a Yasmin birth control lawsuit attorney who can investigate your case.