Drug Injury Law: Drug Side Effects and Adverse Reactions: YAZ, Yasmin, Ocella, Gianvi, NuvaRing, Fosamax, Byetta, Zocor, Levaquin, Meridia, Ortho Evra, Ketek, Zetia, Vytorin, Zelnorm, Avandia: Drug Injury Lawyer

Drug Injury Alerts

YAZ / Yasmin / Ocella / Gianvi

Blood Clots • Pulmonary Embolism (PE) • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) • Stroke • Heart Attack • Gallbladder Removal • Kidney Failure • Pancreatitis

YAZ, Yasmin, Ocella, and Gianvi are popular birth control pills made with ethinyl estradiol (EE) and the new "fourth generation" progestin, or progesterone, drospirenone (DRSP). YAZ, Yasmin, Ocella, and Gianvi are the only birth control pills to contain drospirenone.

These four DRSP oral contraceptives have been associated with potentially fatal blood-clot side effects such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), strokes, and heart attacks. Other serious side effects associated with YAZ, Yasmin, Ocella and Gianvi are gallbladder problems (cholecystitis) and gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), kidney failure or renal failure, and pancreatitis.

YAZ and Yasmin birth control pills are Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. products. Yasmin was originally made by Berlex Laboratories, which was acquired by Bayer in 2006. Ocella, the generic version of Yasmin, and Gianvi, the generic version of YAZ, are from Teva Pharmaceuticals and Barr Laboratories.

Levaquin

Tendon Rupture • Tendon Tear • Severe Tendonitis / Tendinitis

Levaquin (levofloxacin) is part of the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics. This medication has been linked to tendon injuries, such as tendon ruptures, tendon tears, and severe tendinitis / tendonitis.

Avelox (moxifloxacin) and Cipro (ciprofloxacin), two other popular fluoroquinolone antibiotics, have also been associated with these tendon-related side effects.

NuvaRing

Heart Attack • Stroke • Blood Clots • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) • Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

NuvaRing is a birth control product in the form of a vaginal ring containing hormones similar to those in oral contraceptives. NuvaRing has been associated with increased risk of blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), as well as heart attacks and strokes.

Fosamax

Osteonecrosis of Jaw (ONJ) • Osteomyelitis • Leg Fractures: Femur / Thigh

Fosamax (alendronate) is used to treat osteoporosis but has been associated with osteonecrosis of the jaw, or jaw bone death. Merck resisted the FDA's request to include a warning label concerning the link for almost a year. Fosamax has also been associated with low-stress leg fractures of the femur, or thigh.

Byetta

Pancreatitis: Acute / Hemorrhagic / Necrotizing • Kidney Failure • Renal Insuffiency

Byetta (exenatide) is an injection drug used by adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This diabetes medication has been associated with damage to the pancreas -- acute, hemorrhagic, or necrotizing pancreatitis -- as well as severe kidney problems, including kidney failure and renal insufficiency.

Drug Injury Watch: Latest Headlines

Read Tom Lamb's blog, at DrugInjuryWatch.com

--> Up-to-date articles regarding prescription drug side effects, drug safety alerts, FDA recall notices, and legal case updates.

Drug Injury Law: Recent Case Evaluations

Gianvi - Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - 27 yr old woman (6112)

Avandia - Acute Cardiac Arrest - 76 yr old man (6105)

NuvaRing - Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli (PE) and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - 28 yr old woman - "... the bill for the hospital alone was over 90,000, and that doesn't include any of the doctors visits. I am now on coumadin for life and require lifetime care because the incident was so severe." (6089)

NuvaRing - Pulmonary Embolism (PE) - 23 yr old woman (6085)

NuvaRing - Pulmonary Embolism (PE) - 34 yr old woman (6077)

Ocella - Gallbladder Attack - 27 yr old woman - "The 2nd ER Doctor told me to see a surgeon ASAP because... it needs to be removed. I am now having surgery to remove the gallbladder [this Friday]" (6073)

Meridia - Heart Attack (MI) - 45 yr old woman (6072)

Ocella - Pulmonary Embolism (PE) - 23 yr old woman (6070)

Fosamax - Thigh Fracture - 77 yr old man (6066)

Ocella - Gallbladder Removal - 17 yr old girl (6054)

NuvaRing - Pulmonary Embolism (PE) - 38 yr old woman (6046)

Ocella - Heart Attack (MI) - 30 yr old woman (6045)

Avandia - Heart Attack Death - 77 yr old woman (6042)

Fosamax - Bilateral Femur Fractures - 75 yr old woman - "2008 Mom broke her left femur and fractured her hip just by twisting... July 20, 2010 her right femur broke while turning around... currently in hospital" (6041)

Fosamax - Stress Fracture Right Femur - 65 yr old woman (6019)

Ocella - Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) - 23 yr old woman - hospitalized 7 days, 4 in ICU, due extent of blood clots found (6016)

NuvaRing - Pulmonary Embolism (PE) - 26 yr old woman (6012)

Zocor - Rhabdomyolysis - 77 yr old man (5895)

Visit DrugInjuryWatch.com and see why some of Tom Lamb's articles have been featured on these sites:

Zocor

Rhabdomyolysis • Renal / Kidney Failure • Liver Injury • Interstitial Lung Disease • Tendon Rupture

Zocor (simvastatin) is a cholesterol-lowering drug that has been linked to rhabdomyolysis and myopathy (muscle injuries) as well as other serious side effects such as kidney or renal failure, liver problems, interstitial lung disease (ILD), and tendon ruptures.

Meridia

Stroke • Heart Attack • Sudden Cardiac Death

The diet drug Meridia (sibutramine) from Abbott Laboratories, Inc. has been linked to an increased risk of serious cardiovascular side effects such as heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death. In January 2010, at the request of European drug regulators, Abbott stopped selling its sibutramine product, Reductil, in the UK.

Avandia

Heart Attacks • Strokes • Congestive Heart Failure • Liver Failure • Hepatitis

Avandia (rosiglitazone) is a medication in the thiazolidinedione class of drug and is used to treat Type 2 diabetes patients with insulin resistance. In May 2007 it was found that taking Avandia puts patients at a 43% higher risk of heart attacks.

Zetia and Vytorin

Hepatitis • Liver Injury • Liver Failure • Pancreatitis

Zetia (ezetimibe) and Vytorin (ezetimibe / simvastatin) are cholesterol-lowering
drugs that selectively inhibit the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. A 2005 Dear Doctor Letter warning of adverse side
effects associated with ezetimibe such as liver failure, drug-induced hepatitis, and acute pancreatitis was issued in Canada but not in the US.

Ketek

Liver Damage • Liver Failure • Liver Transplant

Ketek (telithromycin) is an antibiotic that
has been associated with serious liver
problems such as drug-induced hepatitis and
liver failure, which can result in the need for a liver transplant.

Zelnorm

Heart Attack • Stroke

Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate) is a serotonin agonist used for short term treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation. It was withdrawn from the market in April 2007 at the FDA's request because clinical trial data showed a link to heart attacks and strokes.

Ortho Evra Patch

Stroke • Pulmonary Embolism (PE) • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) • Blood Clots • Heart Attack

Ortho Evra is a skin adhesive patch used for birth control that can expose women to higher levels of estrogen than regular birth control pills; this can cause serious side effects including heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and blood clots.

Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Heart Defibrillator Lead Wire

Unit Failed To Shock • Unneccesary Electrical Shock

Sprint Fidelis leads are thin wires used in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) units or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D). Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads were recalled in October 2007 because these lead wires are prone to fracture in some patients, causing malfunctions that include painful unneeded shocks and possibly fatal failures to send shocks when needed.