Beyaz Stroke Lawsuit

Beyaz Overview

Beyaz is a birth control pill. It is sold by Bayer, a massive pharmaceutical company, and it was approved by the FDA in September 2010. Beyaz is a once-daily hormonal birth control pill that contains 3-mg drospirenone and 0.02-mg ethinyl estradiol.

Beyaz also contains 0.451-mg levomefolate calcium, a folic acid dietary supplement. The reason Beyaz contains this ingredient is to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects just in case a woman accidentally gets pregnant while taking Beyaz. Though it is unlikely, pregnancy does occur in some women who are taking birth control pills. When a woman takes Beyaz exactly as directed (one pill every day, at the same time each day), approximately 1 out of 100 women get pregnant. Most people do not take birth control pills exactly as directed. For these women, approximately 9 out of 100 get pregnant. Beyaz reduces the risk of birth defects in these pregnancies.

Beyaz and Stroke

In April 2012, the FDA warned that women who are taking a drospirenone-containing birth control pill (such as Beyaz) may have a higher risk of developing blood clots than if they were taking a birth control pill that did not contain drospirenone. The evidence supporting this assertion has been growing for more than a decade. Research now suggests that the risk of blood clots may be three times higher for drospirenone than for other progestins.

When a ischemic stroke occurs, parts of the brain are suddenly deprived of oxygen due to a blood clot blocking the blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to that part of the brain. Without oxygen, brain tissue quickly begins to suffocate and die. Once a brain cell dies, there is no way to repair or replace it.

As large sections of the brain start to die, a person may suffer from an ischemic cascade. This is a biochemical chain-reaction that occurs in response to dying sections of the brain. Otherwise healthy parts of the brain become swollen and inflamed. This can cause massive brain damage to areas of the brain that were not otherwise affected by the blood-clot.

When a stroke occurs, a person has a very high risk of suffering severe brain damage. The effect of brain damage varies widely, depending on the part of the brain that is affected. Minor brain damage may show no symptoms. Severe brain damage may cause permanent physical disability or cognitive impairment. Sometimes, ischemic strokes cause a person to go comatose, and they may or may not awaken from the coma. In the most severe cases, Beyaz strokes can cause death.

Symptoms of a Beyaz Stroke

The symptoms of a Beyaz stroke depend on the part of the brain that is affected by the blood clot, and also how much of the brain is affected. Symptoms of an ischemic stroke typically include:

• Headache: This headache may be dull and throbbing, or sudden and severe. If the person is asleep when the stroke occurs, the headache may awaken them from sleep.
• Changes in consciousness: Suddenly feeling tired, weak, dizzy, or faint. The person may lose consciousness.
• Changes in cognitive ability: The person may suddenly lose memory, become confused, or disoriented. They may have a sudden change in personality. They may be unable to read, write, or understand speech.
• Changes in motor coordination: The person may suddenly be unable to walk, lose their balance, and fall. They may also have problems with fine motor coordination, such as writing or swallowing.
• Changes/loss of senses: Blurry vision, loss of vision, abnormal sensation of temperature, strange taste or smell, etc.
• Tingling and/or numbness: Usually just one one side of the body, or on one body part (such as the arms or legs)
• Muscle weakness: Usually affecting one side of the body. Muscles on half of the face may droop. The weakness may affect the arms, legs, or other parts of the body