Safyral Heart Attack Lawsuit

Safyral Overview

Safyral is a birth control pill invented by Bayer that is essentially Yasmin plus a folate B-vitamin. It contains the following active ingredients: 3-mg drospirenone (synthetic progestin), 0.03-mg ethinyl estradiol (synthetic estrogen), and 0.451-mg levomefolate calcium (metabolite of folic acid).

When taken as directed (one pill at the same time every day), Safyral is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. However, experts know that many women do not take birth control pills exactly as directed. Among these women, approximately 9 per 100 will get pregnant while taking Safyral.

Safyral contains a folic acid supplement to reduce the risk of birth defects in babies born to women who accidentally get pregnant while taking Safyral. Experts know that many neural tube defects (such as spina bifida) occur because the mother is deficient in folate, a vitamin normally found in green, leafy vegetables.

Safyral and Heart Attacks

A Safyral heart attack can be deadly. Heart attacks (or a “myocardial infarction”) occur when cardiac tissue is damaged or destroyed due to a lack of oxygen. They are caused when a blood clot obstructs a blood vessel which supplies the cardiac tissue with oxygen-rich blood. The more time that passes without treatment to restore circulation, the greater the damage to the cardiac tissue.

Studies have found that women taking Safyral are up to three times more likely to develop a blood clot. These blood clots can cause a heart attack. The risks are greatest for women who are over 35 years old, smokers, women with high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. However, even women with none of these risk factors have suffered a Safyral heart attack.

People who have a heart attack are at risk of heart failure. This severe complication of a heart attack occurs when the heart muscle is too seriously damaged to continue pumping blood. When the heart cannot pump blood into the body, other organs quickly become deprived of oxygen. If normal heart function is not immediately restored, other organ systems can be irreparably damaged, causing organ failure, permanent disability, or death.

Signs & Symptoms of a Safyral Heart Attack

A heart attack is a life-threatening medical emergency that can quickly cause severe organ damage, permanent disability, or death. Despite the serious consequences, heart attacks often begin with relatively mild symptoms. Many people delay calling 911 and seeking medical care, because they do not realize that they are having a heart attack.

All women who take hormonal birth control pills have an increased risk of a heart attack, and studies have shown that women taking drospirenone are even more likely to suffer a heart attack. It is a good idea for all women taking birth control pills to be aware of the early symptoms of a heart attack, which may include:

• Chest pain: Sometimes this symptom is described as discomfort rather than pain, resembling tightness, fullness, pressure, aching, or squeezing feeling in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes. It may come and go. It may also be very painful and debilitating.
• Upper body pain: Pain or discomfort in the chest may spread to other areas, such as the shoulders, back, arms, teeth, or jaw. Heart attacks do not always cause upper body pain
• Stomach pain: Some people have stomach pain that may resemble indigestion or heartburn
• Anxiety: Some people become very nervous, or have an impending sense that something seriously wrong is happening. Do not ignore this symptom.
• Changes in consciousness: Feeling light-headed, dizzy, or faint
• Shortness of breath: Rapid breathing, panting, or taking deep breaths.
• Sweating: It may occur suddenly and profusely. The person may also have cool, clammy skin.
• Nausea, vomiting