If a blood clot breaks loose and travels though the bloodstream, this is called an embolism. Embolisms are extremely dangerous, because if they travel to a major internal organ and become stuck in the artery, they can block the supply of oxygenated blood to the organ. Serious injury or death can occur very quickly if a blood clot becomes lodged in the heart, lungs, brain, or other major internal organs.
Safyral also contains seven inactive tablets. These help a woman stay in the habit of taking Safyral at the same time every day, which improves her chances of preventing pregnancy. Several clinical trials have found that folate supplementation can reduce the incidence of neural tube defects (such as spina bifida). Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that women of childbearing age consume at least 0.4 mg of supplemental folic acid every day. Safyral contains slightly more than this amount.
Lawsuits against Bayer may shed more light on the issue of blood clots in women who use drospirenone birth control. According to The Wall Street Journal (12/09/11), among court documents that were not included in the FDA's hearing—because lawyers did not submit them in time, the FDA says—is a report prepared by David A. Kessler, former FDA commissioner, alleging that Bayer did not notify the FDA of all cases of blood clots linked to drospirenone prior to FDA approval.
Represented by the destruction of cardiac tissue, heart attacks are the direct result of an obstructed blood supply to the heart. Should the blockage be severe enough, the heart will ultimately fail, causing catastrophic complications. Heart attacks represent a leading cause of death in the United States.
The two recently published studies looked at whether there is a higher risk of blood clots in women taking birth control pills containing the progestin drospirenone when compared to similar women taking birth control pills containing a different progestin called levonorgestrel. These two new studies reported that there is a greater risk of VTE associated with birth control pills that contain drospirenone.
All birth control pills increase a woman’s risk of blood clots, but new types of birth control that contain drospirenone increase this risk significantly. Five non-FDA studies have studied the differences between drospirenone-containing birth control and non-drospirenone birth control. The findings have raised alarm.
If a blood clot breaks loose and travels though the bloodstream, this is called an embolism. Embolisms are extremely dangerous, because if they travel to a major internal organ and become stuck in the artery, they can block the supply of oxygenated blood to the organ. Serious injury or death can occur very quickly if a blood clot becomes lodged in the heart, lungs, brain, or other major internal organs.
The studies focused on whether there is a higher risk of blood clots in women taking contraceptives with drospirenone versus women taking birth control pills with levonorgestrel, a hormone found in many older, so-called ‘second generation’ birth control products. The collective results found a significantly greater risk of VTE associated with birth control pills that contain drospirenone.
Drospirenone increases potassium in a woman’s bloodstream. High potassium levels may cause the formation of blood clots, particularly in the large arteries in the extremities. This is called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
