Besides pregnancy prevention, Yaz birth control pills have been advertised as an effective treatment for acne, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and premenstrual syndrome. Leaving aside its benefits in treating these conditions, an alarming number of women have reported serious Yaz and gallbladder disease side effects. Healthy women with no history of gallstones problems have reported suffering from Yaz gallbladder disease.

Two Types Of GallBladder Disease

Yaz gallbladder problems come in two forms: inflammation and gallstones. Inflammation and infection of the gall bladder is known as acute cholecystitis. You may feel sharp abdominal pain, bloating, and pain under your breastbone and right shoulder blade. You might also experience sudden nausea and vomiting as well as fever.

When gallstones are present, the condition is called cholelithiasis. If the stones are small and do not block the passageway leading to the common bile duct, there may be no symptoms. On the other hand, if the stones are large and form a blockage, symptoms can be nearly identical to those associated with acute cholecystitis.

How Yaz May Contribute Toward Gallbladder Disease

Yaz gallbladder disease stems from increased levels of cholesterol and reduced activity within the organ. In addition to bile salts, your liver secretes cholesterol and other waste products. Hypersecretion of cholesterol can result from obesity, consumption of meals with a high caloric content, and ingestion of estrogen (for example, taking birth control pills).

There is suspicion that Yaz oral contraceptives sharply raise the level of cholesterol secreted from the liver. If too much resides within the gall bladder, it can crystallize into stones.

Reduced activity of the gallbladder is another possible byproduct of Yaz birth control. Under normal circumstances, the bile secreted from the liver is concentrated within your gallbladder. Contractions push the bile into the common bile duct, sending it to your duodenum to help digest fats. If those contractions subside, or their frequency declines, the concentrated bile remains within the gallbladder. That creates inflammation and in some cases, infection.

Gallbladder Removal: The Most Common Form Of Treatment

When gallbladder disease is diagnosed, or gallstones are detected with their accompanying symptoms, most doctors will recommend surgical removal of the organ. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the preferred approach because it only requires a few small incisions. However, complications (for example, infection) can make open cholecystectomy necessary. This type of surgery requires the surgeon to make a long incision (typically between 5 and 8 inches) into your abdomen. It involves more pain and a longer recovery time.

Holding The Drug Manufacturer Accountable

Many healthy women have suffered gallbladder problems after taking Yaz birth control pills. In cases where extreme pain, fever, and other symptoms have manifested, the organ had to be surgically removed. Some of these women have filed Yaz lawsuits that claim Bayer was negligent in warning them of the significant risks involved.

If you have experienced gallbladder problems or other serious side effects after taking this oral contraceptive, consider contacting a Yaz gallbladder lawyer. There is never any cost for us to review your or a family member’s case and advise you on your legal options.

Women that have suffered from Yaz gallbladder disease after developing gallstones continue to deal with digestive side effects after having their gall bladder removed. The majority of gallbladder removal surgeries are performed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In certain situations the surgeon is unable to safely remove the gallbladder using a laparoscope. In this case, the surgeon will instead do an open cholecystectomy. Using a laparoscope is the most common way to remove the gallbladder. A laparoscope is a thin, metal lighted tube that lets the doctor see inside your gallbladder inside your abdominal cavity.

The gallbladder is removed when you have gallstones, pain, or inflammation in your gallbladder. Gallstones caused by Yaz birth control are one cause of inflammation, pain, and swelling of the gallbladder. Gallstones may remain loose in your gallbladder or block the gallbladder and common bile duct (the tube through which bile moves from the liver into the intestine). Or they may pass into your intestine. The gallbladder can rupture if it swells too much, and this can lead to life-threatening complications.

Laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is done while you are under general anesthesia. The surgeon will make 3 to 4 small cuts in your belly. The laparoscope will be inserted through 1 of the cuts. Other medical instruments will be inserted through the other cuts. Gas will be pumped into your abdomen to expand it. This gives the surgeon more space to work. First, the surgeon cuts the bile duct and blood vessels that lead to the gallbladder. Then the surgeon removes the gallbladder, using the laparoscope.

A special x-ray called a cholangiogram will be done during your surgery. This involves squirting some dye into your common bile duct. This duct will be left inside you after your gallbladder has been removed. The dye helps locate other stones that may be outside your gallbladder. If any are found, the surgeon may be able to remove these other stones with a special medical instrument.

Long-term digestive problems and Yaz

If your digestive problems including diarrhea begin immediately after gall bladder removal surgery, you could be suffering from a malabsorption of bile acids secreted by the liver. These acids, which are normally stored in the gallbladder, are now going directly into the small intestines which can cause chronic irritation and thus chronic diarrhea. This is a fairly common problem following Yaz gallbladder surgery, unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be a side effect that women are adequately warned about prior to the surgery.

If your diarrhea does stem from bile acid malabsorption, a prescription drug such as Questran (generic name cholestyramine), which binds the bile acids in the intestines and prevents them from reaching the colon, can help this problem and should help control your diarrhea symptoms. Unfortunately, for many women who suffered from Yaz and gallstones, they have to live with these side effects long after having their gallbladder removed.

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding Yaz and gallbladder problems. We are currently representing women throughout the United States and are ready to help answer any of your questions.

Women using Yaz birth control have reported gallbladder problems. Some women have had to undergo gall bladder removal surgery due to gallstones and Yaz. Gall bladder disease includes inflammation, infection, stones, or obstruction of the gall bladder. There are two main types of gallbladder disease: cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) and cholelithiasis (gallstones).

Gallstones are small pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac located below your liver. Gallstones form when substances in the bile, primarily cholesterol and bile pigments form hard, crystal-like particles.

Symptoms of Yaz and gallstones include:

• pain in your upper abdomen or back
• nausea and vomiting
• prolonged pain – more than 5 hours
• fever
• yellowish color of the skin (jaundice).

Increased levels of the hormone estrogen may increase cholesterol levels in bile and also decrease gallbladder movement, resulting in gallstones forming. A gallstone attack is usually preceded by a steady, severe pain in the upper abdomen. Attacks may last around 20 to 30 minutes, but often last several hours. A gallstone attack may also cause pain the back between the shoulder blades or in the right shoulder and my cause nausea or vomiting. Attacks may be separated by weeks, months or sometimes years. Once a gallbladder attack occurs, future attacks are much more likely to happen.

How are gallstones diagnosed?

• X-rays
• ultrasound scan
• CT scan
• HIDA scan
• ERCP
• blood tests

A serious problem can occur if the gallstones become lodged in the bile ducts between the liver and the intestine. This dangerous condition can block bile flowing from the gallbladder and liver causing pain and jaundice. Gallstones can also reduce or prevent the flow of digestive fluids secreted from the pancreas into the small intestine leading to inflammation of the pancreas which is referred to as pancreatitis.

Many women have suffered from serious problems with their gall bladder that occurred while using Yaz, but did not know that their birth control pill may have caused gallstones and other complications. Gallstone symptoms can be similar to many other conditions including ulcers, heart attack and irritable bowel syndrome. Not all gallstones show up on regular X-rays. Ultrasound can most often show whether stones are present. A HIDA scan, which uses an injection of radioactive dye, shows whether the gallbladder is blocked and inflamed and therefore the cause of pain. It can also show if the gallbladder is working properly.