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.