A Drug Found in Birth Control Pills May Cause Blood Clots

According to FDA, birth control pills containing hormone drospirenone should carry the message about a new warning. The warning says that these pills may increase the risk of potentially fatal blood clots.

Drospirenone is the artificial version of progesterone, the female hormone. There are a number of brands containing this hormone in the market including Gianvi, Loryna, Ocella, Syeda, and Zarah Beyaz, Safyral, Yasmin, and Yaz brands.

The warning was issued on the basis of an extensive review of literature. The FDA has asked the manufacturers to add the details about the studies which show a link between the use of these pills and increased blood clots. The revised labels in the drug will mention that some of the studies have shown three times increase in the blood clots in women who use these drugs when compared to those who took progestin-containing contraceptives. Some other studies did not find any additional risk of blood clots. FDA states that women should discuss with the doctor regarding the risk of blood clots before choosing a contraceptive.