Brandy Armantrout, 32, an Oklahoma woman, has spoken out as one of the most recent victims of the drospirenone-containing contraceptive, Yaz. According to KFOR news report, the woman says she had to have her left arm amputated as a result of taking Yaz. Armantrout says she started taking the pill back in 2007. Last December, she began to feel tingling in her left arm. When she went to the hospital, she had to be treated for severe deep vein thrombosis or blood clots in her arm. She had no pulse in her wrist. She had to be hooked up on IVs. She says she felt her hand turning black and “dying.” Surgeons had to remove her arm above the elbow.

Devastating Injuries

The amputation was a devastating blow for Armantrout, her husband and 4-year-old daughter. She also found out after the amputation that she has no medical insurance coverage for prosthetics as Medicaid will pay for prosthetics for Oklahomans younger than 21 years old. A prosthesis could cost her up to $80,000. She has also reached out to the state Vocation Rehabilitation Services, which is helping her research ways to fund prosthetics that would work for her. She is moving ahead with a civil product liability lawsuit against Bayer, which manufactures Yaz.

Product Liability Issues

Yaz was the top-selling birth control pill in 2008 and 2009. Yaz’s sales have been affected after Bayer has been hit with thousands of lawsuits on behalf of women who have suffered serious, sometimes deadly, complications from taking the popular medication. Side effects range from gall bladder problems, stroke, blood clots and even death. In April 2012, Bayer announced that it had updated labels for its drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives including Yaz and Yasmin.

It is understandable that most medications – whether they are prescription or over-the-counter — have some type of side effects. However, when theYaz side effects involve long-term or catastrophic health problems or death, that is unacceptable. In this case, a young woman lost her arm. It left her disabled for life.

Anyone who has been seriously injured or has suffered side effects as a result of taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs can file a product liability claim against the manufacturer seeking compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost wages, lost future income, disability, permanent injuries, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Product manufacturers have a responsibility to consumers to test anything they put on the market to ensure that it is safe. Any side effects or potential hazards must be made known to the public so consumers can make informed decisions about their course of treatment.