Should I Use Yaz for Acne?

Yaz is a combination prescription birth control medication that was also approved by the FDA for use in treating other conditions like premenstrual dysphoric disorder and acne. Following the approval, Bayer began an aggressive advertising campaign using this aspect of the drug as a selling point, telling women and their doctors that the drug was useful for much more than just birth control and so physicians started using yaz for acne treatment. The drug was especially popular among younger women, who valued the drug for its use in promoting clearer skin.

Does Yaz Help Acne or Cause Acne?

Several years after Yasmin was approved for use in promoting clearer skin, the FDA issued a warning to Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz. The warning stated that advertisements for the drug overstated the drug’s ability to treat conditions like blemished skin and premenstrual dysphoric disorder while not adequately emphasizing the many potential side effects, some of which can have long-lasting damaging effects even after a person stops taking the drug. Bayer was ordered to air advertisements retracting the statements in its earlier ads which stated that women should not use the drug for the purpose of getting clearer skin. Although some women see some results in treating blemished skin, the possible benefits of clearer skin do not outweigh the possible risks associated with taking Yaz, which include weight gain, depression, and increased risk of cardiovascular, kidney and liver disease. By not warning women in the ads about the risk of side effects, Bayer put the health and the lives of the millions of women taking the drug at risk.

Dozens of lawsuits have already been filed against Bayer. Women have accused Bayer of negligence in clinical trials and of not properly informing doctors and women about the harmful side effects of Yasmin. Bayer has also been accused of marketing the drug in a way that suggests that women misuse it with the knowledge that clinical trials had not been adequate and that the risk of potential side effects was much greater than advertisements or patient literature suggested.

If you are taking or have taken Yasmin for acne and experienced some of the harmful side effects of the drug, fill out the form on this page to speak with an attorney who will discuss your case with you.