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Overview
Yaz is a popular form of birth control and is only available through licensed medical doctors. The pill also helps battle the symptoms associated with PMS, including mood swings and stomach cramps. At the same time though, this medication has some common side effects and some more rare side effects only identified by a small percent of users.
Blood Clots
In a small number of cases, individuals taking Yaz for birth control exhibited signs of a blood clot. A small number of users also developed a blood clot in their leg or lung. Symptoms of a blood clot in the leg include an ache or pain in the lower leg, usually located around the calf and cramping in their leg. They may also notice swelling in their leg or foot. Blood clots in the lung are signaled by pain in the chest, problems breathing and blood appearing when they cough.
Bleeding and Spotting
One of the rare side effects associated with taking Yaz include spotting and bleeding as well as other types of vaginal problems. Spotting is defined as bleeding that occurs in between periods. The bleeding can be mild, but in some cases is more heavy than bleeding during a regular period. The spotting and bleeding persists months. In some cases the bleeding stops once the body adjusts to the medication, but in a few rare cases it continues for months after the patient begins taking the medication.
Emotional Problems
A small number of people taking Yaz experienced emotional problems while on the medication. These problems persisted for several weeks after they ceased taking the medication. Depression is one thing people experience. They feel periods of depression and exhibit all the symptoms associated with the disease including changes in appetite, weight and sleep patterns. There are also some users who experience frequent mood changes while taking the medication. These mood swings are similar to those experienced by individuals with bi-polar disorder.
Liver Damage
Liver damage is one of the rare symptoms experienced by those taking Yaz for birth control. The first symptom associated with this problem is jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin. The individual may notice that parts of their skin look yellow or that the whites or their eyes are now turning yellow. They also feel a sharp or dull pain localized around the upper right area of their stomach. These individuals may also notice that their urine is a darker color than it was before they started taking the medication.
Heart Attack or Stroke
A very small number of users taking Yaz experienced a heart attack or stroke. While these are serious side effects, they are by no means common. When an individual has a heart attack, she typically feels a pain in her chest, which she claims feels like someone is sitting on herchest. She may also feel a tingling sensation in her arm. A stroke is often signaled by changes in the individual's vision or speech. She may also have an intense headache and feel weak in their arms or legs.
