Yasmin And Gallstones

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Yasmin And Gallstones

Date Added: February 27, 2010 03:18:29 AM

Author: John Davidson

Category: News & Media: Law

Gallstones and Yasmin birth control share a connection due to the hormones contained within the oral contraceptive. It combines estrogen with a synthetic progestin called drospirenone. In addition to blood clots, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and other dangerous side effects of Yasmin, women have experienced gallstones and gallbladder problems.

As long as gallstones remain asymptomatic (known as silent stones), they rarely require treatment. In fact, it's possible to have them without realizing it. However, when abdominal pain, fever, and nausea develop, treatment is usually necessary.

Doctors will normally recommend gallbladder removal surgery to resolve symptomatic Yasmin gallstones. If surgery is considered too risky due to existing health issues or medical problems, a non-surgical approach can be taken.

Dissolution Therapy

Dissolution therapy is the use of medications that are formulated to dissolve cholesterol stones within your gallbladder. There are two approaches: oral dissolution and contact dissolution.

Oral dissolution therapy uses drugs that contain bile acids. Common medications include Actigall and Chenix, which are taken daily in pill form for several months. If the stones are small, they can be dissolved completely within six months. If they are large, the process can require up to two years.

Contact dissolution therapy involves injecting a stone-dissolving agent directly into the gall bladder. These agents can include methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), isopropyl acetate, and ethyl propionate. While this form of treatment can break down Yasmin gallstones within a few days, it is considered experimental and lacks FDA approval.

Dissolution therapy was more common years ago when gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) was done through an open abdominal operation. The risks and substantial recovery time encouraged many people to choose medications as an alternative. Today, surgeons can use a minimally-invasive laparoscopic approach that poses fewer risks.

There is also a high rate of recurrence (approximately 50%) after using stone-dissolving drugs. For both reasons, dissolution therapy is seldom used today.

Yasmin Gallstones In The Bile Duct

Common bile duct stones are problematic. First, they can cause an assortment of serious complications, such as infection, bacterial access to the small intestine, and gallstone pancreatitis. Second, stones in the bile duct cannot be dissolved. They must be removed.

The most common procedure for removing bile duct stones is called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). An endoscope is passed through your esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. A catheter is then guided through the endoscope into the common bile duct. A contrast dye is injected into the duct to create an X-ray image of the biliary tract. This is done to confirm the presence of stones.

Your doctor will then pass a surgical instrument through the endoscope to cut the Sphincter of Oddi (a valve that opens into the duodenum). This is known as endoscopic sphincterotomy. The goal is to allow bile duct stones to empty into your small intestine.

Why Gallbladder Removal Surgery Is Preferred

When you suffer symptomatic gallstones from Yasmin birth control, your doctor will suggest removing your gallbladder rather than taking a non-surgical approach (i.e. dissolution therapy). The reason is because stone-dissolving agents are often little more than a temporary solution. As noted, stones recur 50% of the time.

Even if you suffer bile duct stones and need to undergo ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy, your doctor will recommend gallbladder removal surgery. Otherwise, stones can form again and migrate into your common bile duct.

Gallstones and gallbladder disease are among the serious side effects of Yasmin birth control. Both can eventually cause severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and infection. If stones become symptomatic and the underlying condition is left untreated, infection can set in and cause life-threatening circumstances. If you have suffered Yasmin gallbladder problems, you may be able to file a legal claim against the manufacturer.

John Davidson is the author of this article on Yaz gallbladder removal. Find more information about Yasmin gallbladder disease here.

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