JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- At the age of 22, Sara Mercer considered herself lucky when it came to her health.
"I've never even broken a bone or sprained anything."
But the marathon runner suffered a major setback last year. Her hair started falling out, the blood wasn't circulating in the bottom of her legs and she had to have her gallbladder removed.
"To lose hair, have a leg condition and to lose an organ, all at 22, is kind of a lot," says Mercer.
After a series of tests, Mercer's doctors said her birth control pill was triggering her medical problems.
She was taking YAZ, the most popular oral contraceptive on the market. Mercer never thought the tiny pill, so many teenage girls and women take every day, could be the source of her problems. But when she talked to Jacksonville Attorney, Eddie Farah, Mercer realized she wasn't alone.
More than 1,100 lawsuits have been filed across the country against Bayer, the maker of YAZ and Yasmin.
"These lawsuits are based on the inadequate warning that was given when the contraceptive drug YAZ or Yasmin was marketed," Farah told Action News.
Part of the reason YAZ gained so much popularity is because of the millions of dollars the company spent on commercials, saying YAZ was a good treatment for acne and PMS.
But Farah and other attorneys claim Bayer downplayed the health risks associated with taking birth control pills, while exaggerating the drugs' benefits.
Last month, the FDA ordered Bayer to update the drug labels with the warnings about the risks of taking an oral contraceptive.
Bayer stands behind the safety of YAZ and Yasmin, stating "patient safety is Bayer's top priority. Bayer has received lawsuits regarding its drospirenone-containing contraceptives. Bayer stands behind the safety of its oral contraceptives, which are safe and effective when used as directed and according to product labeling and good clinical practice. The lawsuits filed by plaintiffs focus on side effects that are warned about in the labeling for YAZ and Yasmin. Bayer will defend itself vigorously against these lawsuits."
Dr. Andrew Kaunitz is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida's College of Medicine. He says all birth control pills increase the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular problems. He says women shouldn't panic about the YAZ and Yasmin lawsuits.
"The best studies have not found the increased risks for health problems," Dr. Kauntiz told Action News.
Still, Sara Mercer believes she wouldn't have suffered so much if she had been adequately warned about the risks of taking YAZ. She's taking a different birth control pill now and hasn't had any problems.
