Heart Attack / Sudden Cardiac Death

Women who start to experience any combination of the following may be developing a Yaz/Yasmin birth control heart attack:

• abdominal pain or heartburn
• chest pain or pressure
• discomfort (or pain) in the neck, jaw, shoulder or upper back
• dizziness
• faintness or lightheadedness
• feelings of overwhelming anxiety or nervousness
• inexplicable fatigue or weakness
• nausea and/or vomiting
• shortness of breath (particularly in absence of physical activity)
• sweating

Risk Factors for Yaz/Yasmin Birth Control Heart Attacks

As with any medication, some women will have a higher risk than others for developing a Yaz/Yasmin birth control heart attack. Those with the highest risk include women who have a medical history of:

• depression
• heart attack
• heart disease
• high cholesterol
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• menopause or low levels of estrogen
• metabolic syndrome (a condition marked by abdominal fat, high blood sugar and high blood pressure)
• smoking

Unhealthy lifestyle habits (such as eating diets high in fat, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol and not exercising regularly) can also increase a woman's risk of developing a Yaz/Yasmin birth control heart attack.