Q: My 34-year-old daughter for at least the last six months has experienced digestive problems. After going through many medical tests, her physician ordered a HIDA scan which indicated that her gallbladder is not functioning properly. She has made an appointment with a surgeon to determine her options. She also knows another young woman who experienced the same thing and her doctor determined it was the result of the Yaz or Yasmin birth control pills she had been on. Is there any information you can give us as to the connection between birth control pills and the gallbladder?
A: Yasmin is a form of birth control (a contraceptive) that prevents ovulation and causes modifications of the cervical and uterine lining, making it difficult for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus. The product is also used to treat moderate forms of acne in females who are at least 14 years of age who have begun their menstrual cycles and want the protection of a contraceptive.
There are a number of instances in which a female should not take this medication, including the presence of uncontrolled hypertension, circulatory issues, heart disease, liver disease or liver cancer, having a history of uterine or breast cancer, jaundice caused by birth control pills, blood clots or a blood clotting disorder, and more. There are medications that make Yasmin markedly less effective in preventing pregnancy, including taking antibiotics, being on medication for seizures, taking antibiotics/barbiturates/hepatitis C drugs, having headaches or migraine headaches, and more. The prescribing physician should be made aware of any history of diabetes, depression, hypercholesterolemia, seizures, irregular menstrual cycles, and gallbladder disease. The ethinyl estradiol and rospirenone (hormones in Yasmin) can pass into breast milk which, in turn, can harm an infant and slow the production of breast milk, so it should not be taken if a woman is breast feeding or pregnant. A woman’s physician should be made aware of any chest pain, difficulties with vision, speech or balance, jaundice, and more.
Side effects of the gastrointestinal tract may include nausea, abdominal pain, gastroenteritis, and gallbladder disease, yet some recent studies suggest the risk of gallbladder disease may be minimal. One Canadian Medical Journal article linked Yaz to gallbladder disease, yet an article in Drugwatch, the maker of Yaz (Bayer) refuted the study, indicating the symptoms were insignificant.
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen that holds digestive fluids that are released into the small intestine. There are known concerns of gallbladder disease associated with the use of progestin used in oral contraceptives according to one study using the IMS LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database for women who were using an oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol combined with a progestin continuously for at least six months during the period from 1997 through 2009. The result was a small but statistically significant increase in the risk for development of gallbladder disease associated with desogestrel, drospirenone and norethindrone. There was no significant increase in the risk associated with other formulations of oral contraceptives. Recent reports in the media discuss gallbladder disease that has necessitated cholecystectomy associated with the use of drospirenone, a fourth generation progestin. The drug, combined with ethinyl estradiol is marketed as Yaz and Yasmin in the US and in Canada. It is one of the largest prescribed oral contraceptives in the country that brought in $2 billion in sales worldwide in 2009 alone. The scientific evidence on the risk of gallbladder disease connected to drospirenone appears only anecdotal.
So, your friend’s physician is on the money if he/she associated her symptoms with the use of a specific contraceptive. I urge you to visit your prescribing physician for his or her input on the matter.
