Dianette: the acne pill which can give deadly blood clots

Posted 06/02/2013

Dianette is a form of contraception used for the treatment of acne in thousands of young women in Britain.It is only licensed in disorders associated with excess androgen effect: such as polycystic ovary disease, hirsutism, and severe acne. There are many risks associated with taking Dianette, for example, women taking Dianette are at a higher risk of developing thrombosis than those taking Combined Oral Contraceptives.Recent reports have linked Dianette to the deaths of four young women.As such, regulators in France have now suspended sales of Dianette and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will now carry out a review into its safety.Sophie Bales, a Medical Injury Solicitor at Ashtons Legal comments:“The increased risk of thrombosis in those taking Dianette is recognised by the medical profession. As such, there are strict licensing requirements regarding the prescription of Dianette and it should not be prescribed solely for contraception. If used for acne, it should only be used in severe cases where other treatments have failed.Worryingly, there have been several reports in recent years of young women suffering from blood clots, thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms whilst taking Dianette. In some cases, these have led to brain injury and tragically even death. These latest tragic reports of deaths of young women on Dianette have thankfully prompted the EMA to carry out a review into its safety.More needs to be known abut the risks of Dianette and whether it is safe to be prescribed. At this stage, pending the outcome of the EMA review, the EMA have advised that women who are currently taking Dianette should not stop taking the medicine. However, if you are currently taking Dianette and have any concerns at all, you should discuss this with your doctor as soon as possible.”