DENVER -- The conflict and controversy surrounding the nation’s No. 1 selling birth control pill continues to grow, however, the maker of Yaz says the drug is safe.

But, the list of women in Colorado and around the country who are claiming Yaz and Yasmin adversely affected their health is growing.

“When I told them I was on Yaz, [the doctors] told me to stop it immediately," explained Patricia Lucio.

She’s a working mother with four children who was hospitalized for more than a week, diagnosed with blood clots in her lungs.

“I tried breathing and I was just gasping for air,” she told CALL7 Investigator Tony Kovaleski.

The women’s basketball coach for the Air Force Academy, Kellie Johnson, also told her story to Kovaleski.

“I'll never forget the look on [the nurse’s] face when she told me I was having a massive pulmonary embolism. She was scared to death for me," said Johnson.

“The next day they asked me if I was on birth control and I said, ‘Yaz,’ and they said, 'You will not take that anymore,’" explained Johnson. She told Kovaleski that she nearly died.

“What do you think brought you to that position?” asked Kovaleski.

Johnson replied, “If I were to say anything, I would say Yasmin.”

Both women believe that the unique chemical makeup of Yaz and Yasmin caused pulmonary embolism and both women believe more women are at risk.

Now, dozens of Colorado women and more than 1,500 women nationwide have filed suit against Bayer, the maker of Yaz and its predecessor Yasmin.

"I tried to stay healthy, but I just kept getting sick. I've had several ER visits after the whole experience because of the pain in my lungs," said Lucio.

The most recent figures on reported cases of health problems with Yaz and available from the Food and Drug Administration are from late 2009. The FDA said it has more than 1,700 reported cases of blood clots connected to Yaz and Yasmin, including pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.

The FDA is currently testing Yaz and other birth control pills and recently forced Bayer to change the contents of its labeling and correct misperceptions created by some of its commercials for Yaz.

Bayer declined a 7NEWS request for an on-camera interview. A company representative sent Kovaleski and e-mail reading, in part, ”Bayer stands behind the safety of its oral contraceptives.”

It continued, “The lawsuits filed by Plaintiffs focus on side effects warned about in labeling for Yaz and Yasmin… Bayer will defend itself vigorously against these lawsuits.”

“This product is one of Bayer’s largest profit centers and they are going to fight to the very end," said Michael Burg. He is one of three lead attorneys nationwide who are representing women suing Bayer.

Burg told Kovaleski, “I have done this long enough to know when a company is going to protect its product regardless of what kind of damage it is doing to the public."

Through tears, Lucio told Kovaleski, “This past year has been -- the ER visits, not being able to do things with my kids or my friends -- if it's not the [pulmonary embolism] it was something else. It just really affected my body a lot."

There are conflicting studies on the safety of Yaz and Yasmin. Some conclude the two pharmaceuticals, because of their unique chemical makeup, present increased risks of blood clots.

Bayer said all birth control pills carry some risk of blood clots and its testing concluded there is no greater risk to users of Yaz and Yasmin.