NuvaRing Birth Control Device
Women using Ortho Evra are twice as likely to develop blood clots as those using oral contraceptive pills.
In 2005, the FDA stated that women using Ortho Evra are exposed to approximately 60 percent more estrogen than those who use oral contraceptive pills. It is believed that the difference in exposure is related to the delivery mechanism of the birth control patch. Hormones in birth control pills are partially diluted by the digestive system. However, hormones in Ortho Evra are absorbed directly into the blood stream, which causes a higher concentration of the medication to enter a patient’s body. It is believed that high levels of estrogen can greatly increase the risk of developing blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and other serious injuries.
The first fatality publicly blamed on the Ortho Evra patch was in April 2005, when a Manhattan fashion student collapsed in a New York City subway station. An autopsy found that a blood clot had moved into the victim's lung, and the medical examiner ruled that the clot was a side effect of Ortho Evra
On September 20, 2006, results of a new study were released that confirmed previous studies showing an increased risk of blood clots associated with the use of Ortho Evra versus oral contraceptives. The study found that women using Ortho Evra were twice as likely to develop blood clots as those using oral contraceptive pills. As a result, the FDA has asked Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, to update the safety label on Ortho Evra to warn users about the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes
Approximately 4 million women have used the Ortho Evra Patch since it went on sale in 2002. As of November 2005, the FDA had received twenty-one reports of life-threatening blood clots and other ailments associated with the use of Ortho Evra. FDA records obtained by the Associated Press showed that seventeen patch users between the ages of 17 and 30 suffered fatal heart attacks, blood clots and possible strokes since August 2002.
We are currently evaluating cases involving women who have suffered from the following:
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Stroke
- Blood clots
Contact an Alabama personal injury lawyer at Taylor Martino Zarzaur for a free initial consultation to review your case.
Taylor Martino Zarzaur serves clients along the entire Gulf Coast, including Mobile, Pensacola, Montgomery, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Baldwin County, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
