Drugmaker Ortho-McNeil first put the Ortho Evra birth control patch on the market in April 2002. Although the patch was quite successful because of its convenient, once-a-week application, it soon became apparent that Ortho Evra carried with it a whole host of birth control patch side effects.

Ortho Evra linked to blood clots and strokes

The most serious and frequent of the birth control patch side effects among Ortho Evra users was blood clots. The Ortho Evra birth control patch releases a high amount of estrogen into the bloodstream—60% more than from birth control pills—which is known to increase the risk for blood clots. Data released by the Food and Drug Administration indicates that women using the Ortho Evra patch are three times more likely to develop blood clots than are users of the pill.

These blood clots can break loose from where they have formed (usually in the calves) and travel to other parts of the body. This event is known as an embolism. One of the most dangerous birth control patch side effects from embolisms is a stroke. When an embolus leaves a vein and travels to the brain, it can become lodged there, cutting off blood flow to other parts of the brain and causing a stroke. Studies report that women who use the Ortho Evra patch suffer four times as many strokes as women who use birth control pills.

Ortho Evra and heart attacks

Although heart attacks are less common than strokes, embolisms can cause them too. As with a stroke, Ortho Evra birth control patch heart attacks occur when an embolus travels through the body’s blood vessels and becomes lodged in the arteries near the heart. This can lead to heart tissue death and irregular heart rhythms, causing a heart attack—a very serious birth control patch side effect.

Users of the Ortho Evra birth control patch have also reported weight gains of up to 30 pounds after beginning treatment with the patch. Other potentially serious birth control patch symptoms include liver problems, depression, headaches, nausea and cramps.