Ortho Evra
Ortho Evra Recall?
The federal government has not yet been persuaded to issue a complete Ortho Evra recall. In lieu of that, doctors, health professionals and women are turning away from the birth control patch.
An Ortho Evra recall seems to loom in the near future due to growing evidence that it can cause fatal side effects.
Serious Ortho Evra patch side effects
Studies about the safety of the Ortho Evra birth control patch have shown alarming results. Ortho Evra, which releases some 60% more estrogen and progestin into the bloodstream than does the typical oral contraceptive, is believed to have caused the deaths of 23 women. The most common Ortho Evra birth control patch side effects are severe blood clots, which accounted for 12 of those women’s deaths. The other five died of heart attacks and strokes.
Time for an Ortho Evra recall?
Many medical experts now conclude that the risk of death associated with the Ortho Evra birth control patch is three times higher than that of oral contraceptive pills. No Ortho Evra birth control patch recall has taken place yet, but Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, claims that no valid medical evidence supports continued use of the patch rather than the traditional—and safer—oral contraceptive pill.
The FDA reports on Ortho Evra’s dangers
A sealed FDA report obtained by the Associated Press on July 17, 2005 indicated that 12 women have died from blood clots that formed as a result of using the Ortho Evra birth control patch. The report also indicated that dozens more had developed blood clots but were fortunate enough to survive. The FDA also found that women using the Ortho Evra birth control patch while pregnant faced an increased risk of birth defects.
A woman’s risk of developing a blood clot while wearing the Ortho Evra birth control patch is approximately three times as high as when using an oral contraceptive. The FDA told Ortho-McNeil to institute an Ortho Evra label change, stating the exact nature of the risks that go with use of the birth control patch.
If you have suffered a heart attack, blood clot or another birth control patch side effect after using Ortho Evra, you may wish to contact a birth control patch attorney to learn more about filing an Ortho Evra lawsuit.
