Ortho Evra Side Effects

Blood Clots

Blood clots (thrombus) are a rare but serious side effect of oral contraceptives.  Risk of developing blood clots is increased in smokers and women over 35. The blood clot risk while using the Ortho Evra contraceptive patch has been shown to be two to three times higher than that of oral contraceptives. While blood clots often occur without symptoms, some signs of a clot may be swelling, tenderness and pain in the legs, abdominal pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, difficulty speaking, fainting, numbness or weakness in extremities, or blurred vision. When blood clots form in the legs, they can become dangerous when they travel to the heart, brain or lungs. Treatment may include anticoagulant medications such as Heparin or Warfarin (Coumadin).

Deep Venous Thrombosis (Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT) usually affects the veins in the lower leg and the thigh. In DVT there is formation of a clot (thrombus) in the larger leg veins that can block circulation or travel through the bloodstream (embolize) to cause blockages in the brain, lungs or heart. Post phlebitic syndrome can also develop following DVT and involves chronic pain and swelling in the leg.

Pulmonary Embolism is a type of thromboembolism where an artery in one of the lungs becomes blocked by blood clots that travel to the lungs, typically from the legs or pelvic vein. Pulmonary embolism can cause serious complications, including: breathing difficulty, sharp chest pain, anxiety, fainting and convulsions.  Deep Venous Thrombosis can lead to Pulmonary Embolism if the clot travels from the legs where DVT can develop to the lungs.  Pulmonary Embolism is a serious potential complication of the Ortho Evra contraceptive patch.

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction, Cardiac Arrest) is caused by a blockage in the major arteries supplying the heart with blood and oxygen.  Blood clots that lodge in one of these arteries can cause a heart attack, or coronary thrombosis.  There have been reports of fatal heart attacks in women using Ortho Evra.

Stroke can result if a blood clot travels to a vessel supplying the brain with blood and oxygen.  In Ischemic Stroke, the most common type of stroke, the blood vessel becomes obstructed from within. In Cerebral Thrombosis, a blood clot (thrombus) develops at the clogged part of the vessel.  In Cerebral Embolism, a blood clot forms somewhere else in the circulatory system and breaks loose to migrate throughout the bloodstream.  Once within the blood vessels of the brain it becomes lodged in passageways that are too narrow.  Strokes are a potentially fatal complication of blood clots that form as a result of estrogen exposure from such medications as Ortho Evra.

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