Ortho Evra Lawyers

Blood Clots (Venous Thrombosis) Linked to Ortho Evra

There are different causes and types of blood clots, however, and some clots tend to be more problematic than others. Estrogen, such as that found in the Ortho Evra birth control patch, stimulates the blood's ability to coagulate. This causes the blood to thicken and become more likely to clot.

Blood clots normally form in order to stop bleeding after the body suffers an injury. They are essentially the clumps that result from coagulation of the blood. A blood clot that forms in a blood vessel or within the heart and remains there is called a thrombus. A thrombus that travels from the blood vessel or heart to another location in the body is called an embolus, and the disorder an embolism. For example, an embolus that occurs in the lungs is called a pulmonary embolism.

Venous Thrombosis is a serious medical condition that has been linked to the Ortho Evra birth control patch. This drug patch, manufactured by Ortho McNeil Pharmaceuticals, releases high levels of estrogen directly into the bloodstream. It has been reported by the FDA that this patch releases 60% more estrogen into a women's system than traditional birth controls.

An FDA report was unsealed in 2005, courtesy of the Freedom of Information Act, which detailed the cases of 12 women who died as a result of blood clots caused by Ortho Evra. In addition, the report documented an alarmingly large number of women who had developed non-fatal venous thrombosis. Blood clots are dangerous because the clots can break loose and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. This is a very serious condition that can be fatal if not recognized and treated promptly.

On September 20, 2006, the FDA updated the warning, announcing that use of Ortho Evra may create twice the risk of blood clots than the pill. In addition to pulmonary embolism, other potentially fatal forms of blood clots that have been linked to Ortho Evra include deep vein thrombosis and thrombotic strokes. Here are some symptoms to watch for:

• Deep vein thrombosis symptoms: pain, swelling, tenderness, warmth, and redness in one leg.
• Pulmonary embolism symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain that mimics a heart attack, a bloody cough, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, wheezing, paleness of skin, swollen legs and a weak pulse.
• Thrombotic stroke symptoms: severe headache, seizures, and numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm or leg of one side of the body. Vision problems, such as double vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes may occur, as well as confusion, slurred speech, dizziness, and loss of balance and coordination.

If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of using this product, contact the Ortho Evra lawyers at Williams Kherkher today for a free initial consultation.