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Ortho Evra®, the birth control patch, may cause dangerous side effects including blood clots in certain women. Recent reports indicate that the risk of dying or suffering a survivable blood clot while using Ortho Evra® are approximately three times higher than using traditional birth control pills. In November of 2005 Ortho McNeil issued a warning that the Ortho Evra® birth control patch contains higher levels of a hormone known to cause blood clots more than most birth control pills. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that women who use Ortho Evra® are exposed to 60 percent more estrogen, which may lead to an increased risk of blood clots compared to traditional birth control pills.
Ortho Evra® federal death and injury reports, obtained by the Associated Press (AP), indicate that 12 women died in 2004 from blood clots that may be linked to the use of the Ortho Evra® patch. The majority of the women who died while using the Ortho Evra® were fairly young as they were only in their late teens or early twenties. It is believed that many other women have suffered other blood clot related problems such as strokes and heart attacks that have gone unreported to the FDA.
Since, August of 2002, FDA records show that 17 Ortho Evra® patch users between the ages of 17 and 30 have suffered fatal strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots.
Blood clots are masses of thickened blood, while clotting is used by the body to end bleeding. Clotting eventually heals the cut blood vessel(s) and the blood clot dissolves within a few days. A blood clot becomes dangerous when it blocks a vein or artery and stops blood flow. This type of blood clot is called a thrombus, which most commonly develops in the veins of the leg and can travel through the major blood vessels of the pelvis and lung where it can be fatal.
Ortho Evra® blood clot symptoms include, but are not limited to:
If you or a loved one have used the Ortho Evra® birth control patch and have been diagnosed with blood clots, please contact us today using the form on the right or by calling us toll-free at 1 (866) 664-0400 for a FREE case review or to have your legal questions answered.
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