Ortho Evra, a transdermal patch, is a form of birth control that contains estrogen and progestin and offers an alternative to birth control pills. The majority of effects from this skin patch are believed to be a function of increased exposure to estrogen. Also, several health warnings are specified; for example, a woman should not take this medication during pregnancy or following a recent delivery. Additionally, this patch should not be prescribed to individuals with a medical history of the following: hormone-related cancers, circulatory conditions such as a stroke or blood clots, or cardiac and liver disease.
Common Effects
Frequent side effects from this medication may include local skin irritation from the patch, abdominal pain or menstrual cramping, and breast tenderness. Other effects that have been reported are nausea and vomiting, headaches, lung infections and weight changes.
Serious Side Effects
In addition to the common side effects, other side effects of Ortho Evra can occur that are serious and require immediate medical attention. Included in these side effects is sudden weakness or numbness, typically affecting one side of the body, with speech, vision or coordination problems; migraine headaches or changes in the quality of migraines; jaundice; and blood clots. Another effect that some women may experience is chest pain with the sensation of heaviness spreading to a shoulder or arm.
Potentially Fatal Effects
There has been controversy about the safety of the Ortho Evra patch since it was released in 2001, which, according to Online Lawyer Source, has been fueled by the finding that the patch releases nearly 60 percent more estrogen than the average pill does. Subsequently, the Food and Drug Administration updated the warning label to include risks associated with high levels of estrogen. Furthermore, Ortho Evra has been suspected as having a role in the deaths of 23 women. These women had blood clots that have been identified as the cause of 18 of the deaths.
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