i was browsing on the net the other day looking up some information on the patch, i've been wearing it for over a year & a half and recently started having some problems with it!...i came across a website saying that there have been lawsuits out there against the ortho-mcneil people that made ortho evra patch b/c it is causing horrible side effects in people using it like blood clots, breakthrough bleeding & all this stuff! has anyone else out there seen this or heard anything else about it?...just kinda worried if i should check with my doctor to change bc! thanks :cool:

There have been some news reports (NY Post or Times or something) about the patch having a higher risk of serious side effects than the pill, but it is still being investigated. Personally, I wouldn't consider using it until they get it all sorted out. But your doctor probably has less biased info. If you are worried, give them a call.

I have also heard bad things about it in the news. If you are concerned than maybe you should use something else until they figure out what is up with the patch. Most b/c pills cause these side effects though I guess with the patch though it is higher.

I think it's the same thing-ish as with all 3rd generation birth control.. from what I've seen on the net, they tend to have lower doses, but cause more blood clots specifically. Also, the lower the dose of hormone, the easier it is for you to "spot". If you're concerned about this, check out the older pills.. (not too much older, but try to stay away from Jasmine, OTC (I believe), the patch, the ring..) Apparently we're not allowed to post sites here, but I'll repost when I get some names of pills that might be a bit.. safer for you.

2nd gen pills: Loestrin, Norlestin, Estrostep, Demulen, Ovulen. (good luck!)

i was browsing on the net the other day looking up some information on the patch, i've been wearing it for over a year & a half and recently started having some problems with it!...i came across a website saying that there have been lawsuits out there against the ortho-mcneil people that made ortho evra patch b/c it is causing horrible side effects in people using it like blood clots, breakthrough bleeding & all this stuff! has anyone else out there seen this or heard anything else about it?...just kinda worried if i should check with my doctor to change bc! thanks :cool:

Mandeline I can only speak from experience. I did develop DVT from the birth control patch. I have a factor five which is a clotting disorder also. I say this only as a concerned person about this patch. I also thought the pain was just my sciata nerve but come to find out three weeks later I had developed such a massive clot from this medicine. I have also read from places that this does cause a higher risk of gettinmg a blood clot. (unconfirmed but I believe it) I know if I was told this it would have never made it onto my body. If your having any cramping I would go to your doctor I waited because it was just a pain so I thought. I have been dealing with this for 6 months now and I hope no one else has to.

Concerned

I think alll birth control companies should require a blood test to determine for factor five. This would considerably cut down on the risk women have in taking birth control. That may never happen because their more worried about their pockets than peoples lives.

All birthcontroll items tell you there are always things to beware of such as blood clots breakthrough bleeding weight gain ect.... It's like suing mcdonalds for gaining weight cuz you ate their food everyday forever...im sure a lawsuit can be done but i wouldnt expect a high odds of winning a case...

The patch is so new, they still need to do some research I think. As far as side effects go, they put every ailment known to woman-kind as a possiblity in fine print. Just to cover their butts. Very sneaky. Maybe they should include blood clots as a "more common" side effect and, say, skin spotting as a less common one. And maybe some more meaningful data on the inserts. For example- in one year of continuous use, 5/100 women between age 18 and 30 experienced some kind of blood clotting episode.