I was recently diagnosed with a blood clot (pulmonary embolism) and now am unable to use any form of b/c that contains hormones. Through some research I have discovered that the chances of having a blood clot are almost doubled when using the patch. I'm a healthy, non-smoker, active 23yr. old. Has anyone else experienced the same thing? :wave:

I was recently diagnosed with a blood clot (pulmonary embolism) and now am unable to use any form of b/c that contains hormones. Through some research I have discovered that the chances of having a blood clot are almost doubled when using the patch. I'm a healthy, non-smoker, active 23yr. old. Has anyone else experienced the same thing? :wave:



Hi,

I never used the patch. But, i have read the same thing that your chances of blood clots are much higher when on it. If i can suggest as a different form of BC is the Paragard IUD. It does have any hormones it in. But, doctors usually dont recommend it to women who haven't given birth cause it can be differcult to insert. But, that doesn't mean that they can't. I have had mine for 8 months and i haven't been pregant. It was a bit painful but not what i thought it would be. And it only took 5 mins to do. There's a lot of info here about it. Good luck.

I was on the ortho evra patch for over a year and last week when I went for my annual exam my doctor reccommended that I go off the patch becuase of the high risk for blood clots. I am now on the Nuvaring. It's only been a few day but so far so good. I would consider switching if I were you. Check out the Nuvaring, you can keep it in for 3 weeks and then take it out for a week so it's even easier than the patch!

I was on the patch for almost 2 years. My periods started getting really heavy and I had severe cramping and abdominal tenderness. My doctor did laproscopic surgery to see if there was anything wrong, and also did a D&C, tubal ligation, and a Novasure ablasion. 3 weeks after my surgery I had a pulmonary embolism. I was in the hospital for a week and it took about 3 months to recover. I was on coumadin for 9 months. My doctor said she attributes the PE to the patch, not the surgery. She said I would have had the PE eventually. I am now banned from any hormones like birth control (thankfully I am done having children!) or for later in life when I go through menopause. I was told that I went from a 1/50,000 chance of a PE again to a 1/3 lifetime chance of it happening again because of this.
It really makes me think twice about advising people to go on birth control - especially the patch! I used to think it was no big deal. But after everything I went through, I would never advise it as the perfect answer.