Ortho Evra
January 29, 2008Health Canada details Ortho Evra side effects reports
The leading Canadian health agency has warned of dozens of reports of women who experienced Ortho Evra side effects after using the birth control patch. In the January issue of the Canadian Adverse Reactions Newsletter published by Health Canada, the agency says that at least 93 women have suffered blood clots, heart attack or other Ortho Evra side effects, including at least two deaths, since the patch went on the market.In 2006, Health Canada forced Ortho-McNeil, the manufacturer of the birth control patch, to add a warning label to its packaging insert. The updated label warned women that the Ortho Evra patch increased their risk of suffering blood clots compared with other birth control methods, such as the pill. This increased risk of blood clots may also increase a woman’s risk of suffering other Ortho Evra side effects, including heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism.
Dr. Michael Kovacs of Ontario’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry says that the Ortho Evra patch may increase a woman’s risk of blood clots by as much as three to five times that of other birth control products. Several studies published in the U.S. have found that women are two to three times more likely to suffer blood clots by using the Ortho Evra patch compared with other forms of birth control.