Birth control patch

[ivana]

I wonder what do you girls think of this.
Here is the link - http://health.ivillage.com/gyno/gynobc/0,,j6nl,00.html

ivana

[Invincible]

Hi Ivana

I don't think any birth control like this is good - any fake hormones pumping around your body will definately affect the liver and other organs.

[Myra]

I was just reading a newsletter from WebMD that states the birth control patch is much more dangerous then realized. More women have actually experienced strokes and blot clots.

here is the article

Warning Added to Birth Control Patch

Ortho Evra Patch Exposes Women to More Estrogen Than Birth Control Pills; May Raise Risk of Blood Clots, Says FDA

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Friday, November 11, 2005



Nov. 11, 2005 -- Ortho Evra, the birth control skin patch, will get a new bolded warning stating that the patch provides a higher exposure to estrogen than birth control pills.

"Higher levels of estrogen may put some women at increased risk for getting blood clots," states the FDA.

The FDA provided these questions and answers about the new warning:

What is the FDA announcing?
The FDA is announcing a revision to the label for the drug Ortho Evra, the only skin patch approved for birth control. This change includes a new bolded warning about higher exposure to estrogen for women using the weekly patch compared with taking a daily birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen, a commonly prescribed dose. Higher levels of estrogen may put some women at increased risk for getting blood clots. When thinking about prescribing or using Ortho Evra, health care professionals and women need to balance the increased exposure to estrogen against the chance of pregnancy if a birth control pill is not taken daily.

Why is the FDA making this announcement?
A woman on Ortho Evra may be exposed to approximately 60% more estrogen than if she was taking a typical 35 microgram estrogen birth control pill. There are also high-dose estrogen pills on the market, such as the 50-microgram birth control pills, and some women need these. Estrogen use is linked to blood clots in the legs and lungs and other clotting problems such as strokes and heart attacks. It is not known if women using Ortho Evra have a higher risk of serious side effects than women taking the typical 35-microgram estrogen pills.

How does the increase in exposure of estrogen affect me when taking Ortho Evra?
In general, a woman may be at higher risk for getting side effects if she takes higher doses of estrogen. However, it is not known if a woman using the Ortho Evra patch is at higher risk for serious side effects than if she is using a typical birth control pill. Women should discuss with their health care professional whether the Ortho Evra patch is a good method of contraception for them.

Can a woman decrease the amount of estrogen from the Ortho Evra patch by cutting the patch and applying only a part of the patch?
No. The patch should not be cut. If cut or altered, Ortho Evra will not protect against pregnancy.

If a woman wants to change from the Ortho Evra patch to a birth control pill, what should she do?
Talk to her health care professional. The health care professional will help her make this change.

Where can I find more information on this?
If you have further questions regarding any medications, please contact the FDA's Center for Drug's Division of Drug Information at (888) INFO-FDA (888) 463-6332, or email the FDA at druginfo@cder.fda.gov.

Maker's Statement

Ortho Evra's maker, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, issued a news release about the label change.

The news release echoes many of the points covered by the FDA. It also notes that Ortho Evra has been used by more than 5 million women and "remains a safe and effective product, when used according to the product's label. However, hormonal contraception is not suitable for all women. It is important that women speak with their healthcare professionals about what option is right for them."

The company also states that "most side effects of the patch are not serious and those that are occur infrequently. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes.

"Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you are over 35. Women who use the patch are strongly advised not to smoke," the news release states.


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[ivana]

Thanks for the feedback girls, that's great post Myra, thanks for sharing it with us.
I never used birth control pills and don't think I ever will. Although my hubby thinks is not that bad, but what does he knows Think he'll kill me after seeing this

Last year when I went to gy. she asked me if I use the pills, I sad no and she freaked out. She made me feel like the stupidest girl in the world. I sad that I prefer to use condoms as I don't won't to mess up with the hormones and she told me that it will do me just good, in fact it will clean my skin from acne, that I had at the time. Can you imagine, probably she was getting some % from sales.
How are they going to heal us when all they think about is money?

ivana

[Myra]

women....

3 women friends of mine, aged 36, 38 and 41 all suffered severe strokes. None had any history of stroke in their family and had never had problems prior. Each woman had started the patch any where from 3 months to 1 year before their strokes.

One is now completely incompacitated. Cannot speak or think clearly, her left side is paralyzed. The other 2 suffered brain damage, partial paralasis and speech problems.

I took birth control pills from the age of 18 to 27 and let me tell you they caused more problems then they cured. I stopped at 27 and haven't been on them for 10 years. Like you, I use condoms. I will not put any more stuff into my body like that

Don't let this woman make you feel stupid. Good for you that you stand by what you believe in. Who needs to have a stroke just to prevent pregnancy. Doesn't sound like a fair trade off risk wise to me

[senka]

One of my friends was on the pill for 10 years and had a blood clot in her lung at 22. Her doctor said it was caused by the pill, and also could be realted to the fact that her mother was on the pill before she was born as well. the doctor concluded by saying she would NEVER take the pill herself or put her own daughter on it.

[pbaby]

Hi everyone!


Ivana,

Do what you feel comfortable with. If condoms work for you, then that's cool. I don't know why some doctors think women should "automatically" be on birth control during "child bearing" years. Condoms ARE birth control. Don't they realize that? I have taken the pill before, and boy, did it ever mess me up!!! I had recently heard that the patch was causing serious health problems in women. I was gonna go that route but decided against it. I did start using the Nuvaring about a year ago, and I really like. It has the lowest amount of hormones. I forgot the percentage, but I have had zero negative side affects. Even the lowest dosage of bc pills would have my body out of wack. But the Nuvaring doesn't. The hormone dosage in it is just that low. Just something to think about if you ever decide to go another route besides condoms.

P.