Ortho Evra Information
Alternatives to Ortho Evra
Perhaps you have suffered mild skin irritation while using the patch. Or perhaps the side effects you feel are more serious, such as headaches or pain in your leg or arm. Any woman using Ortho Evra™ should work closely with her doctor and monitor her health. Women who used the patch without knowing their potential exposure to estrogen, and have suffered an injury as a result, should contact an attorney at Miller, Curtis & Weisbrod, L.L.P. in Dallas, Texas to take action to seek compensation for their injuries.
If you are using or have used Ortho Evra in the past, you should consult a doctor immediately if you have any of the symptoms below:
- Chest pain or tightness of chest
- Sharp chest pain, coughing of blood, shortness of breath
- Sudden severe headache or fainting, dizziness, vomiting, changes in speech or vision, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- Sudden loss of vision
These signs may indicate a serious medical problem including a heart attack, stroke or blood clot in the lung or eye. You should not delay in seeking medical attention.
What Other Birth Control Methods Has the FDA Approved?
After reading information on the risks associated with Ortho Evra, you may decide that you want to change your birth control method. Before discontinuing the patch, you should consult your doctor about the risks associated with Ortho Evra and other birth control methods, as well as the risk that you will become pregnant if you discontinue Ortho Evra and do not replace it with an adequate form of birth control. Birth control options that may work for you include:
- Barrier methods: male condom, female condom, diaphragm with spermicide, sponge with spermicide, cervical cap with spermicide and spermicide alone
- Hormonal methods: oral contraceptives ("the pill"), vaginal contraceptive ring and a shot or injection
- Emergency contraception: emergency contraceptives are known as "the morning after pill"
- Implanted devices: IUD or implantable rod
- Permanent methods: sterilization surgery or a sterilization implant
- Abstinence
You should also consider that some methods of birth control do not protect you against sexually transmitted infections and diseases, and that the FDA advises that emergency contraception should not be used as a regular form of birth control. If you are in a monogamous sexual relationship with a man, male birth control may also be an alternative for you.
Conclusion
If you are using Ortho Evra and are concerned about your risk for serious injury or death, you should consult your physician about alternatives. You may find a birth control alternative that you can use successfully that does not carry the risks to your health that Ortho Evra carries. If you have been injured while using the patch, contact an experienced attorney at Miller, Curtis & Weisbrod, L.L.P. in Dallas, Texas to discuss your options.
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