As a Nuvaring Pulmonary Embolism, Wrongful Death and Deep Vein Thrombosis attorney, I have written extensively about the inherent risks associated with oral contraceptive pills containing Drospirenone, like Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella and contraceptive ring like NuvaRing. According to a Danish report, some women using hormonal contraceptives other than single hormone birth control pills have an increased risk for serious blood clots.
These alternate hormone-releasing birth control methods include skin patches, implants and vaginal rings. According to the researchers, to reduce the risk, women who use these should consider switching to safer birth control pills.
Nuvaring Blood Clot Risks
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that typically originates in the legs and can travel to the lungs, where it becomes a pulmonary embolism, which can be deadly.
What is NuvaRing?
NuvaRing is a combination hormonal contraceptive ring that is inserted into a woman's vagina to prevent pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in October of 2001 and the product is manufactured by Merck (formerly Organon USA).
The flexible polyethylene ring contains estrogen and a synthetic form of progestin. The ring is used by over 1.5 million women around the world. NuvaRing is considered a third generation contraceptive and was initially said to have fewer side effects than other forms of birth control.
Study Findings
The transdermal patch and vaginal ring have at least a sixfold increased risk of venous thrombosis as combined pills with desogestrel or drospirenone, a risk which is about twice the risk among women using second-generation pills with levonorgestrel.
According to the researchers, women should be informed about these risks in order to be able to choose the most appropriate hormonal contraceptive product, there are hormonal contraceptive alternatives which confer less or no risk of venous thrombosis.
The findings were published May 10 in the online edition of the BMJ.
Women who used a vaginal ring had a 6.5 times higher risk. There was no reduction in risk with the long-term use of a patch or vaginal ring.
To reduce the number of women who develop clots from these riskier birth control methods, the authors advised that more women choose the safer birth control pills.
Take Home Message
Combined oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel or norgestimate confer half the risk of venous thrombosis than oral contraceptives containing desogestrel, gestodene, or drospirenone. Progestogen only pills do not confer an increased risk of venous thrombosis
Women who use combined contraceptive transdermal patches are at an increased risk of venous thrombosis about eight times that of non-users of hormonal contraception. Vaginal rings increased the risk of venous thrombosis 6.5 times compared with non-use of hormonal contraception.
The risk of venous thrombosis was not significantly increased with use of subcutaneous implants or the levonorgestrel intrauterine system compared with non-use of hormonal contraception. Nuvaring almost 7 times the risk of venous thrombo-embolism, so tell me again, why is the Nuvaring still on the market?
Read more about NUVARING and DROSPIRENONE containing birth control pils here and for more information visit my blog.
Shezad Malik is an Internal Medicine and Cardiology specialist, a Texas Medical Doctor (retired) and Defective Medical Device and Dangerous Drug Attorney. Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm has offices based in Fort Worth and Dallas and represents people who have suffered catastrophic and serious personal injuries including wrongful death, caused by the negligence or recklessness of others.
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