However, a European study in 2005, measured the hormone levels among 32 women who took the pill versus those who used the patch, and determined that women who used the Ortho patch had 60% more estrogen in their blood streams than women taking the pill.
Expert say that although estrogen is important in the regulation of the reproductive cycle it provokes clotting and if too much estrogen is released via the patch it can cause excessive clotting, particularly in the arteries and veins of the lower extremities.
Estrogen in birth control pills must travel through the digestive tract before it is absorbed by the body and a great deal of the dosage is lost in the process. With the patch delivery system, full-strength estrogen is absorbed through the skin directly into the blood stream continuously for 3 weeks each month, while the dose of hormones in the once a day pill leaves the body in a matter of hours after the pill is ingested.
Experts say another problem may be that the level of hormones released increase when the patch becomes heated through exercise, or bathing in a hot tub, or a high fever. "Most people don't realize that heat is going to increase absorption rates, even to toxic levels," according to Michael Cohen, director of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
Studies have shown that heat has a distinct effect on medication patches. As far back as 1986, a study found that 20 minutes of bicycling while wearing a nitroglycerin heart patch increased the drug's concentration two to threefold. Similar results were found with people sitting in the sauna for 30 minutes.
Despite having first-hand knowledge of the number of women being injured and killed, the FDA did not officially alert the pubic to the high risks associated with the patch until November 10, 2005, when a "Black Box" warning was added to the product label that said the device could expose women to estrogen levels 60% higher than oral contraceptives and that the increased dosage was associated with a greater risk of blood clots.
Unfortunately for the thousands of young women who have already died or been injured, this action by the FDA represents another case where the agency charged with protecting consumers from the profit driven pharmaceutical industry has done too little to late.
More information for injured parties can be found at Lawyers and Settlements.com
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/
Evelyn Pringle
evelyn.pringle@sbcglobal.net
Expert say that although estrogen is important in the regulation of the reproductive cycle it provokes clotting and if too much estrogen is released via the patch it can cause excessive clotting, particularly in the arteries and veins of the lower extremities.
Estrogen in birth control pills must travel through the digestive tract before it is absorbed by the body and a great deal of the dosage is lost in the process. With the patch delivery system, full-strength estrogen is absorbed through the skin directly into the blood stream continuously for 3 weeks each month, while the dose of hormones in the once a day pill leaves the body in a matter of hours after the pill is ingested.
Experts say another problem may be that the level of hormones released increase when the patch becomes heated through exercise, or bathing in a hot tub, or a high fever. "Most people don't realize that heat is going to increase absorption rates, even to toxic levels," according to Michael Cohen, director of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
Despite having first-hand knowledge of the number of women being injured and killed, the FDA did not officially alert the pubic to the high risks associated with the patch until November 10, 2005, when a "Black Box" warning was added to the product label that said the device could expose women to estrogen levels 60% higher than oral contraceptives and that the increased dosage was associated with a greater risk of blood clots.
Unfortunately for the thousands of young women who have already died or been injured, this action by the FDA represents another case where the agency charged with protecting consumers from the profit driven pharmaceutical industry has done too little to late.
More information for injured parties can be found at Lawyers and Settlements.com
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/
Evelyn Pringle
evelyn.pringle@sbcglobal.net
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