Can Your Birth Control Make You Sick?
POSTED: 4:10 pm PST November 29,
2006
UPDATED: 4:57 pm PST November 29,
2006
SAN DIEGO -- NuvaRing is one of the newest forms of birth control that is being marketed for its convenience.However, a Bonita woman said NuvaRing caused her to be hospitalized for 12 days."I feel like part of my life has been taken from me,” said 26-year-old Kristina Bruckner.
FDA, Organon Statements on NuvaRing
Bruckner never imagined her birth control would make her sick.Last month, she was rushed to the emergency room after a sharp pain in her calf turned into something more serious."I started to have problems breathing, and I was having the chills, felt nauseated, wanting to throw up," said Bruckner.She was hospitalized for 12 days with multiple blood clots in her legs and lungs.“I'm very lucky that I went to the hospital when I did," said Bruckner.Bruckner’s physician at Sharp Grossmont, Dr. Joseph Kazanchi, said he believed the potentially fatal blood clots were linked to her use of NuvaRing."She was healthy otherwise,” said Kazanchi. "We don't know why it happened to her.”NuvaRing is a vaginal contraceptive that releases a combination of estrogen and progestin hormones. The Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2001. Its label and commercials warn of risks of heart attack, stroke and blood clots.But Bruckner’s mother, Cecelia, said she believes the risks are understated."We found a forum on the Internet where a number of women had the same problem and they used NuvaRing," said Cecelia Bruckner.10News reviewed 182 FDA reports of adverse events related to NuvaRing from October 2005 to June 2006 and found that two women had died and 24 women had pulmonary embolisms.Despite those numbers, Dr. Bruce Kahn of Scripps OB/GYN Clinic said NuvaRing is generally safe like the pill and patch."The risk of having a serious problem, like a blood clot in your leg, or pulmonary embolism is extremely small," said Kahn.He said it is comparable to the risk of death or injury from pregnancy.Kahn suggested women heed the warnings and seek help if they notice the symptoms of clotting.In a statement, Organon, the company that manufactures NuvaRing maintained the product is “safe and effective” and blood clots are a “rare event.”A small number statistically, but for Bruckner it is a life-changing event."My concern is maybe next time I won't have symptoms," said Bruckner.Kahn and Kazanchi agreed the risk of complications was small, but both suggested women should discuss risk factors with their physicians.A blood test can also be done to determine whether a woman has a genetic propensity to develop blood clots.
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FDA, Organon Statements on NuvaRing
Bruckner never imagined her birth control would make her sick.Last month, she was rushed to the emergency room after a sharp pain in her calf turned into something more serious."I started to have problems breathing, and I was having the chills, felt nauseated, wanting to throw up," said Bruckner.She was hospitalized for 12 days with multiple blood clots in her legs and lungs.“I'm very lucky that I went to the hospital when I did," said Bruckner.Bruckner’s physician at Sharp Grossmont, Dr. Joseph Kazanchi, said he believed the potentially fatal blood clots were linked to her use of NuvaRing."She was healthy otherwise,” said Kazanchi. "We don't know why it happened to her.”NuvaRing is a vaginal contraceptive that releases a combination of estrogen and progestin hormones. The Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2001. Its label and commercials warn of risks of heart attack, stroke and blood clots.But Bruckner’s mother, Cecelia, said she believes the risks are understated."We found a forum on the Internet where a number of women had the same problem and they used NuvaRing," said Cecelia Bruckner.10News reviewed 182 FDA reports of adverse events related to NuvaRing from October 2005 to June 2006 and found that two women had died and 24 women had pulmonary embolisms.Despite those numbers, Dr. Bruce Kahn of Scripps OB/GYN Clinic said NuvaRing is generally safe like the pill and patch."The risk of having a serious problem, like a blood clot in your leg, or pulmonary embolism is extremely small," said Kahn.He said it is comparable to the risk of death or injury from pregnancy.Kahn suggested women heed the warnings and seek help if they notice the symptoms of clotting.In a statement, Organon, the company that manufactures NuvaRing maintained the product is “safe and effective” and blood clots are a “rare event.”A small number statistically, but for Bruckner it is a life-changing event."My concern is maybe next time I won't have symptoms," said Bruckner.Kahn and Kazanchi agreed the risk of complications was small, but both suggested women should discuss risk factors with their physicians.A blood test can also be done to determine whether a woman has a genetic propensity to develop blood clots.
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