http://www.injurytalk.com/forums Injury Talk en http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=56233#56233 56233@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:ernurse76 Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: My name is Tasha. I am 32. I had a DVT in December 2003 at the age of 27. I was a single mother of 2 at the time. I was on the Ortho Evra patch for approx 8 months prior to experiencing excrutiating pain in my left leg. As a nurse, I knew there was the possibility of having a blood clot just due to hormone therapy. However, I had no other risk factors as I was a non-smoker and had no other medical problems. I remember the first day of the pain. I woke up on a Sunday morning (December 21, 2003) to go to church. As soon as I put my foot on the floor, I knew something was wrong. I like many others tried elevation and rest hoping it would just go away. By the next morning the pain had worsened. I decided then it was time to seek medical attention. I called my PMD who made me an appointment within the hour (thank goodness). When he evaluated me, he too thought that a blood clot was nearly impossible due to limited risk factors. He sent me around to have lab work drawn and to the hospital for a venous doppler on the "far outside chance this is a clot".  I work at this particular hospital so they got me in quickly to do my venous doppler. I will always remember the look on the technician's face. I could see it in her eyes. She immediately said, let me get the radiologist in just to make sure.  This was 3 days before Christmas and I had 2 children ages 3 and 9. I was devastated and uncontrollably crying at this point. They called my doctor who came over immediately to write orders for admission as I am begging him to let me go home by Christmas. Lovenox was still a fairly new thing in my area at the time so he was very uncertain about letting me go home on it and whether my insurance would pay for it.  I was in the hospital for 1 week (yes missed Christmas with my children). Not only this, but my OBGYN advised me not to have any more children, as it would be a very high risk pregnancy. I was on Coumadin for 7 months. I had a tubal done after the Coumadin therapy.  The lasting effects: no more children, no hormones ever, a leg that is considerably larger than the other, a lifetime of worry about another clot.I thank God every day that I am alive as I know many people did not fare as well as I. To their families, I want to express my deepest sympathy to you. You are in my thoughts and prayers! Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:32:33 -0500 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=55097#55097 55097@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:fillemal Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: > angel wrote:> I suffered a stroke from the patch and have lost vision in my right eye. Just curious if anyone else out there suffered a stroke and what damage they have and how they are coping.I too had a stroke.  Started out as a headache, and very nearly killed me.   Lost left peripheral vision in both eyes.  Cognitive defecits due to permanent brain damage.  Thank god we are here to write about it, some women/girls weren't so lucky! Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:13:58 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=54998#54998 54998@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:zoey3100 Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: Hey Everyone, This is hard and right now I don't have a lot of time.  My daughter was using the Ortho Evra Patch at the age of 26 she died with no warnings, she was at work at 4pm saying good bye to her boss and at 7pm she died.  I miss her more than anything on earth, she is my first born child, she just received her master's and was a wonderful daughter.  She died of blood clot in her lung.I can tell you right now that their is not a lot of complaints or noise regarding these issues, in fact the maker issued a bigger warning and plans to continue to sell this deadly drug, until we all stand up!Unfortunately, they would stop selling this drug and come up with something else, and wait to see how many people get sick or sue.This is still so painful of her loss that I can't really talk about this, but I know that I must start, please help blog this everywhere, and tell all the women in your lives  about this and possibly other birth controls that are just as bad. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:43:34 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=54668#54668 54668@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:melisa449 Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: Hello, my name is Melisa. I had my first child in August of 2002. I already had some health issues (pancreatitis x 2, diabetes and a rare case of hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia). After I had Briana, I was started on Ortho-evra in October 2002. I had never been on birth control ever before because of the side effects and the pharmaceutical doctor suggested ortho-evra because it was new and different than the others. The patch wouldn't elevate my triglycerides like the others would have. A couple of years later, (August 2004), I went into the hospital with my third battle of pancreatitis. While I was in, I started having pain in my left hip and reported it. They thought it was sciatica from sitting in the same spot. I was able to get up and walk around quite a bit. This third time with pancreatitis wasn't near as bad or painful as it was the first 2 times. Either way the pain started progressing down my thigh, then to my knee and all the way down my leg daily. They doctor set up an ultrasound, just to make sure that things were okay. It was no more than 1 minute that I got back to my room that my doctor came in telling me that I had a blood clot behind my left knee and I would now be diagnosed with DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). I wasn't able to do a lot of walking/moving around for fear that the clot could move into my lungs causing a PE (pulmonary embolism). They started me on IV heparin to start the blood thinning and then to coumadin. They said I would probably have to be on coumadin the rest of my life. It wasn't until a couple of days after I got out of the hospital that my doctor called me up telling me that I needed to take the Ortho-evra patch off and to never use it again because it intensifies the risks for another blood clot or worse. I didn't smoke or didn't drink...so what was the cause. I started to do research and found that ortho-evra can cause these things. Anyway, January 1, 2005, I found out I was pregnant...and yep you guessed it, I had to come off of the coumadin. So they put me on Lovenox shots. I had to inject myself in the stomach 2 x's a day to keep my blood from clotting. I was into my 8th week and I woke up around 4 in the morning to pee. After urinating, I started to have strong lower back pains along with bleeding. The doctor said it didn't look good. I was terrified...I didn't want to lose this baby. I went to the ER and waited to have an ultrasound done that morning around 11:00 and to my surprise, there was the heartbeat of my baby...but there was also a blood clot (hemmorhage) in the placenta and the doctor said that I would be lucky enough to make it to 13 weeks and if I did, there was still a possibility to miscarry. I was put on bedrest. April 2005 came around and I started to have the same pains in my hip and radiating down to my leg with swelling and the full 9 yards. I questioned it because I was on blood thinner and swelling in the legs come with pregnancy.  But, I had the swelling in only the left leg and not the right...so I went to the ER. The ER doctor said that it was impossible for me to get a blood clot because I was on the Lovenox shots, but if I wanted to come back in the morning to have an ultrasound done, then I could for my own peace of mind. Wouldn't you know it...ANOTHER BLOOD CLOT!!!! This time on blood thinners and in my FEMORAL artery. The main artery!!! I was transported from Pierre to Sioux Falls by ambulance and they said that I needed to be put on IV heparin. They were going to eventually have me try to be put on a heparin pump and if it didn't work, then I was going to be kept in the hospital on IV heparin the remainder of my pregnancy. The heparin pump worked. I was released, but I had to have this pump attached to my stomach or leg the remainder of my pregnancy. I had to switch the site every 2-3 days. I was bruised on my stomach and both thighs throughout. If that wasn't enough, it was...oh I don't know a few weeks later and I was having trouble breathing and they had done an x-ray of my lungs and they were completely full...they thought it was a PE...yes...while I was pregnant. This time they airlifted my to Sioux Falls...and believe me there was a lot of praying. God was on my family's side because when they did another test of my lungs...this time they were completely clear...no sign of a PE. Either way, it was scary and expensive. We determined that I was going to have a C-section 3 weeks before the due date. But in order to do the delivery, I had to go off of the heparin...so my blood can start to clot and the day before, I went into surgery to have a stent inserted into my femoral artery so that if there is a blood clot that happens to move, it will prevent me from having a PE or stroke during the procedure. Little did I know...my femoral artery was too big to hold the stent in place and I had to go without. Needless to say...the surgery went well and I had a healthy baby boy...along with a tubal ligation. No more kids for me...but I am blessed to be able to have the two that I have. It is not fun. I would not recommend risking your life or the life of your child by getting pregnant and diagnosed with DVT. I was blessed. Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:40:43 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=54357#54357 54357@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:hotgyrl Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: hey, just to share my story. I am 27 years old and i was diagnosed with PE at the age of 23 years old and when it happened I didnt truly believe how serious it was.I thought I was doing the right thing as far as birth control, i have two children ages at the time 5 and 1. often at night came these like heavy cramps almost like charlie horses in both of my legs but i figured that it was probably just me being an athlete and working out and doing too much on my legs. Well that went on for maybe about a month off and on. Then came these sharp pains in my back and chest, keep in my mind that I do have a  high tolerance for pain so that lasted for about 2 weeks or so until the pain got worse. so finally after not being able to go to sleep one night I decided to go the er room only for them to take chest xrays and send me home with a prescription of motrin and tell me that i was having muscles spasm of some sort. And at that time I told the doctors that I couldnt breathe, and they went on to tell me if the pain gets worse to come back.  I then went home and took the motrin only to feel the same and then gradually the pain eased up so I decided to got to work the next day and take some more motrin, that didnt happen. All that I could remember was being on public transportation and crying my heart out because I believed I was going to die. The pain was so devastating and unbearable, so I decided to get off a couple of stops before Ihad to because this pain had to go away somehow. The more I walked the worse it got,  the more I breathed the more iI gasoed for air because you see breathing in was working my lungs and everything seemed to be shutting down on me. I can only remember seeing crowds of people around me and the EMT workers trying to lift me on the stretcher but I cried so hard because at this point I felt this pain all through my body to even move. Finally I got to the hospital and they took x-rays and ct scans and MRI to tell me that I had blood clots on my lungs, and at the time I'm still wearing this patch. I stayed in the hosiptal for three long weeks only to miss Christmas with my husband and kids and I thought why cant I go home. On or about the fifth day of my stay in the hospital the doctors said they ran all different types test and all of them came back negative. So my husband is there with me and seemed more concerned then me at the time so the doctors asked to examine my legs only to notice that I have this patch on the lower part of my abdomen and immediately tell me to take it off and discontinue the use of it. my PCP at the time confirmed that since all the test were negative that the only thing they could think of  was that the patch caused my PE.WILL INCLUDE MORE OF MY STORY AT A LATER TIM. WISH ALL YOU THE BEST Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:03:24 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=54307#54307 54307@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:Ria Topic: Hello!! Message: Hello everyone, I just found this board, and I am so excited to share stories and talk with women who know my suffering and have felt it too. I will tell my story when I have more time to sit here, but I wanted to say Hello! my name is Maria, I am a Married mother of 3 (2yr 5yr 10yr) My life seemed perfect until Ortho entered it. I look forward to speaking with all of you! Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:25:20 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=54114#54114 54114@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:angel Topic: Alycia Brown settlement Message: &J Pays $1.25 Million to Settle Suit Over Death of 14-Year-Old By David Voreacos and Patricia HurtadoOct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit over the death of a 14-year-old girl who used the company's Ortho Evra birth-control patch, according to court records. The confidential agreement involved Alycia Brown, a resident of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, who suffered two blood clots in her lungs on May 7, 2004, after using the patch for several weeks. J&J, the world's largest maker of health-care products, faces lawsuits by 2,400 of the 5 million women who used the patch. Most claim they suffered strokes or clots in their legs or lungs. The company settled dozens of cases before trial without releasing financial details. The Brown agreement offers the first glimpse into how much money the company paid to resolve a case and avoid a trial that might air details of the company's safety concerns about the drug before it came to market in 2001. ``Johnson & Johnson is finally starting to realize that the value of these cases and the toll they've taken on people is quite considerable,'' said New York attorney Hunter Shkolnik, whose firm has filed Ortho Evra lawsuits. ``They initially took the position that their conduct cannot be defended and there was low value to these cases.'' The Brown agreement, dated April 21 and entered in federal court in Ohio, was in the file of another Ortho Evra case in state court in Manhattan and made available to Bloomberg News by a court clerk. The 12-page document states that the company denied that Ortho Evra caused Brown's death, and it acknowledged the uncertainty of litigation as a reason for settling. Confidentiality Order Company spokeswoman Gloria Vanderham said the company could not discuss the case because of a confidentiality order. She said the company does not discuss how many cases it settled. ``The company is defending against these claims, except where settlement is deemed appropriate,'' said Vanderham, a spokeswoman for Ortho Women's Health & Urology unit, a division of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc., a J&J subsidiary. ``Settlement is not an admission of fault or that the company caused the event.'' The Brown agreement was in the file of a lawsuit by survivors of Zakiya Kennedy, who was 18 when she died on April 2, 2004, after using the patch. Court records show that a confidential settlement was reached in that case on Oct. 11. Her case was scheduled for Nov. 19 and would have been the first to go to trial. The next scheduled trial involves the death of Ashley Lewis, who was 17 when she died in late 2003. It is slated for state court in St. Louis on Feb. 11. Brown attorney Janet Abaray and Kennedy lawyer Gary Douglas declined to comment. Warning Signs Those suing J&J claim the company failed to heed warning signs about the patch, which delivers the hormones progestin and estrogen through the skin into the bloodstream. The plaintiffs claim the company, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, knew that the patch, which went on the market in 2002, caused more blood clots and deaths than the birth-control pill. The Food and Drug Administration warned in November 2005 that the patch may cause clots and expose women to 60 percent more estrogen than oral contraceptives. In February 2006, another study found a twofold increase in the risk of clots compared with women who took the pill. Johnson & Johnson does not detail any reserves for Ortho Evra cases. It said in an Aug. 8 regulatory filing that it faces numerous product liability cases and believes any liability ``will be substantially covered by existing amounts accrued in the company's balance sheet and, where available, by third-party liability insurance.'' The case is Michael Brown v. Johnson & Johnson, 06-40013, U.S. District Court, North District of Ohio (Toledo). Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:41:33 -0500 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=53835#53835 53835@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:angel Topic: Too quiet on this board!! Message: How is everyone doing? This board has been very quiet and I think we need to start making some noise and not let Johnson & Johnson or Ortho McNeil think they can get away with this. I noticed this quote in bold on their website:"You will be exposed to about 60% more estrogen if you use ORTHO EVRA than if you use a typical birth control pill containing 35 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen."Knowing this would any of you taken this drug? I know I wouldn't have! Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:01:35 -0500 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=53689#53689 53689@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:jjjwhipple Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: I feel so badly for all the other women who's stories I have read here. My heart goes out to you.My name is Jennifer. I am 30 years old. I am a divorced Mother of two boys ages 10 and 5. As of late though my life has been less than normal and the events that I am about to explain are only a glimpse of what I have been going through over the last couple of months. In August of 2006 I had a Merina IUD inserted . On April 13th at 11am I went to Dr.xxxxxx office for a check up and removal of my IUD.  I had not had favorable results with that form of contraceptive (i.e. long menstruation, tender pelvic area, cramping, infection ) and had asked for a different form that may be more comfortable. Upon removal of the IUD the Doctor left the room. I asked for a different type of contraceptive and was given only two options by a Nurse (practioner?). The NuvaRing and the Ortho Evra Patch. I was uncertain about the insertion of the ring so I opted for the Patch. The only information given to me was that I was to start Sunday (2 days later) and that I was to change it for the next three Sundays to follow and then the 4th Sunday leave it off a week. I asked if there should be any problems or side affects and she said no just some cramping. I was given pain medication for the procedure just performed and asked to set an appointment for 6 months from that date for a check up. I was then sent home. On April 15th I put the patch on as instructed and rechecked the box instructions to make sure. I began feeling nauseated and tired a few days later. I noticed headaches on a regular basis that got increasingly worse. I gained weight and felt tender and swollen in my chest, breasts, stomach and arms. I did not think that these were in any way connected because they happened gradually over a two week period. The nausea and headaches were very bad and kept me from working properly. I really couldn’t take anything other than ibruprophen and I was not able to eat very much at one time either. On May 3rd I flew to Maryland for my Sister’s wedding for 3 days with both of my sons. I vomited several times before getting on the plane and once after take off. My headache was subsiding by landing but an overall feeling of pressure had been building since the night before and I felt very swollen all over my body. After landing I once again went to the restroom and vomited. I met my Mother and Sister at Baggage claim and we went to the state park for a walk (it was our favorite place and I hadn’t been home in years) before other relatives arrived from out of state. I was feeling increasingly tired, nauseous and looked red and swollen. The headache was still there. Visiting, rehearsals and the wedding went by those three days and I was unable to enjoy or participate in the festivities as much as would normally because of my being ill. My family was concerned about me and it was difficult to get home with two children by myself. After the 3 hour flight, a shuttle to the hotel where my car was parked, and the 45 minute drive to my apartment with two children and violent cramping in my stomach coupled with a sever headache, I was exhausted.I am working a turnaround for ExxonMobil Refinery and my hours prior to this trip were 6 10’s, after returning my hours were going to be 7 12’s for shut down on a two month turnaround for startup. This is actually an easy schedule and I am fully capable of the long hours, I enjoy it really. However with my symptoms becoming worse, the next few days after May 7th were completely out of my control. I felt like I was hung upside down for hours all the time. The pressure I felt in my ears, head, arms, chest, neck, and eyes was ridiculously surreal. On May 9th I left my job early to go and see Dr. xxxxxx. I knew something was wrong but did not know what it was.She gave me meds for my nausea and 2 Imatrex samples for my headaches, considered the patch as the cause of my symptoms and noted my blood pressure as being elevated. The next day I felt worse and felt disconnected and dizzy. I went back to Dr. xxxxx and she ran Blood and urine tests for several thing including thyroid, pregnancy, sugar, bacteria, etc. All were fine. I felt a little better with the nausea medication she gave me but was still having severe headaches, hung upside down feelings, and pressure. On May 18th I had a scheduled day off from work and took advantage of that to get errands run, laundry washed, groceries bought, etc. Approximately 1pm, after I had finished laundry and ran errands to the mall with my 5 year old son, we left the mall (approx 30 miles from home) and were driving to Walmart near our town when I felt a headache coming back and that rush of pressure coming back. I took an Imatrex and drank lots of water hoping to head it off at the pass. An hour later it didn’t work at all. We arrived at Walmart and even though I felt really bad I knew I had to get grocery shopping done because I didn’t have time any other day until my next scheduled day off. I pushed myself to make it to the store with my 5 year old in tow. My phone doesn’t get reception in Walmart shortly after entering but I got a call from my boyfriend at work asking me about drawings for the job. A simple question I should have been able to answer and I couldn’t. I felt unstable and I don’t believe I was talking or standing correctly. I hung up and walked to the pharmacy with my son running around and not listening. I raised my voice at my son and felt the rush get worse. I couldn’t see clearly and my legs got weak and I started going down. I grabbed for the cart and it ran into the wall at the emergency door. I was scared and tried to stay up. After a few minutes of leaning over the cart and feeling helpless I looked around for my son who was looking scared and holding onto my arm. I could move my arm some but could not feel anything but tingling and numbness, my face was doing the same. I mashed buttons on my phone desperate to get some one not only to help me but more than anything to take care of my son. I was afraid if I got any worse, what would happen to him and how scared would he be. I finally got my Ex Husband and he was in town 10 minutes away. I was able to walk clumsily to the front with my son and lean on the wall out side the front entrance. Several people asked if I need help but I was slurring my words some and I just shook my head and said someone is getting me.When my Ex Husband arrived his mother took my son and he took me to my car and to my doctor in town.  She said for him to immediately take me to the hospital. He drove me to emergency and the admitted me after taking my vitals and I had an elevated BP, tingling in my arms pressure in my arms, head, neck, chest. Pain in all of those as well and I was unable to stand on my own with out assistance. I was weak and my extremities were full of fluid and visibly swollen and red. My vision was clearing and less jerky but my speech was still hard to keep straight without forcing it. I shook slightly all over and when I held out my hands. I was asked to stand up and take my weight but my legs went weak underneath of me. The nurse asked my Ex to hold my up while she took my BP and she got me to a bed and into a CT scan and blood work immediately after that. They said nothing showed abnormal on my CT scan but mentioned their concern over a “mini stroke� . They also were contemplating the pain coming from my tense back and neck, I told them they were wrong and that I was tense because of the pain I had been having. They said they could only treat what they seen at present because some of my symptoms were subsiding and gave me an antibiotic for a urinary tract infection they found and pain and muscle relaxants for my head. The next day I had lost yet another day from work because I was still very ill and the hospital had advised me to not return to work until Sunday. I am afraid I am in danger of loosing my job if I can’t perform properly while I am there or if I miss any more time.I followed up with my Doctor on May 23rd and she believes whole heartedly that the Patch is to blame for all of my symptoms and illness. She does believe the hormones affected my blood pressure and elevated it, she also believes it is highly possible that I had a “mini stroke� . She put me on Diovan and baby aspirin regimen to bring my blood pressure down and keep from having a recurrence of the18th. If that doesn’t have the results she expects then she is sending me to a neurologist and a cardiologist.  My cholesterol results from the hospital were normal. But my vision and balance were still not great. She wanted me to follow up with her on May 25th and bring a BP and diet log of the first two days I am on Diovan. I am still feeling numbness and tingling in my left arm and tingling and swelled feeling in my hands. My headache is still the same but my appetite is coming back and I am less swollen in the rest of my body. My office manager understands, for the moment, that I need to go to these follow up visits but I am still afraid that too many days off or half days taken can cost me my position. I can't keep being sick my boys need me, why did this happen I was perfectly healthy? My children are afraid when they see mommy sick and are sad when I can’t play with them or finish our plans.  I am very upset at not only the drug company for allowing these patches to still be on the market but at my former doctor for still distributing them to patients with heading warnings or looking into side effects. She not only put me in danger but is undoubtedly putting countless others in danger if her office is not educating them and making them aware. These patches need to be pulled from every drug distributor and doctor’s office and be penalized if they don’t comply. I now have numerous days lost from work, hospital, doctors, and prescriptions paid for with money I really didn’t have and should have put towards bills. If I lose my job because I am not here or worse they find me incompetent because of my symptoms I will be devastated because I still can't feel all of my left arm! I pray that doesn’t happen, but pushing myself through symptoms that were out of my control could potentially hurt me even worse. I don’t believe it’s fair that everything I have worked for could be wasted because a company would be inconvenienced if they had to take responsibility for their product hurting so many people. Tue, 29 May 2007 21:10:22 -0500 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=52468#52468 52468@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:SS626 Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: suzy1206...This is my first time posting on here and to answer your question about getting pregnant.  I seriously would consider my risks.  After having a PE the year before, I ended up pregnant.  Boy was that a trip.  Not only was I now high risk and had to have high risk doctors, but I also had to give myself Lovenox injections 2x/day.  Then towards the end of your pregnancy you have to go on Heparin 3x/day.  It is not fun.  My the end of the 9 months, you look like a pincushion.  There were risks to the baby too.  Something about a low clotting count too. He ended up just fine and I am doing well too.  I have since decided to get my tubes tied though.  Just seems easier that way.  I am a single mother of an 11 yr old and a 1 yr old.  Just made more sense!!! Those shots were horrible and I never want to go through that again!!!  You also have to take the shots after you give birth for 6 weeks afterwards also.  Please think about what you might put in danger if you have other children.  Also, not to mention the shots ended up costing $3600.00 a month. Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:11:26 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=52256#52256 52256@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:suzy1206 Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: Almost two years ago (and the case is still pending) I developed a PE in both of my lungs after only the third week of being on Ortho Evra.  What I am trying to find out is if it is at all safe to try and get pregnant again or if once you have a PE pregnancy is much more dangerous? Mon, 01 Jan 2007 22:44:00 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=52021#52021 52021@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:hoffmansfield Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: The last person to post on here posted a year ago?  Wow.About a year and half ago, at the age of 22, I started on the birth control patch.  I had never taken birth control before, but was in a serious relationship.  It seemed the smart thing to do.  I went to Central District Health for a pap and prescription.  When presented with my contraceptive options, the patch was presented to me as though it was as safe as any other birth control options.  This was in April of 2005.  It seemed convenient enough, so I opted for the patch.Everything was normal for April, but in May, my ears started ringing and I started getting really tired.  I noticed on my left hip that I had some pain when I sat down, in the exact spot I wore the patch sometimes.  It was red and progressively the pain worsened.  My boyfriend (now my husband) went to visit his family in Oregon, and while we were there, the pain got even worse.  I called ask a nurse and they told my I had some funky disease.  It wasn't right and I knew it.  I could barely go up stairs.  When we returned home, my back started hurting, and massage wasn't helping.  Finally, one night, it was so bad that I couldn't sleep.  The pain radiated from my back to my collar bone.  Then next morning, I had shooting pains in my chest whenever I took a breath.  I callled my mom and she said we sould go to the ER.  I told them I was on birth control and explained my symptoms.  They ran some labs and found that my blood was dangerously thick.  I went in for xrays and a CT, and I had multuple clots in both lungs.I was admitted for four days on a heparin drip and sent home with Lovenox.  I had to take warfarin for six months after that.This was the most terrifying experience of my life.  I will never be able to take horomones of any form.  I am seven months pregnant and have to see a specialist and inject lovenox daily.  I hope they take this thing off the market.  I'm lucky to be alive! Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:46:38 -0600 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=51361#51361 51361@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:angel Topic: Johnson and Johnson settlements Message: I've read all over the internet how Johnson and Johnson can't settle these cases fast enough. Has anyone heard anything from them or their attorneys? Mon, 16 Oct 2006 09:06:13 -0500 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=51331#51331 51331@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:madinNY Topic: It all happened in Oct of 2003 Message: All these stories sound all to familiar to me. I was 36 when I, too, developed a DVT and PE due to the patch. For the past two years I have had a very irregular menstrual cycle, 2-3 x per month. I was very reluctant to go visit an ob/gyn, but I was finally convinced to go by a family member.  After several office visits the tests revealed I had developed an ovarian cyst, which appeared to be growing, and the conclusion was that this was the cause of my irregular cycles. At that point I was given a choice of treatments, I could either undergo a laperoscopy, or, take birth control. I thought I was choosing a safer, more conservative, route so I chose the patch. The treatment was to last only one month, and after the month was up I was to have a follow-up to see if the BC had had some type of effect on the cyst. Besides this I was overall in good healthy condition; no drinking, no smoking, and lots of excercise.Unfortunately, I never managed to complete the month. Three weeks later, I developed a DVT/PE.  Much like the rest of the stories on the board, I had been feeling extremely tired and found myself not being able to, literally, walk and talk at the same time.  My left calf began feeling a little tight, I attributed to fact that I had not stretch out that day, so I began doing stretching excersices to loosen the muscles. However, by about the third day, I was barely able to put any pressure on my leg. Again, my thought was that I might have pulled something on my leg and I didn't give it another thought. As a graduate student I could not afford to miss a day of class, but by the time the afternoon rolled around the pain had become unbareable. I went to the library and looked up calf muscle pain. I came across a site that described the pain I was feeling might be due to a pulled muscle on the calf; the course of action should be to see a doctor before permanent damage set in. Being a true New Yorker, I hopped on the train and endured a one and a half hour train ride to get the the hospital nearest my home.  Once I arrived at the ER I called my husband and told him where I was; he quickly came.  I told him to go back to work because, whatever it was, it was probably nothing other than a pulled muscle.  Once I entered the Triage room and I described my symptoms it was like a whirl wind. I was immediately taken into the ER and  a Doppler was done...and that is when I recieved the shock of my life. I had a developed a DVT, which extended from my upper calf to my ankle. Still not understanding the severity of it all, I ignorantly asked the nurse, "so when do I go home," in which she replied, "no honey, you are not going home today, were're going to have to admit you." The following morning they conducted a CT scan, and that is when I took my second gulp.   I had developed bilateral pulmonary embolism. My hospital stay was by the book, a heparin drip for four days and then I was discharged with a prescription of Coumadin. Because of this ordeal, I  could not finish my semester, I was stuck with a student loan with nothing to show for it, and I lost my work-study employment. I can commiserate with the rest you when you say that life has not been the same ever since.  I feel like a pin cushion, the need to watch the quantity of greens, or my vitamin K intake, is also very irritating, and I really dislike the fact that now I find myself questioning whether the headaches I get are just that, headaches, or are they a side effect of the coumadin.  I feel like I am always on now, and that is very tiresome. However, I try to take each day one day at a time...I have gone back to Graduate school and I have begun a new job. I have made sure to inform both my school and my co-workers of what has happened, and they have been more than supportive. I have found that a good support team, both at home and outside the home, is extremely important.  The most regretable aspect of this all is that now, at 37, the possibility of ever having children is highly questionable. Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:24:39 -0500 http://www.injurytalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=51053#51053 51053@http://www.injurytalk.com/forums By User:le Topic: ortho evra patch & what it did to me Message: I had a "minor" stroke.  My entire right side is off now but I can still see.  I am sorry to hear that you cant.  I am a smoker so I guess I will have to pay for tht.  I had a migraine and thought that it was causing my symptoms.  I waited 5 days before I went to the doctor.  I kept droping things and falling, I couldnt type or write but I could talk again.  I still fall and drop things and nothing works like it used to.  I get so embarrased when I screw up in public like I dropped a tray of drinks at a fast food place and started crying.  It is hard and it sucks. Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:09:37 -0500