Birth Control Patch Side Effects

About the Patch

The birth control patch, sold under the brand name Ortho Evra, is made by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. It contains progestin and estrogen, which are the same hormones found in birth control pills. The patch is designed to be applied to the skin and changed weekly, with one patch-free week each month.

From the Manufacturer

The first place to turn, if you want to know about birth control patch side effects, is the manufacturer. Drug companies are required to study medicines carefully both for minor side effects and for serious reactions. When they sell the drug, they must provide information about these effects.

Information about side effects is available on the Ortho Evra web site. You'll find a simple, straightforward list on the consumer site. There are more complete details in the prescribing information, which is written for doctors. You can find this on the web site, as well.

Common Side Effects

According to the manufacturer, the following are common birth control patch side effects:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Menstrual cramps
• Breast tenderness or engorgement
• Upper respiratory infection (cold-like symptoms)
• Skin irritation at the site of patch placement

These side effects tend to decrease with ongoing use. In some women, they disappear entirely over time. Some women also find that they have bleeding between periods while using the patch. This side effect may go away after a few months, or it may require changing to another birth control method.

Other side effects that seem to be common with hormonal birth control (such as the pill, the ring, and the patch) include weight gain, moodiness, vaginal dryness, and an increase in yeast infections.

Serious Concerns

In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration required Ortho-McNeil to add a special safety warning to the label for the birth control patch. The warning lists the following serious risks.

• Blood clots, which can form in the legs and move to the lungs
• Stroke
• Heart attacks

Although these problems do not happen often, people with a history of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke are advised not to use the patch. The label states that the risk goes up for women who smoke, so women who use the patch are advised not to smoke.

The label also mentions that the patch releases more estrogen into the bloodstream than typical birth control pills do. The higher estrogen level may increase the risk of blood clots.

Women with a history of certain cancers, including breast cancer, should not use the patch, because it may increase the risk that the cancer could return or worsen.

Unusual Side Effects

Some side effects seem to occur in only a few women. Information about these side effects is included in the prescribing information. Your doctor can help you figure out if you should be concerned about these or other risks.

• Gallbladder disease. Hormonal birth control methods, like the patch, may increase the risk of gallbladder problems, especially in women who have had such problems before.
• Eye damage. There may be a connection between hormonal birth control and retinal thrombosis (blood clots within the eye). There have been a few cases of vision problems which seem to be connected to birth control.
• Increase in blood sugar. Women who have diabetes or pre-diabetes should be monitored for blood sugar changes.
• High blood pressure. Hormonal birth control can affect blood pressure. Women with serious hypertension (high blood pressure) may not be able to use the patch.
• Increase in cholesterol. The hormones in the patch may affect cholesterol, making high cholesterol more difficult to treat.

Other Birth Control Patch Side Effects

Although all drugs must be tested before they may be sold in the U.S., sometimes side effects don't appear until the medication has been in use for a while. The company usually learns about these from doctors or patients who report problems. If a large number of people report the same side effects, the company will investigate to see if the drug is really the culprit. If there's good evidence that the drug is at fault, the FDA may require the company to change its official information.