NuvaRing Blood Clots Risks
NuvaRing blood clots can form due to the hormones that are absorbed into the vaginal wall membrane after the ring has been inserted. The birth control ring is known as a third-generation contraceptive because it combines estrogen with the synthetic progestin etonogestrel, an active metabolite of desogestrel. Published studies have shown that desogestrel poses a much higher risk of blood clots than second-generation contraceptives (e.g. those that use levonorgestrel).
Blood clots that develop within the deep veins of your legs mark a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If these clots break off and migrate with your bloodstream, they can potentially trigger dangerous NuvaRing side effects, such as pulmonary embolism, heart attack, and stroke. Below, you'll learn how each event occurs and some of the aftereffects that can impact your life.
Pulmonary Embolism: Causes And Side Effects
Your lungs receive blood from your heart through the pulmonary arteries. Blood clots that travel (i.e. emboli) from the deep veins of your legs can migrate through the inferior vena cava toward your heart. Once the emboli pass through the right side of your heart, they can enter the pulmonary arteries and create an obstruction. The portion of your lung fed by that artery will starve, causing pulmonary embolism.
Your lungs are responsible for oxygenating blood before it is circulated throughout your body. Your other organs depend upon this oxygen to function properly. If your lung tissue is damaged by PE, its ability to oxygenate your blood will be reduced. That can damage your other organs.
Heart Attack: Causes And Side Effects
If the emboli successfully evade your pulmonary arteries, they can travel through the left side of your heart before emerging in your aorta. Your coronary arteries branch out from your aorta near its base. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. The left coronary artery branches downward into the circumflex and left anterior descending venous networks. The right coronary artery likewise descends downward. If an embolus lodges within one of the blood vessels and creates a blockage, you might suffer a heart attack.
Your heart is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to the rest of your body. If any portion of the muscle is damaged, it will become less capable of pumping blood. Left untreated for more than a few hours, the muscle will die and be replaced by scar tissue. As a result, you will become more susceptible to future heart attack and less able to participate in strenuous activity.
Stroke: Causes And Side Effects
NuvaRing blood clots can potentially pass by your pulmonary and coronary arteries and make their way toward your carotid arteries. These arteries supply your brain with oxygen and nutrients. If they are obstructed by an embolus, the nerve cells fed by the blocked artery will begin to die within three or four minutes. You will suffer a Nuva Ring stroke.
The nerve cells in your brain are responsible for your vision, movement, speech, balance, cognitive ability, and a host of other functions. If those cells starve during stroke, you will likely suffer an impairment. If they die, they are not regenerated; any associated impairment will likely be permanent.
Blood clots are one of many serious side effects of NuvaRing and can have devastating consequences. In 2007, the advocacy group Public Citizen filed a petition with the FDA requesting an immediate ban on all desogestrel-based contraceptives. Their petition went unheeded.
If you or someone you know has suffered blood clots, DVT, pulmonary embolism, or other NuvaRing problems, you may be due just compensation from the manufacturer. Contact a NuvaRing attorney to discuss your case.
Mark Johnson is author of this article on Nuvaring blood clots. Find more information about Nuvaring lawsuits here.
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