Ortho Evra: absorption rate of hormones increased by heat & skin irritation

» dotheresearch - absorption rate of hormones increased by heat & skin irritation

I just read a news article that states that "the absorption rate of medications in skin patches is increased by heat and skin irritation. Go to this link to read the article:

http://www.yourlawyer.com/articles/read/...

Many young women using ortho evra birth control patches use tanning beds, which undoubtedly increases their skin temperature or heats their skin, which according to this news article could increase the amount of hormone absorbed. The article also states that skin irritation increases the absorption rate of medications in skin patches. I've read many postings of young women using ortho evra patches complaining about skin irritation underneath the patch. My daughter had chronic skin irritation under her patch, which turned out to be a fungal infection. That also makes sense because fungi thrive in moist dark areas that don't receive much air circulation, hence, underneath the patch. So, from what research I've done so far, there are several reasons not to use the patch:

1. It has been proven that users of the birth
control patch are exposed to 60% more
estrogen than users of birth conrtol pills.

2. Part of the reason for the increased risk of
blood clots could be the delivery system of
the drug in the patches. Birth control pills
go through the digestive system and are
broken down in the process. On the other
hand, with the patch delivery system, the
hormones are absorbed directly into the
bloodstream.

3. Now, it has been discovered that heat
increases the absorption rate of medications
in skin patches, hence the warning about
tanning beds, saunas, hot baths and showers,
hot tubs, even running a temperature. My
question is: Has the maker of Ortho Evra
known this all along and suppressed this
information, also, or did they not thoroughly
research their product before rushing it to
the market? If they knew all along that heat
increases the absorption rate, no wonder they
suppressed the information. Anyone with
common sense would see that the target group
they needed to market their product to was
young women, many of which use tanning beds,
hot tubs, etc. If that information had been
released it would have hurt their sales,
severely. If they knew this, a warning
should have been printed on the outside of
the box. Young women should have been
warned of the increased danger.

4. Now we find out that skin irritation
increases the absorption rate of the
medication in skin patches. Well, guess
what, the birth control patch, itself, causes
skin irritation in many of its users. And
that also increases the absorption rate of
the hormones in the patch. Tha maker of
ortho evra does know that it can cause skin
irritation because their drug info sheet
included in the box with the patches lists
skin irritation as a possible side effect.
The question is: Did they also know that skin
irritation increases the rate of absorption
of the hormones in the patch? If they knew
this, a warning stating this fact should have
been printed on the outside of the box or on
the drug info sheet that comes inside the box
containing the patches.

5. Over a 17 MONTH period, the FDA has logged
over 9100 adverse reactions to the patch. In
comparison, it has only logged over 1200
adverse reactions to the Ortho Tri-Cyclen
birth control pill in a 6 YEAR period. During
a 12 MONTH period, there have been 44 serious
injuries or deaths associated with the Ortho
Evra birth control patch.

KIND A GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, DOESN'T IT? I'd advise you to do your own research. Don't take my word for it. Right now, I'm very angry because I almost lost my daughter because of some pharmaceutical giant's greed. All they were thinking about was more money. They don't care how many young women are permanently injured or die because of their product. To them, it's all about money. And apparently, the FDA isn't doing a very good job of protecting the public anymore, either. I've read several articles that stated many of the FDA researchers responsible for testing and approving new pharmaceutical drugs are hired by the pharmaceutical companies to do consusltant work for them. To me, that is a conflict of interest. It's like allowing the fox in the henhouse. No one at the FDA should have any financial dealings with drug companies or food manufacturers. The FDA is supposed to be the government watch dog over drug companies and food manufacturers, making sure that the drugs and foods they put on the market are safe. The articles also stated that many of the FDA researchers are hired by the drug companies when they leave their jobs at the FDA. That raises many questions in my mind. I don't trust the FDA's assurances about the safety of drugs anymore.

-- posted by dotheresearch