Nuvaring DVT Clots | Nuva Ring Side Effects

by Steve Fields on December 1st, 2009

NuvaRing blood clots that form within your deep veins indicate a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The clots form as a result of the medications contained in the ring contraceptive. Nuva Ring is known as a combined-hormone birth control method because it blends the hormone estrogen with a progestin called etonogestrel, an active derivative of desogestrel. This combination is known to significantly increase the risk of clotting over second-generation contraceptives that use levonorgestrel.

NuvaRing DVT clots can occur in the arms, pelvis, and chest, but more commonly develops in the thighs and calves. We’ll explore the dangers associated with deep vein thrombosis below. You’ll learn how Nuva Ring side effects can eventually lead to pulmonary embolism, stroke, and heart attack.

The Threat Of NuvaRing Deep Vein Thrombosis

Unlike clots that form within superficial veins (i.e. veins near your skin’s surface), clots in the deep veins can travel to your lungs, heart, and brain. The reason is due to the placement of these veins. They are buried within groups of muscles that contract around them.

Your muscles’ contractions are necessary for pushing oxygen-poor blood from your veins to your heart and lungs. However, when your muscles contract and squeeze the veins, they can dislodge blood clots that have formed in the area. Detached from their site, the clots travel with your blood toward your heart.

The deep veins within your legs feed into the inferior vena cava. This is the main route through which oxygen-poor blood from the lower extremities travels in order to reach your heart and lungs. If a blood clot breaks away from your deep veins, it can migrate through the inferior vena cava and enter your heart. If this happens, there is a danger that the wandering clot can further pass into a pulmonary artery, coronary artery, or carotid artery. Blockages within these arteries can trigger pulmonary embolism, heart attack, or stroke, respectively.

NuvaRing DVT: Common Forms Of Treatment

Once NuvaRing DVT has been diagnosed, it will normally be treated through anticoagulant therapy. Your doctor will prescribe heparin or warfarin (Coumadin) to prevent your blood from clotting further.

If your blood fails to respond to the anticoagulants or your body is unable to tolerate them, your doctor might suggest thrombolysis. During this procedure, a catheter is threaded to the clot and medications are injected to dissolve it. Because thrombolytic therapy poses a risk of bleeding, physicians will explore other approaches (i.e. blood thinners) before administering it.

If there are multiple blood clots within your veins, or you are not a candidate for anticoagulant or thrombolytic therapy, your doctor may suggest a vena cava filter. This is a metallic umbrella-like device that is placed in the vein to catch wandering clots before they can reach your heart. This is a preventative measure. While it can help you avoid stroke, pulmonary embolism, and heart attack, the filter does not treat the NuvaRing blood clots themselves.

All oral contraceptives that introduce estrogen into your body pose a risk of blood clots. However, the combination of estrogen and etonogestrel sharply increases this risk. Healthy women who have never experienced abnormal clotting have suffered DVT after using NuvaRing. If you have used this birth control method and suffered blood clots, DVT, pulmonary embolism, or stroke, contact a NuvaRing attorney to discuss your legal options. You may have the right to file a claim against the manufacturer.