- The most common side effects of Ortho Evra are breast tenderness or swelling, headaches, redness or irritation where the patch is worn, nausea, upper respiratory infections, menstrual cramps and nausea.
- The most common side effects of Ortho Evra occur in 9 to 22 percent of users, according to RxList. Although these side effects are unpleasant, they typically do not pose any long-term health risks or dangers.
- Ortho Evra contains a combination of two hormones---norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol. The actions of these hormones increase your risk of developing cancers that depend on estrogen, such as cancers of the breast, cervix and endometrium, but there is not yet sufficient information to know how likely the Ortho Evra patch is to cause cancerous tumors, reports RxList.
- The Ortho Evra patch poses a risk for serious cardiovascular effects like hypertension, blood clots, embolisms, stroke and heart attack, particularly in women who smoke or are over 35 years of age. Other risks associated with Ortho Evra include gallstones and benign liver tumors.
- The Ortho Evra patch is not safe for use during pregnancy or while nursing. If you have a history of blood clots, coronary or valvular heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, headaches, cancer, jaundice, abnormal uterine bleeding, decreased liver functioning or liver disease, it may not be safe for you to use the Ortho Evra patch, warns RxList.
