A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that women who are taking the newest progesterone formulation birth control pill are at double the risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots than those who are taking the older formula pills.
The new formula contains: desogestrel, gestodene, drospirenone and cyproterone. The older birth control pills contain: norgestimate, or levonorgestrel and norethisterone. Remember, taking any birth control pills longer than 5 years without a break will increase a woman's risk for blood clots. Also, just becoming pregnant increases the chances of venous thromboembolism (VTE) by a factor of 10.
Also noted in the study (from the University of Nottingham) was the fact that women who take birth control pills are at a three-fold risk of VTE over those women who have never taken birth control pills.
If you are on birth control please don't smoke as that increases your chance of VTE considerably. If you are over 35 and are on the newer formulation pill, perhaps it may be a good idea to discuss changing the formula back to the older one.
Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
480-390-7698
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