Nuvaring Side Effects and Blood Thinners

Lovenox, known generically as enoxaparin, is a type of blood thinner or anticoagulant that does not require monitoring of the blood to ensure proper dosage, and it is injected under the skin (subcutaneously), usually once or twice daily following surgery or as directed by your doctor. To minimize irritation, do not repeatedly inject it in the same spot or intramuscularly as it may cause bruising. Women using Nuvaring birth control who develop a blood clot are frequently prescribed Lovenox injections following their diagnosis, often while still hospitalized.

Lovenox is often used to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Lovenox is also used to prevent blood vessel complications in people with certain types of angina (chest pain) or heart attacks. Women who suffer from serious Nuvaring side effects including a DVT or pulmonary embolism are often on Lovenox injections for a relatively short period of time and then switched to a blood thinner such Coumadin.

Lovenox is a type of heparin, so if you are allergic to it, enoxaparin or pork products, or if you have any type of major bleeding or a very low blood platelet count, you should not take Lovenox. This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions, such as a history of artificial heart valve, liver or kidney problems, heart disease, eye problems, bleeding or blood disorders, stomach/intestinal problems, severe high blood pressure, stroke, eye/brain/spinal cord surgery. If pregnant, this medication should be used only when clearly needed as it is not known whether Lovenox passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby.

Lovenox users may experience irritation, pain, tenderness and redness at the site of injection. Other, less common, symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, fever, swelling of the hands or feet, chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual heart beats, mental confusion, unusual bruising or bleeding, or black stools.

If you are taking any other over-the-counter and prescription medication, tell your doctor. This drug can alter the effects of certain lab tests, so be sure to remind your doctor you use this medication.

In mid-2008, the drug’s manufacturer was ordered to withdraw eleven batches of Lovenox as a precautionary measure over concerns about a possible contamination. The recalled batches showed abnormally high levels of over-sulphated chondroitin sulphate in one of the drug’s ingredients. Oversulphated chondroitin sulphate is the same contaminate found by the FDA in batches of heparin that were linked to several hundred cases in which patients became ill or even died. Those batches were traced back to Baxter International’s Chinese plant, although the level of contaminant found in Lovenox was much lower than what was found in the heparin manufactured there.

About the Author:

Robert Whitney is author of this article on Nuvaring problems. Find more information about Nuvaring lawsuits here.