The well-known contraceptive implant Nexplanon has been linked to an increased risk of serious and life-threatening blood clots. Nexplanon is designed to manipulate key female hormones but in doing so increases the chance that the patient will develop deep vein thrombosis, a severe and sometimes fatal type of blood clot.
If you or a loved one has developed a blood clot after you were implanted with Nexplanon, contact Attorney Group for California today to learn more about your legal rights. You may be eligible to file a Nexplanon lawsuit and seek compensation for your injuries.
What is Nexplanon?
Nexplanon, a plastic, matchstick-sized contraceptive is inserted into the patient’s upper right arm underneath the skin. It is designed to prevent pregnancy by releasing progestin, a hormone that is believed to prevent a woman from ovulating or releasing eggs. If the woman is unable to ovulate and cannot produce an egg for the sperm to fertilize, then a pregnancy will not develop.
First used in Indonesia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Nexplanon for use in 2006. Manufactured and marketed by Merck and Co., Nexplanon is a long-acting yet reversible contraceptive. Nexplanon must be inserted and removed by a physician and is believed to be effective for up to three years. After the implant is inserted, the healthcare provider should verify that it is in place by feeling for a rod. If he or she is unable to locate this part, there is no certainty that the device will prevent pregnancy.
Nexplanon Complications
Since Nexplanon was approved by the FDA in November 2011, concerns have arisen over its potential ink to life-threatening blood clots that occur when blood hardens. When a blood clot forms inside of a vessel and remains in place, it is known as a “thrombus.” If the thrombus breaks away and travels throughout the bloodstream, it may potentially end up blocking the vessels to the heart, lungs or brain and cause a heart attack, pulmonary embolism or stroke, respectively.
The type of blood clot most commonly associated with Nexplanon is deep vein thrombosis and usually occurs deep in the veins in the legs. If you or someone you love has experienced one or more of the following symptoms of deep vein thrombosis while taking Nexplanon, consider filing a Nexplanon lawsuit in California to recover damages for your injuries:
- Dilation or widening of the surface veins
- Aching, dull throb in the calves, particularly when walking
- Warm sensation
- Shooting, sharp pain when flexing the foot
- Redness
- Pain or tenderness over a vein
- Swelling
Other side effects alleged by plaintiffs who have been injured by Nexplanon and are filing a Nexplanon lawsuit include weight gain, sore breasts, pain at the insertion site, nausea, infection or pain in the arm, headache, scarring or discoloring of the skin covering the implant, change in sex drive and irregular bleeding.
Plaintiffs File Lawsuits in the U.S. over Nexplanon
Those who have been injured due to birth control medications and contraceptive devices such as Nexplanon should consider working with an experienced attorney in California to file a Nexplanon lawsuit. Plaintiffs allege that the device has a potential to migrate while implanted in their arms or cause ovarian cysts. Sometimes, although rarely, a pregnancy may occur while a contraceptive method is in place.
The manufacturer is accused of releasing a defective product that results in dangerous and life-threatening complications, including blood clots, which can result in injury and death. If you feel you have a claim after receiving the Nexplanon implant, contact an attorney in California today.
Do You Have a Nexplanon Lawsuit?
Women in California who have been fitted with the Nexplanon implant and later suffered from blood clots, strokes or heart attacks are urged to seek legal counsel from a lawyer in California as soon as possible to learn more about filing a Nexplanon lawsuit. Attorney Group for California can answer questions for those who feel they may be eligible to file a Nexplanon lawsuit and seek compensation for their injuries. Contact us today for your free consultation.
