Diane 35 birth control pills had been advertised almost everywhere: on TV or radio, on the buses or student campuses. It is thought to be a birth control pill but as a matter of fact it is not. Diane 35 has received a lot comments on causing blood clots. Is it safe to use it? Here are some opinions of the experts.
Diane 35
Diane 35 was approved in Canada in 1998 and it has never been approved in the USA. It was approved in Europe, Asia and also Latin America for the purposes of birth control and acne treatment. The first warning sign was the case in Germany when a woman using Diane 35 for 14 years died because of liver cancer. Following this event it was firstly restricted in Germany and in the rest of the Europe.
There is an opinion that Diane 35 is not a contraceptive. However it has both: estrogens and progestin and can protect you from getting pregnant. It should be prescribed for the treatment of acne problems or the reduction of facial or body hair. Diane 35 is also used by women with androgen-dependent diseases and for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. The recommended duration of a treatment is around several months in order to achieve the wanted results.
Later concerns of the Diane 35 were focused not on the liver toxicity or the potential cancer risks but on its ability to cause blood clots which can appear in the legs and even travel to the lung what is dangerous. Under several studies Diane 35 birth control pill can be considered as a bit riskier than other birth control pills . Doctors in Canada for example can not advertise it as a contraceptive as it is not approved for this use.
As an example it could be of a woman from Ontario who appears to have blood clot in the brain. She was taking Diane 35 for four years. Her heamatologist agreed that a birth control pill was likely to cause her a blood clot. Many contraceptive pills carries the risk of causing blood clots however at the time woman was taking pills there were sent advisories to the patients and doctors with a risk of Diane 35 comparing to other birth control pills. That was the reminder the Diane 35 was never approved for birth control.
There is an opinion of gynaecologist that Diane 35 is safe to use as in the 50 countries in the world it is prescribed for a birth control . Some physicians think that if it is used correctly it is as safe as any other oral contraceptive. Also Berlex (a drug company) says that recent studies show that there is no increased risk of clotting.
The records of Health Canada records are not attractive. It seems that Diane 35 contributed to the 35 blood clots and 5 deaths of Canadian women. The comparison was done to another contraceptive known as Alesse. Despite there are more prescriptions of it the numbers of blood clots are lesser (7 to 1).
Such are the controversial opinions regarding Diane 35. As to everything you decide to take please be aware of their risks and always consult to a specialist before making the decision your own.
