The B-12 patchs, made by global nutraceticals company VitaSciences, are sold as an alternative to oral supplements and shots. The company has applied for a patent on the patch and mentions on its Web site a clinical study involving six volunteers. Each patch contains 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B-12 and is designed to be worn once a week for no more than 24 hours. The dime-sized patches are worn on the neck behind the earlobe.

The patches deliver nutrients into the circulatory system by absorption through the skin. A special membrane controls the rate at which the nutrients are absorbed, allowing the active ingredient to release at a consistent rate over a period of time.

But can that delivery system be trusted? Other patch-delivery systems have come under scrutiny lately for seeping too much of the active ingredient into the blood stream. Drug maker Johnson & Johnson has settled numerous lawsuits in both the United States and Canada over its contraceptive patch Ortho Evra. The patch was found to leak too much estrogen into the blood stream causing blood clots which led to strokes and even death in some women.

Earlier this year the company’s pain patch, Druagesic fentanyl, was recalled for leaking too much medicine into some people who used them. That overdosing caused addictions and deaths in some users. While the fentanyl patch has been recalled, Ortho Evra is still widely available for use as birth control.

Vitamin B-12 toxicity, or having too much vitamin B-12 in your system, is uncommon but can have serious side effects. Side effects of vitamin B-12 toxicity include diarrhea, feeling of swelling over the entire body, blood clots in the legs and signs of an allergic reaction such as hives or rash; itching; swelling of the lips, mouth or throat; wheezing or other difficulty breathing.

The B-12 patch is still in a testing phase, and there don’t seem to be any reports so far of adverse reactions, but it is important to be aware of possible dangers based on experience from this type of delivery method. Those who suspect vitamin B-12 toxicity should consult a medical professional.

Sources:
VitaSciences
E Med TV

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › Consumers should use caution with B-12 vitamin patch

This is the fifth recall of Duragesic fentanyl patch since 1994. Patches have caused much pain for Johnson & Johnson. Last year, the company paid $68 million to settle lawsuits against the company’s birth control patch, Ortho Evra. The patch was linked to at least 40 deaths caused by blood clots.

Ortho Evra was originally marketed to women seeking an alternative to a one-daily birth control pill. The patch system was designed to deliver the same level of estrogen as the birth control pill, but its delivery system was different. Pills are taken orally and are processed through the liver before reaching the blood stream. The medication on the patch is applied directly to the skin and is not diffused by the body before reaching the blood stream. In contrast to the birth control pill, the patch delivers 60 percent more estrogen to the patch-wearer’s blood system. And that, according to the numerous lawsuits filed, is where the problems begin.

Despite an emerging pattern of young women suffering from pulmonary embolisms and strokes, Johnson & Johnson continued to market the patch, running advertisements that at times did not include warnings of serious, life-threatening side effects.

While Johnson & Johnson no longer markets Ortho Evra, the birth control patch is still available and has yet to be pulled from the market.

SOURCE: Ortho Evra and Blood Clots › Another J&J patch causing deaths in users