Many women who wish to prevent pregnancy but whose lifestyles make taking a birth control pill every day inconvenient choose to pursue other methods of contraception, such as the IUD Mirena or Yaz birth control. While these birth control methods can be effective, some women are not aware of serious side effects of birth control until it’s too late.

One negative side effect of birth control is pseudotumor cerebri, a serious condition the involves pressure on the optic nerve and can cause cranial pressure headaches, migraines, vision loss, and blindness.

What is Pseudotumor Cerebri?

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a potential side effect of Mirena and certain oral contraceptives. Although rare, this serious condition puts pressure on the brain or optic nerve and can cause severe headaches, migraines, vision loss, and blindness. PTC, which literally means “false brain tumor,” is a medical condition that increases pressure on the brain due to excessive levels of cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull. The presence of this extra fluid in the brain causes effects that often mimic those caused by the presence of a brain tumor.

The disorder, which is also referred to as idiopathic intracranial hypertension or benign intracranial hypertension, is mostly common reported in women between the ages of 20 and 50.

False Brain Tumor Symptoms

There are a number of serious side effects associated with PTC, among them blindness and other serious eye injuries. The presence of increased cerebrospinal fluid puts pressure on the optic nerve, which links the eyes to the brain. This condition is known as papilloedema and can result in blindness. The most serious issue is that damage to the optic nerve is permanent, so correcting PTC will not reverse the damage already done to the optic nerve.

Additional side effects of pseudotumor cerebri are similar to those caused by large brain tumors, and may include:

• Dizziness
• Tinnitus (buzzing sound in the ears)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Migraines
• Blurry, double vision, or blind spots
• Blindness
• Difficulty walking

Causes of Pseudotumor Cerebri

Although medical experts are still uncertain as to why this false brain tumor side effect occurs, some medications such as levonorgestrel, the active ingredient released by the IUD Mirena or oral contraceptives have been linked to the disorder.

In 1995, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study linking intracranial hypertension with birth control pills and contraceptive implants containing the hormone levonorgestrel, which is an active ingredient in many highly prescribed forms of birth control, such as:

• Mirena IUD
• Yaz
• Depo Provera
• Nuvaring
• Implanon
• Nexplanon
• Ortho Evra
• Paragard

If you have experienced symptoms of pseudotumor cerebri and use birth control, it’s possible that your condition is a side effect.