Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a possible side effect of Mirena birth control and certain birth control pills. Although rare, this serious condition puts pressure on the brain and can cause severe headaches, migraines, vision loss, and blindness, essentially mimicking the effects of a brain tumor.

Pseudotumor cerebri literally means “false brain tumor” and is a medical condition that produces symptoms that are similar to a growing brain tumor. PTC increases levels of cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull, which puts pressure on the brain and optic nerve.

PTC is an older medical term for Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), which means “high pressure inside the skull for unknown reasons.” No one knows what causes the disease, but it is very rare, estimated to affect only 3.3 women per 100,000 between the ages of 15 and 44 years old who are obese and in their reproductive years.

Birth Control and Pseudotumor Cerebri

Evidence linking birth control and PTC has been growing for decades. In 1995, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study linking 56 cases of PTC with Norplant, a levonorgestrel-releasing IUD similar to Mirena. Since then, case reports have also linked PTC with Depo-Provera (progestin injections) and exogenous estrogen.

There are a number of serious side effects associated with PTC, chief among them blindness and other serious eye injuries. PTC complications include:

Blindness: High pressure inside the skull can decrease blood-supply to the optic nerve and cause swelling of the optic disc at the back of the eye. This condition is known as papilloedema. Once the optic nerve is damaged, there is no cure for damage leading to double-vision or blindness.

Headaches: The most common symptom of PTC is a headache that progressively becomes more severe, persistent, or frequent. Without treatment, women with PTC may suffer from chronic migraine headaches that do not respond to pain medication.

Additional Pseudotumor Cerebri symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Tinnitus
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Blurry, double vision, or blind spots
• Difficulty walking

The treatment for PTC is aimed at reducing levels of cerebrospinal fluid and preventing vision loss. In mild cases, medication may be sufficient to control pressure in the skull. In severe cases, doctors may need to use a surgical tube called a shunt to drain fluid.

Pseudotumor Cerebri Birth Control Lawsuits

Due to lack of research, medical experts don’t necessarily know why pseudotumor cerebri happens. However, certain medicines such as levonorgestrel, the hormone released by Mirena have been associated with the disorder.

In early 2014, Bayer HealthCare was hit with several birth control lawsuits from women who used Mirena and accused Bayer of downplaying the link between  Mirena and Pseudotumor Cerebri (PTC).

If you or a loved one was prescribed hormonal birth control or an IUD such as Mirena and developed PTC, a pseudotumor cerebri birth control lawsuit can help you obtain compensation for present damages as well as the future damages, including pain and suffering, medical bills and other damages that are caused by permanent injuries such as complete or partial vision loss.