Karina Basso  |  May 22, 2015

Category: Legal News

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Pseudotumor Birth Control HeadacheAccording to medical reports, there is a strong relationship between a woman’s hormonal levels and the headaches she experiences. Estrogen and progesterone, hormones that play a huge role in regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle and other reproductive functions, form the basis of hormonal birth control and can affect chemicals in the brain that cause headaches and even migraines.

In some cases, fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause women’s headaches to worsen or cause women who did not previously experience headaches or migraines to be plagued by them. These fluctuating hormone levels are likely to occur with certain types of hormonal-based birth control such as pills, patches, shots, rings, and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Generally, women who have a steady supply of estrogen can actually lower the intensity or frequency of headaches and migraines. This can be accomplished by having a medical professional prescribe a type of hormonal birth control. However, some birth control products provide erratic levels of estrogen or progesterone, causing several birth control side effects including headaches, migraines, and false brain tumors.

Some women experience a migraine or debilitating headache for the first time when they begin taking hormonal birth control. According to the Mayo Clinic, the following steps may help women experiencing migraines while on birth control:

  • Talking to a doctor about switching birth control brands or methods
  • Using a monthly birth control pill pack that has fewer placebo pills for inactive days
  • Eliminating placebo days completely
  • Using birth control pills or products that contain a lower estrogen dose
  • Taking NSAIDs during inactive days
  • Using an estrogen skin patch once a week during the placebo days

In some extreme cases, the steps above may not help and a woman may develop a condition known as pseudotumor cerebri when taking hormonal birth control pills or products.

What is Birth Control Pseudotumor Cerebri?

Pseudotumor cerebri (or intracranial hypertension) is a painful neurological condition where increased brain pressure due to excessive spinal fluid causes physical symptoms similar to a brain tumor. Although researchers are still searching for what exactly causes this fake brain tumor, many doctors and researchers suggest that hormonal birth control may increase a patient’s risk of developing pseudotumor cerebri, as these drugs may be causing the poor absorption of cerebrospinal fluid by a patient’s body.

Based on recorded incidences of pseudotumor cerebri , some symptoms include:

  • Frequent headaches/migraines that start behind the eyes and increase in intensity with eye movement
  • Pulsatile tinnitus
  • Dizziness or nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Blurred vision, double vision, blind spots
  • Vision loss in one or both eyes
  • Difficulty seeing to the side (decreased peripheral vision)
  • Seeing light flashes (photopsia)
  • Neck stiffness
  • Neck, shoulder or back pain
  • Problems walking
  • Forgetfulness
  • Depression

Many different types of birth control allegedly increase the risk of developing pseudotumor cerebri. Birth control pills, patches, shots, rings, and IUD’s all have the potential to cause benign intracranial hypertension. Some brand name birth control pills and products that can allegedly cause this neurological condition include Ocella, Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, Mirena IUD, Depo-Provera, Gardasil, Implanon, Nexplanon, NuvaRing, Ortho Evra, and ParaGard.

As a result of the pain and suffering experienced by intracranial hypertension victims, many women have filed pseudotumor cerebri lawsuits or joined a pseudotumor cerebri class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of these birth control drugs and devices.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or birth control class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, birth control lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Join a Free Pseudotumor Cerebri Birth Control Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri or intracranial hypertension after using birth control, you may have a legal claim.  Submit your information now for a free case evaluation.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.