A condition known as pseudotumor cerebri (or “false brain tumor”) has been linked in recent reports to various methods of birth control, including birth control pills, birth control implants, and birth control patches such as Ortho Evra.

Many patients who suffer from pseudotumor cerebri have begun to file lawsuits against birth control companies for failure to adequately warn of this increased danger.

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is not a condition that involves actual tumors, but is instead connected with symptoms that resemble those of brain tumors. So while PTC is not a real brain tumor, it is still a serious condition.

PTC is characterized by an abnormal increase in cerebrospinal pressure in the skull. This pressure, known as Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) involves a number of severe and frightening symptoms that come along with it.

Pseudotumor cerebri symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Moderate to severe headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Tinnitus or pulsatile tinnitus (ringing in the ears in sync with the heartbeat)
• Vision changes (including blurred, dimmed, or double vision)
• Papilledema (swollen optic nerve)
• Neck, shoulder, and/or back pain
• Difficulty walking
• Forgetfulness
• Depression

The most essential aspect of treatment for pseudotumor cerebri is relieving or reducing the severe intracranial pressure, which reduces risk of serious consequences.

This treatment can include medication, lumbar punctures (a process removing extraneous cerebrospinal fluid to reduce cranial pressure), and in the most severe cases, brain surgery.

While anyone can be diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri, this dangerous condition is most common with women who are overweight and close to menopause.

Pregnant women also have a higher than average likelihood of developing PTC. Men and children can develop PTC, but this occurs far less often. Infants very rarely suffer from PTC.

PTC Birth Control Lawsuits

It is yet uncertain what exactly causes pseudotumor cerebri, but there is some indication that certain medicines may make a person more likely to develop the condition.

Women diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri, and who have taken birth control medication, may be able to file a birth control lawsuit.

Consumers who have filed birth control PTC lawsuits previously claim that birth control manufacturers did not adequately warn them of the potential risk of pseudotumor cerebri before they began taking birth control.

These birth control PTC lawsuits claim that it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to adequately and effectively inform consumers and the medical community of their products’ potential risks. In the case of these birth control pills, as well as patches such as the Ortho Evra, failure to do so directly resulted in diagnoses of pseudotumor cerebri.

Many people have filed pseudotumor cerebri birth control lawsuits because of the losses they have experienced from diagnosis with this serious condition. Others have joined pseudotumor cerebri birth control class action lawsuits against various birth control manufacturers.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri after using a form of birth control medication, you may be able to file a birth control PTC lawsuit or join a birth control class action lawsuit. A birth control PTC awsuit may help to partially compensate for the pain and suffering that PTC and its associated medical procedures and costs has caused.