Birth control products can be helpful not only preventing pregnancy but also in decreasing other menstrual symptoms such as cramps and menstrual cycle irregularity. They have also been found effective in managing acne.

However, birth control products, from the pill to the patch to the ring, all have severe, painful, and possibly fatal side effects. Recent medical studies suggest that there exists a high correlation between birth control and migraines, as well as birth control and benign intracranial hypertension.

According to a recent study, researchers would not advise women suffering from migraines, especially migraines with aura, to take combination oral contraceptives (also known as COCs). While it has been widely agreed upon in the medical community that COCs have been known to cause or aggravate headaches, not as many studies on the effects of birth control on migraines have been conducted.

However, based on some recent studies on birth control and migraines, the International Classification of Headaches Disorders has identified two birth control hormone factors associated with COCs which may aggravate migraines in women. These are exogenous hormone-induced headaches/migraines and estrogen withdrawal headache/migraines.

Because exogenous and estrogen hormone-based birth controls may fluctuate in the amount of hormones being put out to the body, it may aggravate migraines during the pill-free week.

In addition to allegedly worsening a migraine condition, combination birth control may also cause benign intracranial hypertension, which also has migraine-like or tumor-like symptoms and pain.

What is Benign Intracranial Hypertension?

Benign intracranial hypertension (or pseudotumor cerebri) is a medical condition in which a patient may experience increased brain pressure that mimics the symptoms of brain tumors and migraine-like sensations. Although researchers are still not clear on what exactly causes benign intracranial hypertension, they have theorized that the condition is likely caused by buildup and/or poor absorption of cerebrospinal fluid. When this fluid is not properly drained, the resulting pressure can cause severe pain and other side effects, and present as a pseudotumor.

Certain birth control pills and IUDs have been found to have a high number of adverse incident reports claiming the patients are exhibiting intracranial hypertension symptoms.

Popular birth controls allegedly found to cause intracranial hypertension include:

• Yaz
• Yasmin
• Beyaz
• Ocella
• Mirena IUD
• Depo-Provera
• Implanon
• Nexplanon
• NuvaRing
• Ortho Evra
• ParaGard

Benign Intracranial Hypertension Symptoms

Based on research and recorded pseudotumor cerebri cases, some benign intracranial hypertension symptoms allegedly exhibited by birth control consumers 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

Because of the alleged lack of consumer warning and the resulting pain and suffering experienced by women using various types of birth control, many women are choosing to file benign intracranial hypertension lawsuits or are joining benign intracranial hypertension class action lawsuits.