A growing number of birth control lawsuits are accusing drug manufacturers of failing to warn women that contraceptives like Mirena, Yaz, Depo-Provera and NuvaRing can cause increased skull pressure known as “intracranial hypertension” that mimics the symptoms of a false brain tumor.

Intracranial hypertension occurs when the cerebrospinal fluid in the skull increases in pressure. The three most common intracranial hypertension symptoms include severe headache, change in vision, and pulse-synchronous tinnitus (when you hear a whooshing sound in the ear(s) at the same rate as the heart beat).

There are many other intracranial hypertension symptoms, and patients may experience more than one.

There are two forms of intracranial hypertension: acute and chronic. Acute intracranial pressure typically comes from a severe event such as an injury, aneurysm, or stroke. This form of intracranial hypertension can be fatal due to the fact that it arises very quickly and sometimes unexpectedly after an event.

Intracranial pressure treatment for acute cases involves surgically removing a part of the skull which releases the pressure building up inside the skull.

Chronic intracranial hypertension is different. The pressure inside the skull builds over time and can last for long periods of time as well. Sometimes, the cause of chronic intracranial hypertension is unknown, but it may also be caused by injuries, cerebral blood clots, and drugs.

It has been alleged that intracranial hypertension is one of the many potential side effects from birth control that women have developed. Other potential side effects named in birth control lawsuits include pseudotumor cerebri. What is less commonly known is that, “idiopathic intracranial hypertension is the term of choice among researchers today,” for the same condition, according to the Intracranial Hypertension Research Foundation (IHRF).

The IHRF also noted that the connection between intracranial hypertension and birth control is still not fully known. They claimed that Norplant (levonorgestrel) was a confirmed cause of secondary intracranial hypertension. They also pointed out that the estrogen in birth control pills can increase the risk of blood clots, and cerebral blood clots are a known cause of secondary intracranial hypertension as well.

Birth Control Lawsuits

Many birth control lawsuits have been filed against major drug manufacturers such as Bayer and Pfizer for failing to warn about intracranial hypertension side effects of birth control in addition to side effects such as:

• Headaches
• Migraines
• Dizziness
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Changes in vision
• Ringing or “whooshing” in the ears
• Problems Walking
• Neck stiffness
• Forgetfulness
• Depression

Popular birth control pills and IUD devices (NuvaRing, Mirena IUD) have been alleged to cause a severe change in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure within the skull.