A growing number of lawsuits are being filed over Mirena IUD complications, alleging the birth control can cause pseudotumor cerebri problems.

The Mirena birth control product is manufactured and distributed by Bayer Healthcare.

Though certain kinds of birth control have been linked with pseudotumor cerebri complications since as far back as the 1990s, the Mirena IUD may place patients at particular risk, according to new studies.

A June 2015 study noted the “higher than expected number of reports of ICH” linked with Mirena. ICH stands for intra-cranial hypertension, another term for pseudotumor cerebri.

What is Pseudotumor Cerebri?

While it is not fatal, pseudotumor cerebri, or PTC, can be very painful and even permanently damaging to those it affects.

Simply put, pseudotumor cerebri is the build-up of excess cerebrospinal fluid in a person’s skull, which can cause serious problems. Excess cerebrospinal fluid from pseudotumor cerebri can result in extreme pressure inside the skull, causing headaches and migraines.

As the pressure builds, it may begin to affect a patient’s vision, causing partial vision loss or even total blindness in some rare cases.

Pseudotumor cerebri is named this because it shares a number of symptoms with actual brain tumors, even though it is not actually a tumor. The similarities mean that PTC patients are often misdiagnosed with tumors at first. Diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri is tricky, since the only available means of diagnosis is through a spinal tap.

Treatment for PTC should be sought as soon as possible, since the damage to a patient’s vision can be extreme and permanent.

Some indicators of pseudotumor cerebri to be on the lookout for when using Mirena:

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

Mirena IUD Lawsuits

A growing number of Mirena IUD lawsuits against Bayer Healthcare allege the company failed to warn the public and the medical community about the substantial risks linked with the popular birth control, including pseudotumor cerebri complications.

Patients say that had Bayer Healthcare and other companies who manufacture similar birth control products adequately warned them of the risks involved, they may have been able to avoid extreme consequences, including pain and loss of vision.

Birth control lawyers are looking for women who have been diagnosed with PTC after using a variety of birth control, including Mirena, Depo-Provera, and Ortho Evra.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Mirena complications such as pseudotumor cerebri, you may be able to file a Mirena IUD lawsuit.

While filing such a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of side effects, filing a birth control PTC lawsuit may help to partially compensate for the pain and suffering that PTC and its associated medical procedures and costs has caused.