Bayer HealthCare is facing a new pseudotumor cerebri lawsuit from an Arkansas woman, whose claim is joining a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL). This pseudotumor cerebri lawsuit will be joining a group of similar claims, also alleging serious complications from the Mirena IUD.

Plaintiff Latoya K. is filing this pseudotumor cerebri lawsuit, alleging Bayer HealthCare failed to warn her against the potential complications caused by the Mirena IUD. Like numerous other women, Latoya had opted for the Mirena IUD because of its convenience. The device is directly implanted into the uterus and is meant to last up to five years.

Given the convenience and benefits of the device, Latoya says she had the Mirena IUD implanted on April 16, 2009 with no initial complications. Latoya alleges that her physician had recommended the Mirena IUD, after reviewing the marketing materials provided by Bayer HealthCare.

According to the Mirena IUD lawsuit, these marketing statements made no mentioning of serious side effects like pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), while focusing on the convenience and benefits the contraceptive presented.

Latoya alleges she began experiencing painful symptoms in the summer of 2013 including: severe headaches, blurred vision, vision loss, tinnitus, nausea, dizziness, and pain in the neck, back, and shoulders.

Latoya says that she was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri on July 3, 2013, which spurred her to have the Mirena IUD removed on April 3, 2014. Since her diagnosis, Latoya had been prescribed Diamox and had undergone a lumbar puncture and shunt procedure.

Latoya alleges she still suffers from PTC side effects, and will most likely experience interference from these injuries for some time to come. Latoya is filing this pseudotumor cerebri lawsuit against Bayer HealthCare, alleging the company either knew or should have known about the possibility of PTC development.

Overview of Mirena Pseudotumor Cerebri

The Mirena IUD is a small T-shaped device, which is directly implanted inside the uterus and releases hormones from the device’s endpoints. The hormone released into the body is a synthetic progestin called levonorgestrel, which prevents sperm to egg fertilization. The Mirena IUD is meant to stay inside the uterus for up to five years, providing pregnancy prevention.

The Mirena IUD has been on the market since 2000 and has been prescribed to millions of women across the world. However, there have been a number of patients who have reported experiencing side effects from the Mirena IUD, with pseudotumor cerebri being one of them.

Cerebrospinal fluid is the spongy fluid that protects the brain and spine from impact. Pseudotumor cerebri occurs when the body becomes unable to keep up in filtering the body’s cerebrospinal fluid levels, which often leads to migraines, blurry vision, and other symptoms akin to brain tumors. This often causes a severe buildup of spinal fluid in the skull and in the optic nerve, which can cause potentially permanent vision loss and even blindness.

Even though these Mirena IUD complications can be potentially devastating to patients, Bayer HealthCare had allegedly failed to warn patients, according to the Mirena IUD lawsuit.

Latoya’s pseudotumor cerebri lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2767, and is seeking damages for negligence and failure to warn.

This Pseudotumor Cerebri Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-02675-PAE-JLC, in the U.S. District Court of Southern New York.