The alleged correlation between pseudotumor cerebri and birth control has been a growing concern to the medical community and patient population.

Injury reports of pseudotumor cerebri and birth control have been steadily increasing over the years, with a number of contraceptives under scrutiny manufactured by Bayer HealthCare.

One of these contraceptives is the Mirena IUD. The FDA and other experts believe that contraceptives like Mirena containing the hormone levonorgestrel may induce pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) symptoms. Since the Mirena’s release in 2000, over 70,000 injury reports have been filed with the FDA describing incidents of device failure and pseudotumor cerebri.

Pseudotumor cerebri is a neurological condition which is often characterized by increased cranial pressure that is typically associated with brain tumor development. The cranial pressure is caused by excess spinal fluid, the spongy fluid responsible for protecting the brain and spine, in which the body cannot keep up with reabsorbing the fluid due to increased spinal fluid production. However, in this case, there is no tumor, just tumor-like symptoms.

While the exact cause of PTC is unknown, some experts believe it may be linked to the progestin hormone levonorgestrel. This hormone is used in a number of Bayer contraceptives, with the Mirena IUD being one of the most common. However, the link between pseudotumor cerebri and birth control has also been exhibited in a number of other contraceptives including:

• Yaz
• Yasmin
• Beyaz
• Ocella
• Mirena IUD
• NuvaRing vaginal ring

Overview of Pseudotumor Cerebri and Birth Control Correlation

Injury reports of pseudotumor cerebri linked to birth control have spawned a new string of Mirena IUD lawsuits, alleging the device had caused them to develop PTC symptoms. If diagnosed early, there are numerous treatment options for pseudotumor cerebri so patients should be vigilant against any PTC symptoms including:

• Headaches: These headaches will start out as dull and at the back of the head, but it will become more frequent and will steadily become more painful. Women had reported the most severe headaches have occurred during late night or early morning.
• Whooshing Noises: Spinal fluid will build up in the skull, causing some women reporting hearing strange whooshing noises.
• Blurred or Double Vision: If the woman experiences blurred vision, this could indicate the condition is worsening as the build up of spinal fluid could start pressuring her optic nerves.
• Temporary Blindness: As the spinal fluid continues to build up and increase pressure on the optic nerve, this can potentially cause temporary blindness or even experience blackouts.
• Permanent Blindness: Once the condition progresses far enough, the patient will become permanently blind.

It is important to note that each patient will respond differently to treatments, with each of the solutions focusing on stopping the spinal fluid build up and repairing any vision damage. Often, shunts and spinal taps are implemented to help drain the excess fluid to reduce pressure on the optic nerves.

Even with these treatment options available, the alleged correlation between pseudotumor cerebri and birth control is highly concerning. Affected patients claim Bayer HealthCare and other pharmaceutical companies have the civil obligation to warn the public against these complications, and a number have opted to take legal action.