A Florida woman recently filed a new Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit, alleging that the birth control device led to serious side effects, including pseudotumor cerebri.

The plaintiff, Lakeyshia T., was implanted with the Mirena IUD in August 2006. However, in January of the next year—a scant five months later—Lakeyshia was diagnosed with a condition called pseudotumor cerebri, also known as intracranial hypertension.

In response, Lakeyshia filed this Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit, alleging that her injuries were a direct result of the Mirena birth control implant.

According to the Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit, the Mirena device was defective. But according to Lakeyshia, manufacturer Bayer failed to adequately warn the public and the medical community about the device’s risks, including pseudotumor cerebri.

Lakeyshia filed her Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit on July 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, design defect, failure to warn, strict liability, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, and several others.

What is the Mirena IUD?

Mirena is a small and flexible birth control device, manufactured by Bayer Healthcare and first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. By 2009, Mirena had also been approved to treat heavy periods.

In the less than two decades since its release, Mirena has quickly become a popular option for birth control, with around 15 million across the world implanted with Mirena.

Despite its popularity, a growing number of consumers have in recent years begun filing Mirena lawsuits against Bayer Pharmaceuticals for failing to adequately warn in their advertising or labeling of the potential risk of developing serious side effects of birth control like pseudotumor cerebri because of the device.

Serious Mirena Side Effects Include Intracranial Hypertension, or PTC

Any medical device or medication will come with certain side effects. However, Mirena birth control has been linked with a serious side effect that could cause lasting issues for patients.

Pseudotumor cerebri, meaning “false brain tumor,” is so named for having similar symptoms to brain tumors without actually involving a tumor at all. Pseudotumor cerebri is also known as intracranial hypertension, or ICH.

Intracranial hypertension is caused by the buildup of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the skull, which can cause serious problems. Excess cerebrospinal fluid can result in several pseudotumor cerebri Mirena symptoms, including extreme pressure inside the skull, causing headaches and migraines. Though this condition is not fatal, patients that suffer from pseudotumor cerebri Mirena symptoms can experience pain and even permanent damage, such as vision loss or even total blindness.

Patients implanted with Mirena should be aware of these symptoms, which may indicate pseudotumor cerebri:

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

Filing a Mirena Intracranial Hypertension Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has used Mirena or a similar IUD and has since suffered from side effects of birth control like intracranial hypertension as a result, you may be able to file a Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit.

While filing a Mirena intracranial hypertension lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these side effects of birth control, it can help to alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses and lost wages.

The Mirena Intracranial Hypertension Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-05767-UA, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.