A Georgia woman recently filed a lawsuit against Bayer Healthcare, alleging its birth control device led to serious Mirena IUD side effects.

The plaintiff, Natashka M., was implanted with the Mirena IUD system on March 24, 2009. The implantation went without complication, but within a couple of years, Natashka was suffering from serious Mirena IUD side effects.

According to the lawsuit, Natashka was diagnosed in March 2011 with pseudotumor cerebri, a condition also known as intracranial hypertension. Mirena users in large numbers have reported suffering from pseudotumor cerebri.

In response to these serious Mirena IUD side effects, Natashka filed a lawsuit against Bayer, alleging that her injuries were directly caused by the Mirena IUD device.

Natashka filed her Mirena IUD lawsuit on Aug. 29, 2017, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The 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 others.

Background of the Popular 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) back in 2000. Since its release, Mirena quickly became a popular option for birth control. Around 15 million women across the world have been implanted with the Mirena IUD system.

Any medical device or medication will come with certain complications, and Mirena IUD side effects are no exception. However, Mirena birth control has been linked with one particular side effect that could cause lasting issues for patients – pseudotumor cerebri.

Serious Mirena IUD Side Effects

Pseudotumor cerebri (also known as PTC) is a strange name, and may initially sound like it is a kind of tumor, but it’s not. Pseudotumor cerebri essentially means “false brain tumor,” and is named this because of the similar symptoms it shares with 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 may, as one can imagine, cause serious problems. Excess cerebrospinal fluid can cause several symptoms, including extreme pressure inside the skull, leading to headaches and migraines.

While this condition is not fatal, patients that suffer from Mirena pseudotumor cerebri 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 of Mirena IUD side effects, 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 Lawsuit Over Mirena IUD Side Effects

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

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

The Mirena IUD Side Effects Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-06580-UA, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.