An Arkansas woman recently filed a lawsuit over Mirena pseudotumor cerebri complications after being implanted with the popular IUD. The plaintiff, Shannon W., is just one of the growing number of plaintiffs alleging that the device can cause serious side effects, including Mirena pseudotumor cerebri.

Shannon says she is now 29 years old. She was implanted with a Mirena IUD in October 2007 and at the time, there were no complications. However, in May 2014, Shannon was diagnosed with Mirena pseudotumor cerebri. She alleges this condition has caused permanent injury, as well as substantial and ongoing medical expenses.

The Mirena pseudotumor cerebri lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, design defect, failure to warn, strict liability, breach of express and implied warranty, negligent misrepresentation, and others.

Mirena Background

The Mirena IUD is a popular birth control product manufactured by Bayer Healthcare. New studies indicate that Mirena may be linked with a greater risk of certain side effects than other, similar IUD options. A study published in June 2015 noted the “higher than expected number of reports of ICH,” or intracranial hypertension, linked with the Mirena IUD.

Mirena Pseudotumor Cerebri Complications

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is also known as intracranial hypertension, or ICH. Pseudotumor cerebri is not actually a tumor, and is not fatal. However, while not life-threatening, Mirena pseudotumor cerebri can be very painful and can even cause permanent damage.

Essentially, Mirena pseudotumor cerebri is the build-up of excess cerebrospinal fluid in a person’s skull. As one might expect, this can cause serious problems. Excess cerebrospinal fluid from Mirena pseudotumor cerebri can result in extreme pressure inside the skull, causing headaches and migraines. As the pressure builds, side effects become more extreme. This may begin to affect a patient’s vision, causing partial vision loss or, in rare cases, even total blindness.

While pseudotumor cerebri is not actually a tumor, it is named this because it shares a number of symptoms with actual brain tumors. 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 a Mirena IUD:

• 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 Pseudotumor Cerebri Lawsuit

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

If you or someone you love has suffered from Mirena pseudotumor cerebri, you may be able to file a birth control lawsuit. While filing such a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of Mirena pseudotumor cerebri or other side effects, it may help compensate for the financial cost caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Mirena Pseudotumor Cerebri Lawsuit is Walker v. Bayer Healthcare, et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-03259-SDW-LDW, in the U.S. District Court for the Newark Division of the District of New Jersey.