A Myriad of Mirena Side Effects

Seattle, WAIs the Mirena IUD for birth control worth the risk? Not according to thousands of women who have suffered severe side effects and consequently filed Mirena lawsuits, claiming the device is indeed a dangerous risk.

Despite the contraceptive method being highly effective and - if all goes according to plan - convenient, many women have reported that the device perforated their uterus, which can be a life-threatening condition. Or the Mirena can become embedded in the uterus. As a result of perforation, laparoscopic surgery is usually required to remove the device. Some women live with a myriad of side effects for some time, from migraine to miscarriage and more, before realizing Mirena is to blame.

Here are Mirena complaints from three women (not their real names).

Pseudotumor cerebri

From Pam in Sioux Falls: “I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri, also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension last fall after almost a year of unexplained headaches, blurry vision, nausea and high blood pressure. The Mirena was implanted the year before. The migraines are so severe and frequent that I currently do not drive; I dropped from full-time to part-time work because I must telecommute. This has been emotionally and physically draining."

Migraine

From Valerie in Portland (Oregon): “I had the Mirena removed in 2010 and got pregnant a year later. Not long after my baby was born I experienced frequent headaches. They ended up turning into severe migraines so bad that my neurologist prescribed me a medication where I can inject myself. That’s the only medication that seems to sort of work. I experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blurry and doubled vision. Before I had the IUD put in, I hardly ever got headaches, and not once in my 26 years have I ever had a migraine.”

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in August of 2014 rejected a centralized bid by Mirena plaintiffs suing Bayer over neurological conditions allegedly caused by its device. At the time only nine suits claimed these side effects. Almost 18 months later, many more pseudotumor cerebri complaints are being filed.

Infection: Sepsis and pelvic inflammatory disease

From Brenda in Seattle: “Mirena has caused me extreme abdominal pain, constant bleeding and has led to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). After having a painful injection of antibiotics followed by two weeks of oral antibiotics to treat the PID, I went back to my OB-GYN to have the Mirena removed - an extremely painful process. Unfortunately the IUD couldn’t be found so I am now scheduled for surgical removal. My doctor says it is embedded in my uterus. I am seeking legal representation to sue Bayer for the defective product.”

Zabrinah Brown from California had the Mirena implanted in 2014. In her lawsuit, Brown claims the Mirena perforated her uterus less than a year later, embedded within her uterine tissues and required surgical removal. After surgery she remained in the hospital for one month. She had acquired sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Her Mirena lawsuit seeks compensatory damages in excess of $75,000 and was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on September 22, 2015.