Texas Depo-Provera Lawyer

Depo-Provera is a birth control shot that has been linked to an increased risk of a brain tumor called a meningioma.

Need a Texas Depo-Provera Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you were diagnosed with brain tumor after using Depo-Provera, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.

What is Depo-Provera?

Depo-Provera birth control shots have been sold in the U.S. by Pfizer since 1992, but the label does not have warnings about brain tumors. This is concerning because Depo-Provera has been on the market for over 30 years, so millions of women have been using it for a long time.

What Is The Problem?

Unfortunately, long-term use of Depo-Provera was linked to a higher risk of brain tumors in a study that was published by the British Medical Journal in March 2024.

The study is significant because it was the first big study to investigate the risk of brain tumors from hormonal birth control like Depo-Provera.

What Did The Study Find?

Out of 108,336 women overall, 18,061 women were diagnosed with a brain tumor and had surgery from January 2009 to December 2018.

The researchers looked at what type of birth control the women used, and checked to see if brain tumors were more likely for certain types.

Alarmingly, they discovered that brain tumors were nearly 6-times more common for women who used Depo-Provera for at least 1 year.

What About Other Types of Birth Control?

A few other progestogen-based birth control medications were also linked to higher rates of meningioma brain tumors, such as Colprone® (medrogestone), medroxyprogesterone acetate, and promegestone.

The researchers observed a 5.6-fold increased risk of meningioma brain tumors for women who used medroxyprogererone acetate, which is the progestin hormone in Depo-Provera and Depo-SubQ.

No risk of brain tumors was observed for women who used most other types of hormonal birth control, such as progesterone, dydrogesterone, and some hormonal Intra-Uterine Devices (IUDs).

Hormonal Birth Control and Brain Tumors

Depo-Provera is linked to a type of brain tumor called a meningioma. These tumors respond to female sex hormones because most meningiomas have progesterone receptors.

This may help explain why meningiomas are more common in women. Experts are concerned that hormonal birth control could be a risk-factor for meningiomas, or potentially speed up the tumor growth-rate, but more research is needed to fully understand the long-term risks.

How Does Depo-Provera Work?

Depo-Provera contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, which is a type of hormone called a progestogen. It is a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring female sex hormone progesterone.

Depo-Provera is a birth control shot that is administered every 3 months with an injection. It is primarily used to prevent pregnancy, but it can also treat endometriosis or other gynecological conditions.

What Is A Meningioma?

Meningiomas are brain tumors that grow out of the meninges, which is a layer of tissue around the brain and spinal cord. Meningiomas are usually non-cancerous and slow-growing.

Meningioma Diagnosis May Be Delayed For Years

It is possible to live for years without knowing you have a meningioma, until it grows big enough to cause symptoms that lead to a diagnosis. The diagnosis usually involves a CT scan or brain MRI. These tumors are surgically removed if they are large, symptomatic, or fast-growing.

Slow-Growing Meningiomas May Not Cause Symptoms

Meningiomas can grow for years without causing any symptoms at all. When symptoms do appear, they depend on where it is and the size.

The symptoms of a meningioma can also be vague and non-specific, like blurry vision or a dull headache. These symptoms may worsen as time goes on and the tumor grows large enough to push on the brain.

Meningioma symptoms can also appear after the tumor presses into the optic nerve, blood vessels, pituitary gland, or other structures.

Signs & Symptoms of Meningiomas

The symptoms of a meningioma brain tumor may include:

• Headaches (may be worse first thing in the morning)
• Dizziness
• Seizures
• Vision problems (blurry vision, double-vision, etc.)
• Personality changes
• Weakness
• Numbness
• Hearing loss
• Loss of smell
• Memory loss
• Pituitary gland dysfunction
• And more

What Should I Do?

If you were diagnosed with a meningioma (brain tumor) after using Depo-Provera, you will need ongoing check-ups and medical observation if it is slow-growing. However, if the tumor is fast-growing or causing symptoms, you may need surgery to remove the tumor. Like all surgeries, this carries risks.

Depo-Provera Lawsuits for Brain Tumors

Pfizer has been selling Depo-Provera for decades, but patients are only recently learning about the potential risk of brain tumors. There is no excuse for pharmaceutical companies who sell medications without warning women about side effects, or fail to investigate the potential risks.

What Should I Do?

If you were injured by Depo-Provera, our law firm may be able to help you seek justice. You may be eligible to file a birth control lawsuit and seek compensation for your injury, pain and suffering, medical expenses, long-term health problems, and more.

Need a Depo-Provera Lawyer in Texas?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years of experience, participation in over 600 jury trials, and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.