Nicola Mackay, a 53-year-old nurse from Portmahomack in the Highlands, has revealed she only learned of the dangerous side effects of the contraceptive jab Depo-Provera after a Google search, following a diagnosis of three benign brain tumours.
Mackay took the Pfizer-manufactured injection for 23 years until she suffered five seizures in February 2025. After being hospitalised and undergoing an MRI, doctors discovered three benign brain tumours inside her skull. She later underwent surgery to remove one tumour and six sessions of radiotherapy to shrink the others.
Discovery via Google
It was only after returning home and Googling symptoms of the injection that she became aware of its links to brain meningiomas. She told the Record she received no medical advice that tumours were a potential side effect.
“I took this drug for more than two decades and I was never told once that it could cause me to develop a brain tumour,” she said. “Discovering on Google that this contraceptive was linked to so many cases was shocking. I was shaken to my core.”
Impact on life
Mackay's life has changed dramatically since her diagnosis. She has been unable to return to work as a hospice nurse because she can no longer drive due to continuous seizures, and she has been left constantly fatigued and nauseous.
“Nearly two years on, the diagnosis continues to have a devastating impact on my life. I'm unable to drive, unable to work or return to my hobbies,” she said. “My husband and my mum are now having to look after me, when it was my job to care for others. Depo-Provera has taken quite a lot of my life away from me and I grieve the life that I had before my diagnosis.”
Campaign for regulation
Mackay has joined a group of women in Scotland in their fight for the drug to be better regulated in the UK. The women have shared testimonies of suffering from brain tumours, bulging eyes, and seizures, and have been unable to return to their daily lives following long-term use of the drug.
Last month, the victims called on Andy Burnham to launch a UK-wide probe into the drug in a letter. The group is being represented by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland in their fight for compensation.
“A public inquiry would give us full transparency over this drug. There will be women out there who are not displaying symptoms but have a meningioma,” Mackay said. “If we have an inquiry, we can better understand the injection and support younger generations in making informed choices.”
Legal and medical response
Patrick McGuire, senior partner with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, said: “The health problems suffered by Nicola are truly terrifying. For her to be prescribed Depo Provera for 23 years and never be told anything about side effects is shameful.”
He added: “My team are continuing to pursue our Group Litigation against Pfizer, the makers of this drug, but what is becoming clearer with each passing week is that we need to see leadership at a UK level on this matter and ask the new Prime Minister Andy Brunham to institute a full UK wide Public Inquiry. Only an Inquiry of this type has the power to fully investigate what went wrong and what lessons can be learned.”
Research by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2024 found a link between Depo-Provera and meningiomas, stating that women who used the drug were five times more likely to be diagnosed with meningiomas than women who never used the birth control.
Earlier this month, Scotland's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer instructed all GPs to warn women about tumour side effects after the women took their fight to Holyrood. The letter also instructed healthcare providers to review prescriptions every two years and to be aware of actions to take if a tumour is suspected.
Thousands of women in America are currently suing Pfizer. In June, the pharmaceutical giant agreed to settle over 5,000 US lawsuits, and further group actions are expanding across England and the rest of the UK. The legal moves came after women claimed they were never warned about the meningioma risk.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the side effects linked to Depo-Provera. Anyone with questions or concerns should speak with their GP, pharmacist or to a healthcare professional.”
“The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency actively monitors medicines for their safety using the full range of available evidence, including emerging research, global data, and international developments. As with any medicine, the government will consider the most appropriate regulatory action if significant new information emerges.”
A Pfizer spokesperson said: “Patient safety is our top priority. We conduct rigorous and continuous monitoring of all our medicines, including assessments of reported adverse events, in collaboration with health authorities around the globe. We would encourage people to speak to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they have any concerns or experience any side effects.”
