A Scottish mother has warned that women using the Depo-Provera contraceptive injection could be living as "ticking time bombs" after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour following 15 years of using the drug.
Frances Connolly, 48, from Forfar in Angus, was diagnosed with a meningioma when she gave birth to her son by C-section in January 2018. The mass had been growing undetected inside her skull and was found during an MRI scan carried out after she contracted sepsis.
Connolly had been taking the Depo Provera birth control jab for 15 years before her pregnancy. A proven link between the drug and meningiomas was established in 2014, when the British Medical Journal found that women who used it were five times more likely to be diagnosed with the tumours than those who had never used the contraceptive.
Diagnosis came as a complete shock
Connolly said: "My diagnosis came as a complete shock to me. I took Depo-Provera for 15 years and I never thought something like this would happen. It is so chilling that you can take this drug for years, develop a brain tumour and be none the wiser. If the tell-tale signs aren't there, then the tumour can go completely undetected like mine did."
She added: "Women living on this drug will be walking around like ticking time bombs, not knowing they have tumours growing inside their heads."
Connolly said she was not made aware of the risks surrounding the drug and believes that if the NHS cannot provide regular screenings, Depo-Provera should be taken off the market.
Life-altering effects after surgery
Since undergoing surgery to remove the tumour, Connolly has been left with chronic fatigue, memory loss and severe headaches. She said: "My tumour feels like a death sentence and my life will never be the same again. Since my diagnosis, I have began suffering from serious fatigue and memory loss and sometimes I struggle to remember special memories. I underwent surgery and I came out from that operating theatre a different person. It's life-altering."
She continued: "Yet I fear there will be hundreds of others out there like me with tumours that have no idea. Women take this jag because of how convenient it is, but they have to be made be fully aware of the risks they are taking, then they need to be monitored. If the NHS can't do that, then this drug needs to be taken off the market. It's as simple as that."
Calls for screening and regulation
Connolly has joined a group of around 150 victims in Scotland in their fight for the drug to be better regulated in the UK. The Record has been highlighting the plights of dozens of women in Scotland who have been left with bulging eyes and brain tumours after consistent use of Depo-Provera.
Patrick McGuire, senior partner with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, representing the women, described Connolly's case as "deeply upsetting". He said: "Frances has been prescribed Depo-Provera for 15 years without any warning about side effects and then she went on to develop a tumour but displayed no symptoms. How many other women throughout Scotland and the wider UK could be in this situation? What we need now is real political leadership from both Holyrood and Westminster. Politicians need to wake up to this scandal and institute a full UK-wide public inquiry. This is the only way we will be able to learn lessons, help victims and prevent more people from becoming ill through Depo Provera."
Earlier this month, Scotland's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer instructed all GPs to warn women about the tumour side effect after victims took their fight to Holyrood. The letter also instructed healthcare providers to review prescriptions every two years and to be aware of the actions they should take in the event that a tumour is suspected. Connolly does not believe these guidelines go far enough, saying: "Routine scanning is crucial to prevent these tumours from growing and causing disability - or even death."
Legal and regulatory response
Around 5,000 women are currently suing Pfizer in the US, and further group actions are expanding across England and the rest of the UK.
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "Frances is right - it is absolutely vital that the Scottish Government take action here and roll out screening for women who have been prescribed Depo-Provera. We cannot leave it to chance that tumours are found – as in Frances' case – we need proactive preventative screening. This cannot be another example of women's health issues being ignored and left to get worse. There is no time for delay on this – the health of these women needs to be a priority for this government and for the NHS."
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: "Patient safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with Mrs Connolly and her loved ones as she continues her recovery. For the majority of people, the benefits of Depo-Provera outweighs the risks, but we advise anyone with any concerns to speak with their GP, pharmacist, or contraceptive provider. As with all medicines, the MHRA keeps the safety of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and other synthetic forms of progesterone under continual review, using the full range of available evidence, including emerging research, global data, and international developments. In line with usual processes, the need for further regulatory action will be considered, should significant new information be identified."
A spokesperson for Pfizer 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."
