'I got three brain tumours after taking contraceptive injection'

A woman who has been diagnosed with three brain tumours believes they were caused by the birth control drug she took for more than 20 years.

Nicola McKay, 53, says she has met dozens of other women with the same tumours who took the Depo-Provera injection over a long period of time.

The nurse from the Scottish Highlands is one of about 150 women who are at the early stages of taking legal action against drug manufacturer Pfizer.

Pfizer said patient safety was their top priority and they conduct "rigorous continuous monitoring" of all their medicine.

Nicola, from Portmahomak in Easter Ross, started injections of Depo-Provera every three months in the early 2000s.

In February last year she was rushed to hospital after having five seizures. After a scan the following day, she was told she had three non-cancerous brain tumours known as meningiomas.

She told BBC Scotland News: "The drug was convenient, you just assume these things are safe."

After decades working as a nurse, she has had to adjust to a different way of life.

"Before I was such a busy, adventurous, outgoing person and now it has completely changed my life," she said.

"This isn't a minor side effect like a rash - it is brain tumours - and dozens of women are impacted.

"It's devastating, it affects every part of my life - I am such a different person to who I was before.

"I'm a nurse, I miss work, I love being a nurse and after spending my lifetime caring for others, I am having to be looked after now and I have found that really hard."

Medics were unable to completely remove her tumours but one shrank with radiotherapy.

She now faces a lifetime of potential seizures and medication to manage the meningiomas.

Depo-Provera is the brand name for medroxyprogesterone acetate, a progestogen hormone drug which is more than 99% effective as a contraceptive.

In 2024 a study published by the British Medical Journal found women who used it for at least 12 months were 5.6 times more likely to develop meningioma brain tumours.

The same year a patient information leaflet about Depo-Provera was updated by the UK medicines regulator and Pfizer to warn about brain tumours.

Last week, Nicola was one of a group of women who met Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie to discuss calls for a UK-wide inquiry into a link between Depo Provera and meningioma brain tumours.

They also want to see further support for women who believe they have been affected.

"I want every person who prescribes the drug to warn women of the possible side effects," she added.

Kirsty McCord, 52, from Biggar was among those who visited Holyrood with Nicola.

As a teenager, she said she was sold Depo-Provera as a "wonder drug" that would control her periods and her hormones.

More than three decades later she had a seizure that led to a brain tumour diagnosis.

She had brain surgery but not all of it could be removed due to the proximity to a major vein.

"It totally blindsided me - I had a tumour the size of a tangerine which had a cyst attached to it," Kirsty said.

"I'm on anti-seizure medication but there is nothing they can do to prevent the growth of the tumour.

"It's like having a time bomb in my head just waiting to go off, "she added.

Scotland's Public Health Minister Maree Todd said she could not comment on matters which could be subject to legal action.

"I have the utmost sympathy for women who believe they have been harmed by Depo-Provera, and I will be meeting some of the women next week to hear first-hand of their experiences," she added.

The regulation of medicines is reserved to the UK Government.

The UK Department of Health and Social Care said that the government would consider the most appropriate regulatory action if significant new information emerges.

A spokeswoman said: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by these side effects linked to Depo-Provera.

"For most people, the benefits of Depo-Provera outweigh the risks, but anyone with questions or concerns should speak to a healthcare professional, such as a GP or pharmacist."

Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency, said: "As with all medicines, the MHRA keeps the safety of medroxyprogesterone acetate 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."

Law firm, Thompsons Solicitors Scotland is taking on the cases of about 150 women who say they have been adversely affected by the drug.

Partner Patrick McGuire said: "We are in a very early stage of gathering evidence - these cases are not simple.

"In Scotland my firm have been approached by over 200 women who have been impacted and 150 have now signed up for us to take their case on."

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.

"Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) has been approved in more than 60 countries over the last 30 years, has a well-established efficacy and safety profile and has been a treatment option for millions of patients during that time.

"People should talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they have any concerns or experience any side effects."