Jumat, 27 April 2012

Taking the contraceptive pill caused my teenage daughter's strokes, says mother

Taking the contraceptive pill caused my teenage daughter's strokes, says mother

By Nazia Parveen

PUBLISHED: 07:03 EST, 26 April 2012 | UPDATED: 16:18 EST, 26 April 2012


Gemma Hill is studying chlildcare at college following her two strokes

Gemma Hill is studying chlildcare at college following her two strokes

A healthy 15-year-old girl suffered two devastating strokes after she began taking the Pill.

Gemma Hill collapsed and started vomiting weeks after being prescribed the contraceptive to ease period pains.

Four days later she suffered a stroke, caused by a clot on her brain, and had several fits in hospital.

The stroke left Gemma unable to walk and badly affected her speech, memory and sight.

She underwent two months of intensive therapy but then had another stroke.

Doctors told the teenager the Pill could have caused the strokes, as it can increase the risk of blood clots.

Two and a half years on, Gemma is still numb on one side of her body and struggles with lifting.

Her case emerged after an NHS report recommended that girls as young as 13 should be given the contraceptive pill without having to see a doctor, following a number of pilot projects involving high street pharmacies.

Now Gemma’s mother, Maria Murphy, has called on the NHS to think again.

Mrs Murphy, 40, from Leicester, said: ‘It would be ridiculous to let girls who are just 13 years old be able to get the Pill without seeing a doctor.

'I think teenagers under 16 should need parental permission and a consultation with their GP before going on the Pill, otherwise they won’t be adequately informed.

‘They’re just going to walk into their local pharmacist and say, “give me the Pill”, and that’s it. It’s crazy.’

Gemma Hill, 2nd from left, in the Royal Leicester Infirmary hospital with friends in November 2009

Still smiling: Gemma Hill, 2nd from left, in the Royal Leicester Infirmary hospital with friends in November 2009

Normally women can go on the Pill only after they have had a thorough consultation with a GP or nurse as it can cause side effects including blood clots. This would change if the report’s recommendations were adopted. 

Mrs Murphy said she was shocked when doctors told her that Gemma’s stroke could have been caused by the Pill.

The mother-of-two said: ‘After Gemma’s scan revealed she had a stroke, the  consultant asked if Gemma was on  any medication.

‘I said, “no, just the Pill” and he said that the blood clot could have been caused by that.

Gemma back at the Royal Leicester in October 2011

Gemma back at the Royal Leicester in October 2011. She still experiences numbness on one side of her body

Gemma, who is now 17, started taking Microgynon, a common version of the Pill, in October 2009, shortly after her 15th birthday - but soon felt dizzy and sick

Gemma, now 17, began taking Microgynon, a common version of the Pill, in October 2009, soon after she turned 15 - but then felt dizzy and sick

‘I was horrified when he said that, but ever since I’m convinced that was the cause. She suffered her stroke just weeks after taking the Pill for the first time â€" it’s too much of a coincidence for it not to be.

‘I remember thinking, “I thought the Pill was harmless, but now my daughter is in hospital â€" unable to walk or talk”.

‘It was heartbreaking to see Gemma  like that; I wouldn’t wish that upon  my worst enemy. It’s every mother’s  worst nightmare.’

Gemma, who is now 17, started  taking Microgynon, a common version of the Pill, in October 2009, shortly after her 15th birthday.

But in November she returned home from school one day feeling dizzy and sick and began vomiting blood. She was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary where she was diagnosed with a viral infection. She was sent home the next day with antibiotics.

Four days later however she suffered a stroke, which left her confused with badly affected speech and sight and no feeling in the left side of her body.

In January 2010 she suffered a  second stroke.

Gemma with some of the medication she has to take daily to treat her condition

Gemma with some of the medication she has to take daily to treat her condition

Gemma, who is studying childcare at college, is now able to walk again and her speech and sight have returned to normal, but she remains numb on one side of her body.

Her mother added: ‘I am proud of Gemma, but her strokes have changed everything. She isn’t the girl she once was.’

'I think teenagers under 16 should need parental permission and a consultation with their GP before going on the pill, otherwise they won’t be adequately informed,' she said.

'They’re just going to walk into their local pharmacist and say, ‘give me the pill’, and that’s it. It’s crazy.'

A spokesman for Bayer Healthcare, which makes the Pill, said: ‘The venous thromboembolism [blood clot] risk is slightly increased for women taking Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs) when compared with non-users.’

The NHS National Prescribing Centre also said the risk was only small â€" and the chances of suffering a stroke caused by bleeding into the brain were even rarer, with studies suggesting a ‘weak’ link to using the Pill.


Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

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If she has migraines, of course she shouldn't take Microgynon. I had exactly same situation and had a mini stroke. My GP completely failed to warn me about it and it was terrifying. However, when I went to see doctor after the mini stroke, he was livid that I hadn't been warned about it. Shows what a mess NHS is...

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I had a dvt, found a couple of days after a longhaul flight back from hawaii, (Hawaii, LA, LA London, done in one day. I'm 5"8 was 116lbs at the time and a non smoker, I was on the pill however. I began getting pains in my legs after sitting still for a while about 2 years prior when I first began taking the pill, I had seen a GP about it who thought it was varicose veins hidden deep beneath the skin? I was negative for test for Thrombophilia at the time, so they thought I was ok for the pill. I think it absolutely can cause dangerous blood clots, it's a form of a steroid and is not a medication to be taken lightly. Very sorry to read Gemma had a stroke which affected her so much, I'm thankful she's succeeded in rehabilitation and of course if alive t tell the tale, thank you for sharing the story Gemma more young women need to be aware of the risks of the pill. Years later Ive had o be extra careful when having surgeries or pregnant, taking medication which lowers clotting risk

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Why is she on the pill at 15?

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oh for goodness sake, these stories have been coming out since the pill was first ever prescribed - you all know the risks

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She should not have been having sexual relations of any sort as , at 15, she was under the age of consent. - brian harwood, portsmouth uk, 26/4/2012...BEFORE you start prejudging Gemma I suggest you a) read the story and b) research the uses of the pill...it's not just for contraception. I was 29, married and had been on the pill before having my son. After he was born I suffered a stroke. As I had been fit and healthy, never smoked or drank, the cause was put down to the pill. I was told not take it again and advised not to have any more children either...that was over 25 years ago. I still have problems with my left side which is numb, my left arm and leg are weak and I am deaf in my left ear....and they want to make this drug available to 13 year olds WITHOUT medical supervision...absolutely wrong on every count.

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Doctors prescribe Microgynon first because it's one of the cheapest forms of the Pill. It was terrible for me and I didn't realise for a year, causing some really bizarre side-effects not mentioned in the leaflet. I'm now on a more expensive form with more hormones in and doing much better!

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@Hannah - "I think everyone shoudl have to go to the doctors for the pill and also have 6 monthly check ups as your body is always changing" Who's going to pay for all that? - Mike Lovell, Chicago, British ExPat, 26/04/2012 14:31 Are you really that dim? Firstly as many women pay taxes that fund the NHS they are entitled to a regular check ups. Secondly if a woman feels she has a problem with the pill she would schedule an appointment with her GP. Hannah simply suggests that this is scheduled in advance and that people have all the information they need before taking the pill seems like money well spent. Since you live in the US it's not your money so not your problem anyway.

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Helen - Thank you for setting the record straight with them as I suffer the same symptoms! Without the pill I would be bed-ridden and sick, with an ineffective hot water bottle. My natural period is heavy and occurs every 14 days so I only take it because I have no other options! I started taking it when I was 13 for these reasons and not because I thought it was contraception. I hope Microgynon doesn't get a bad rep from this because it's been fantastic for me, it's the only pull that doesn't give me terrible side effects. This is a non-story though as the warnings estimate this happens to around 1 in 1,000,000+ people! I agree girls should have thorough health checks before being prescribed, but I don't believe parents need to be involved.

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@Hannah - "I think everyone shoudl have to go to the doctors for the pill and also have 6 monthly check ups as your body is always changing" Who's going to pay for all that? - Mike Lovell, Chicago, British ExPat, 26/04/2012 02:31 PM This is what my doctors do, you have a checkup every 6 months before they will give you any more.

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I have 2 teenage daughters and because I had them at 17 and 18 (I was married!) I wanted them to fully understand what having sex meant. I started off by leaving my sanitary towels on view so there was no embarrassment, I showed them how to use them. Then the talks went from periods to intercourse. I told them about the pill and that it could ease period pain BUT it would not protect them from STD's and I showed them images of herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis and told them once they started thinking about sex to always carry a condom. I also told them how having sex at a young age increases the risk of cervical cancer and that undetected chlamydia causes infertility. Both of my daughters, like me, suffer terrible period pain so they asked for the pill and I took them to our GP where they were given a full check up and explained the risks. Then mefenamic acid (painkiller) came out and we all switched to that. My daughters come to me with all of their problem s now and that is how it should be

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