Nurse took common contraceptive injection for three years - now she has 'devastating' brain tumours

Nurse took common contraceptive injection for three years - now she has 'devastating' brain tumours Nicola McKay, who developed three brain tumours after years of taking Depo-Provera, is one of 150 women whose cases are being explored by a Scottish legal firm A woman who took a contraceptive injection for years believes the drug was the driving force behind three "devastating" brain tumours that have left her with a lifetime of complications. Nicola McKay, 53, is among dozens of women who believe the Depo-Provera injection caused brain tumours after they took the drugs long term. Nicola, from the Scottish Highlands, started taking injections of the drug, which is administered once every three months to prevent pregnancy, in the early 2000s. She said she asssumed the drug was safe, but has now said she believes it could be behind three brain tumours discovered by doctors last year - and other women believe theirs had the same root cause. Nurse Nicola told BBC Scotland News that she started taking the Pfizer-manufactured drug because it was "convenient", but has been left a shadow of her former self by the tumours. She said: "Before I was such a busy, adventurous, outgoing person and now it has completely changed my life. "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." While medics found Nicola's tumours, they were unable to completely remove them, with one shrinking only with radiotherapy. Their continued presence in her brain will mean she continues to suffer the effects - including seizures - in the long term, and has been given medication by doctors. Also among the approximately 150 women who believe Depo-Provera caused her brain cancer, and whose cases are being taken on by law firm Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, is Trish Saunders, 45, from the Stockethill area of Aberdeen, who was prescribed the “miracle drug” as a teenager. She faced brain surgery after doctors discovered a meningioma tumour growing behind her right eye. A British Medical Journal study found in March 2024 that long-term use of the drug increases the risk of developing this specific type of cancer, which aren't typically malignant but can cause life-altering headaches, hearing loss and seizures. She told the Press and Journal that she "didn’t know the full extent of the side effects", adding that if she was told of the potential for brain tumours she'd have "thought more about" taking it. She said: “There were no problems whatsoever for years. I just thought ‘I love this, this is great’. If brain tumours had been mentioned, I would certainly have thought more about it.” Patrick McGuire, a partner at Thompsons, said the complaints are being investigated, with evidence-gathering in its "very early stage". He 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." Several of the women spoke to parliamentarians at the Scottish Parliament last week about their troubles after taking the drug. Pfizer and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA), which is responsible for regulating Depo-Provera in the UK, said the drug is being continually monitored. Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA's chief safety officer, 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." 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."