Lawyers fighting for compensation for women permanently disfigured by the contraceptive jab have revealed there are 40 victims in Scotland so far.
Thompsons Scotland, which is representing women affected by the Depo-Provera shot, said the number of those seeking help from the firm is only continuing to rise. The Record became the first to highlight the plights of multiple victims of the contraceptive drug earlier this year.
We told how women have been left with bulging eyes, sight loss, epilepsy and brain tumours after consistent use of the Pfizer-manufactured injection. All women claim they were never warned of the potential dangers before being prescribed the contraceptive jab.
View 8 ImagesPatrick McGuire, senior partner with Thompsons Solicitors, which is leading the legal action in Scotland, said the national case has become one of the “fastest growing” he has ever witnessed during his career.
He told the Record: “Since the publication of the Daily Record investigation we have had thousands of interactions on Thompsons Scotland’s social media platforms and hundreds of phone enquiries. This has led to 40 cases now being pursued but that number will undoubtedly rise as many more cases are being assessed by my team.
“It is very early days in this class action but what is very clear is that Depo Provera is implicated in horrifying adverse health outcomes from women across Scotland. It is one of the fastest growing legal actions I have ever experienced.”
View 8 ImagesTammy Croston was left without the use of one of her eyes
In 2024, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that prolonged use of Depo-Provera causes a significant increase in the risk of developing meningioma brain tumours. A meningioma is a tumour that grows in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
While meningiomas are considered benign, treatment may include radiotherapy or invasive surgery. The research further found that women who used the drug were five times more likely to be diagnosed with meningiomas compared to women who never used the birth control shot.
View 8 ImagesTammy in hospital after surgery
Tammy Croston, from Cupar in Fife, was left partially blind after she began using Depo-Provera in 1999. The 47-year-old took the shot on and off for several years before four non-cancerous tumours were located inside her skull. During surgery to remove one of the masses, a complication led her to lose the use and vision of her right eye.
Reacting to the cases in Scotland, she said: “This number is worrying and will only continue to grow the more people find out about the jab’s link to brain tumours. This case is really going to exceed everyone’s expectations.
“When women who have been on this jab who have tumours realise the direct correlation, it will only escalate further. It’s time for Pfizer to be held accountable.”
View 8 ImagesKirsty Moore from Dundee, was left with a bulging eye and a brain tumour after taking the shot for over 20 years, described the number of cases taken on by Thompsons in Scotland as “worrying”. The 37-year-old only came off the drug earlier this year after learning of its deadly links to meningiomas.
She was diagnosed with the non-cancerous tumour in 2021 after experiencing headaches and noticed a swell in her right eye. She has since received four operations to remove the mass, which is growing on an optic nerve.
However, despite several surgeries and the efforts of medics, the tumour has only continued to grow back. Kirsty is now undergoing a gruelling six-week programme of radiotherapy in a bid to stunt its growth.
View 8 ImagesShe said: “It’s shocking and I don’t doubt that many more women will come forward as time goes on. I hope these numbers encourage powers to ban the jab in Scotland.
“I’ve been left with a life-changing injury that will stay with me forever. I dread to think how it has impacted many, many other victims who are yet to come forward.”
In March, we told how Trish Saunders, 45, from Aberdeen was left with half of her face “completely numb” following an operation to remove a brain tumour from her head “caused by the contraceptive jab“. Trish used Depo-Provera for 17 years after suffering heavy periods.
She was diagnosed with a 5mm meningioma – a benign tumour that grows around the brain and spinal cord – after her eye became swollen in 2013. Trish’s surgery was a success but she was left with damage to the nerve endings on one side of her face.
View 8 ImagesShe continued to use the jab after her surgery as she claims she was never warned about the potential side effects. Donna MacDonald, 53, from Kilmarnock, has been left with a permanent bulging eye, claiming that taking the shot for 28 years led to her brain tumour diagnosis.
The mum was diagnosed with a sphenoid wing meningioma in August 2022 after noticing a disfigurement with her left eye. She was referred to an ophthalmologist before being told there was a 17mm mass growing inside her skull.
But due to its location, medics said they cannot operate to remove the tumour without a high risk of her losing her eyesight. She lives in a “constant state of worry” over the tumour growing and robbing her of her vision.
View 8 ImagesMum Lindsay Tinney, 50, from Dundee, who took Depo Provera for seven years, has been left epileptic from a brain tumour following a 10-hour brain surgery to remove her meningioma.
The mum-of-four came off the injection to try for a baby in 2004. At 31 weeks pregnant, she suffered a seizure and was forced to go into labour early. An MRI scan revealed she had a tennis ball-sized meningioma – a non cancerous tumour – growing inside her skull.
Their stories follow the cases of 2,500 women who are currently suing Pfizer for compensation in the US.
Mr McGuire of Thompsons Scotland said: “I would urge anyone who feels that they or a family member has been affected to please make contact with us. Our strength comes from our solidarity and the more people that join the class action the greater the accountability and compensation we will be able to secure for our clients.”
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The Record has approached Pfizer for comment.
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