A TEENAGER was left “screaming and crying in pain” from a life-threatening blood clot caused by the contraceptive pill.
Nicole Leadbitter developed severe back pain and noticed one leg looked bigger than the other a week after she started taking the combined pill aged 17.
Nicole Leadbitter/TriangleNewsNicole Leadbitter, now 20, suffered a life-threatening blood clot after taking the combined contraceptive pill[/caption]
Nicole Leadbitter/TriangleNewsNicole was rushed to the hospital after developing severe back pain and noticing one leg looked bigger than the other[/caption]
She was finally diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in her left leg and a pulmonary embolism in her lungs, which could have killed her if she had waited much longer to seek medical advice.
Now, three years later, Nicole, 20, wants to warn other women to be aware of the symptoms because she didn’t think it would happen to her.
“I had looked at the general side effects and common ones, but I didn’t think too much of the uncommon or rare side effects as I never thought they would happen to me,” she said.
“I would urge people to consider the risks of taking the pill. Just because someone you know is on it and is fine, that doesn’t mean you will be.
“And I would also want to raise awareness among young girls that this is a side effect, as I didn’t know what was happening until I was screaming in pain in hospital.”
‘I was in agony’
Nicole began taking the progesterone-only pill Cerazette aged 17 but a few months later was changed to the combination pill.
It uses artificial versions of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are produced naturally in the ovaries.
The combination pill stops you getting pregnant by preventing your ovaries releasing eggs each month, while also thickening the mucus in the neck of the womb to make it harder for sperm to penetrate it.
However it has been linked to an increased risk of some serious health conditions, such as blood clots and breast cancer, according to the NHS.
Just seven days after taking her first tablet, Nicole started to get bad back pain.
It got so bad she visited a hospital near her home in Kendal, Cumbria, but was sent home without doctors taking her blood.
However in the middle of the night, she began suffering really bad leg cramps so went to take some painkillers.
Nicole explained: “I then tried to massage my calf and realised my left leg looked a lot bigger and felt swollen so I took a video and sent it to my friends to see if I was just seeing things from being sleepy.
If I had not gone to the hospital the doctors told me that I could have lost my leg or died
Nicole Leadbitter
“They told me it looked a lot bigger than my right one.
“I was in agony and felt extremely light headed so I crawled my way to the bathroom in case I needed to throw up.
“Fortunately my mum had heard me so she came to see if I was okay or needed anything and she looked and my legs and instantly rung the hospital to try and get an ambulance.
“By this time I was screaming and crying in pain.”
In hospital, Nicole was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that blocks an artery in the lung, which usually starts in a deep vein in the leg.
“The first question they asked was if I was taking the contraceptive pill and which one,” Nicole added.
“By this time I had been on it a week and they came to the conclusion that it was the pill.”
Long-term consequences
Nicole was told that she needed keyhole surgery to remove the clots after several were found in her legs and lungs.
However she was found to have a deformation of the channels connecting her heart and lungs which would have made surgery dangerous.
Instead, powerful anti-coagulants were used to break the clots up, which fortunately worked, but she couldn’t walk for six weeks.
She had to take blood thinners for two years, must now take them whenever she travels and has to wear a compression stocking every day.
My hands still shake when I think about my condition and I panic because what has come isn’t the last of it
Nicole Leadbitter
Nicole also has the marks from where she was injected and still has visible veins in her legs.
Before the thrombosis, she had ambitions to join the army but is now studying marketing.
And doctors have told her it is likely she will suffer more clots.
“If I had left it and not gone to the hospital the doctors told me that I could have lost my leg or even possibly died,” Nicole said.
“They also told me that it would be rare for me to be able to have kids or survive the carrying and labour as they said it would be a miracle if I didn’t get another clot especially if I was pregnant, so that’s another big lifestyle change to be told at 17 years old.”
Know the risks
After her harrowing experience in November 2020, Nicole now wants to tell other young girls to make sure they understand risks of blood clots, even though they’re slight.
“The contraception pill nearly killed me,” she said.
“Only one in 1,000 people per year get what I got at that age.
“My hands still shake when I think about my condition and I panic because what has come isn’t the last of it.
“Unfortunately, doctors say I am prone to DVT and blood clots and my recent one won’t be my last.
“To know I have to try and live with a life threatening condition just makes me stronger.
“It won’t stop me from doing what I love, it may slow me down but that’s all.”
What are the symptoms of a blood clot?
There are two types of blood clots.
A blood clot in one of the large veins in someone’s leg or arm is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
If not treated, DVT can move or break off and travel into the lungs.
A blood clot in the lung is called a pulmonary embolism (PE) – this can be deadly and requires immediate medical attention.
Symptoms of a DVT include:
swelling in your arm or leg
pain or tenderness not caused by an injury
skin that’s warm to the touch, with swelling or pain
redness of the skin
Symptoms of PE include:
difficulty breathing
sudden, sharp chest pain that might get worse when you breathe in
coughing up blood
fast or irregular heartbeat
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is the government body that oversees how safe prescriptions are to the general public.
A spokesperson said: “The risk of blood clots associated with using the contraceptive pill is very small and has been known about for many years.
“The decision to prescribe or use the pill should take into consideration any risk factors for blood clots, which includes any family history of thrombosis.
“Prescribers and women should, however, be aware of the possible risk factors for blood clots and the key signs and symptoms, which are described in detail in product information.
“If women have questions, they should discuss them with their GP or healthcare provider but should keep taking their contraceptive until they have done so.
“These are very safe, highly effective medicines for preventing unintended pregnancy and the benefits associated with their use far outweigh the risks for the majority of people.
“If you suspect you’ve had a side effect from the contraceptive pill you can report it using our Yellow Card scheme.”
According to the NHS, you may have to seek alternative contraception options other than the combined pill if you have:
Blood clots in a vein, for example in your leg or lungs
Stroke or any other disease that narrows the arteries
Anyone in your close family having a blood clot under the age of 45
A heart abnormality or heart disease, including high blood pressure
Severe migraines, especially with aura
Breast cancer
Disease of the gallbladder or liver
Diabetes with complications or diabetes for the past 20 years
Nicole Leadbitter/TriangleNewsNicole was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism[/caption]
Nicole Leadbitter/TriangleNewsThough she survived the ordeal, it’s possible she’ll suffer blood clots again later in life[/caption]
Nicole was also told she might not be able to have children for fear of suffering a blood clot during pregnancyNicole Leadbitter/TriangleNews
Nicole Leadbitter/TriangleNewsNicole still has visible veins on her leg years after the ordeal and has to wear compression socks daily[/caption]