By Daily Mail Reporter
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Gemma Hill is studying chlildcare at college following her two strokes
A schoolgirl suffered a devastating stroke just weeks after taking the contraceptive pill for the first time.
Gemma Hill, 15, collapsed with a stroke after taking the popular Pill microgynon.
The stroke - caused by a blood clot on her brain - affected the teenager's speech vision and memory and left her unable to walk.
Gemma, now 17, had to use a wheelchair and underwent two months of intensive therapy but then suffered another stroke last year.
Her mother Maria Murphy said a doctor treating Gemma had told her the Pill could have been to blame because it can increase the risk of blood clots.
Ms Murphy, 40, from Leicester, said: '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 - 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 - 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.'
Mother-of-two Maria suggested that Gemma should begin taking the contraceptive Pill in October 2009, just after her 15th birthday, when she suffered period pains and stomach cramps.
The mother and daughter visited their family doctor, who prescribed microgynon.
Around a month later, on November 12, Gemma returned home from school feeling dizzy and sick and began vomiting up blood.
Still smiling: Gemma Hill, 2nd from left, in the Royal Leicester Infirmary hospital with friends in November 2009
She was rushed to AE at Leicester Royal Infirmary, where she spent the night. Doctors sent her home with antibiotics the next day, diagnosing her with a viral infection.
But just four days later, Gemma suffered her first stroke at home and was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary.
An emergency scan showed it was caused by a blood clot on her brain and she was transferred to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham that evening.
She remained there for a week but remained confused with badly affected speech and sight, no feeling in the left side of her body and using a wheelchair.
Maria added: 'One of the first things Gemma said to me after suffering a stroke was that she felt weird. She then had a fit in her hospital bed. It was terrifying.'
Gemma suffered a further five fits in hospital.
She was able to walk and allowed home in time for Christmas 2009 after undergoing weeks of therapy and medication. But in January 2010, Gemma suffered another stroke and had to use a wheelchair again.
She completed further physiotherapy and medication and returned to school - in a wheelchair - passing her GCSEs two years later.
Gemma back at the Royal Leicester in October 2011. She still experiences numbness on one side of her body
Gemma is now able to walk again and her speech and sight has returned to normal - but she remains numb on one side of her body and struggles to lift objects. She is now at college studying childcare.
Ms Murphy added: 'I am proud of Gemma, but her strokes have changed everything. She isn’t the girl she once was.'
She said she was horrified that the NHS was considering allowing girls as young as 13 to be handed the Pill without seeing a doctor.
Gemma with some of the medication she has to take daily to treat her condition
'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 Pill manufacturer Bayer Healthcare said: 'We are sorry to hear about a young girl aged 15, who had a blood clot resulting in a stroke.
'The venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk is slightly increased for women taking Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs) when compared with non-users.
'This is a well -known class effect of COCs as is clearly stated in the patient information leaflet of COCs.'
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I don't know why the hell microgynon is still on the market!!! It turned me into a complete loony, and other women I know had really bad reactions from it, like horrific mood swings and depression. That poor girl, but I'm sorry to say her mother is an idiot. The pill is not a cure for period pains! It is serious business and for women to prevent unwanted pregnancy! At 15 she should not have been encouraged to put hormones into her body unless she was sexually active, even then, at the age of 15 I would recommend condoms above all else.
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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?
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I've been on Microgynon for 9 years with a couple of breaks. I've never experienced any issues. As the article states she was taking it for pains, cramps etc. I was taking for the almost the same thing from the same age, nothing to do with sexual relationships. All medication as possible side effects which is why the leaflet is there in the first place. most of the time they are one off incidents that occur, and unfortunately this girl suffered the unlikely symptoms.
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Another article from the DM with a big pointy finger attached... whose fault is this then? The people who make the pill, the doctor for prescribing it? Oh not, wait, it couldn't possibly be... the mother's fault for putting her 15 year old child on the pill? NO that would mean taking responsibility for your own actions in looking after a child dependent. - Sarah, Glasgow, 26/4/2012 14:40______That's really unfair, this girl was put on the pill to help her period pains, it's not like her mum took her to the doctors for contraception. If the doctor has prescribed her painkillers and she had an adverse reaction to those would you still be blaming her mum?
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Like any drug, the contraceptive pill has some side affects - strokes being one of them. This is why it is ridiculous that girls as young as 13 will be able to (in some parts of the country) go to a chemist to get the pill. A good doctor will check your blood pressure before prescribing the pill - EVERYTIME you need a new prescription. I remember my Doctor refusing to prescribe the combined pill when I reached age 35 because at that time I smoked - under five a day, but he considered it too high risk.
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im 18 and Ive been on the pill since i was 13 only becuase my periods were so bad and the pill could control them, I suffer with migraines so take one with progesterone in. Young girls dont always go on it for contraceptives! i never!
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Sad to hear but before people panic about the pill, it should be reminded that this is very rare and that this girl was just very unfortunate. All medications, even over the counter painkillers, can have extreme reactions in a small minority of people. There is no need to suddenly demand that the pill is unsafe. For the majority of women it is a very effective contraceptive and treatment for many gynecological complaints.
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Why is the girl on the pill at her age?
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- brian harwood, portsmouth uk, 26/4/2012 If you read the article, the girl was suffering from persistent stomach cramps, but even if she was using it for contraception, would you rather she got pregnant?
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I take the same pill as Gemma and haven't experienced any problems, but there are side effects outlined on the instruction leaflet and it's really unfortunate that this girl suffered the more serious side effect of a blood clot. Anyone saying she's 15 and too young for the Pill is being stupid, if she was using it for contraceptive purposes, would you rather she didn't and became a teenage mother? Teenagers are going to have sex whether you like it or not.
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