IH and Hormonal Birth Control

There are many questions when it comes to hormonal birth control and chronic IH. While other side-effects and contraindications have been well-documented, the relationship between IH and hormonal birth control is still being examined. However, one form of hormonal birth control, levonorgestrel (Norplant), has been identified as a cause of secondary IH.

Estrogen, a common hormone in many birth control pills, has been linked to an increased risk of blood clots and is contraindicated in women with a history of blood clots or congenital thrombophilia. Cerebral blood clots (cerebral venous thrombosis) are a known cause of secondary IH, though more study is needed to determine whether estrogen also increases the risk of secondary IH through other mechanisms beyond clot formation.