39-Year-Old Woman Survives Massive Blood Clots After 21 Days on Endometriosis Pill
Updated
Updated · cleveland.com · May 18
39-Year-Old Woman Survives Massive Blood Clots After 21 Days on Endometriosis Pill
2 articles · Updated · cleveland.com · May 18
21 days after starting an estrogen-based birth control pill for endometriosis, Allison went to a Cleveland ER with shortness of breath and calf pain; scans found countless clots in both lungs and large ones in her leg.
The clots were straining her heart and deteriorating rapidly, prompting blood thinners and a helicopter transfer to Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, where doctors initially feared she might need open-chest surgery.
Her condition improved on blood thinners, avoiding surgery, and she later underwent an operation that removed 26 endometriosis specimens from her abdomen.
Allison, now on ongoing treatment and blood-thinner monitoring, said she is sharing her story to warn women not to ignore unusual symptoms and to push for greater awareness of endometriosis and hormone-treatment risks.
Her birth control nearly killed her. Is a critical gap in women's health research putting millions more at risk?
Endometriosis affects one in ten women, yet treatments can be fatal. Why is this common disease still so dangerously misunderstood?
A common leg cramp was a sign of a deadly emergency. What subtle warnings from medications should you never ignore?