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Thread: Fallan Kurek (21) died from complications caused by taking a contraceptive pill

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    Fallan Kurek (21) died from complications caused by taking a contraceptive pill

    FALLAN Kurek was like most young women her age. She was fit, healthy and never had any major health problems.
    So when she was prescribed the pill to help regulate her periods, she thought nothing of it.
    But after just three weeks of taking the medication, the 21-year-old was rushed to hospital and placed in intensive care after collapsing at her parent's Staffordshire home.

    Three days later, on May 14, the former teaching assistant died.
    Her devastated parents Brian and Julia told the Birmingham Mail doctors said her death was caused by the contraceptive pill.
    "We felt angry when they first mentioned it could be the pill," Mrs Kurek said.
    "She was only on it to regulate her periods. I couldn't believe nobody had said the pill could do this. It should say it on the pack that they can kill and the label."

    Mrs Kurek said her daughter was prescribed Rigevidon by her GP to regulate her periods.
    She was to take it for three months, then have a break. However she began having a reaction to the drug after just three weeks.
    Mrs Kurek said her daughter suffered what they initially thought was a panic attack. She was breathless and had pain in her legs and ribs.
    They took her to the local hospital where she was given the all-clear after an electrocardiogram (ECG).
    "They said everything was fine, they said she had probably bruised her sternum," Mrs Kurek said. "They said to go home and take some Ibuprofen and paracetamol. If symptoms continue then go see your GP," Mrs Kurek said.

    "We thought nothing more of it. She still said she had this little niggling pain, but it wasn't bothering her too much."
    Four days later, Fallan collapsed on her parents? stairs.
    Her parents told the Birmingham Mail that their daughter had taken her pill just moments before she blacked out.
    After being rushed to hospital, Fallan was placed on a ventilator and emergency scans were taken on her head and chest.
    Doctors then asked if Fallan was on any medication.

    "While they were working on her someone came in to talk to me," Mrs Kurek said. "They asked me whether there was any heart problems in the family, or if Fallan had taken drugs - definitely not.
    "The third question was, 'Is she on the pill?' I said, 'Yes, is that relevant?' He said, 'We know what it is' and off he went.
    "Brian and I just looked at each other =-we couldn't believe it."
    The scan revealed a large clot on Fallan's lung which was causing the right side of her heart to become inflamed.

    Three days later, Fallan's blood and heart rate increased dramatically. A few hours later she was declared clinically brain dead.
    Her parents then made the heartbreaking decision to switch off the ventilator.
    "Fallen was looking forward to the rest of her life," Mr Kurek said. "She was confident, cheeky, bubbly, and the mother hen to all her friends.
    "We just don't want any other family to go through this."

    Fallan's parents said they decided to share their story in the hope it would raise awareness about the dangers on the pill.
    They said they also wanted doctors to warn all women about the serious side effects.
    "They know the pill can cause blood clots," Brian said. "We can't bring her back; all we can do is maybe save another life."
    In Australia, it is estimated that between 50 and 80 per cent of women take the pill during their reproductive lives.

    While authorities generally consider the pill to be a safe form of contraception, there have been concerns that some pills do cause blood clots.
    Four years ago, the Therapeutic Goods Administration acknowledged there was a small risk that all pills could cause blood clots after concerns were raised about the brands Yaz and Yasmin.
    And two years ago France temporarily banned the sale of Diane-35 following a spate of deaths, the ABC reported.

    http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/rea...-1227370234562


    http://mydeathspace.com/article/2015...raceptive_pill
    Last edited by luvit; 05-26-2015 at 05:41 PM. Reason: Punctuation Correction

  2. #2
    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    Did she smoke?

    Smoking plus taking birth control is known to cause blood clots.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Chelsea, if you are a ghost and reading mds, I command you to walk into the light.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    She might've unknowingly had an anticardiolipin antibody. I didn't find out until I had my 3rd baby. Apparently I was lucky because I took the Pill, smoked & took longhaul flights without dying, now I'm scared to ever risk any of it again which is probably a good thing because all three made me sick for months


    ETA & the only reason I knew was because of a false-positive syphillis test during pre-natal screening - apparently that's how a lot of people find out they have it
    Last edited by blighted star; 05-26-2015 at 06:11 PM.

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    Senior Member ~*LaDyLaZaRuS*~'s Avatar
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    While this is incredibly sad, and I understand the parents' devastation and grief, I'm 99.9% sure that in the literature given with the pill that it clearly states blood clots are a possible complication. As a paramedic and a pharmacy tech, I see time after time after time patients who don't read the literature given with a new medication and they either take it with something they shouldn't or don't follow proper dosing instructions and they end up with issues. I guess it's easy for me to say that patients should educate themselves, but even before I had any kind of medical knowledge, I was always quick to read up on new drugs a bit.

    I hate to sound clich?, but if nothing else, I hope this latest case acts as a bit of a wake up call to not just pop any pills a doctor prescribes without even a little bit of caution.

    RIP, Fallan.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    It's not just the Pill though, no-one seems to read the TSS leaflets in tampon packs either.

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    (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧ Amy1217's Avatar
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    They probably assume they know how to use the tampon and the rest of the text is...just there? I'm one of those people that will read all the text on a package so I'm prepared to meet death via tampon. :(

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    Senior Member Trahnse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    It's not just the Pill though, no-one seems to read the TSS leaflets in tampon packs either.
    I blame cell phones. We are no longer stuck reading the back of the shampoo bottle or the tampon boxes while we poop because of cell phones and wifi!

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    Senior Member Jumaki15's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amy1217 View Post
    They probably assume they know how to use the tampon and the rest of the text is...just there? I'm one of those people that will read all the text on a package so I'm prepared to meet death via tampon. :(
    I'm always worried I may somehow meet my death by tampon

    Quote Originally Posted by Trahnse View Post
    I blame cell phones. We are no longer stuck reading the back of the shampoo bottle or the tampon boxes while we poop because of cell phones and wifi!
    This might be the statement I relate to most on MDS

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    Senior Member ~*LaDyLaZaRuS*~'s Avatar
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    This is the truest thing that has ever been said! Lmao!

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