Woman blames contraceptive pill for causing stroke at 19 which left her suffering fits and seizures

A woman who suffered a stroke at just 19-year-old says it could have been caused by the contraceptive pill.

Hannah Holland, now 23, had been experiencing pins and needles and said she knew something wasn’t right. After visiting A&E, she was told by doctors that her symptoms were just a result of a trapped nerve, but days later her condition got worse.

Ms Holland said a colleague noticed that her face was drooping and after going to bed, she discovered that she couldn’t even move her left side. She explained: “I got up to go to the toilet and just couldn’t even grip the toilet paper. I couldn’t get back upstairs either, I had to slide and do the worm to get up the stairs and just went back to sleep.”

The 23-year-old, a fashion student at the University of Manchester, was rushed to hospital the following morning but said she had to wait for a long time as emergency staff thought she may be “too young to have a stroke”.

Sadly, MRI scans confirmed the worst and she was forced to spend more than two weeks in hospital to undergo intensive physio and occupational therapy. After her hospital stay, Ms Holland said her parents’ influence and encouragement helped her to get going again.

She said: “My mum and dad looked at me and said, ‘come on, you’re not moping around.’ I’d lost loads of weight but I was fit and healthy before so they encouraged me to get back to the gym and build my strength – especially in my arm and left side.”

Ms Holland said she was determined not to let her stroke define so she returned to university as soon as she could. She added: “I was like, I’m 19, I’m going back to university. My housemates were so shocked that this had happened to me. I got used to things, I just had to sleep more when they went out sometimes.”

Ms Holland said she believes her stroke could have been caused by the contraceptive pill as there were no other warning signs. It comes after new research published on Tuesday suggests that any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase the risk of breast cancer.

The 23-year-old is now aiming to raise awareness of the contraceptive pill and stroke in younger people by taking on the Great North Run for the Stroke Association in September, alongside her mum, to prove what can still be achieved after a stroke.

She said: “I want to raise awareness of stroke in younger people and the dangers of the contraceptive pill too. I want to prove to people that I can still do whatever I want to do after my stroke. You just have to get on with it.”

Ms Holland took part in the event in 2022, but said this year “is slightly different” as she has been “suffering with fits and seizures” since her stroke five years ago, and has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy.

She is aiming to raise £350 to guarantee her place in the race and sponsors can be made via her Great North Run Page.

Emma Daley, Events Manager at the Stroke Association, said: “The Great North Run is dubbed the world’s biggest and best half marathon challenge and everyone at the charity is right behind you.

“There are around 100,000 strokes every year in the UK and 1.3 million people are living with the devastating impact of stroke. We believe that everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke and we’re grateful to Hannah for taking on this famous challenge to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association.

“A stroke can happen to anyone at any time and it turns lives upside down. However, with the support of people like Hannah we can help more stroke survivors and their families as they rebuild their lives.”