Skip to main content
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1969 Nov 15;4(5680):404–405. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5680.404

Involuntary movements in patients taking oral contraceptives

P D Lewis, M J G Harrison
PMCID: PMC1629782  PMID: 5354812

Abstract

Involuntary movements developed in five women taking oral contraceptives. In one, the sudden onset of a unilateral disturbance suggested a cerebral thrombosis; this case is considered to be a further example of the increased risk of cerebrovascular disease associated with oral contraception. The four other patients suffered a relapse of Sydenham's chorea between one and four months after starting an oral contraceptive regimen. Possibly an underlying vascular mechanism was responsible for these relapses.

Full text

PDF
404

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Altshuler J. H., McLaughlin R. A., Neubuerger K. T. Neurological catastrophe related to oral contraceptives. Arch Neurol. 1968 Sep;19(3):264–273. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1968.00480030042004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aurell M., Cramér K., Rybo G. Serum lipids and lipoproteins during long-term administration of an oral contraceptive. Lancet. 1966 Feb 5;1(7432):291–293. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)90641-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bailar J. C., 3rd Thromboembolism and oestrogen therapy. Lancet. 1967 Sep 9;2(7515):560–560. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)90529-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergeron R. T., Wood E. H. Oral contraceptives and cerebrovascular complications. Radiology. 1969 Feb;92(2):231–238. doi: 10.1148/92.2.231. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bickerstaff E. R., Holmes J. M. Cerebral arterial insufficiency and oral contraceptives. Br Med J. 1967 Mar 25;1(5542):726–729. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5542.726. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bolton C. H., Hampton J. R., Mitchell J. R. Effect of oral contraceptive agents on platelets and plasma-phospholipids. Lancet. 1968 Jun 22;1(7556):1336–1341. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)92036-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cross J. N., Castro P. O., Jennett W. B. Cerebral strokes associated with pregnancy and the puerperium. Br Med J. 1968 Jul 27;3(5612):214–218. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5612.214. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Daly R. J., Kane F. J., Ewing J. A. Psychosis associated with the use of a sequential oral contraceptive. Lancet. 1967 Aug 26;2(7513):444–445. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)90856-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Daniel D. G., Campbell H., Turnbull A. C. Puerperal thromboembolism and suppression of lactation. Lancet. 1967 Aug 5;2(7510):287–289. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)90117-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Elkeles R. S., Hampton J. R., Mitchell J. R. Effect of oestrogens on human platelet behaviour. Lancet. 1968 Aug 10;2(7563):315–318. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)90528-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fernando S. J. An attack of chorea complicating oral contraceptive therapy. Practitioner. 1966 Aug;197(178):210–211. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. GUEST I. A., WOOLF A. L. FATAL INFARCTION OF THE BRAIN IN MIGRAINE. Br Med J. 1964 Jan 25;1(5377):225–226. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gautier-Smith P. C., Prankerd T. A. Polycythaemia vera and chorea. Acta Neurol Scand. 1967;43(3):357–364. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1967.tb05738.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Illis L., Kocen R. S., McDonald W. I., Mondkar V. P. Oral contraceptives and cerebral arterial occlusion. Br Med J. 1965 Nov 13;2(5471):1164–1166. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5471.1164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Inman W. H., Vessey M. P. Investigation of deaths from pulmonary, coronary, and cerebral thrombosis and embolism in women of child-bearing age. Br Med J. 1968 Apr 27;2(5599):193–199. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5599.193. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. KANNEL W. B., DAWBER T. R., KAGAN A., REVOTSKIE N., STOKES J., 3rd Factors of risk in the development of coronary heart disease--six year follow-up experience. The Framingham Study. Ann Intern Med. 1961 Jul;55:33–50. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-55-1-33. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lewis B. V., Parsons M. Chorea gravidarum. Lancet. 1966 Feb 5;1(7432):284–286. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)90638-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. MEARS E., GRANT E. C. "Anovlar" as an oral contraceptive. Br Med J. 1962 Jul 14;2(5297):75–79. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5297.75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Phillips B. M. Oral contraceptive drugs and migraine. Br Med J. 1968 Apr 13;2(5597):99–99. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5597.99. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Poller L., Tabiowo A., Thomson J. M. Effects of low-dose oral contraceptives on blood coagulation. Br Med J. 1968 Jul 27;3(5612):218–221. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5612.218. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Vessey M. P., Doll R. Investigation of relation between use of oral contraceptives and thromboembolic disease. A further report. Br Med J. 1969 Jun 14;2(5658):651–657. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5658.651. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Whitty C. W., Hockaday J. M., Whitty M. M. The effect of oral contraceptives on migraine. Lancet. 1966 Apr 16;1(7442):856–859. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)90189-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. ZILKHA K. J. CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENTS AND ORAL CONTRACEPTION. Br Med J. 1964 Oct 31;2(5417):1132–1133. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5417.1132-b. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES