Jenny Keepe loved her long lashes – but dispensed with them during the Covid pandemic while spending much time at home. It was a decision she credits with saving her life
A bar manager claims ditching her fake lashes helped save her life – as they hid a brain tumour behind her eye which she believed came after years of taking the contraceptive jab.
Jenny Keepe was at a family barbecue in June 2020 when her mum noticed her right eye was slightly protruding. The 34-year-old said she hadn’t spotted any change up to this point due to wearing long eyelash extensions for years, which hid the top of her eyes.
However, a week later Jenny was attending a routine eye test when she was urgently referred to the hospital when opticians spotted an area of concern at the back of her right eye. An emergency MRI scan revealed that Jenny had a benign brain tumour known as a meningioma, leading her to undergo two operations that removed 50% of the mass.
READ MORE: GMP in massive payout after man stripped and punched in police cellREAD MORE: Brexit deal signals major change for Marmalade under EU rules
It was only after the surgeries that Jenny claims she was told about the association between meningiomas and long-term use of medroxyprogesterone contraceptive injections – a type of birth control that Jenny had been prescribed at 17 for 10 years. According to the NHS, having medroxyprogesterone contraceptive injections for three years or longer may increase your chance of getting a type of brain tumour called meningioma, but this is rare and chances are small.
Horrified, Jenny immediately stopped taking the injectable and her tumour is now stable – but believes she should have been told about the possible side effects sooner. Jenny, from Warrington, Cheshire, said: “I was having a barbecue one day with my family when my mum looked at me and said my right eye looks big.
“I sort of brushed it off and said it was nothing. I hadn’t noticed. I usually have fake eyelashes on all the time so it hides it quite well. But because it was Covid I took my lashes off, which is when my mum noticed my eye more. So if it wasn’t for Covid, would it even have been spotted?”
After a routine eye test the following week, Jenny went for an emergency MRI scan that revealed a tumour growing in her brain. Jenny underwent a 10-hour operation in July 2020, followed by a further surgery in October, wherein doctors removed 50% of her tumour.
After her operations, Jenny says her surgeon told her that the contraceptive injection she’d been having for a decade was the possible cause of the tumour, prompting her to stop using the jab immediately.
Jenny said: “I was in shock, I never expected that. It was really scary. I didn’t have any other symptoms, not even a headache.
“The surgeon had mentioned the injection after both the ops. Up to this point, I’d still been taking the injection. Later on, the surgeon told me there’s a chance the tumour is linked to the injection. He advised me to come off the injection immediately. We looked into it and I went off it straight away.”
Since radiotherapy, Jenny’s tumour is classed as stable and she now undergoes annual scans to measure its growth. However, Jenny believes she should have been advised about coming off the injectable much earlier due to potential risks.
Jenny said: “I was never advised on anything about coming off it. There was a lack of care. These things might not have happened. I was never once told about the risks.
“I would’ve come off it. If it was never spotted, it could’ve grown even bigger. I’m angry that no one thought to advise me to come off it. You do think if it had grown any more, could it have led to a stroke or seizure and killed me?
“Indirectly, removing my lashes definitely helped speed things along. I’d say to other people maybe consider going off it after a few years and make sure you’re having tests and scans. My eye test saved my life.”
In October 2024, Pfizer along with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said there is a small increased risk of developing meningioma with high doses of medroxyprogesterone, primarily after prolonged use. The report said meningiomas are rare and the ‘absolute risks are very small’.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also listed meningiomas as a side effect of ‘high doses, particularly long-term uses’ of the drug and advised that it must be stopped if meningioma is diagnosed. The MHRA said that, as with all medicines, they are keeping the safety of MPA and other synthetic forms of progesterone under continual review.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: “Patient safety is our top priority. MHRA continuously monitors all licensed medicines for safety. [The drug] a is an injectable contraceptive injection which contains medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and is used to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
“Product information for products containing MPA was initially updated in 2024 following studies which showed a risk of meningioma associated with use of high dose MPA. It was further updated in early 2025 with new advice and additional measures to manage the risk. The Patient Information Leaflet was also updated to ensure patients were aware of the symptoms of meningioma and with the advice that they should contact their doctor if they experienced these symptoms.
“For the majority of people, the benefits of [the drug] far outweigh the risk, but we advise anyone with any concerns to speak with their GP, pharmacist or contraceptive provider.”
Pfizer explained that they ‘participated fully’ in the EMA Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC). They said that the PRAC found that while there was a ‘significant increased risk of meningioma’ in people taking high doses of the jab for several years, the ‘absolute risk’ remained very small.
A Pfizer spokesperson said: “Patient safety is our top priority. We conduct rigorous and continuous monitoring of all our medicines, including assessments of reported adverse events, in collaboration with health authorities around the globe.
“Medroxyprogesterone acetate has been approved in more than 60 countries over the last 30 years, has a well-established efficacy and safety profile and has been a treatment option for millions of patients during that time. People should talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they have any concerns or experience any side effects.”
Pfizer said they have updated the patient information leaflet to reflect a potential risk found between use of high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate and increased risk of meningioma.
