Breast implants are leaving women suffering from ‘brain fog’ and anxiety, according to official figures.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recorded 32 reports of women having psychological reactions to breast implants.
Taken from the past five years, the figures show women believe their implants are having negative impacts on their brains as well as their bodies.
The revelation comes as 250 women are preparing to sue the manufacturer of a commonly used implant in the UK, Allergan.
Women are trying taking legal action against the firm over links between its textured implants and a rare form of cancer which has affected 57 British women.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is monitoring claims of symptoms of breast implant illness associated with breast implants.
Although BII is not a medically recognised condition in the UK or the US, there are growing calls for doctors to help women claiming to be suffering from its various effects.
It has received reports of 32 women suffering psychological symptoms of BII, according to The Sun, with the true number likely to be much higher.
Although BII cannot be tested for, women say their implants have left them with problems including forgetfulness, anxiety, sleep disturbances and depression.
Women told Channel 4’s Dispatches, which will air tonight, that they have found it difficult for doctors to take their breast implant illness seriously.
The link to cancer, specifically breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), is also receiving growing amounts of attention.
Six of the women in the class action against Allergan are understood to have BIA-ALCL – a rare blood cancer that has been linked to textured implants.
Others claim they were not sufficiently warned of the risks of the surgery.
Medical authorities are advising that the implants do not need to be removed.
But the case will be of concern to the estimated 500,000 women who have had implants in the UK – around 3 per cent.
It is not known why Biocell’s ‘highly textured’ implants – which have lost their safety licence in Europe – have been linked to cancer but possible explanations could be toxins in the gel and shell of the implants, the abrasiveness of the shell or bacterial contamination during surgery.
The risk is still considered very small. Only 57 women in Britain have been diagnosed with ALCL linked to the implants – with only one death.
Experts believe the risk equates to one in 28,000 implants – although one study suggested the Allergan brand came with a risk of one in every 3,800.
Doctors have found ALCL can be treated effectively in most cases if implants are removed. But it can spread and be fatal if missed.
Warning signs include swelling or pain at the site of the implant, or fluid beneath the skin.
The MHRA said: ‘Our advice remains unchanged: there is no new evidence of an increased risk to patients and there is no need for people with breast implants to have them removed.
‘Our advice is consistent with the approach taken by the majority of EU member states and is based on extensive clinical advice which is constantly reviewed.’
Allergan said in a statement: ‘We’ve had 57 reports of breast implant-related ALCL.
‘The safety of [our] implants is supported by extensive pre-clinical device testing, more than a decade of worldwide clinical use, as well as a large number of peer-reviewed and published studies.’
Meanwhile, Breast Implant Illness is being examined by the MHRA over concerns that it is a ‘new type of illness’.
In the US, Breast Implant Illness is listed on regulator the Food and Drug Administration’s website as a possible ‘risk and complication’ of breast augmentation surgery.
Symptoms can include choking, heart palpitations, brain fog, rashes, hair loss, joint pain, anxiety and depression.
The MHRA said in a statement: ‘We continue to monitor information received concerning breast implants through our adverse incident reporting system and other sources, such as published research.
‘We continue to work with European and international regulators and experts to monitor issues and will take appropriate safety action where necessary.’
Presenter Abbie Eastwood told Channel 4’s Dispatches of how breast implants affected her health after she had the surgery when she was 25.
She said: ‘My hair fell out, I had memory fog, aches and pains, utter exhaustion. I had to stop work. I spent whole days in bed.’
An NHS spokesman said: ‘While there isn’t currently any clinical evidence that these symptoms represent a new kind of illness, women experiencing them should seek advice from their GP at the earliest opportunity.’
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