Danica Patrick Says Her Health Problems Disappeared After Removing Breast Implants
The former NASCAR driver is sharing her story in an effort to help others.
Danica Patrick has been waging a battle off the race track that fans may not know about — and now, she’s sharing her full story.
Recently, HelloGiggles reported on the controversy surrounding breast implants and the millions of women reporting adverse side effects — such as difficulty breathing, acne, joint pain and headaches — that they claim are caused by the foreign objects. There has even been a definitive link between breast implants and two different types of cancer.
Now, the former NASCAR driver is joining these women, telling People in a new interview that she made the decision to remove her eight-year-old implants after experiencing five years of unexplained health issues.
After having breast augmentation in 2014 to make herself feel more “feminine and sexy,” the 40-year-old says she started “noticing changes in her body and energy level, including fatigue, weight gain, dryness and hair loss.”
When one of her silicone implants turned “rock hard” in a complication that’s known as “capsular contracture,” Patrick reportedly went for multiple medical tests — ultimately opting to trust her intuition and take her breast implants out in April of this year.
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It wasn’t until she learned about BII, or Breast Implant Illness, on social media, that she realized her implants could be the culprit behind all of her symptoms.
“When there’s an inflammatory response, it wears your body out,” board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Shaun Parson, who treated Patrick, told People. “So for women experiencing BII, their system is just not working as it should. It’s important for women to put their health first and their aesthetic goals second.”
Patrick, who retired from NASCAR in 2018, said she felt the results immediately after having surgery as all of her symptoms just disappeared. Now, she’s adjusting to life with smaller boobs and a new outlook.
“Chasing perfection is a dead-end street. Learning how to come home to yourself is a beautiful thing,” she told the magazine.
She’s also hoping to help other women who might have implant-related issues by sharing her story.
If you think you might be suffering from BII, Patrick advises, “trust your intuition.” “There is no test. You just have to do [explant surgery], and see how you feel.”
If you’re experiencing side effects that you believe are related to your implants, the FDA also encourages you to file a report through its MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. By filing, you can provide information that helps improve patient safety.
If you’re considering getting breast implants yourself, take note of the risks and be sure to discuss them with a board-certified physician.
