Baby weight symptoms and conditions

I had my 1st child in March of 09! Before I had my 1st child I had been on Birth Control for 8yrs and it worked great. After have my baby I decided to use Mirena so I wouldn't have to remember to take a pill everyday and now that I am chasing a baby I can't remember anything when it comes to myself. I thought that I was just going crazy or just creating these side effects in my mind but after doing some research and finding this website it has confirmed what I have thought all along the Mirena is causing A LOT of problems for me. I have acne that never goes away, blurred vision(before I got Mirena I wore glasses just to see things far away when I drove or when I was reading really small print and now I can not even see with my glasses), I feel sick to my stomach all the time through out the day and I even get sick sometimes a couple times a week, I have constant abdominal pain, lower back pain, joint and muscle pain, I have constant infections that will not go away with meds, my breasts are tender, I have dizzy spells several times a week, I have really bad mood swings its like I hate the world and I use to not be like that, I am totally exhausted to the point where it feels like pregnancy exhaustion and for all women who have had children you know there is nothing like pregnancy exhaustion. Also I have pain during and after sex. I haven't lost my sex drive and I haven't gain a bunch of weight but I haven't been able to lose all of my baby weight either and I have tried like HELL to lose my baby weight.

I had my son Oct 2008 and had Mirena inserted at my 6 week postnatal checkup. At that point I had lost about 15 lbs of baby weight and was feeling pretty darn good for just having a baby.

Since then I have gained back the 15 lbs plus 15 more despite exercising and dieting and NURSING for 11 months! I have had blurry vision, no sex drive, migraines, acne on my face and arms?!?!, and just been all around grumpy. I have also been diagnosed as hypothyroid since being on this - I don't know for sure if it is related to Mirena, but I do know that I was tested for it before becoming pregnant with my miracle baby because my husband and I were declared infertile!

I have spotted almost the entire time despite not having a "real" period since before my son was born. I do not want any more children (12 year old girl and 1 year old boy keep me pretty darn busy), but decided to take out the mirena after reading this site and seeing that other women have had the same issues. Removed on Tuesday (Nov 10) and guess what - I already feel better! There was no pain getting it removed and no cramping, unlike the insertion process.

I am looking forward to seeing the other side effects disappear. I wish that my OB would have focused more on possible side effects instead of how simple it would be. The past year has been a personal hell for me when it should have been one of the happiest times of my life! I hope that the rest of you find this helpful:) Good luck!

I had my mirena removed for about 3 weeks and I feel great! I had the mirena put in right after I had my daughter. I lost a lot of baby weight then as soon as I got my mirena, I couldn't lose another pound! I loved having no periods but I kept wondering if the mirena was preventing me to lose anymore weight! I put it out of my head until I got really serious about losing the rest of my baby weight. I ate great and exercised everyday and my weight didn't budge. After the removal, I have lost 8lbs! I haven't exercised either! Go figure? I think it prevented me from losing weight! I have had a normal period now and I feel like a new person!!

I've had the mirena for only about two months now and about two weeks after it was placed my stomach ballooned to over twice the size it was before and I've gained about seven pounds that are unexplainable. I have not had a regular period which is understandable but I cant deal with the weight gain and bloating. I just had a baby four months and am trying so hard to loose the remainder of the baby weight,and I was doing extremely well until I got the mirena, and nothing drastic has changed about my diet or exercise routine.Does anybody have any idea how long this is suppose to last or what I can do to combat the bloating/weight gain besides getting it removed?

Like almost everyone else on here, I seem to be having a really bad reaction to this birth control pill! I started taking it shortly after I gave birth to my third baby because there is absolutely no way I can handle any more kids right now! Soon after I started taking it I noticed a lot of weird things going on with my body. Just walking up the stairs gets me out of breath and causes my heart to beat rapidly. Sometimes it starts to beat like this just from driving! I am also constantly nauseous (like morning sickness nauseous), have daily headaches, have no sex drive, and have acne! Up until I started taking Yasmin my skin was like porcelain and I could literally count the number of zits I got on one hand. Now my face looks like a freakin pizza!

I also go through phases of being really depressed and really angry. These mood swings are even worse than the ones I had during pregnancy! I have 3 healthy kids, a beautiful home, an amazing husband, wonderful friends...but I still cry all the time and want to die. I know that I am extremely blessed so there is absolutely no excuse for me to be feeling this way!

At the time I had passed all these things off as my hormones trying to adjust after being pregnant, even though I have never had any of these problems before when I had my other two babies. I also noticed that this was the first pregnancy where I wasn't able to shed any of my baby weight. It seemed no amount of diet or exercise could get it off, whereas with my 2 other pregnancies all I had to do was eat healthy and use the treadmill everyday and was back to my normal size before I knew it!

Now I realize that none of these things are due to having my baby at all but due to Yasmin! However, I have never used birth control pills before so this is my first experience with them. Is it possible that this is just a brand that reacts badly with me, or do all brands have side effects like this? I'm trying to decide if I should switch to a different pill or just stop taking any all together and just be extra careful with my husband! Regardless, I will definitely no longer be taking Yasmin!

I just got my Mirena removed today. I am SO excited. I have had it in for 1 year and it has been the worst year of my life. My symptoms were :MIGRAINES!- for which I was admitted to the hospital, they did all kinds of tests, and found nothing-( they even gave me an IV of morphine, and the migraine was so intense, i still felt it with the morphine.), arthritis- (or EXTREME ACHING in all of my joints, especially my hips, knees and lower back area., pain in my chest- like unable to breath, pain in my neck, I was sleeping 9 hrs a day and still exhausted and lately its been severe insomnia, cramping in my lower stomach and bloating really bad. I am 5"3, 21 yrs old, originally 107 pounds, and have two kids. After my daughter I was on Seasonique and although it made me have mood swings it was NOTHING in comparison to this. After my daughter I lost all the baby weight and then some. Even after I had my son in the 6 weeks before I got the Mirena, I lost all of the baby weight and was back down to 107 pounds. Now I weigh 130 pounds- and thats doing the same exercises and eating the same that I have always done. I have also never had ANY UTI's and I have had consistent UTI's since I have had it in, that have NOT gone away with various medications. I have had NO sex drive. Absolutely NONE, and I am 21years old! I felt very fatigued every day and it took all my strength and energy and mostly motivation that I HAVE TO provide for my family, to get up and go to work everyday. I read the brochure for Mirena when I got it inserted, and there were NONE of these side effects. I found some of these side effects on the Canadian website, and found people's horror stories of having Mirena in. I am SO happy to have finally gotten it out and am looking forward to being a normal healthy person again.

I had my baby girl in March 2009. Six weeks later, after consulting with a good friend and my OBGYN, I had the Mirena put in. I have not had a period since before I was pregnant, which is nice, but I am still breastfeeding, so I am sure that plays some role. Over the last four months, several things in my life have changed, but I chalked it all up to being a new mother. I think my husband literally thought he had just lost his wife and best friend to motherhood.
- I am tired all the time, regardless of what time I go to bed, and speaking of going to bed...That never happens before 2am! And there are some nights I can toss and turn until 4 or 5! Even when I do sleep, it's never very restful. I chalked this up to being a new mother, and having a baby that didn't sleep thru the night, but she has been sleeping thru the night for almost a month now, and still, I get no sleep.
- I have been having a lot of lower back pain, which I blamed on my mattress. After some careful thought, I realized, I have had the same mattress for over 2 years now and never had any problems! In fact, it's the best mattress I have owned to date.
- Moodiness....don't even get me started on this one! I can start an argument out of thin air! And still think I have just cause! My husband and I are going to Jamaica next week for vacation, and I got mad at him because he wants to take some scuba diving classes. Now, how I managed that one, I have no idea. I will be cleaning the house in pure silence, and just have constant angry thoughts running through my head.
- As I said before, I am still breastfeeding, which is also a great way to burn calories. I have consistently lost baby weight over the last 5 months up until about a month ago. My weight just froze, and then started going back up. I put on 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks! Nothing has changed! I have started working out and keeping a closer eye on what I eat, but it hasn't had any effect. (My best friend had her Mirena put in 6 months before me, and she gained 40 pounds in 6 months. I am nipping this one in the bud!)
- Water retention! Now this one, I have never paid much attention to. I don't really keep an eye on my water intake versus out take, but I did one day last week. I had lunch with my sister, and drank literally about 5 glasses of tea. Any normal person would need too pee most likely prior to leaving the restaurant, right? Well, I left the restaurant, went to the grocery store for about 1 1/2 hours, then drove 45 minutes home, all the time never even having an urge. It wasn't until after I had gotten home, unloaded my daughter and all the groceries, when I finally made a trip to the bathroom. That same night when I was getting ready for bed, I noticed my lower abdomen was swollen up like I was about 4 months pregnant again!
- Sex drive....Let's just say I would rather lay in a bed of nails than have sex, and I used to be a very sexually active individual. And, it has definitely taken a toll on my marriage!
- Absent mindedness....One of my best qualities that I "used to" possess was organization. I prided myself in it, and over the last few months, my husband tells me I am just all over the place. I can't think straight, I jump around in conversations, my memory is shot! I will start doing a load of laundry, walk away and wash some dishes, then 10 minutes later realize, that I never finished loading the washer or put the detergent in!

Now, if all of this isn't enough, my OBGYN tells me that there is a small chance that the Mirena can get displaced, and if it gets too far gone, have to be removed surgically, but she said in all her time as a Dr., she had only seen it happen one time! So, I thought great! The chances of it getting dislodged are slim to none right? Well, I was talking to one of my girlfriends from high school the other day, and hers got misplaced! Now, she might be pregnant!

I realize that the Mirena affects everyone differently, but after finding this website and reading posts for hours about all the terrible things women are going thru with this BC, all my symptoms seem to make sense, and I don't feel like such a crazy beast any more. I wanted to share my story in hopes that it may help another woman who thinks she has just gone nuts! I had my Mirena taken out yesterday. I was in bed by 11pm last night, still didn't get the most restful sleep, but it does take a few days to get the hormones out of your system. My lower abdomen is already noticeably flatter, and I just feel an overall sense of relief. I just wish I had researched this birth control before I went out and spent the money on it. There is an old saying that really rings true for me in this case, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"

Well I got my Mirena put in on April 29th 2009 and have been bleeding ever since and when I don't bleed for a couple hours I have an awful discharge and not to mention that I have gained 30 POUNDS IN FOUR MONTHS. I do watch what I eat and had my son in Feb of this year which I lost all my baby weight but now gained that plus some back! I have extreme back pain and cramping everyday and cramping not to mention I am now on happy pills because I have severe depression. I know for some people this works great but for the majority it causes major health problems...I am going to get it out my doctor wanted to check my thyroid but I do not think it is me I think it is the Mirena since 99% of the women on here could write my story and don't even know me!!!! I DON'T RECOMMEND MIRENA TO ANYONE!!!!!! KM. Ca

I'm glad I found this website. I have been trying to figure out what to do. I have had my Mirena since May 2008. My 3rd child was born March 2008. Since then I lost all my baby weight stopped nursing about two months ago and WOW!! I have put on so much weight in the past two months. Clothing I bought in May of this year are to small. I have never had a problem with weight, I may gain a couple pounds then lose it right away. Now I can tell a difference every week with my weight. I've had pregnancy symptoms with negative results. I was really hoping I was that would explain the constant weight gain. I have tried watching what I eat and that does not help like it did before. I have no sex drive, very moody and just feel so bloated. I have not had a period since I got pregnant with my son June of 2007. I don't see how this is good for my body either. I go to my Gyn in September I am hoping she has some answers b/c if all of this is from the Mirena, then I need it taken out.

The first time I took Zoloft, it was a brand new drug with a high price tag and people were just beginning to talk about depression--openly. I had a positive experience with it. I have PTSD and severe depression due to trauma as a child and later from an abusive husband. I had a major depressive episode shortly after the birth of my 2nd child, exasperated by postpartum depression and thyroid storm. I became suicidal at a time when I seemingly had all I ever wanted. It saved my life in that regard.

I had stubborn baby weight that needed to come off. Also, I tend to be an emotional eater. Zoloft helped curb my emotional eating and I lost weight. Some people say overeating or eating disorders are akin to OCD behavior, both anxiety based, so in that way it makes sense. When Lithium was added, then changed to Depakote, I had a tremendous weight gain--I was PUFFY! At that time Bi-Polar was the flavor of the month--not that it isn't real--it just seemed that at the time, everyone was BiPolar. I later went off all meds and was OK for about 3 years when the ugly beast reared its head again.

Zoloft at one point both saved and ruined my life. The first time on Zoloft as a young wife and mother I think the verdict was still not out with all the side effects. I was unable to engage in sex. Not only did I not have any sexual urge but my body couldn't. I talked to a therapist and psychiatrist to no avail--it was MY problem--that the birth of a child brought up abuse issues--men are the only ones with sexual side effects! After being sexually NORMAL my husband and I were told that it was psychological. That didn't do a lot for our relationship. It also made me more distant and quiet. The new Me-on-Zoloft was like my repressed alter ego. The new me was all the more reason to need to stay on meds--just see how depressed and troubled I am. My husband and I divorced due to bad medicine and I didn't know any better. Had all the information been out there at the time, things could have been different.

I went back on Zoloft with mixed results. As a creative writing major at the university, it was like someone flipped a switch and all creativity left me. I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate and recall information for discussion or tests. I was however , more focused in the mundane--dinner, dishes, laundry, regular exercise, all the routine stuff. The anxiety before going back on zoloft made me want to rip my hair out and I was overwhelmed by everyday stuff. I would wash a dish and fight the urge to run around the table before washing the next one. Part of that, I think, was the pressure of being a single mom with 3 small children, going to school full-time and working part-time. Whew! and with little support from anyone, no dad in the picture.

Through the years I have been on many other things and this will probably be the pattern for the rest of my life. Paxil made me a suicidal zombie to the point that my kids cried and made me go to the hospital--they didn't know the suicidal ideation at the time. Effexor caused flabby weight gain and myalgia. Last year I went in the hospital again for depression (job loss, 2nd divorce, mother's death & all at once). The psychiatrist talked me into going on Pristiq claiming it was like Effexor but with none of its bad side effects. BS!!! Once again, I was duped and still weigh 33 pounds over what I did. I am AGAIN back on Zoloft and it seems fine. The devil you know is better than the one you don't know--I guess. I haven't been back on it long enough to know what will happen this time but it can't be worse than the other things out there. I'm tired of being the psychiatric community guinea pig. Everyone is different; my best friend gaied 25 lbs. on Zoloft and takes Paxil (I can't), my sister only does well on Welbutrin, my friend's mom has been on Effexor for years and it keeps her sane. You just have to find your fit. My problem has been from the medical community not being forthcoming with information and the reluctance to listen to a 'crazy' patient.

I am so relieved to read all of this. Now I know I'm not crazy. My hair is falling out, I have flutters in my tummy. Thought I was pregnant for a minute there. I had Mirena put in 09/2008 two months after my daughter was born and I CAN NOT shake my baby weight. I am a mother of 4 and have never had this problem. My left hand is in pain, I have off and on numbness. Sooooo my appt. to have it removed is scheduled for 07/28/2009. Thank God for this site because I truly thought was was loosing my mind.

I had my Mirena placed almost exactly 3 years ago. For about the last year, I've had pelvic pain almost constantly. I've gone to my gyno and she's given me several ultrasounds. All show that I have multiple follicular cysts on both ovaries. I am starting to worry that I have endometriosis and my gyno won't give me a laproscopy to find out-you won't believe her reason. She says because I don't have a problem with fertility (I have 3 children), that she's pretty sure that isn't what's wrong with me. So, I was talking to a friend who has endometriosis and she gave me her gyno's name. I have an appointment on 18 August and the nurse told me to consider, in the time I'm waiting for my appointment, having my Mirena removed. I have battled depression for quite a while, I've never been able to lose my baby weight (my oldest turned 4 last month) and recently, my pelvic pain has become so bad that I have considered going to the ER a few times. Also, I have lots of cramping in my back. And something that I never considered being a symptom of the Mirena, I'm having a lot of trouble remembering things. If I'm trying to say something sometimes, I can "see" the word I want to say but I can't get the word out. But I've seen a lot of other posts here that describe the same thing. I was honestly afraid I had some horrible brain tumor. I have recently gotten divorced, so I don't need the BC anyway. I had another ultrasound last Thursday, with the same results, only this time, my gyno told me to go see a gastroenterologist (sic). Basically, I felt like she was saying "don't bother me anymore because I can't help you". She never, ever suggested removing the Mirena and stupid, gullible me never considered it because I trusted her that it's not the Mirena. However, now, reading these experiences that are so similar to mine (and my sister, who also has a Mirena and is having the exact same symptoms), I am going to call the gyno on Monday and tell her I want it removed at my appt next month. Thanks for sharing, ladies.

Wow. I have had a Mirena for over a year (had it inserted when my daughter was 6 months old and now she's almost 2. Although I've been feeling depressed and moody pretty much ever since, it's gotten WAY worse over the past 6 months to the point where I am fighting with my boyfriend all the time, I cry for no reason (or, at least, no good reason) very frequently, I have odd acne (which I chalked up to Rosacea post-pregnancy) and the skin on my face (especially around my eyes, nose, and forehead) itches every couple of weeks, in some cases actually flakes. I don't have a period so I can't really tell if these symptoms ebb and flow monthly. Although my sex drive is OK, it's definitely not what it used to be (we used to have sex pretty much every day, now it's more like twice or three times a week), And, I weigh as much now as I did just post-delivery - I lost about 20 pounds and then gained most of it back. I feel like I look 5 months pregnant again.

But, it never occurred to me that all this was a result of my birth control. I figured the skin was a post-pregnancy hormone thing (maybe that's why I'm still losing hair all the time, thankfully I have thick hair to begin with), thought I was just unable to lose the baby weight due to lack of willpower or too little exercise (although I run several times a week, work out, go hiking, and don't think I eat more than I used to), and chalked up the moodiness and depression to just plain going crazy.

I have an appointment to have it removed on Thursday. I hope it doesn't hurt but quite frankly I don't care if it does - I am just hoping that all these symptoms are in fact associated with the Mirena and that I can go back to normal!

Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories too, and good luck.

I finally had the mirena removed today. It was in for 7 weeks or so - in the past couple of weeks i couldn't get a grip on anything w/ my hands being stiff - my back has gone from bad to worse, barely able to stand let alone keep standing. I gained 20 POUNDS!! in 7 weeks! and i was on a roll before insertion, losing all the baby weight plus some (i'd lost 15 lbs post-pregnancy)!I broke out all over my body in itchy patches, which the resident i spoke to said it wasn't possibly the mirena - though bayer had noted it in 5% of women who received it. When i told her i wanted them to remove it, she didn't look too surprised after all the symptoms and weight gain i'd described. So hopefully i'll be back to my old self in a few days - few weeks at most!

BTW:
When I described my symptoms, she suggested the testing for anemia and thyroid problems! - something that I've NEVER had issues w/ in any of the blood work I've had done in the past.

Holy crap! Thank you all for helping me to justify my pending MIRENA removal on Wednesday, June 17th. I thought I was pregnant again - but I wasn't. Instead, via ultrasound, they found a large cyst on my ovary - the kind that's an UNDEVELOPED FETUS - it can have hair, fingernails, teeth and sweat glands - but never had a heartbeat! I have to live with this til it goes away or they decide to remove it... It's really sad for me to think about a little one that tried to make it but didn't...

After insertion when my son was 8 weeks old (he's now 20 months old-I've had this for a year and a half), headaches, incredible fatigue, weight gain - never lost the baby weight and gained more, low back pain-constant dull achiness, high blood pressure-mine's always been very low, incredible moodiness (I threw a carseat at my guy), huge depression swings-got a new anti-depressant, anxiety attacks, horrid cramping... The only good thing was no periods.

We decided to have them take the Mirena out so I can be "me" again. We decided that having what could have been a baby sticking around inside of me was unacceptable. I just hope I can be fertile again as I'm already 40 and we might want another.
Thanks again for helping me confirm that it's not all in my head!!!

Hello everyone I just found out about this site today. I am 30 years old and I thought that mirena was a good choice for me after I had my second son. I got the mirena when my son was 8 weeks old June 2008. I was losing all the baby weight at first but, once I got the mirena the nightmare began. I gained 80 pounds in the two years in the stomach area I had it,My cycle stopped right after I got it. I had sharp stabbing pains in the uterus and lower stomach, I have had lower back pains, Nervousness (I use to think I was losing my mind). My breast was heavier, I was sleepy all the time, moody and picked fights with my husband constantly, I had no sex drive at all. I attempted several times to get it removed and the OB always talked me out of removing it. They claimed that it didn't caused any of the problems I was having. Then my OB told me that I was gonna die if I don't control my weight because I was 5 ft 1 inch and 220 pounds and have got hypertension and started taking two pills a day. I barely was hungry I could never keep any food down with the mirena I was vomiting everything up. So how could I was I gaining weight. Then finally I went and lied said I wanted another baby the doctor said that I would run a risk of having an abnormal baby I told him I didn't care I just wanted the mirena out and he took a long time to find it then he finally saw where it was and removed it. He showed it to me after removing it. Now that I gotten it taken out I fell better. My breast went right back to normal I lost ten pounds now. I am currently walking and drinking lots of water so I can continue to loose. My body is getting back on track with some eating I just eat small portion now, but i'm getting back on track slowly. I have a lot of gas from the time I wasn't eating I just hope i get to my normal size I use to be I wasn't my average size like he said I should be 115 pounds but I was never this fat. I use to be between 145 10 160 pounds and if GOD bless me to get back to that size I'll be happy but I'm still losing my doctor gave me a prescription to lose. I'm now 200 pounds. I'm glad I got that dern mirena removed and It was gone on 5/5/2009

Since I had Mirena put in I have had nothing but problems. I originally had it put in sometime in October of 08 around 7 weeks after I had my first baby. My husband could feel it during sex and I was constantly bleeding. In March, I went into my OB and she said it was placed too low so she took it out and put a new one in. It never hurt to have the first one put in or taken out or to have the second one put in. No more bleeding....BUT....since I had the first one put in, I am a different person. I have mood swings everyday, I have NO patience for anyone, I'm absolutely exhausted, I get head aches, I have acne which I didn't even get as a teenager, I can't lose the weight I've gained (I lost the baby weight plus some before I had Mirena put in), my vision gets blurry, I have extreme pain in my abdomen, NO sex drive, and I think the list could go on and on. I was on anti depressants before getting pregnant and after so I thought I just needed a stronger one, but after researching it, I know it's the Mirena. Due to the pain in my abdomen, I have been through blood work, regular ultrasound, pelvic ultrasound and a flexible sigmoidoscopy!!! I have an appt tomorrow to get the BEAST removed and I can't wait to be back to normal. Just so you know, my OB said you can't have sex 7 days prior to the removal because there is a slight chance you could get pregnant...FYI. I'll post after the removal:)

After 2 years and 7 months, I had my Mirena removed on 5/4. I had it inserted 3 months after the birth of my first child in 2006. At the time, it seemed like my best option due to problems I’d had with the Pill. I was on the Pill for 6 years, the first year or 2 weren’t too bad, but things gradually got worse. Because it was so gradual, it took me years to realize the cause of my problems. My blood pressure slowly got higher, my heart would often race, and I had anxiety and mini-panic attacks to the point where I never wanted to go anywhere. (My heart rate got up to 160 while waiting for the Dr during an appointment and my blood pressure was up to ~145/99) I also started getting migraines that got more and more frequent. I had an EKG and stress test and everything came back normal. I stopped taking the Pill and within a couple months felt a million times better and my BP went back to normal. I had no idea how much it had affected me and it still makes me sick to think of the years I lost because I felt so awful. I didn’t take anything for 6 months before we started trying to get pregnant and they were the best months in a very long time.

After I got Mirena, I thought it was great. I bled for about 2 months, then never really had periods after that (just some occasionally spotting). Three months after it was inserted, I lost the final 10 pounds of baby weight just by dieting. If I was emotional or moody during the first year, I just thought it was my hormones after having a baby. Slowly over time, I began to get more and more irritable. Everything and anything would enrage me. Rage is the best word for it. It would take a split second for me to fly off the handle. Everything irritated me, particularly anything my husband did. The more it happened, the worse it got and I began to worry if I would eventually lose control completely. Meanwhile, I slowly lost my desire to do anything. I’ve never been a big housekeeper, but our house has become a wreck and I have to force myself to get things down when people are coming over. If it weren’t for family coming to visit frequently, we’d really be living in a mess. I just never feel like doing anything and I’ve lost my passion for everything.

I’ve always had bad skin and have taken everything made for acne, including Accutane. My skin was the best it’s ever been the weeks after my son was born. Over the past 2.5 years, it gotten worse and now it’s as bad as it’s ever been. As my 30th birthday approached, I began to wonder if I’d have zits when I’m 70, then began wondering if the IUD might be causing it.

Also in the past year, I have begun to struggle with my weight. It had slowly started to creep up even though my diet hadn’t really changed. The past 6 months have been the worst. I constantly have a desire to eat and crave anything sugary which I’m sure has contributed to my weight gain. I’ve tried dieting and exercising more than ever before and couldn’t lose anything. Then I gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks. If I diet and workout, my weight stays the same – if I eat normally, I gain weight, just as many others here have mentioned. I’d say 80-90% of my excess weight is on my stomach and I’ve been asked twice in the last 6 months by strangers about being pregnant. I now weigh what I did when I was 7-8 months pregnant (25lbs over my pre-preg weight) and I look 6-7 months preg.

All of these issues have gradually gotten worse over time, but significantly so in the past 6 months. My fits of rage began to scare me and I would feel like my head and/or chest were going to explode when I would yell. I started to realize from my previous experience with the Pill that my blood pressure was going up again. I had also begun to get migraines again which I hadn’t had since the Pill. Then I began to feel like I was living in a depression medicine commercial. I’ve never dealt with depression before even when my husband was gone for months at a time in the Navy. Yet all the sudden I felt like I could check off all the symptoms for depression. I started having irrational and scary thoughts that I had no control over and they would go as quickly as they came. I began to get frightened because I felt like I had no control over myself, my thoughts, or my emotions. For whatever reason, I decided to look up Mirena and depression and couldn’t believe what I found - pages and pages of people describing exactly how I felt with all the same symptoms. I had been contemplating it anyway, but I decided then that I was going to get it removed. I went to the doctor and my blood pressure was higher than I expected. She gave me BP meds and offered me meds for everything else. I got the impression that she probably thought I was blaming too much on the Mirena. I would have agreed if not for my experiences on the Pill. She had never removed one, so she referred me to an OB/GYN. They couldn’t see me for over a month and there was no way I could wait that long because I knew it would take a while for my body to get back to normal. Amazingly, I found someone who got me in 4 days later. I was so excited! As everyone says, it’s a lot easier coming out than going in – just a pinch that lasts a second. So far, I haven’t noticed a huge difference (it’s been about 3 days). I felt less bloated the second day, but it seems to have come back a little yesterday. I have been very thirsty since the evening after I got it removed and have been peeing as much as I did when I was pregnant. I slowly feel like my desire to constantly eat is going away and I am not craving sugar as much.

I also wanted to mention, I started the blood pressure meds the day after I got them. I will say that it has helped my irritability a little and I no longer feel like I’m going to explode when I get angry. Now that the IUD is gone, I’m sure it will go back to normal on its own in month or 2. It’s frustrating because I got Mirena because of my BP problems on the pill. I was under the impression that there wouldn’t be any side effects and now I’m back to where I was when I stopped the Pill. I lost several good years with my husband because of the Pill and now I’ve lost almost 3 more and the first 3 years of my son’s life because of this stupid IUD. If it weren’t for our son, I don’t know that our marriage would have survived the last 3 years. I just pray that I will get back to being me and will be able to be the mother that my son deserves.

A few other side effects I’ve noticed after reading all these posts that may also be related are greasy hair and skin, hair loss, facial hair, memory loss/lack of concentration, and the strange odors and various infections that others have mentioned. I used to not be able to wrap my fingers around my ponytail. Now I can almost wrap them around twice. Like most of the other side effects, I blamed it on aging, stress, etc. I’m interested to see if it starts coming back now.

I know this is a really long post, but I wanted to include as much info as possible in case it might help someone else. I probably would have gotten it out sooner, but I didn’t think there were any side effects. For now, I am not going to take anything. I want to know whether the side effects go away and not have to worry if something is caused by a new birth control. I may try something else in 6 months or so, but we’ll see. My husband doesn’t want me to take anything ever again, but I really don’t want to get pregnant. I don’t think I want any more kids, but I’m only 30 and not ready to do anything permanent yet. My new OB/GYN mentioned Implantation, which uses a different hormone, but I don’t have much faith that it won’t have the same effects. I will probably just try different pills and keep an eye on my blood pressure. I plan to post updates when I can to let you know if things get better. I hope that my story helps someone else.

I had my Mirena inserted in February, ever since I feel bloated & swollen all the time. I work out like crazy & can't seem to drop the last of my baby weight, in fact I've gained a little since I had it put in. My moods are horrible. I feel like I'm not enjoying my 6 month old baby because I just don't feel like doing anything. It's not PPD either. After reading everyone else experiences I'm thinking about having it removed ASAP!!! I just hope my Dr. doesn't convince me otherwise.

After reading numerous stories on this site, I feel like everyone has pretty summed up Mirena in a nutshell. I feel relieved to know that all of my symptoms are related to this contraceptive, but I also feel very angry. I'm angry, because I did ask my physician very specific questions before and after the IUD was inserted. I don't even take Advil for a headache, so the thought of placing "medicine" into me, was a huge deal. After a few months of the constant bleeding and cramping, I kept complaining of my abdomen being so bloated, as if I were pregnant again. I lost the baby weight quickly with my first, and with my second, it took a really long time. I'm the type who can eat anything, and the weight never stays on, so this was also concerning to me. The constant exhaustion I feel is ridiculous, and I feel like I could sleep and veg out all day. My memory seems to be distant, and my thoughts are sometimes fogged. Needless to say, I knew and kept saying to my husband that it was the mirena iud in me that was causing this. I made an appt w/ the doctor, and told her about the symptoms that I was having, and their reaction was nothing. Stating that it could be numerous things, and the bloating of the stomach was probably just from my body going through changes after having had children. I guess I should have taken action then, but I didn't and now I am. Tomorrow I am having this mirena removed, and I've never been more excited, because I can't wait to feel like myself again. Always listen to your gut, I'll keep updated with progress after removal......DON'T GET MIRENA!!!!

I had Mirena inserted 6 weeks post pregnancy with my second child march09. since then i have had horrible mood swings that i cannot control my poor fiance has put up with a lot. on top of that i cant seem to loose the baby weight, with my first pregnancy there was no problem. but for me the worst side effect which is not listed on the re website is hair loss. I know its common to loose a little hair after preg. but im loosing a huge amount i look look like i have a reseeding hair line. i am going to have it removed Friday. my only concern is other form of bc did not work for my inc the pill and the patch. i am very fertile it seems and am not ready for baby number three. this seemed like such a great idea but had they told me about the hair up front i never would have had it inserted.

Hi I've had my Mirena now for 9 years and am scheduled to have another fitted in 4 days. When my Mirena was initially fitted I was advised that some women experience increase bleeding or decreased bleeding - as I had had heavy bleeding after having my first son when my second son was born I decided to opt for the Mirena as at the time it seemed such an ideal. I firstly noticed that I could feel when I was ovulating and for the first 3 months my periods were lighter and lighter and then ceased completely by the 4th month. I have not had a period for nearly 9 and a half years now - which was not a problem for me. However, the following side effects ensued which I put down to just my going through changes:- severe migraines, moodiness, loss of libido weight gain ++++ irritability, depression, tearfulness, oily skin, facial hair in chin and jawline, dry itchy scalp (a once healthy head of raoildy growing hair) now reduced to dull splitting ends and struggling to grow hair, lethargy +++, low mood, suicidal thoughs, aggressive mood change, tearfulness, insomnia, feelings of total despair and irritability but with now valid reason or cause - and just like you said all my energies were consumed with "trying to show the outside world that I could cope and that everything was fine". Within days of having my second son all my baby weight had dropped off - everyone was AMAZED - my hubby was MOST pleased and I was the happiest woman in the world having had my sons and returning to me pre childbirth figure. I had my Mirena fitted 10 weeks post-partum then by the time my son was 5 months the weight gradually started to creep back on and no matter how much I exercised and dieted it made not difference I felt like I was exercising and dieting in order to pile on weight. At no time did I make a connection to the monster I had become and the Mirena. It is only on contemplating this forthcoming refit that I decided to look up side effects and am devastated to find that what I've endured for all these years was the side effects of what I had come to rely on as effective contraception. I have spoken with my husband about our options for contraception and a vasectomy is not an option for us as this moment in time. Even as I write this I can feel the anxiety and tears welling up inside me. I had gotten to the point where I honestly felt I was going MAD - but my determination to not give in to the inner demons and my strong personality, the loving faces of my two sons as well as a supportive family and friends network are what have kept me going. I am ELATED to say the least to read that I was not going mad - but angry that I and so many other women have become victims of circumstance whilst trying to control our lives. Thank you so much to all you ladies for taking the time to share your experiences - you have really helped me to decide that the Mirena is no longer an option for me.

I am very thankful for all this input. I did not feel any pain at all with the insertion or removal of Mirena, but I certainly did deal with the abdominal cramps (they went away after a few weeks), fatigue and weight gain. I lost just about all my baby weight gain so so soon after delivery and was 115 lbs. 2 months later, I had Mirena inserted, and quickly shot up to 125 lbs. Not horrible, but on my frame noticeable especially since I watch what I eat and work out/run a lot. I had Mirena removed on 3/31. I have since lost almost 5 lbs doing nothing different! I got a heavy period just two days later. I then got *my groove* back on in the bedroom in what seems like (um the whole time I was on Mirena?)

Now I am terrified I am pregnant. Does anyone know what happens if you get pregnant so soon?

Like all of the ladies that posted. I had the mirena put in place 6 weeks after my daughter was born, she just turned 1. I have had nothing but problems. I have not had one period since this thing was inserted only discharge and a odor, which i have never had a problem with. I had to be placed on paxil for depression and anxiety, I have sleepless nights and not because of the baby she has slept all night since day one. I have no sex drive and when i attempt its painful. I am 22 and active and weighed 170 the day i gave birth and in 6 weeks i had only 5 pounds to go to be at my original 130lb pre baby weight..I now weigh 180 lbs. Iv tried all the old tricks, i quit sodas, fried foods and switch to water. i was working out with no response. I found this site last night and called my doctor first thing this morning but im a full time student without insurance and he told me it would be $200.00 which is a lot when your a parent in these times. so i called planned parenthood they will remove it for $ 50.00 and that includes a pelvic and a pap, so i can try a new method. Now that is the student rate but even at regular it is cheaper then the alternative.
good luck ladies, i can honestly say i feel your pain

I have the Mirena IUD now. I had in inserted in August of '06, 3 months after I had my first daughter. All along I really liked the IUD. I did have some problems at first however, while having intercourse I had some discomfort. But all in all really liked the fact that my periods were lighter. However, for the past year or so I have noticed a huuge change in my sex drive, and hardly ever want to have intecourse. I am tired a lot, and even though I eat well, and exercise I have lost hardly ANY baby weight. After reading these comments, I am seriously thinking of having my IUD removed.