Birth control method symptoms and conditions

I've been on the NuvaRing for a year and four months. Overall, I've been happy with it. There are a few side effects: my sex drive has gone down (from overdrive to normal) and I can't wear contacts anymore -- my eyes are just too dry. I'm not sure if it affects my mood. I'm a little overly sensitive on and off birth control, so it's hard to say! My breast got a little bigger. When I started, I would get headaches (they weren't bad, but never got headaches before, so it was unusual), but they've gone away. None of the side effects are bad enough to make me stop taking it. I've tried the pill (two kinds), sponges, and condoms, and this is by far my favorite birth control method. It's convenient, effective (for me anyway), and the side effects are definitely manageable.

I am SO glad I found this site. I have had Mirena for 7.5 years and have had these side effects mentioned here by everyone. At first the Mirena was the wonder birth control method, no periods, no cramping- I thought it was the greatest, but then I had strange things happening. I asked my doctor about these on numerous occasions,and he kept saying "the hormone level in Mirena is so low it is not detectable by a blood test" and therefore could not be causing symptoms.

I've experienced a lack of libido, headaches, weight gain, hair thinning, sadness, fatigue, sleeplessness....an overall change I was attributing to getting older and going through my 30's.

OK- so why is my story like every woman's on here if there an no side effects as explained by my doctor?

After finding this site and countless others, I made an appt to have Mirena removed.

I cannot wait to feel like myself again.
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it's been about 2 months since my Mirena REMOVAL and I am just now starting to see a clearing up of my skin on my face and back. My skin was so bad. I had cystic acne on my back and arms and oily skin on my face and back. It's so nice to scratch my back without feeling thousands of bumps lining my neck and back.
*I feel better emotionally too. I am not getting irritated or angry as easily as i was when i had mirena in place.
*No more odor or discharge
*i'm still losing my hair but I think it's starting to slow down
*My knees don't hurt as bad as they used to.
In General I feel better and i'm getting better every week. I am sooo glad that i had it removed and that my life can continue now without such horrible side effects. It seems like it's taking a long time but that's ok as long as i'm making progress. I had it for 20 months so it will probably take a little longer to be cleaned out of my system .
Good Luck ladies.

I had my Mirena in for a little over a year and had if removed on August 18th 2009. I suffered from most of the side effects that are listed on Mirena's website. I have also noticed, that between the time I got the IUD inserted til now, they have included many more side effects on their website. Good for them. However, I just read something on their site that I wanted to point out to all of you ladies using or thinking about using this form of BC. Here is the link if you want to read what all they have to say. I am just glad they are putting more and more side effects on their site to inform women.

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What if I become pregnant while using Mirena?
Unfortunately, no birth control method, not even tying your tubes, is 100% perfect. If you do get pregnant while using a birth control method, there can be risks to you and your baby. Here we talk about the risks of getting pregnant while Mirena is still in place.

About 2 in 1000 women using Mirena for one year may become pregnant. One risk of getting pregnant using Mirena is called ectopic pregnancy, when the pregnancy is not in the uterus. It may occur in the fallopian tubes. Signs of ectopic pregnancy may include unusual bleeding or abdominal pain. Ectopic pregnancy is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention and often surgery. Ectopic pregnancy can cause internal bleeding, infertility and even death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you think that you're pregnant.

There are also risks if you get pregnant while using Mirena and the pregnancy is in the uterus. Severe infection, miscarriage, premature delivery and even death can occur with pregnancies that continue with an intrauterine device (IUD). Because of this, your healthcare provider may try to remove Mirena, even though removing it may cause a miscarriage. If Mirena cannot be removed, talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of continuing the pregnancy.

I have had the Mirena IUD in since September of 2004 (after the birth of my second son). It is due to come out today. I am looking forward to this so very much. After having the IUD put in, my periods stopped completely. I have not had a period for five years. Yesterday I started bleeding, I guess due to the fact that the IUD is expired. I have also had some severe nausea (not sure if this is due to the IUD). I was doing really well before I had the IUD put in. I was not an angry, sad, or depressed person. However, I did notice that after the IUD was inserted I started to feel really down and out. I began to experience anxiety and was diagnosed with clinical depression. I have battled this for five years now and it has been really tough. I have tried different anti-depressants and just can't seem to get a hold on it. I asked more than one doctor if the Mirena IUD could contribute to depression and all of them told me NO. I am not convinced. Although I have had other personal issues to deal with, I really feel like the IUD has had a major impact on me. I kept the IUD in and delt with all of this because I have two children and I am not looking to have more anytime soon. I may not have more children altogether....I am currently in school and looking at maybe a degree in Nursing. I did not need to be pregnant while trying to finish school. However, the more I have thought about it, I too wish I would have researched this little device a little better and found out more information. Our bodies, as women, were created to have a menstrual cycle each month to naturally cleanse the vagina and uterus. By having the IUD, and my period stopping completely, I interrupted this natural cycle (which helps to cleans my body). This can't be a good thing. I would advise anyone who is considering this as a birth control method to talk to your doctor and ask MANY, MANY questions. Get a second, or third, or fourth opinion if you have to. All of our bodies are different and what doesn't work for one may work for another. Just get the facts, be careful and good luck to everyone else out there.
-faithprincess7

I had the Mirena IUD inserted at my 6 week check up after having my second daughter (who I got pregnant with while on the patch by the way). The day i got it put in I had really bad cramps and thought there was no way I was going to be able to keep it in but the next day I woke up and didn't feel a thing. I haven't had any weird or severe side effects that I have noticed and my daughter is about to turn 3 in a couple weeks. My periods do seem to come more frequently, about every two and a half to three weeks, but they are very light and only last couple days. I've found that it is very difficult for me to lose weight on birth control in general but I haven't experienced any weight gain on Mirena (as opposed to the 50 pounds I gained in the 4 months I was on the depo shot after my first daughter!). All in all I would have to say that the Mirena has been the best birth control method that I have tried so far. I am considering having it removed next year but only because we're thinking about having one more baby.

I have been on the NuvaRing for a year now and this was the first month I skipped by my own fault in forgetfulness. I went on the ring to regulate my hormones and thought it was useful to have a birth control method that overcame my pill-taking forgetfulness. It has worked really well not only in the hormonal department, but with period regulation and cramps. So many have had adverse reactions with their sex drive and emotions, but I was a lucky consumer. BUT THEN I forgot to insert the ring this past month; I was traveling and one day led to the next and you know how it goes. I brushed it off as a "medication free" month and proceeded with making my plans to move from the West Coast to the East Coast.

Last week was the week before my period and I began to experience HEAVY anxiety. Though I was happy and life was great (even with the large change in my life) my body was reacting in distress. At first I dismissed it as anxiety from moving, but then when I got my period it dawned on me. Usually I would experience heavy cramps before my period but the anxiety replaced it. I didn't even know my period was coming. My regular body clues were off base and this anxiety lead to a heavy chest feeling, short breaths, dizziness, headaches, breast soreness and general feelings of depression. As a woman I can be perfectly honest and say this is entirely hormonal because

Today I went online to research and was more than happy to see that I am not alone in the symptoms this birth control has caused me. Oh my goodness, I am almost excited to get back on it after my period to see if it dramatically changes on the flip side. I cannot continue feelings like this.

I'm 21 and I have never been on any kind of birth control method. I decided to get on the Nuvaring because I had a pregnancy scare. My boyfriend and I have only ever used condoms, but one broke and that was enough for me. I've been on the Nuvaring for about 2 weeks. I normally get my period every 35 days and the only cramping I ever experience is the first and second day of my period. After the first week I noticed I had some light cramping and thought nothing of it, but as time went on the cramping only seemed to be getting worse. I told my doctor about it and she advised me that it was probably my body trying to get used to the ring. Never having used birth control before, I tried not to worry. Then, I noticed some other changes that concerned me since it wasn't like me to feel that way. Aside from the cramping, I had been feeling very depressed about my life and where I was headed for some reason, and my sex drive was depreciating. My boyfriend noticed of course and I had no idea why I was feeling that way. It wasn't until I came across this website that everything started to make sense. I thought I was the only one experiencing these changes. I'm definitely going to change birth control methods. I just don't know what is the best out there. Can anyone help me?

I've had my mirena for over 3 years now and fortunately have not had the negative experiences primarily posted on this website. In fact, I'm writing so that women who are considering getting a mirena won't feel that the experiences posted on this website are the experiences of ALL women who have the mirena.

I had mine put in shortly after the birth of my 2nd son. I had cramping for about 24 hours but nothing intolerable (and certainly nothing compared to labor!). For the first couple years, my periods were soooo light and very infrequent (every 4-5 months). More recently, I've been having a lot more bleeding (every 2-3 weeks) and that's what's brought me to this website. The periods are still so light with little to no cramping, but are now lasting several days and are much more frequent so I'm not exactly sure what's changed.

Nonetheless, I've found the mirena to be an EXCELLENT birth control method and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a carefree bc experience. I was on the pill for many years prior to becoming a mom and for 2 years between the births of my sons and I don't have any of the moodiness or PMS symptoms I always had with the pill. I also was able to lose all my pregnancy weight (mostly due to LOTS of exercise!) while on the mirena.

Good luck to you all- I definitely appreciate that everyone's experience with a medication is unique.

My experience with this drug was awful. I do not recommend it as a birth control method. My PMS symptoms were far, far worse (enough to miss a day of work!). Cramps, headaches, moodiness and ohh the nausea! I had chronic nausea that still hasn't left two months after stopping the medication. I wish I'd never taken it.

I had the Mirena placed in Sept 07. I truly thought I had found a great and simple birth control method..I have read many of the posts and seem to have realized some of the things that are going on with me. I have the hair loss, lower abdomen pain, lower back pain, tiredness, leg pain to the extent of not sleeping at night, and the most depressing one is the WEIGHT GAIN! I have always been able to control my weight within 5-7lbs. but not now! I have put on at least 15lbs and can't seem to get it off for anything! It's horrible! I feel bloated all the time, and seem to have some moodiness that I could just scream! I took a low dose of birth control pills for 16 years and NEVER had any of this!! I have seriously been thinking of having it removed, for those of you that have, does the weight hang around or have you lost any since the removal? And, are all hte crazy symptoms better? I would love any information!

I started taking nuvaring because it worked well for my sister and my husband and I are not ready for kids. I've only been on it for 6 months but i've had all sorts of issues, like chest pain, feeling very negative and just sad for no reason. Hair loss (i wouldn't have even thought to put that on if it weren't for this site) weight gain which i thought was because im a newlywed.... and no sex drive (which has been devastating as newlyweds are supposed to really enjoy themselves) I already didn't like or trust medication and this has just made it worse. My sister has had hers out for 5-6 months and has been rendered infertile because of nuvaring, shes very healthy too! and she wants another baby! I took it out about a week ago (for good) but it was earlier than i should have according to the calender and I've been a wreck. I've always had bad cramps (runs in the family) like the type that you literally cant stand from, but today its been so bad i felt like i was gonna throw up and had to go home from work. This is ridiculous for my body to react to negatively!! My sister is now trying a natural birth control method that is more scientific than the normal chart that tells you when your fertile and when your not. Im waiting for the book to show up, its called "Taking Control of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler" Which involves taking your temperature every morning and charting yourself every day, checking your cervix, as it moves up and down based on weather or not your fertile. Then you know when you should use a condom (since im not fond of them all the time) and when you are infertile. Its not for everyone since it isn't easy, but im not willing to mess my body up anymore, i want my energy back, my body back, and my sex drive and if i have to sacrifice 5 minutes a day to do it I WILL!!

NR has been great birth control...but only because my crazy mood swings & crying jags don't exactly put either my BF nor myself in the mood for love. I've always been one of those "stiff upper lip" types & have never been able to remember when asked when the last time I cried was (nor the reason)...at most, I cried once or twice a year, usually out of sheer exhaustion from work. However, in the past two months since I started NR, the answer now would have to be either "yesterday" or "I'm crying right now". Even my mother (with whom I talk daily) has noticed that I'm not the same strong person I used to be & it started with the NuvaRing. I am so tired of feeling like lying in the dark, listening to Joy Division & feeling sorry for myself, that after sobbing though (yet another) commute, I pulled the ring out & threw it in the trash on the way into the house today. Now, all I need to do is find a new birth control method...

I had Mirena put in about 4 weeks weeks ago. Two weeks after I had it put in I got my period, so heavy at times I was going through a tampon per hour and I have been bleeding ever since! I am getting it removed this week. My hair has started to fall out and my sex drive is low too. I thought that this would be a great birth control method after giving birth to my third just 4 months ago. But I too will go back to the Billings Method, it never failed me before and is more than 99% effective.

Hello all I have read some of the post here. Now I must say it has been nice having the mirena but at the same time difficult. My husband sometime complain that he can feel the string and that it feels like something is sticking him which is uncomfortable for him but not all the time. Every since I have had the mirena which was inserted 10/2008 I have been having severe chest pain. It basically feels like somebody is sitting on my chest. I went to the ER one morning because it felt like I was having a heart attack <---which would be abnormal for a 28 year old. I got a chest x-ray and everything and they linked it to stress. So I just let it go. Months go by and I still feel this heavy feeling on my chest now which is accompanied by the fluttering of my heart. I have also noticed my hair falling out since having the mirena. Needless to say I am getting it out tomorrow and I am going back to what I know the depo shot. Good luck to the select few women who this birth control method work for. But it did not work for me as far as the side affects go.

I got my Mirena inserted in March of 2007. After having horrible side effects such as terrible cystic acne and my hair falling out.....along with chronic back pain....I got it removed in December of 2007. Unfortunately, my horrible cystic acne has not left and my hormone balance is so messed up that no birth control method has helped me get balanced again after almost a year and a half....

You sound just like me! My joint pain was so bad i thought I had a really bad case of arthritis. Some nights i felt like my legs and wrists were broken! ... and this makes it hard to look after 2 kids under the age of 3. My husband and i have been in marriage counseling for months now, and I have been for solo counseling for depression, anxiety and an over-eating disorder... all of which has been pretty much cured since the removal of my Mirena on Feb. 14th! I was forewarned by the women on this site that, after removal, I would have some bad spells during PMS and ovulation time.. which I have had. And during those times i started to doubt my diagnosis. Looking back now, the puzzle fits so perfectly, I don't see how I could have doubted it. I just never understood PMS until this Mirena came along. I never had it before. Get that evil thing out and look forward to getting better. No birth control method is worth this kind of sacrifice. I'm so lucky my husband stuck it through. A lot of men would have given up on me long ago...

i can't believe all these posts, i come on here everyday now, i'm so glad i found it. i had my mirena fitted in oct 08, and have completely changed since. before i was a happy, energetic, optimistic, fit, healthyish, now i'm in counseling for anxiety and depression, in the doctors evrery other week (not kidding) i'm so glad hes nice and understanding! here are my symptoms in 5 months

aching joints, (been referred to a rheumatologist),
depression and anxiety (been referred to a councilor),
head aches,
tired,
smelly discharge,
excessive bleeding, (8 weeks),
painful periods,
pain underneath ribs (not sure if its related),
dizzy,
don't feel like me any more,
forgetful,

March 10 I have had the Mirena since Nov 2006 after delivering my second child. I got it not because of it being a birth control method, but because my periods being so unbelievably heavy that they cause me to become anemic. I am getting my IUD removed Thurs 3/12. I thought the Mirena was great at first. Some slight cramping and the spotting was annoying but better than a period for me. However, the last year has been horrible. I have been losing my hair horribly, to the point where I have to wear it back all the time or atleast the top half up, otherwise you can see a large balding area. I have had every hormone test done possibly, I am going to see a dermatologist too. However, I have been doing some research and then found this website, it is unbelievable. I never quite put the two and two together with the hair loss, teh acne I have on my cheeks and on my neck (I have never had this type of problem with acne before in my life), I feel exhausted, and I have at least 15 headaches a month. Oh and not to forget my sex drive yeah gone. I kept blaming everything on stress, two little kids, I have a thryod disorder (however controlled my medicat) it is just crazy to read this website. I hope that the mirena is the problem, and good luck to everyone else that has it

With all due respect to any women posting here that we need to be careful about listing the bad side-effects here on this forum, as they aren't having problems with Mirena, I say to you - I believe you might be on the wrong webpage. That is the POINT of us listing our side-effects - we're HAVING them and this webpage clearly states, "Post Side effect"!

I'm truly very happy for those women who love Mirena. I mean that. I was also one of them in the beginning. It went downhill fast, though. If you want to sing Mirena's praises, you might want to visit a webpage of other women who are doing just that. But this page is a place where over 2300 posts are about the side effects. It is WHY we are here!!!! We're saddened, angry & confused, as to why we're suffering with this birth control. I will NOT be careful in "cautioning the dire consequences" of Mirena. Hell no! If I could scream it from a mountain top - I would caution every woman considering Mirena as a birth control method, to first read all our posts & our stories & experiences with it!

Thank you.

I only lasted one week! Im 17 years old and "healthy" according to my doctor. I thought i would try out the Nuvaring bc my best friend loves it. Unfortunately, my experience made me feel the opposite. The first 2 days were fine. On Day 3, i got a mild headache and wasn't that hungry all day. It didn't seem that bad, so I brushed it off and forced myself to eat. Day 4 my headache was much worse and i barely ate anything all day. Again, I brushed it off thinking my body still had to get used to the hormones. Day 5 was a bad one. I was fine half the day. Then around 3 or 4 pm, my severe headache returned. I called the doctor who told me to take some vitamins to see if that would help. I did, but much to my disappointment, the side effects got worse. That same day in addition to my severe headaches, I went on to experience severe mood swings, sudden fever, chills, chest pains, shortness of breath, lack of sex drive, nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, sore throat (may or may not have been from NR), and spotting (could have been from my period, but i usually stop by this time).

My first of two major concerns was my loss of appetite. I already have a very fast metabolism, so i can't go a long time without eating. I was afraid that I would end up losing weight bc every time i would force myself to eat, i would feel like i was gonna throw up. Also before the Nuvaring, i had never had a severe headache. My headaches got so bad on the Nuvaring that i couldn't move my head without wincing in pain. The headaches were the main reason i finally yanked it out two days later when they didn't go away.

It's only been a day since i took it out, and i feel 95% better (still mild effects, but it takes more than a day for the NR to get out of your system). I don't know what birth control method I'll use now (thinking about just going back to condoms), but it definitely won't be the Nuvaring. I'd rather be a pregnant teenager (Knock on wood) then kill my body with hormonal birth control methods.

i was taking yaz for about 1-2 years. it was great - my moodiness subsided, lighter periods, no cramps, and it made my acne go away. i noticed that the longer i was on yaz, the more frequent my migraines became (4-5 per month). i didn't realize it at first because i have always gotten migraines (3 per month) since i was a child and i would always attribute the migraines to either stress or stormy weather. with the increase in migraines, i started trying various migraine medications, including zomig and maxalt combined with an alleve. however, i recently switched to nuvaring because my doctor said my blood pressure increased and i was placed on a low dosage of a beta blocker. nuvaring has a lower dosage of hormones and was recommended to me. i used nuvaring for 2 months and then stopped because i had problems with it slipping out. tired of trying differed birth control methods, i simply asked to go back on the yaz. this is when it dawned on me. the entire time i was using the nuvaring, i barely had any migraines (maybe 1 or 2 over 2 months compared to the usual 3-4 per month). i've been back on the yaz for 2 months now and i am having a migraine EVERY week and they last about 2-3 days long. i'm seeing my doc ASAP and getting of this pill immediately. i'm tired of the migraines interrupting my life. they completely immobilize me. i also noticed it completely got rid of any sex drive i have.

I just want to point out that the NuvaRing is not necessarily "the devil's tool" to every woman. I have been using the NuvaRing for 1 year and 3 months now, and absolutely love it. I tried numerous different birth control pills and experienced many of the side effects y'all are describing from those. But the NuvaRing has given me no problems, except for a slightly heavier period than I had with the bcp's. I find that extremely tolerable compared to all of the other possible effects. I guess it all comes down to each of us being different. I'm sorry that it didn't work for any of you. It's such a trial and error type of effort to find the right birth control method. Good luck finding what is right for you!

Have only been on tri sprintec for 3 months and have just went off. Am having very nervousness feeling inside. Is this normal??

Depo seemed to be the best thing ever for me when I was on it 4 years ago. When I decided to get the shot the only side effects were weight gain and hair loss. I didn't gain any weight, lose any hair and I had no more periods. After four years of being on the shot I learned that I had Osteoporosis due to the lack of estrogen. I had bones of a 65 year old and I was only 24. Its four years later and my bones have increased somewhat because I take Vitamin D pills and two calcium chews a day. Now I have Osteopenia and hopefully by the end of this year my bones will be back to normal.

I think the Depo is a good birth control method if you don't stay on it for more than two years. Good luck!