Canada symptoms and conditions

I have been taking Armour for a couple of weeks now and although I feel better my hair and eyelashes are falling out in massive amounts. I read side effects online and it said this should stop after awhile. Does my hair grow back normal then or is it permanently thinner?

Hi ! I posted on July 4th = serenity@42 ... I had mine inserted on June 18 during surgery as I posted, I was going to have it removed when I returned back to Canada. I called my doctor and he told me that to remove it, it take a second. He also told me that the side effects would diminish within 3 months, he also said "it is in your body, not mine", no problem to remove it. He told me to give it a week. This coming Tuesday will be a week to call him back. Now I went to a health food store to see if I can find something natural to assist in my side effects and I am taking Apply Cider Vinegar 600 tablets. They help reduce the bloating, along with my issue's from surgery *(lack of bowel / urine) = so this is helping me, you have to find the one that has "dandelions", which helps the urination of the excess water, I look 6 months pregnant at the time, now I look about 4 months, but this is helping me. As for the other side effects I had, the headaches have gone away, the moodiness is somewhat in control because I am aware of it and I make sure that I watch for it before I go off ! The swelling feet are still there, but I just had surgery 3 weeks ago, but still apart of the water retention ... I have not had sex with my finance yet because of surgery suggestions plus very minor spotting from surgery. The positive is that I have not had any period or bleeding from my period, but just spotting in the last day .. my doctor was surprised by that, and he said without bleeding, then this should outweigh the side effects, but totally up to me ... so I am going to give it a few more weeks to see if the weight comes off and the swelling in the feet go away, then I will decide what to do, I know it is a phone call away from removing it ... I want this to work so I am going to hang in there. Sleeping is getting better, I could not sleep plus having crazy dreams and waking up a few times a night, plus I forgot to add that I tend to be hot at night only, without sweating though, thank goodness. I have not had any hair loss during this whole time, and the acne has slowed down. I know that these are REAL symptoms because I know my body !!! I think that everyone had REAL feelings / symptoms as well and we must all honor what other women are going through and support each other not disregard others as EZRUST and NIAHSMOMMY have done ... This is a FORIEGN object in each of our bodies and some react differently but that is for everyone to decide if it is worth it or not pending their side effects. So to all that have had or are thinking of this for themselves, you read these postings and you have to make a decision for yourself on whether you either remove it and don't wait till it gets really bad or take the chance that you may only have minimal side effects. This is a great site to have support by most of us and to express your thoughts and feelings and know that you ARE NOT ALONE feeling these things ! Take care to all and I will update you as the days / week pass to see what come of this ... I will not let this Mirena Rule or Ruin my life that's for sure !!!!!!!!!
Take Care ... Serenity@42 !!!

Dear EZ-RUST ... you must be a doctor with that attitude towards everyone ! I just had surgery 2 weeks ago to remove an ovary/tubes/cysts and so on from Endometriosis. I had the Mirena inserted at that time. MY DOCTOR told me that is is a great thing and I totally trust his judgment being a specialist, also, I did my research and read a lot of these comments regarding side effects prior to my insertion, and I thought wow, that's crazy, but I thought everyone responds to meds differently, I knew two other girlfriends in my office that were looking into this and one is going to be getting this as well. So I did cover everything, got the good reviews from another friend, plus read us on the Mirena... Positive = no bleeding since put in other than mild spotting after surgery, but that spotting was probably related to surgery ...... BUT I now have some side effects after 2 days and thought it was a intestinal / bowel issue ... but I have the acne, mild headaces, look 6 months pregnant = after only 1 1/2 weeks of this being inserted !!!!!!!!! Plus the moodiness which that can be caused by anything in general as well as a sore lower back. I WILL be having this removed as soon as I am back in Canada, I am in the USA enjoying the 4th of July celebrations .... But you are a bit harsh, judging other people ! Conditions are conditions ! Having your opinion is one thing but being so defensive makes me think you work for the company !

thank all of you ladies for actually coming forth and helping out your fellow womanly community with posting your issues.

i found this board as i was currently freaking out that i might be pregnant due to the fact that i barely got my period this month. I was not told by my doctor at all that this would be a side effect.

All I can say is that i was on Alesse for years and years and never had a problem or side effect once. They no longer carry the name brand anymore in the US and the generic has a different formula that makes me have the worst PMS ever. I'm going to have to get my name brand Alesse from now on from Canada. No more of this Loestrin stuff for me.

I to was put on Lipitor 20mg. took it about 1 month and had such pain in my leg muscles I couldn't hardly walk . I went to my doctor he said go off it and I should start Zocor in . A month the pain was worse I couldn't even walk around the mall . I couldn't sleep at night the pain was terrible. Once again I told the doctor he said stop it and we will wait 6 weeks and start Crestor. In six weeks the pain should be gone. It didn't go away I could hardly walk at my job teaching at a Pre School. The pain unreal.I have type 2 diabetes under control for years. Still is.I was told I had arthritis. But now they tell me I have spinal stenosis. I'm on paxil for the depression they said I had and. I feel as bad now as I did 4 years ago when I was on statins. I can hardly walk, my life is pain in my muscles that never leaves and now my back. I was active and watched my weight and walked 3 miles a day. Since taking these meds. I can no longer work, go shopping or go anyplace I have to walk . I have gained a lot of weight . I have something wrong with my knee .I have tried to explain this to 3 doctors and no one listens to me. My health turned for the worse when I started taking Lipitor in 2005. I don't think I'll ever get my life back I am only 58 years old and can't work to support myself.I can't even hold my 1 month old grandson and walk or lift him from his bed. Reading all your messages . I know my health going down like this is from the statin drugs I took . When I sit , I can't walk when I stand Then .I gotta sit in 5 to 10 minutes.And the pain in my knee has progressed. No doctor wants to hear my story and believe me. Thank God I found this web site and read this for my self now I know I'm not crazy. How can I get myself better ? Will I live the rest of my life in pain, and not able to function.Every time I see a doctor they give me another pill to take. I want to just throw them all away .There must to be an answer to this.

Hi ! I'm French and bipolar 2 rapid cylcing (every 2/3 months for about 3 weeks each taking anafrani)l. I'm 50 years old and I had lithium for many years. Since July I have lamictal. It's very recent in France and my doctor doesn't know if my problem to sleep I get since I have lamictal will go away or not and if lamictal is responsible.
I describe the problem : I have difficulty to get asleep, I wake up during the night and I wake up very early in the morning even if i go to bed late. So I'm obliged to go to bed before 10 pm. It's very hard but since I take lamictal I had no down since September (6 months it's wonderful for me)
I only had some variations during the day at the beginning but it seems to be better. I feel really better than with lithium. But there is this problem of sleeping. In France nobody could answer to me and my doctor told me to go on internet with USA of Canada where you use for long time lamictal. Do you know something about that and do you know if it can be better after a few month more ?
Could you please answer me here or on my email : ******
Thanks a lot in advance and sorry for my bad English. I hope you will understand me.
Kind regards
N.

I mean I hope to lose 25 lbs. The Mirena pamphlet they had at the Gyn office says there is no side effect of weight gain. But they base it on only 1 study done in Canada using a different IUD that supposedly uses the same hormone. Hormones regulate all the glands in the body. They should tell the truth.

I had mirena inserted in July 08. I am feeling slightly better but am still having way too many side effects. I have e-mailed the company and told them how awful their product has been for me, no reply.
I was reading a post that said to report to the FDA. I live in Canada, does anyone know where I could send my complaints (side effects)?
I feel like my gynecologist has totally disregarded my side effects. Between him and his secretary I have been told many times that mirena does NOT cause all of these problems I was having. I thought I was losing it until I found this website. He told me I was gaining because I was eating too much. Mirena would cause me to be hungrier, but I was putting the food in my mouth, so it wasn't mirena. I could have choked him.
My family doctor has been really helpful, discovering that anemia was one cause of my total lack of energy. He is going to recommend to the gyno that I have mirena removed and a hysterectomy done. But wants me to wait another month, just so the gyno can't say I didn't give it a fair try!!! I am very concerned about the bleeding I may have when mirena is taken out. But after reading all of the posts I am now determined that this awful thing will be taken out and a hysterectomy will be done asap. Wish me luck, and thanks for listening.

Pregnant or not pregnant?

I'm updating my previous post. I went to my GP on Friday and had another urine pregnancy test done which was also negative. She sent me for a blood analysis for which the results will be back sometime this week.

I told my doctor I wanted the mirena removed regardless. She said to wait a couple of weeks and then come back and we'll discuss my reasons for wanting it out, etc. Where I live here in Canada, it's not the GP who inserts or removes it, I would need to be referred to an OBGYN. It would be a bit of a wait, with first the two weeks to go back and see my GP and then wait for a referred appointment with the OBGYN. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

After reading a post on here from a woman who removed hers, I was a little worried about doing it myself, but decided to see if I could. I chose to remove it in the bathtub because after not having a period since August or September, I started to bleed on Thursday night and had sever pain in my upper abdomen, the same area that has swelled. Once in the bath, I shifted onto my left side, lifted my right leg and felt for the strings. I lost my grasp on them twice before I was able to keep hold. I very slowly and very gently pulled them down and sure enough, was able to remove the mirena. I felt pressure, no pain. I was surprised, because it was quite painful when I had it inserted.

I am glad to be rid of that little device. Today I feel less anxious and less irritable. I have no more pain in my belly, though it is still swollen. And lo and behold, my bleeding has stopped.

Some may say I just expected my symptoms to vanish after removing it, but for the bleeding to just stop? I still have the body aches, which I am hoping will get better. And I don't want to over analyze. I will see how it goes over the next week and post an update here.

And please, don't remove it yourself based on what I have said here. I'm sure it depends on whether any tissue has grown around it, etc., as to whether or not it will hurt, or if there will be any kind of bleed out, pain, etc. I am just saying it worked for me.

Mirena free and loving it!

I am on my second time around with Topiramate (generic Topamax). It has been a year, and I have no reason other than weight loss to take this drug. I also don't know if the online generic versions are really Topamax except I do experience some of the side effects I read about, the tingling arms and legs, the itching, and the foul tasting carbonated drinks. I have started at 25 mg. per day 3 days ago, and am at 250 mg today with no cut in appetite except an hour after I take the pills. Do you think they are even real?

I have been on Yaz for almost two years. The first year was convinced it was a miracle pill because all my PMDD symptoms disappeared. Since April of this year I have been walking up around 5 am and throwing up. I am on day six of my January pack and have had diarrhea or vomited in the morning. I know 100% I am not pregnant because I use the Yaz as directed and condoms. However I since bc convinces your body your pregnant I think I am experiencing morning sickness. I have talked to several doctors, a nurse, and a pharmacist about this issue and they all think it is highly unlikely I could be experiencing a side affect after having none for so long but I think they are wrong. I have a big training event a t work coming up in February and don't want to go off bc or start another because I'm scared of the PMDD getting bad. HELP!

i was on Yasmin for 3 years - thankfully the worst side effects i had were low sex drive and dryness. i did have a couple scares where i thought i had a clot, but i got it checked out an it was nothing. i got off the pill a month ago. i feel fine. i've been a bit moody and i cry a lot over nothing, but i attribute that to my body readjusting. i haven't had a period yet. i'm a bit nervous about that. i do feel i've gained a small bit of weight.

for all of you who are reading this - there ARE alternatives that are safe and easy. i just bought a fertility computer called LadyComp. it's expensive, but when you think about the side effects it is saving as well as the monthly expenses for the pill, it will eventually save you a lot of money as well as your health. it's not sold in the states (cuz pharmeceuticals rule the country and won't allow something like this) but you can buy online from England or Canada. it's just as effective as the pill and SO much safer for you!!!!

I loved nordette, I took it for about 3 years when I was in the US. I was a body builder, and I never gained weight or anything. But I've moved to Canada and I can't get it and I'm wondering what to do. I've tried Yasmin, and NuvaRing...I gained 80 pounds on Yasmin and Can't loose it...I"m desperately struggling with my weight on the nuvaring as well.....what can I do.

I'm not looking to offend anyone, but if you look up the FDA info on Mirena, the symptoms many of the ladies here are complaining of ARE listed. So for those who claim to feel deceived, I think that they most likely did not do the research they ought have done. If you are going to be shoving some foreign object into your body, and for such a long period of time, It seems common sense that you'd want to know everything there is to know about it beforehand. It's your body- show some responsibility and take charge of yourself. Just like a car salesman, the doctor is going to tell you what you want to hear in order to make the sale. It's up to you to find the truth. And the truth is not that hard to find.

I did research Mirena before choosing to use it. Not just by reading the pamphlets, comparing to other birth control methods and talking to my ob/gyn, but also by browsing through forums filled with horror stories like this one. I have had Mirena for about 1 year. I barely noticed the insertion. I had minimal cramping the day of insertion. I think I bled for a couple weeks. Over the course of about 6 months, my periods got shorter, lighter, and disappeared completely. Once in awhile I will have some brownish spotting, but it is rare. I have no pains or weight gain. My husband only feels the strings in certain positions. The negative effects I have noticed are that my face is extremely oily, I'm fatigued, I have little sex drive and I'm irritable. Besides these, I am very happy with Mirena. I get baby fever rather easily, and even though I have had three children in just over four years, without Mirena I would most likely be pregnant again at this very moment.

Of course my doctor raved about Mirena ("My wife LOVED it!"). He's paid to do that. The same guy tried coercing me into inducing my last labor just so that he wouldn't have to be woken out of bed if it started naturally in the middle of the night. Guess what! I DID drag his butt out of bed in the middle of the night, and I chose Mirena because I decided it was the best option, NOT because he told me it was.

I have had Mirena for about three months and I want it out now. I have had stomach cramps everyday, headache everyday, bleeding for no reason (all the time). My hair is coming out in clumps after my showers, and I have started to have blurry vision. Sometimes I feel like I cant even focus on something. My back hurts all the time and I feel sick every day. I have an appointment to "talk" to the doctor about it, and when I go there I will tell him to remove it then and there. If he doesn't, I will make it known that I am not leaving until he does, or I will take it out myself right then and there!! That's how sure I am that all this is from this poisonous thing. I also have had a short fuse and feel so fancy all the time. I would not recommend this to anyone. Plus, isnt it illegal for them NOT to list all of the side effects in the brochure about Mirena, because Canada does; the US does not!! Good luck to all of you.

I have been on singulair for several months or more. In the last month or so I have had a handful of breakdowns emotionally, crying like a little baby some worse than others. I feel paranoid but i don't know if that is just a case of anxiety.Leaving the house has become an issue if it is a bad sad feeling day. I just learned about an investigation tonight and googles it. It lead me here.

I don't know what to do.

I'm 18 and had my first son June 4, 08; I got the mirena put in late june 08. This is the worst choice I've ever made health wise. It started when it was inserted - severe cramping like I was having a miscarriage or something. They made no mention of this before hand. I started having spotting and constant light cramping since the day I had it put in for the first 3 weeks. When the time comes for my regular period I get severe cramps that nothing relieves. I've used ALL the ibuprofen and Norco pills that have been prescribed to me in 2 weeks. I'm out of all OTC ibuprofen even though it offers no relief. I called the OBGYN and they say the cramping is normal and just to take two ibuprofens (the ones I had which were 300 mg each) EVER 6 HOURS.

When I went in for a check up, they said it was normal and it would hurt for the first 2-3 months. I then told them that I took all my prescribed Ibu. and then moved to the norco which seemed to be the only relief as I've tried warm baths, Alieve, Advil, Motrin, sleeping in different ways, hot and cold compresses and nothing. He offered to prescribe me ANOTHER form of Ibuprofen as if he didn't hear me mention I have been taking 600 mgs of Ibu EVERY 6 hours since I had it in. Then he told me all he could say was to try Noproxem and that it was just Alieve. He then just told me as I left pissed off to give it more time.

I'm now passing big clots and bleeding in shades of brown and bright red, have severe cramping bleeding through OVERNIGHT maxi pads that you can supposedly wear for up to 8 hours. But he says everything is normal and just give it time. I'm down to begging my mom for her prescription Hydrocodone and she's beginning to think I have a drug dependency problem even if I go for a few days without mention or thought of one at all. Because of this I'm in pain all the time, losing my hair, constantly tired, depressed because there's nothing I can do for the pain, and I'm gaining back all my pregnancy weight. I'm also a pain to be around because I now have severe mood swings that I didn't even have when I was pregnant. And now I have to wait to get my medicaid again to have it removed. As of right now the cramping is so bad I'm on the edge of going to the ER to get it taken out.

The commercials are a lie and every user comment of mirena are just like mine or worse. I would not recommend this to ANYONE (unless I hated them enough). Mirena is a form of torture.

Did anybody have horrible hair loss? I only had mine in for 6 weeks and i got it removed yesterday!!I have a 4 month old and i am following weight watchers and going to curves fitness centres 4 times a week . When my daughter was 2 and a half months old i had lost all my baby weight plus 17lbs..since Mirena i have continued my program and gained 7lbs!! in 6 weeks!! my joints are screwed up it hurts to stand up my knees are so bad..Nausea..depressed..but the worst would have the be the hair loss!!! my hair line had receded over an inch in the last 6 weeks..unbelievable..why are doctors so quick to say it's not the Mirena..I live in Canada and the dam brochure did nto even mention hair loss..i am a Pharmacy Tech and my CPS which is a reference the doctor's use does not mention it either...so horrible iam now 25 and balding..i have post phoned my wedding scheduled for mar 2009 indefinalty until i get my hair back..i can't believe how much this product has ruined my life in 6 weeks...

i have been on aviane now for two months almost, i am experiencing acne breakouts again..... i have always had acne and been taking medication to help control acne.. i also was on alesse acne not to bad had been on it for almost 2 yrs... then pharmacy switched me to aviane and my skin is always blemished with pimples never clear, i don't like this bc pill at all.... anyone experiencing frequent breakouts since making the switch to aviane? also not to mention that my legs feel heavy most days the calf prt anyone ?

unfreakinbelievable. every single drug ad I see on TV these days for new drugs claims that it will cure you of something. the only catch is: it will give you a million side-effects, half of which can be life threatening!!!

What kind of a job is the FDA doing that it lets these kinds of drugs enter the market and puts people with common problems like asthma in greater danger for developing extreme heart problems and psychological disorders???

I used Reactine. The very 1st tablet I used gave me a dream so vivid that I jumped out of bed - I was about 30% conscious and I still believed that I was in that dream. I dream that a Black Widow was in my bed right under my back and when I woke up I actually envisioned the Black Widow. Now consider that I live in Canada where BW's don't even exist. That's how powerful these drugs are and that's why you should stay away from them. I know this sounds crazy, but DON'T BELIEVE A THING YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU!!!!! Use common sense in common situations!!! Think for yourself and listen to your gut instinct or you will wind up dead before your time.

I have been on Paxil off and on now for about 5 years.... the current length of treatment for the past 1 1/2 years. I need to be on it ( or something for that matter ) for my panic disorder. I am a 36 year old nurse/ manager and some days was almost debilitated by panic attacks. Depression was part of it, but not nearly as much as panic. I must say, that I have been experiencing memory loss now for about a year.... I thought maybe it was due to overwork/ stress...which I do understand it COULD be. However, I find it interesting that I am seeing so many more people with memory loss than I imagined. Is it due to stress in this type of people's lives, or is it in fact, the drug Paxil?
Keep in mind this is an SSRI ( Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor ) ~~ even though there is no solid evidence (YET!) this is a side effect of the drug, I would bet my license on the fact that that it is!
I have tried time and time again to wean myself off of Paxil.. ( with and without my Dr's advice )--- I did succeed for a few years to be without the medicine, however being on a slew of other meds in the interim did not help as much for the panic as does the Paxil. Paxil, honestly, scares the hell out of me!
Besides the "numb emotions", memory loss, sexual appetite decrease, yawning, lack of sleep, etc... the side effects of coming off of it are worse! As I read earlier, it IS addictive, indeed! The brain gets used to the drug being there ( as with any addiction ), and the "surges" of dizziness, sweats, and out-of-body-like experiences I experience coming off of the drug are excruciatingly harder to bare than the depression itself. Those above symptoms of withdrawal are just that....withdrawal!
Once your body is "allowed" to reuptake serotonin (as it is supposed to), this is when those symptoms raise their head...sometimes for weeks or months until they subside.
I would welcome anyone with help on this matter---is there another Drug out there that can help with anxiety/depression symptoms, and not cause the plethora of side effects we have all discussed here?
Diane

My experience with Yasmin was decreased aggression, mood stability and increased breast size. when I stopped taking the drug, I had an increase in aggression, less fatigue and no weight loss.

My T-3 levels are fine. My blood work is fine. Not many headaches. My mood became more depressed when I stopped taking Yasmin.

Not sure if I am suited to take the drug. So, I am starting Yasmin again to see if I notice side-effects. My estrogen levels were low prior to starting Yasmin the first time. So, I am wondering if my testosterone is a bit too high, and if Yasmin levels me out so to speak.

I think those with normal estrogen levels, prior to taking Yasmin, are badly affected by Yasmin. I wonder if those of us, with lower natural estrogen levels are as badly affected by Yasmin.

Will let this site know in a few months.

ALSO get this pill from Canada - ******
It costs $22 and it is the exact same packaging, etc.

Hope this helps

My father is currently in the hospital for his second internal bleeding from coumadin. He had a GI bleed and was discharged a month ago, put on coumadin AGAIN , supposedly monitored and wound up in ICU again, this time he had trouble breathing and was intubated and sedated for two days. I really thought Coumadin killed my father and in reality it almost did.....Now the hematologists are saying he is extremely sensitive to it, and his only other option is heperin shots which he refuses to do (that also has risk of bleeding). he is going to live with the chance of stroke rather than take coumadin a thrid time which is what they are suggesting. (idiots) . he has atrial fib and needs to be on blood thinner but at this point he would rather take his chances or take aspirin even though the doctors are saying it won't work as well. Hopefully there will be new anticoagulants out in the market soon like there are in Canada and Europe.

Coumadin KILLS....8,000 people a year bleed to death from coumadin......yes, it helps people too but judging from this site the side effects are awful...if you can avoid coumadin you should...

There are many new posts on here from women describing their experiences, and then I've noticed a few on here also who appear almost angry that women are "blaming" Mirena for all of these issues. So it has become apparent that those few select women have not read through many of the earlier posts, or have taken the time to educate themselves enough on Mirena.

So I thought I'd hop back on and reiterate some earlier posts: There is substantial proof and documentation of all of these side effects, and many more, as written in the product monograph which was released in Canada by the Bayer Corporation themselves. This site will delete links, and it's almost 50 pages, so I won't copy and paste. If anyone is interested in the link to this information, let me know, I'll send it in a private e-mail.

Additionally, there have been several other studies done in the UK...those are short enough that I'll copy and paste those below.

Suffering Women: YOU ARE NOT CRAZY! This product can cause catastrophic issues for us. I say that it "can" not that it always "does".

Yes, there are women who have had good results with Mirena. And many of the women on here are not pissed just because there are side effects...it's that we were not warned that these COULD BE side effects, and when we go to our doctor's, many of them are discounting our symptoms as being "all in our head" when there absolutely is a reason behind all this.

To those of you who want to be nasty on here...go find someone else to whine to...we don't want to hear it. We are here to support each other through a very real time for us. You are outnumbered. You may call us "middle-aged"...and I guess to those of you barely out of puberty, being 30 might be considered just that; however the correct terms would simply be more mature, and much more wise, than you. (And I wouldn't have a need for birth control if my reproductive system was so "undesirable" and "non-functioning" now would I?) ;)

Here's those studies...sorry this is so long:
"Kingman et al.'s success in controlling menorrhagia in women with inherited bleeding disorders (BJOG 111:1425–1428) echoes numerous reports in women without complicating haematological conditions. However, they ignore the metabolic effects. The LNG-IUS is associated with high systemic absorption of the progestogen, and serum levels of levonorgestrel (LNG) have been recorded around 511 pmol/L.1 This is the equivalent of two LNG-containing minipill tablets daily continuously. LNG suppresses Apolipoprotein AI (Apo AI) formation by inhibiting the ABCA1 transporter protein.2 The synthesis of Apo AI is a fundamental step in the initiation of reverse cholesterol transport, which is enhanced by oestradiol and statins and when deficient, the ensuing atherosclerosis in animal models can be reversed by the administration of Apo AI.3
The epidemiological observation of the relationship of breast cancer with the use of progestogen only contraceptives goes to the 1980s,4 but these were mentally rejected by many physicians because it did not conform with the doctrine of ‘oestrogen induced’ mammary carcinogenesis. The validity of the latter hypothesis was challenged in a randomised clinical trial of oestrogen only treatment5 and a wealth of biological data show that progesterone and progestogens in general and LNG in particular being established mammary epithelial mitogens.
The LNG-IUS also suppresses oestrogen production, inducing a clinical situation not unlike a premature menopause in at least 50% of treated women. Oestrogen deprivation for the number of years such treatment is being administered will have a profound effect on bone mass and vascular reactivity. Similar concerns have recently been widely circulated regarding the use of depot MPA contraceptive preparations.
Given that it is unlikely that a randomised controlled trial of the size of the Women's Health Initiative one will ever be mounted to test the long term effects of the LNG-IUS, caution is required, particularly in treating older women, for whom treatment may bring forward the menopause.
The idea that LNG-IUS works entirely as a local progestogen should be revised, and patients and doctors should be warned about the metabolic and carcinogenic risks, whatever the marketing pressures.
May WahabaaObstetrics and Gynaecology, George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK & Farook Al-AzzawibbObstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicestershire, UK"

-and-

"Mirena: the other side of the story
AAA Ewiesaa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UKa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK
Sir,
I read with interest the article by Halmesmaki et al.1 that only 48.7% of women randomised to the levonorgestrel (LNG)-releasing intrauterine system Mirena, kept it in situ until their 5 years follow-up visit, while the rest either had it prematurely removed (8.5%) or underwent a hysterectomy (42.7%). It supports the growing evidence that women’s satisfaction with Mirena (Schering Health, Newbury, UK) is limited. I do not find this surprising. A colleague and myself previously reported (as an abstract) a survey including 160 Mirena users in Suffolk in which we found that 46% of women had had the system removed within 3 years of insertion (median duration = 260.5 days; range = 4–1460 days). The most common reasons for early removal were unscheduled bleeding, abdominal pain and progestogenic adverse effects; including bloatedness, headache, weight gain, depression, breast tenderness, excessive hairiness, greasiness of skin and lack of sexual interest.2 Our data related to a selected population who had the Mirena inserted under general anaesthetic after hysteroscopic examination of uterine cavity to exclude lesions, such as submucous fibroids. I would expect the continuation rate to be lower in women having the system inserted without prior exclusion of intrauterine pathology. The satisfaction rate in our cohort of women, as assessed by visual analogue scale of 0–10 cm, was only 49% (unpublished data).
Halmesmaki et al.1 reasonably attributed the detrimental effect of Mirena on the sexual function to the higher incidence of lower abdominal pain in users when compared with those who underwent hysterectomy. Furthermore, the decreased satisfaction of sexual partners could be due to the inhibiting effect of the irregular bleeding, which is the most common adverse effect of using Mirena.2,3 The observed decrease in women’s sex drive could also be due to the systemic effect of the progestogen absorbed into the circulation, indirectly affecting the sexual partner. The argument used by the authors that serum concentration of LNG is extremely low and that its influence on ovarian function is limited has been disputed recently by many investigators. Xiao et al.4 found that Mirena was associated with substantial systemic absorption of LNG and recorded serum levels of around 500 pmol/l. This is equivalent to two LNG-containing ‘minipills’ taken daily on a continuous basis. Moreover, a retrospective observational study documented that 21% of Mirena users experienced progestogenic adverse effects.3 Wahab and Al-Azzawi5 reported that Mirena suppresses oestrogen production, inducing a clinical situation similar to a premature menopause in at least 50% of treated women. The prolonged oestrogen deprivation will have a profound negative effect on women’s sex drive, which may explain the sexual partners’ decreased satisfaction.
In fact, despite the popularity of Mirena as a contraceptive method and in treating menorrhagia, the continuation rate and women satisfaction level have not been adequately assessed in the UK population. A large well-designed study is required to evaluate these important factors so that women can be adequately counselled. The idea that Mirena works entirely as a local source of progestogen should be revised, and the recent concerns about Mirena should be made clear to women regardless of the marketing pressures.5
AAA Ewiesaa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK"

I can't believe some of the things you people are blaming on the Mirena! There is NO substantial evidence that supports ANY of your claims! I had the Mirena put in on the May 16 and, while it was painful to put in, I haven't had pain since! My only complaint is that I haven't stopped spotting. My sex drive is IMPROVED if anything but the bleeding has made it hard to "engage". As soon as the spotting lightens enough, I "engage" and then right after, I start bleeding again. But that is no big deal since I was told to expect this pattern. As for those of you little teeny boppers who are just dating and haven't had a child yet...What the hell are you even doing on the Mirena??? Did you not hear that you aren't a good candidate for it????