Childbirth symptoms and conditions

I have experienced extreme hair loss. I've been taking 20mg per day since Aug 22, 2009. That is when I went into Peripartum Cardiomyopathy or Congestive Heart failure after childbirth. Fortunately I have not experienced any of the other side effects. I have a cardiologist appointment this Friday and I had planned to discuss this with him. I want to know if the hair will grow back. No one seems to have an answer for that. I'm also taking Coreg (beta blocker).

Hi everyone ~ I am so glad I have found all of you. I have an appt today to have the Mirena placed. I highly considering canceling the appt now. I have read probably 98% bad and only 2% good. can anyone help me decide what I should do? I was having it placed for my heavy, painful menses, the birth control is/was a bonus feature. really? I shouldn't do this eh? someone please respond.

On Sept. 2, 2009 I had a cortisone shot in my back for L4, L5, C1 disc problems. The shot was painful but brief and I went out of there with no particular symptoms. It was done in a hospital by a neurologist. On Sept. 4th I woke up and the whole room was spinning. I threw up and this continued for awhile. I could hardly stand and went to the hospital emergency room where I spent the next twelve hours getting all kinds of tests. My blood pressure was 185 over 110. Finally, they told me they could find nothing physically wrong and dismissed me with meclizine for dizziness. This is now Oct.27th and I had these vertigo symptoms for seven weeks! I was sent to an ear specialist and underwent vesicular therapy for benign position vertigo several times a week at a rehabilitation center. I had brain MRI and a neck MRA which showed nothing. Last Saturday I passed out for a few seconds. Every medical specialist insists that the Cortisone shot had nothing to do with all this but I am still undiagnosed. Yesterday (Oct. 26th) the dizziness ended (7 weeks). I don't know if it is gone for good. I cannot believe that it is just a coincidence that all this happened two days after the cortizone shot. Does this strike a bell with any of you?

Just took the first dose of the Z-pack (the two pills) on a full stomach and I feel like I'm going to die. I've been through the pain of childbirth and this can almost compare...the stomach cramping is severe and the diarrhea is immediate (you know, the "peeing your poop" kind of thing). When the cramping began, I got cold sweats...I'm still up, unable to sleep, because the stomach pains are SO bad. I know you're supposed to keep taking the pack but I am so ill I can't even imagine doing so right now. I had a similar reaction to Z-pack in 2004 but thought it was because I took a dose on an empty stomach. This confirms that it can happen anytime.

I'm taking the Z-pack to get rid of a sore throat. This is terrible. I'm almost in tears. :( I wish I could just throw up but my throat hurts too bad. I'm allergic to penicillin, so this was what the doctor prescribed. :(

I'm 42 & have three children ages, 8, 10 an 16. I started my period when i was 12 & i've suffered with horrible cramps and bloating ever since. I've been on & off different birth control pills to relieve the pain (didn't start pill until i was 15) & to control the pain. After my kids, i started back on the pill. Some worked better than others but the ones that onced worked, eventually stopped. The last 3 years have been worse. One problem i had was that i'd forget to take the pill. That made the pain worse. Tried the Nuva Ring for 2 months & had constant yeast infections. 3 of my girlfriends have Mirena & recommended it to me. BTW my husband is fixed, lol...so i dont have to worry about getting pregnant, just needed the pain & bloating to go away. After much consideration, pelvic ultrasounds & blood tests to rule out anything serious, i had the mirena put in 8/09. a little painful but nothing like childbirth! i didnt have bleeding, did get my period the next month, not bad. as of now i feel great. i could stand to loose 10-15 lbs. & i finally feel good enough to get on the treadmill & the weight is coming off. BUT i just told my husband this week that i noticed my face breaking out. more like little bumps, skin isnt smooth anymore and occasionally i get a nasty pimple like the kind a teenager would get. So i searched the web for mirena and acne and found this sight. I have an appt for dermo in a few weeks but from what i've read it sounds like i'm in trouble. As long as it doesnt get any worse & no other side effects, the Mirena (so far) has done wonders for my pain. YEAH!

I posted my experiences on June 5, 2009. I thought I would do an update. Yes, I am overjoyed that I had Mirena removed. It took 3-6 months for the side effects from the drug to disappear after removal. In the first 1-3 months following removal I haven't experienced another rash, itchy skin, hair loss, anxiety, heart flutter, bloating, cramping, breast tenderness,or eye twitch. It took about 3-6 months for the mild to cystic acne and low back pain to finally vanish. I still have problems with tendinitis in my wrist. The depression and feeling of laziness is also a side effect of the medication that can disappear if the device is removed. I paid for all the expenses out out pocket with no insurance, but I'm glad I didn't wait to have the Mirena removed because of the expense.

Now you guys have me all paranoid. Are any of you first time mothers because some of these things your are experiencing are also post childbirth side effects. Hair loss, when you are pregnant you stop loosing hair, those couple of hairs you loose every time you comb your hair, well they stop happening but you keep growing more hair hence the fantastic thick pregnant lady hair. Once you have the baby the hair that didn't fall out while you were pregnant finally falls out. Also if you are breastfeeding it can cause you to loose your sex drive, its your bodies way of preventing another pregnancy because pregnancy can make your milk supply dry up and then your baby has nothing to eat! My only symptom that sucks that I KNOW is from Mirena is acne and and that's because of the kind of BC it is, which is just something I have to deal with because its the kind I need that wont mess with my milk supply and my son comes first! I am having no mood swings or depression which is something, if someone's going to get it its going to be me, I was diagnosed depressed and bi-polar and an anxiety disorder all through my teenage years and I'm fine now, maybe a little anxious but that comes with having children!

I do also have back pain but I always get back pain when I have my period and well, I've been on my period for almost 3 weeks now so.. A lot of you just sound like tired over worked Moms.

PS: tiny 35 year old.. your 35, your metabolism slows down with age and with every child you have, you can't eat all you want anymore, I lost that ability with my first child before Mirena, you just have to exchange the oatmeal cream pies for carrot sticks, its what I do.

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 started with Lisinopril and had severe isolated visceral angioedema. Thought I was going to die. The attacks felt worse than childbirth. Urine flow would totally stop and bladder would cramp. Bowels would not function. Over a 10 on the pain scale. Went off Lisinopril and 3 days later Dr. wanted me to start Benicar. Within 5 days I was in emergency room with visceral angioedema even worse than the Lisinopril. I have had CT scan, ultrasound, numerous blood and urine tests, PAP, colonoscopy and everything is negative. It has taken a full week for all symptoms to stop. I finally feel normal again after 2 months. I cannot take this family of drugs. And Dr.'s need to be more informed about this serious side effect. My Dr. never considered it could be the Lisinopril or the Benicar since I didn't exhibit any facial edema. More information about this rare, but serious side effect needs to be published.

Hello, I am 26 and got Mirena about 6 months ago -3 months after my twins were born......It wasn't painful because they say its easier right after childbirth since your cervix not closed all the way yet.....The reason I picked Mirena is because I cant take BC pills because of mood swings, depression, anxiety,etc.. and they say Mirena does not do that since it is a localized hormone rather than in your blood -well after reading all of these post today I am pretty upset.......I just went to the doctor and had increased my lexapro from the 10miligrams that I have been on for 3 years up to 20miligrams and wanted to put me on Abilify.....I didn't start Abilify THANK GOD but am upset to realize that I was actually just starting to feel better from post partum and was told Mirena does not do these things...This is really dangerous -Here I am with my new beautiful family and almost split up a few times dues to my craziness that is comming from Mirena!!!!!! I am starting to feel better after 2 weeks on higher dosage of antidepressants but now know I need to get this thing out-no sexual desires here for a long time-and was clueless as to why!!!

Vasactomy is the way to go but how would I try for the boy when ready???? Maybe save some -freeze it up and end up like OCTO MOM lol

GEEEEEZ!!!!!

I just had my mirena inserted like 2 weeks ago, i'm 18 and have never had a child though i did get pregnant and have a miscarriage. they told me it was going to hurt, and it did, but all these women saying they screamed and it hurt worse than childbirth are obviously exaggerating. it hurt like a really bad menstrual cramp DURING THE INSERTION, afterwards yes, there was cramping and bleeding but nothing nearly as bad as what these women claim. if childbirth hurts less then i am no longer worried at all about that. so far the only side effects have been my face has been much clearer, very much the same way it did when i was pregnant, and a couple days after insertion i had sex and found that when my boyfriend went as deep as he could there was a slight bit of pain.
the bleeding stopped one week after the insertion (making my period only 3 days longer than usual). when my obgyn suggested i try mirena the first thing i did was google it and i came up with this site which made me even more nervous but i've since realized that not everyone has these terrible experiences, i certainly didn't. there are relatively few people posting on this site and i'm sure many more women have had it inserted with no problems. every form of birth control is bound to have some issues. when i first read this site i wished that i was able to take regular bc instead however that is not an option for me due to a blood clotting disorder i have, but now i'm glad i opted for this. it is much easier, no remembering to take pills, no excessive hormones to cause me to have blood clots, no pregnancy. if it doesn't work for you fine but don't tell people who haven't even gotten it in yet not to get it, they can always take it out if it doesn't work

I too decided to have the mirena inserted on November 5th. I am a 32 year old divorced mother of one 10yr old boy. I have had years of heavy bleeding extreme PMS and cysts and fibroids. After years of birth control pills my Gyno suggested the Mirena. Like many of you I thought the procedure was beyond easy, it felts almost as painful as childbirth again! I had serve cramping and moderate bleeding afterward. My Gyno was concerned it was not positioned correctly, So he ordered a ultrasound right then and it came back fine , position good and no peforated uterus, thank goodness! I am still having some of the same side effects as so of you almost a week later. The bleeding has gotten lighter, the bloating is there and tiredness . Now I have the migraines which suck. However I go back in a month to recheck so I will give it til then and decide. All and all so far not as bad as some of the birth control I have in thepast!

Hi everyone....
I just had the Mirena inserted Friday...primary reason was easy birth control and second was because I did not want to take estrogen. I'm 29 and do not have any children so the insertion was pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I'm good with pain but this was intense...if that's anything like childbirth no thanks! Thank goodness its over quick. Anyway, I had some cramps afterwards for that first day and my whole "area" felt like it was clenched in fist...really tight and sore. I took Motrin and used a heating pad for my cramps. The next day I was good as new...no cramps, barely any spotting. So although it's only day 3, I'd say my experience thus far is totally manageable. Everyone's body is different. I've been through the ringer already with my hormones...been put on lots of different forms of progesterones to regulate my cycles and even premarin at one point...I know what hormones can do. If it's not working for you, you're not crazy!!!! Just tell your doctor you don't like it, you won't have it, and get it out! You've gotta be your own advocate in the medical world. No woman should put up with feeling like a lesser version of herself at the hands of birth control.
I'll keep yas posted as time goes on...I see that some women start out feeling great then get issues down the line.

okay ladies, I'm not sure what you all are experiencing since I'm not a doctor. But I will tell you that a huge amount of your symptoms can either be age related or post baby related. I have four children ages 15, 6, 5, 3.
The beginning stages of the Mirena granted are not pretty and can last for months. I was having a terrible time with my periods and was out of commission for the first three days of every cycle each month. I have had my Mirena for almost 2 years now and am going on 41. I had to wait it out for about 6 months before seeing any huge improvements. I will tell you this, over eating and NOT eating a healthy diet of fruits and veggies will aggravate bloating and mood swings. You could have these with or without the IUD. I never lost my hair unless I was 3-6 months post partum.
A diet rich in potato chips, bread, meats and cheesy pizza will show on your hair skin and nails. The typical American diet will leave even your special guy moody. As we age the expectation is that we will always feel 18 and I have had to come to grips with how my body ages and how I take care of it. A new baby whether it is your 1st or 4th will cause unwanted fatigue. I still struggle with fatigue because not everyone sleeps thru the night including my hubby so my sleep gets disrupted a lot. There are several things you can do to help your Mirena work for you and not scare you. I NEVER lose my sex drive unless I fail to exercise even a little each week and have fought back with a super charged diet. I'm not perfect at it but boy does it ever help. Sugar has a HUGE impact on your hormones and fatigue level. Limit it. Got to bed as early as you can and avoid late night TV. Don't give your precious zzz's to some silly show that won't help you be a better person any way. Get moving and add a little (or a lot) of weight training to your days- your sex drive will soar and your body will thank you. Pray for wisdom. God will help. Sometimes he uses fatigue to slow me down and focus on what is really important. Granted not everyone can handle an IUD. But if you try a little self care and be patient you might find that it works for you. I had heavy bleeding and at my age the doc said I got it just in time because from 40-50 I could expect more of the same. I am grateful for it because I felt like I was dying every time I had a period. A little fatigue is worth the benefits. Keep in mind that even your little ones get tired. They need naps and they are kids. We need rest in the afternoons too. It's okay to stay off the phone and rest a little if you can. My energy drainers are TV, negative people, talking on the phone too much, eating too much especially when I'm not really hungry, the wrong foods when I do eat, and not getting sleep or exercise. Start small and see if over time it doesn't make a big difference before you throw in the towel. Blessings to all and especially the new mommies.

Wow. This news gives me so much hope. I've been on the Nuvaring since it was still in the post-trial stages and nobody had even heard of it. My doctor recommended it because it was supposed to help with acne and weight gain, and I'd been having no luck with Yaz or Ortho Tricyclene. I've always had irregular periods, I've been depressive since high school, and I started having migraines when I was 13. Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. What this means is that all these symptoms that everyone was describing here, while they have been getting dramatically worse, were nothing I would even think of ascribing to my birth control. I've gained 40 pounds in the last 3 years, but I blamed that on my increased depression and general malaise. I'd stopped having migraines more than once a year, but now I get migraine-like (not usually as bad as the originals) headaches as often as 4-5 times a month. I've had insane mood swings ranging between white hot anger and debilitating depression (even having thoughts of suicide for the first time since high school), and sex burns and leaves me walking funny about 99.9 percent of the time. I thought it was just me, or the fibro (which leaves me feeling pretty sensitive all over); same with the nausea, especially in the morning and always during my period. Could this seriously be the Nuvaring? Oh my god, I hope so. An easy solution like that makes me want to cry from relief.

... but how do I do birth control now? Do we always have to use a condom? I've never been pregnant, so I've been told the IUD isn't nearly as safe if your cervix hasn't been violated by childbirth. Oh well, better than being crazy, I suppose.

I have had the Mirena implant for over two years now and I was so happy at first to find a way to have sex with my boyfriend without a condom or the risk of pregnancy. How many times and in how many ways must we realize that we cannot have our cake and eat it too? Sex was once something that almost always resulted in pregnancy. Now that we have the technology to have sex any time anywhere without the consequence of guaranteed pregnancy we forget what a striking contradiction this behavior is to the biological purpose of sex. Of course sex is incredibly enjoyable but, despite the theme of excess encouraged in our modern life, we must really consider the cost of employing these methods that allow us to have it irresponsibly. I speak from experience that my motivation to get the Mirena was not to have sex with anyone anytime anywhere but to have the freedom to do so, within the relationship that I was in, was something I found liberating. Now, two years later, I'm looking down at rapidly shedding hair on the keyboard as I write this. I have always had thin hair but in much more abundance. This, however, was not my first concern, nor was the acne, or itchy scalp. My first concern was that I stopped having my period completely within months of getting the implant. I made an appointment to see a Gynecologist at Planned Parenthood, where I had the IUD implanted for free, to discuss my apprehension that this was an unnatural side effect. She proceeded to define for me what "natural" was by retracing the history of woman and childbirth and how before birth control woman spent most of their childbearing and sexually active years in some state of pregnancy and so suffered this rather than regular periods. Surely I was thankful that this was not the case with my life and readily accepted her definition of "natural' as one who does not experience monthly periods. She went on to say that the body is exhausted by the duty of expelling unused egg after unused egg month after month. I left feeling that much more convinced I was doing the right thing for my body and my sex life.
Of course I was skeptical of her ulterior motives, working at a free clinic, her social responsibility is to get every woman that walks through her door on some form of birth control. Like every other pleasure we have the opportunity to enjoy in excess, condom free sex can become addicting. I do not look forward to using prophylactics in the future, what I do look forward to is having the drive to seek a mate. My sexual motivation has become as paper thin as my hair after two years with the device. I must admit that these side effects, along with acne, dry scalp, and depression, have not asserted themselves until now. One year ago I was in a very sexually satisfying relationship and cannot say that at the time I was lacking sex drive due to the implant. However, I was also not losing hair by the handful at that time. Is it my fear of going bald that is expediting the process of my IUD removal or is it that I truly believe the hormonal repercussion of suppressing my ability to become pregnant is directly related to my loss of sexual/romantic ambition? Surely it’s both since my chances of finding a mate as an asexual bald woman are highly unlikely, regardless of my ability to offer condom free sex. If my theory is correct and my drive to seek a mate with whom I can share the great human gift of physical and emotional intimacy returns along with my hair, after removing the Mirena device I will have to explore the alternatives to birth control. There is the cycle method where you map out the times of the month you are most and least likely to become pregnant. I hear there’s a male birth control out there, though I wouldn’t wish the side effects, such as woman experience, on them. The suppression of male sexual ambition might lead to the very collapse of civilization. And of course I will have to embrace the condom and I’m sure they’re getting thinner and more effective every day, or at least I hope so.

Let's face it....this site is for side effects and there is unlikely to be a site for women who think Mirena is fab! I've had mine in for a week (so maybe it's too early to tell if I'll get any!) it was uncomfy having it put in but not as uncomfy as childbirth! I haven't had any bleeding so far...and so far better than the pill for me!

Anyone experience vaginal swelling??? I'm kind of freaked out. I got it placed 2 weeks ago and was supposed to start my period a few days later, I did and have been bleeding for 10 days now. I normally have 4 day ong periods. I have had some pain in my left side really low but then about 4 days ago I noticed it was hard to place a tampon and felt like things were swollen in there. I looked in a mirror and had my hubby check too. It looks like the side of my vagina has collapsed and is laying across the opening of my vagina! When I push (like giving birth, but not as hard) it kind of pushes out. My hubby said it looks like guts coming out instead of a baby head (we have 3 kids, so we are familiar with that sight). Has anyone else had this side effect??? My midwives can't get me in till Monday but I am worried NOW!! She told me I could find the strings and remove it myself BUT with all the swelling I don't know that I could find the strings or that it would even be safe to pull out like that! HELP!!!!!

Most of us that use this seem to have it inserted soon after delivering our babies. Therefore it makes us wonder if it is postpartum depression or the IUD.
I had mind inserted on Aug 1 2008. I started back to work on Aug 4, 12 weeks postpartum. I kept thinking I was feeling so tired, depressed, tons of anxiety, basically not like myself at all, because of my new schedule of being a working mom. Well it has been only about 3 weeks and everyday I feel dizzy and tired at work. I have ridiculous anxiety that people are going to try to turn my baby against me. I have constant anxiety about my mother in law, when before she never really bothered me. I would consider myself severely depressed a lot of the time. We all have so many changes going on with having children but it does seem that it might be the IUD. I'll probably have it removed because I would rather have more children than be worthless to my family. I wanted to wait 5 years before having number 2... but do I want to be depressed and anxious all the time during my sons baby years? No thanks!

Hi girls. I've been reading a lot of the postings and am trying to weigh the pros and cons of getting Mirena. Currently I'm on Loestrin 24 and other than dizziness and headaches it's not really much different from most other birth controls. My OB suggested Mirena out of convenience and overall affordability. I realized with Mirena it's a one time deal for the next 5 years, whereas with the the pill it's a never ending cycle of paying hundreds of dollars each year. So that's a plus. But I went through the endless period when I originally started Loestrin and am really not looking forward to that again when I start up with Mirena. It was an exhausting experience, not to mention it makes you feel gross. The insertion also has me really nervous. My OB explained to me that the procedure is going to be painful, since I haven't yet had a child to widen the opening of the cervix. Although, after reading some of the postings from women that have had a few babies and claimed "it was worse than childbirth without drugs" I'm really unsure if it's something I want to try. I'm also a little wary about having something inside me. Are the strings noticeable? Does it make sex uncomfortable? If anyone has some insight or some helpful thoughts I'd appreciate it.

I am a 56 y/o female who started on Fosamax last Sunday. I have a dx of osteopenia. I followed the directions of taking pill with full glass of water and remained upright for 30 minutes before having anything to eat. I was fine on Sunday but on Monday I woke with SEVERE bone pain! My whole rib cage, back, knees and heels were hurting so bad. It felt like I had pain in every bone in my body. I could not take in a full deap breath as my rib cage was hurting so bad. I could not bend or turn without terrible pain. My energy level was zero. I immediately called my doctor who told me to hold the Fosamax (ya think?) and ordered Vit D lab levels. Apparently when you Vit D levels are off (don't know if too high or too low) you can suffer this bone pain. I am awaiting the results. The pain is better today and I was told it takes 5 days to get out of your system. I only wish I had done my homework and found this site before taking this poison. I have to say I'm a registered nurse and know that ALL medications have side effects and everyone responds to meds differently. Some side effects subside as your body gets use to it and some can experience severe allergic reactions. But it's important to weigh the risk vs the benefit. I would rather deal with osteopenia in another way. So my search begins for alternatives to Fosamax for good bone health. Has anyone had good results with other supplements/meds?

I am only 21 years old and I have an 11 month old. I got my Mirena inserted in March. (First let me say that Ian was 5 mo. old when I tried to get Mirena the first time and it came right back out after insertion... before I even put my pants back on....this should've been a sign to me but I was persistent and went back a month later after kegel exercising and nipple stimulation) Since then I have had a vaginal odor, discharge, difficulty reaching orgasm, severe headaches (which I used to never get), acne (which was also not a problem), back pain, body aches, weight gain, strong appetite, fatigue and depression. Today I googled UTI with Mirena because for the past 2 days I feel like I am starting to get a UTI, however, it is only for about 2 hours when I first wake up then throughout the day my symptoms disappear. Until I found this website I thought these symptoms were just post baby seeing as this is my first child and I am new at these things. My appetite for sex is still strong but b/c of the strange smell and lack of feeling (which wasn't like that directly after childbirth) it's just not the same. Also like a lot of other blogs I have read, I have taken a pregnancy test or two after the IUD was placed in because I have some symptoms that are familiar to pregnancy. A strange question I will ask is does anyone who has already had a child or several ever experience a feeling in the gut like that of the baby kicking? This was odd to me and something I did not want to feel for a good while (hince why I spent the amount of $ I did on Mirena). Which also brings up the point that now I am considering taking Mirena out, however it is going to suck paying for something I am not using plus the additional $ I am going to have to spend on new BC. And another question is are there any suggestions as to which BC has worked well for women who have tried IUD and weren't happy with it. I was on the pill when I got pregnant which makes me a little weary of trying that again. Thanks for all the knowledge I wish I would've found before I decided to get this thing in me. Hope to hear back. And good luck to all of you who have had worse symptoms than me, hopefully if I get this thing out now I won't have to go through some other symptoms.

I'm a 41 year old female. I was diagnosed with asthma at age 9 and had taken a number of different drugs until the birth of my daughter who is nearing age 7. I had never had problems with my weight or loosing any excess after childbirth. However, after beginning Advair 100/50 over the course of 6 months and after ridding myself of the baby weight, I gained about 25 lbs. 2 years 3 months later came the birth of my son with whom I’d gained nearly 100 lbs after changing to Advair 250/50.

My son was born 9 lbs. and gained 3 more before his first peds visit less than a week later. He has had a number of food and skin allergies since birth and at 4 ½ weighs 98 lbs and is 4 feet fall. His bone age is 8.5 and still growing. Both my son and daughter eat the same things but she is lean and healthy at 170 lbs. and 4’41/2” tall with no food or skin allergies and no other health problems. Therefore, I’m inclined to believe he too was negatively affected by Advair.

My normal weight of 133 lbs. and a perfect size 8 was no more. I actually consume less now than before and with a 4 and 6 year old, I’m quite active and as conscious of my diet as my kids’. However, I’m still tipping the scales at between 195 and 200 lbs. I’ve never had hypertension, headaches, chest pains, muscle spasms, fatigue, feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts but I did...often.

I recently changed insurance plans and tried filling the script only to learn that the rate was so far out of my range that I could no longer afford it. I’ve not taken it for at nearly 60 days and have noticed my headaches are less frequent and far less intense, no chest pain or muscle spasms and I feel more in control able to deal more effectively with my children and colleagues and just life in general. I have to take my Albuterol inhaler far more frequently than I should but I’d rather do that than to feel the way I did taking Advair.

I decided late 2006 that I was tired of the pill. I'm in my early 30's and I wanted something easier... After what I considered a good deal of research, I discussed it with my doctor and he highly recommended Mirena. We've always had a very good dr-patient relationship, and I've never had reason to not trust his opinion. He warned me the insertion could be painful (I had a LEEP procedure a year earlier), and he said I could have headaches. I've always had headaches, so I could live with that.
The insertion hurt horribly! They had to dilate me manually, and it hurt so much I though I was going to pass out. I had the worst cramps, like post childbirth cramps, even Vicodin did not help. After the cramps went away, I had heavy spotting (more than a pantyliner, but not enough for a tampon or pad). The spotting lasted for 4.5 months! I called the dr and they said it was my body getting used to it, symptoms stop after the first six months, etc. After the 5th month, the spotting stopped and my periods became very light (2-3 days) but this was short-lived. In the 7th month, I started spotting again, and the spotting would last for 5-7 days. It was disgusting, dark brown and sticky. I called the dr again, and they said it is due to the way the lining of my uterus is affected by the IUD, it's not serious. I also asked about acne. I've never had a problem before, but now I have acne (pimples big enough to scar) on my shoulders, back, and scalp. They said Mirena does not cause acne. My headaches had gone from 2 Advil to a painkiller and sleeping pill in the evening. When I mentioned weight gain, which was quickly attributed to quitting smoking. I did not believe the weight gain was due to quitting smoking, as I replaced smoking with working out. I had started working out everyday, for at least 20 minutes. I know it's not a lot, but it's better than nothing, After 2-3 months of weight gain, I added weight training 2-3 times a week. I also changed my diet to eat smaller, more balanced meals every 3 hours rather than 3 larger meals per day. I started a food journal in case I was sneaking in food I hadn't thought about. My sex drive was gone.... the 4 months of spotting started the downward spiral, but the continuing spotting, weight gain, bloating, and acne didn't help. Eventually the idea of sex disgusted me, how very sad! I noticed that I cry very easily now, and I've even had thoughts of suicide... to the point of planning it out. Even my vision has changed. In the 15 months since getting Mirena, I've gained 25 pounds, went from a size 9 (USA) to a size 14, my back and shoulders have acne scars, and I am depressed.
Thank you... From the bottom of my heart, I thank every one of you who have taken the time to detail your experiences. I finally feel vindicated, that I am not crazy, I'm not lazy, and something is truly WRONG. I'm calling my OBGYN Monday and scheduling the removal.

Wow. For the past couple of days I have experience a dull pain in my knees and ankles; I assumed it was the onset of arthritis. Also I have experienced cramps recently that are reminiscent of the horrible cramps I had as a teenager. Finally this morning I noticed my period which has pretty much been light spotting since the insertion of Mirena. I decided to google mirena on a whim and am really glad I stumbled upon this thread. I decided to go along with my doctor's suggestion for this IUC 6 weeks after my son was born, October of 06. I have had absolutely no desire for sex since then and my husband has had various issues with that. I never considered mirena could be the culprit for my strange symptoms. I also have experienced difficulty losing weight; before pregnancy I had a speedy metabolism, ate heartily and had no problems maintaining a healthy weight. I was prescribed zoloft about 3 months after getting mirena. I too have noticed that my hair is still falling out, my skin is splotchy and the skin on my upper lip has darkened slightly, it looks like I have a mustache. I've been convincing myself that the way I feel is just due to getting older and that my body is always going to be out of whack after childbirth. I was just trying to get used to it. After identifying with so many posts, I want that junk removed next week.

Insertion was kind of painful... is there any discomfort during or after removal?