Contraception symptoms and conditions

i do believe this is the most horrific form of birth control ever created. i had this suggested as a birth control option after giving birth to my 3rd child. after having a bad experience in labor there was no way i wanted anymore. i would love to have a hysterectomy. hrt. i could probably cope with a lot better than being put through hell asnd back every month.
mine was suggested my my gynecologist and i do suffer strange reactions to anaesthesia so seemed to be a good idea to have this put in to see if it worked. how wrong was i. i was a very very angry person. i never ever suffered any nervous conditions before so this was new to me when i completely lost the plot. i was put on beta blockers and i thought i was having a heart attack on them. i suffered worse periods . cramps fatigue . headaches . my skin is still spotty. i always had a lovely complexion before this. my immune system isn't what it used to be. the list went on and on. i didn't like it at all. i asked for removal and they said i had to wait for another gynecology appointment. i knew all the side effects were off this thing in me. i had to wait for an appointment to get it removed./ said 9 months was the normal wait. i think they get paid to test run this contraception. and at what cost? our health

i will voice my opinion about this as its disgusting how much these fat cat pharmaceutical companies profit on what should be free to British citizens.its getting so bad in the nhs we are told to get seen quicker we have to pay. but 20 or 30 years ago people would have laughed at that.

has any real tests ever been carried out on what is in these devices and how it affects so many women in a really bad way.

my problem was when i finally got a sympathetic locum doctor at my gp surgery to agree to remove it. she asked me to give a sample for pregnancy. can you imagine how hysterical i was . yes i was pregnant. so much for the 99.9 % effectiveness. that meant i couldn't have it removed. one idiotic nurse congratulated me

i screamed are you insane woman . congratulations!! what is wrong with you? do i look happy?

the doctor was more sympathetic. everything was a daze at first. she explained chances are i will either miscarry or have the baby and dispel it in childbirth. on my own again. i had a miscarriage 2 days later. not impressed with this at all. i then had to wait 2 weeks for an emergency scan as chances were it came away complete.

how did i feel .angry. empty. physically and mentally drained. i think if i could have i would have ripped that thing right out of me

so i had the scan. luckily it had came away. i begged them to take it out. sent me back to the doctors a week later. and they removed it. i refused to do another pregnancy test said , please just get on with it.
two hours later i was feeling a lot calmer.

i so thoroughly enjoyed having that thing removed for good . never again would i have that in me. or any other coil.

however this is the beginning of a very upsetting case of long term side effects at there worst.

i decided to get sterilized after all this . understandable as being highly fertile sex was a big issue and i wouldn't meet anyone let alone sleep with a man. fear was the biggest thing. getting pregnant was a big no no.

i got sterilized. this is where the problems start for 3 months periods would be getting worse. horrific migraines. couldn't fathom it. my cramp was bad before but god this was like hell. about 6 months passed and steadily was getting worse each month. no amount of painkillers would help. and i could see in myself my skin getting worse. spots. my eyes feeling tired. red sometimes. itchy and dry. feeling sick and tired. then unable to get any sleep on a night. catch 22 . cant sleep then cant get up .i could sleep all day and night no doubt if it was possible . mood swings very bad depression. so much so i had a breakdown in December 07. i took 6 weeks off work and it helped somewhat .but still the periods and bad painsdwere getting worse. i am not a whimsy sort of person. cramp is tolerable this is so bad i cry and cry and wonder why i have to be suffering like this every 3 weeks. i nearly pass out with the pain. i do not like going to see my gp as i find them no use at times. feel like a conveyor belt and you lucky to get ten minutes as the norm is 5. i finally went up to the doctors July 08 and he gave me lots of pills and said i shouldn't mess with mother nature and get sterilized. i don't think he got that right. i still blame that coil. my depression is quite bad at times. my pain is a constant dull ache in my abdomen still. i feel like its on fire when i have my period. i have to work out when i am due on my period and take a week off work. its really bad. i end up in bed. due to the fact i cannot stand upright. it is so bad it feels like labor. but its excruciating. i feel ive aged a lot in the last yr too. i cry most days as i am so tired and feel myself dreading the next one. i try to remain positive and think it will last a week and then i will have two weeks where its not so bad. but my cycle is so messed up that i suffer headaches a week after the bleeding and i am still suffering occasional contractions. if anyone has any experience like this i would be grateful of some sort of assistance be it advise or medical. i don't mind any sort of critical opinion either. i have a very open mind to all sorts of issues so will take any advise on board. i may see an end to my battle of suffering. i am waiting for another hospital appointment to see my gynecologist and hopefully it will be very soon.

tracy.

I'm a 30 year old woman and I've been taking Yasmin for 4 months now. I've been reading what people have been posting here and I'm wondering if I'm alone in having the following symptoms:
-severe breast pain for one day in the middle of my cycle, followed by mild breast pain until I get my period,
-painful cramps in the middle of my cycle,
-weird sharp internal vaginal pain, (sorry for the graphics, but especially during climax),
-acne problems,
-depression
The last two, I did see that people wrote about on here. I called my doctor today and I'm requesting a new pill. I thought that after a couple of months the symptoms would equalize, but after this last month, I decided I couldn't live with it. The breast pain especially has been very painful.

I'm a 40 year old mother of three. I have had my Mirena for 5 years come September. I must say that I have found it as a very convenient form of contraception. Hardly had any periods (and the associated cramps and mood swings) for the past 5 yrs. My husband is considering a vasectomy now so I will be having it out soon (when 5 yrs are up). To be quite honest part of me is relishing being hormone free, the other part is scared of having to go through again the usual monthly cylces - Uggh!!

Hi Ladies,

I had mine fitted may 06, i had heavy BLEEDING ND CRAMPING and no other contraception was suiting my body, so i got Mirena. Yes it helped to a certain extent. Later that year, i was still having some lil health issues, turned out i had some food allergies, too much estrogen and no real progesterone and thyroid problem. So this helped. My doctor put me on a natural progesterone cream, which was great, my skin started clearing up and my bleeding started getting some regularity, as i was pretty much bleeding every 2 weeks.

My health this year has gotten worse, excess Odema, acne, tiredness, mood swings, no sex drive, nausea which has always been contant, swelling around my belly etc. I feel horrible, now i also have adrenal fatigue however, I have given lots of thought and am going to get the Mirena removed. My weight is just going up, and all i want to do is be healthy, i exercise and eat well about 80%, so i am hoping that with this being removed, my doc said then i can go back onto my progesterone cream and help regulate my cycle. And also the lack of cycle, constant cramping, then a i get heavy or the odd light cycle. I just want to be happy.

Let me know if anyone else is feeling this way. And with having it removed, how i might feel.
By the way, i am 26 years old, and have no children as yet

xx

Sarah

I never put two and two together... but starting thinking that my mirena's hormones may be causing my issues. I had the mirena inserted a yr ago when I had the copper IUD removed. I told my OB/GYN that I was scared of the pill after trying it in college. Hormone-based birth control doesn't seem to work well for my family. She said it was a tiny dose and wouldn't get in the bloodstream so I shouldn't see side effects. HOWEVER, over the last year I have struggled with my weight. I have always been reallllly lucky. I am 5'8 and weigh about 135 without trying too hard. I have a high metabolism. But, I've started to feel pudgy last few months so have really tightened up my diet. I thought it was because I am getting older (29)...

As far as exercise, I used to be very active (mini-triathlons, 5Ks, sports etc.) but haven't felt like working out this year. Just can't get motivated. Today I was working with a personal trainer. We checked my records from January and I have gained 7 lbs!!! This is after I have really firmed up my diet. I have stopped eating carbs at night and trying to not eat after 7ish. In the past, this would really help my body look its best after a week or two. But, these last few months hasn't seemed to help me at all... Maybe it's the MIRENA?!

In addition, my cycle is about 7 days lator than it used to be. However, I still have the PMS symptoms I used to the week before my period but now they last forever! They start on the 20th and last until my period starts on the 7th!!! I get so irritable with my 5 yr old its ridiculous. It's not fair to her or my husband. I just wanted to share, that even with an athletic body type and a ridiculously high metabolism I am struggling. 2 yrs. ago I could eat 2300 calories w/out exercise, 2500 or more if working out that day. I used to eat as much as my 6'2 husband.

I am 28 and have had the Mirena IUC in for 10 months now. I though this would be a great contraception for me as I have one child that was not planned already and the pill has not had a stellar track record of working for the women my family. However, about 6 months ago I started getting cold sores on my face--which I have had before but very rarely. It has gotten completely out of control. I seem to get one every 3-4 weeks, just when the last one is almost completely gone I get another one! I have seen the dermatologist and even tried expensive meds. I was wondering if there is anyone else having problems similar to this before I get the IUC removed.

This is an update to my experience. I got my Mirena IUD removed mid-May, and it has been amazing to see the difference in my body and health. My cycle has always been very predictable. I'm one of those every 28 or 29 days ladies. About every 2 weeks - coinciding with either ovulation or the onset of my period - my body heals a little more. For example, just this last ovulation a few days ago my joints quit hurting. I have seen my energy level, concentration/focus, and mood improve at about every 2 weeks. So for me, my body is getting back to normal by doing what it's supposed to do - Ovulate! Menstrate! No more hormone contraception for me!!! I'm still slowly losing weight (at first it was immediate weight loss of about 7 lbs). The last couple of weeks, since my joints aren't hurting anymore and my energy level has risen dramatically, I'm able to exercise like I used to prior to all my problems with the Mirena IUD. So at every event in my cycle my body is a purging of more and more of the artificial progesterone. My husband and I have grown closer through this too. We have decided to work together and respect my body's natural cycles. I'm aware now of when I ovulate by looking at the signs - mainly the time of the month, a twinge of pain (not uncomfortable at all) telling me I'm ovulating, and cervical music - when it's stretchy and looks like egg whites. By paying attention, I know. I can't believe I didn't trust myself before. We use condoms when I am ovulating (a few days before I predict it to happen and a few days after). I'm fortunate to be so regular, but even if I wasn't nothing could convince me to ever use hormone contraception again!!!

Here is my Mirena Story.

I was 6 weeks post partum....I had mirena inserted...it was very painful and I was not warned about that.
About a week later I noticed yellowing in the whites of my eyes which I thought could be coming from a iron def. since I just gave birth. So I made sure I was eating well and taking vitamins. I also had severe itching at night especially on my ankles and legs. Oh and sex drive was gone. It was fine the 6 weeks after birth but as soon as mirena was in it was gone!!! I went to the doctor about a month after insertion and asked to have it removed, of course my doc said it couldn't be iud causing my problems...come back in a month...So I did....within this month I started having severe anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks, to the point were I actually thought I was loosing my mind. Of course again the doc told me that it wasn't iud and prescribed me an antidepressant which I reluctantly excepted. I'm not depressed...my life was perfect before mirena!!! I finally went back for the third time and decided I wasn't leaving until somebody took this thing out of me!

Here is a list of other side effects that I had/still have!!

acne
migraines
extreme lower back pain
numbness and tingling in hands and feet
vision problems
fogginess
An ADHD type feeling
inability to focus or concentrate
extreme fatigue
feeling of throat closing up
heart racing and palpitations
night sweats
sinusitus
dizziness and light headiness
headache

The problem here is that the doctors don't even know how extreme these side effects can be and they keep telling us that it's not the mirena. PLEASE trust your instinct.....I wanted to trust my doctor but I knew in my heart what was causing my problems...I am only 1 week post mirena and I am still having a lot of my problems but I can tell a difference. DON'T LET IT GET OUT OF HAND....TAKE IT OUT!!!!

DON'T GET MIRENA...IT MAY WORK WELL FOR SOME...BUT IN MY OPINION IT IS NOT WORTH THE CHANCE THAT THESE HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS COULD HAPPEN.....HAD I BEEN INFORMED PROPERLY I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD MIRENA INSERTED!!

Good Luck Ladies!!

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

I had Mirena inserted on June 19th at my 6 week follow up from giving birth. He presented it like it was the best contraception to get, so I thought "Why not?" I had it inserted right then and it didn't quite go in right the first time, so he tried again. And, yes, it is quite uncomfortable! Well, he thought it was in there correct (99% sure) but decided to send my for an ultrasound the next day to be 100% sure. So I had some cramps the rest of the day and night, nothing I couldn't stand, and went for my US the next day. Sure enough, the IUD had been pushed through my uterine wall and was now somewhere in my pelvic cavity roaming free. I went for a CT Scan because they couldn't find it with the US, and then had to get it laparoscopically removed the same day. So much for trying to be cost efficient with the Mirena! I had some cramps that lasted a few days and continue to have some slight vaginal discharge, but at least it's out. Of course my doc said that was the first time he had encountered the Mirena going through the uterine wall. (Great to hear) Depo worked great for me before, and that's what I'm doing now.

I had Mirena inserted at my 6 wk post natal check up, I have 3 little boys. I have not had a period, I have been breastfeeding so this is not unusual. I have had slight pelvic and lower back pain/pressure. I'm not sure what to think if anything. This is the second day. I'm trying to decide whether or not to see my doctor. I'm scaring myself by reading all of this info but don't want to ignore something that may be serious...Any comments or advice?

I went on the NuvaRing because it would regulate my hormones- I have IBS and get sick a few days before my period. The NR was great for keeping my IBS at bay. However, I gained over 15 pounds while on it. I had not changed my eating habits or activity level. The only thing I could associate to the massive weight gain, enlarged, swollen, and sore breasts was the ring. Even after hiring a personal trainer, eating healthier, and working out multiple times a week, I couldn't lose weight. I finally decided to take the ring out. After two weeks of being "ring free", people can see a difference in my weight- and I haven't gone to the gym to work out in over 3 weeks. Now I have to suffer through painful periods and digestive problems because I can't bare the weight gain that comes with the ring. If anyone knows of another form of BC that does not cause weight gain, please let me know.

Im 17, nuvaring was suggested to me as my first form of contraception. Since then (6 months now) it has been a downward spiral into depression, suicidal thoughts and actions, clingy, agoraphobic,extreme panic attacks, being miserable, crying every day, being completely immobilized, no sex drive, pain during and after sex. I was tested for STi's etc... nothing. Told my doctor, who forwarded me on to a gyno... nothing. Complained of panic attacks (asked if they could be related to nuvaring to which she scoffed)... sent me to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist... nothing. I thought i'd end up dead or in a looney bin.

Found this website! Bingo! Time of use and symptoms correlates perfectly. My god, i am so angry, i feel like ive lost 6months of my life. No hormones for me ever again... IUD time.

i am 14, and i have never use a nuvaring before but wanting to look for an easy to use contraceptive method, i had been doing it with the withdrawal method for 5 months now and wanting to consider using some sort of contraception... but i also want to know what food i can eat to reduce the risk of getting pregnant?

Hi, I am just after coming off Yasmin 5 days ago...
I 've been on it for 5 or 6 years and it's just really the last year, especially the last few months that I feel like I just can't take it anymore... Previous to taking Yasmin, I had never experienced any period pain, however when I started taking Yasmin the period pain started and got progressively worse from then. The last few months I have been all over the place when I get my period, awful pressure pains in my lower abdominal and emotionally up and down every few minutes, half an hour, I could literally be in great form, and then I'd just get really quite and I can't even tell whats wrong with me because, I feel, there's so many hormones in me my mind does not know how I feel.... Anyway, i refuse to take it anymore, but now I am left with the dilemma of what form of contraception to use and also experiencing very bad back pain and light headaches....If anyone has been in the same situation or has any suggestions at all, they would be much appreciated.....!

I had Mirena put in on April 23rd. Since then I feel as though I'm a rollercoaster of emotions. I'm filled with rage one minute, crying the next, out of my mind...Bleeding, cramping, back pain. I delivered my 2nd child in Feb. and experienced post partum depression with my first child. I was feeling very good after the birth of my 2nd child until I had this thing put in my body.

I called my dr and was directed to 3 different people. One woman when I was trying to explain why I wanted it out actually told me to "ride out the hormones" and hung up on me!

I never got to speak to my Dr. and today tried to call again. I'm going in on Tuesday to get it out of my body. I feel very strongly about this. What upsets me the most is that this is MY body and regardless as to why I want it out of me, they should be respecting my decision NOT hanging up the phone, not acting like this "miracle" drug can do no harm when clearly it can as stated on the brochure they give you in the office. While not many may suffer there are some that do and it should be respected and not dismissed when brought to a doctor's attention!!!

I don't like how the doctor's office tried to make this as though I'm just CRAZY or this is in my head. I've been seeing a therapist for three years and she encouraged me to get this thing out of me if its causing me that much anxiety!!!

We are NOT crazy and we know our bodies best. Quite frankly I feel violated as there is a foreign object in my body that my Dr. doesn't seem to want to take out despite the fact that this is my wish.

I have just turned 30 and like many of you have tried all sorts of different types of contraception, most of which have caused some sort of reaction but i was told that the Mirena would be best as so low in hormones and would help reduce the heavy bleeding that started with the implant.

For 3 years everything was fine, i then started to get spots around my jaw line and back which I've never suffered with before, bloated, tired, pilled on the pounds....not surprisingly though as i was always craving food, really nasty stomach and back aches, i started bleeding all over the place with no rhyme or reason. I went to the doctor as I thought there was something wrong and it took quite a time for me to put it all together but the doctor just thought i was being over dramatic. To put my mind at rest he sent me for a scan which showed up lots of adhesions from where i had my son.

I came home and looked the Mirena up....why i never did this before i have no idea and now am so mad with myself as i could have got this sorted out months ago...hence to say i was back down the Doctors that day to get it removed. Its only been 5 days now and i have the flu but i feel a million times better...i'm bleeding still but thats it to be expected, at least its helping to get rid of any of the hormones which are left in there. The more i read i can see that i have many other "problems" the same as many other ladies, my husband said its like i had PMT but i never believed him.

Thank you to this site as if i hadn't of read all your comments i would still be suffering. The only downside is that it looks like we will be having to use condoms (latex free which are not nice due to an allergy) till we have finished having kids. I do feel sorry for my husband but i think I've gone through enough over the last 10 years with pill, injection, implant and the coil. Roll on the male pill i say!

I should add to my post below that I'm in Australia where we the NuvaRing costs about $70 for 3 rings. I have $50 worth of contraception that I can't even sell on eBay!

I got my Mirena in a few months ago, on a second attempt. I've never had a child, so there was some difficulty in opening my cervix enough to push it in, so I had to go back with my period for another insertion, which was painful, but not terrible. The first two weeks were great. I had no cramping at all, and some spotting, but even that was mostly just when I used the bathroom, and not when I was up and walking around.
The first complaint I had was that my boyfriend could feel the string. It wasn't even just an awareness that it was there, but severe pain that hit him every time he bumped it. We stopped having sex.
Then, I started being a complete bitch. I have a history of clinical depression, and have been treated and it hasn't been an issue for a few years, but I know depression, and this is not it. I've also been stressed out. This is not it. This is like my worst PMS ever, multiplied by ten, constant, and increasing every day. I'm a teacher, and I've been finding myself yelling at my kids when the do the littlest thing wrong. I've screamed at my mother when she's trying to be helpful, and I've hung up on my boyfriend when I was pissed at him for no reason. I have NEVER experienced such irritability, and I have NEVER treated the people I love with such disrespect. I'm worried that if this keeps happening, it will ruin my life.
I've also gained significant weight. I have always been a slim woman, and now my clothes don't fit. If anything, I have been more active and eating less calories since I've had my Mirena inserted. And wrestling my pants on in the morning doesn't exactly help the irritability.
Then, one morning, I woke up with INTENSE throbbing pain in my lower abdomen. I was about to get myself to the hospital when it stopped. The next day, I felt for my string. Gone. The next day, it was back. The next day, gone. I went to see my doctor, and after much poking and prodding, she was unable to find the string, gave me a pregnancy test (like I'd been having sex...) and scheduled me for an ultrasound. Since then, I've experienced awful cramps. My doctor thinks the intense pain was an ovarian cyst bursting (which makes sense with my medical history), and the cramping caused by that made the Mirena shift up, which then caused more cramps as it resettled into a new place. She insists that the ultrasound will likely show everything is fine, and that it won't be a big deal until five years from now, when they have to figure out some way to remove the Mirena without it's string, ie dilating my cervix and using clamps to pull it out.
I have asked to have my Mirena removed on several occasions, and my doctor insists that it will get better, and I just have to tough it out. I know that I cannot continue to experience this irritability or pain, and I do not want to see if the weight continues to pack on. On Tuesday I have my ultrasound, and then an appointment with a different doctor to tell me the results and have it removed.
I was on these boards before my insertion, and shortly after, and thought all these side effects were crap, and that the posters were just the 1 out of 10 women who don't recommend the Mirena to their friends. I was sure that it wouldn't happen to me, but boy was I wrong. I believe the statistics the Mirena website gives are completely flawed, and I would NEVER recommend this to a friend, or even an enemy.

Help me! I have stopped taking Yasmin for about 4 or 5 months because my husband and I want to conceive. I AM STARTING TO LOSE MY HAIR! I am so worried about this as I am losing at least double the normal amount everyday and this has been happening for about a week now. I have noticed the difference as my hair is not very thick. My husband has noticed. My friend says she can't tell, but if you look in my bathroom and my comb you would think I was undertaking radiotherapy. I went to my doctor two days ago and she thinks it could be thyroid or iron problems. She thinks it could be ceasing the pill but is unsure......PLEASE, is there ANYONE who has experienced this? And if so will it stop? I am so distressed about it.

I've been experiencing severe stomach pains (not period pains) for the last six months. Symptoms are very similar to that of an ulcer (pain after eating, severe heartburn) except the doctors can't find anything wrong with me. Every day I'm in agony. I started taking Yasmin 2.5 years ago and it's been good for me (other pills have made me depressed and gain weight, daily period pains). I was advised to take 3 packs back-to-back then a 7 day break.

Could all this be caused by Yasmin? If so can anyone suggest a suitable alternative contraception?

Wow, I'm so glad I found this site and now realize it's not "just me" as one doctor put it. I have had my Mirena in for 18 months. The first year was great, no side affects at all. 6 months ago I started getting bad allergies, the worst PMT symptoms ever starting three weeks before my cycle which I barley get anyhow. I continue to struggle for breath on a daily basis and I have never been this tired in my entire life. I have been in and out of doctors surgeries wondering what's wrong with me, even seeing a naturopathic. Nothing helped until I found this site, I have never had children and I don't plan to have any. I thought this would be a great 5 year at a time solution for contraception as doctors claim I am too young to be "fixed".
Now I truly believe I need to have this removed for my own health. When I do I will repost the outcome.

I am very interested to hear of any connections between the Mirena and lupus or stenosis of the renal artery.
I am getting the Mirena removed and replaced with a non progesterone impregnated old fashioned type.
Todd

I've had my Mirena for about 15 and a half months and I am having it removed today at 2 o'clock. At first I had sharp pains when I would sit down and I felt like the cords were poking me and irritating me. My OB/GYN requires patients to come back one month after having it put in so he can check it and make sure it is still in place. At this visit he also trimmed the cords although he acted like he didn't believe me when I told him that I could feel them poking me when I sat down and that it hurt. At first I didn't notice any bad side effects, but I did have one good one: my periods stopped, but I still had occasional and sporadic spotting. I didn't think to look for any bad side effects because I got the device under the impression that it had no bad side effects. I thought it only had a rare complication of perforating the uterus, but since mine was in place at the one month check, I didn't think about anymore until I started thinking about having another baby recently. I went online to see if I had to have a doctor remove the Mirena or if I could do it myself, and I found out that it's best done by a professional because bad things can happen and then you'd have to go to the doctor anyway. Plus, I didn't want to hurt my chances of having another baby. While online I discovered this whole world of message boards where women were having a lot of the same problems I'd been having in recent months and they all blamed their Mirenas. Some claimed that their problems had gone away since having it removed. I never thought to link my circumstances to the Mirena, but when I saw how many women are having the exact same problems as me I knew that I needed to go ahead and get mine out ASAP. Here is a list of my side effects, and I've found other women have had them as well with Mirena: weight gain, bloated stomach, depression, short temper with husband and daughter, acne, low sex drive, spotting, cramps, constipation, and back pain. There may be more, but I can't remember them all right now. Some of them may not even be related to the device, but I've read of so many women with Mirena who are having or have had the same issues, so I suspect a link between my problems and Mirena. I hope this helps someone out there looking for answers. God Bless!

I'm so glad I found this website. I've been on Femcon since December 30, and I CAN'T stand it!!! I've been bleeding for the past 5 days. I've already put on weight and notice an increase in my appetite. I'm also extremely moody and irritable. In addition, even though I take these pills at night, I still experience nausea when I take them. I'm also breaking out more. Like many others, my doctor gave me 5 months of samples from their office. I should have known better when the office manager was the one who originally recommended I take this pill. I haven't taken oral contraception for a couple of years. I was on Ortho TriCyclin and also tried the NuvaRing for a couple of months, and NEVER had these problems. When I called my doctor's office, I told the nurse that I was concerned these pills were too strong for me, she told me that Femcon is a low hormone pill. I just can't believe I'm having such a strong reaction to this pill. I want to stop it immediately, but the nurse tells me that if I do, I will bleed even heavier for the for a couple of weeks until my body re-regulates. She said that this bleeding I'm having should stop in a couple of months, but I'm sorry... It's just NOT worth it. Heed warning when the doctor wants to give you this pill... consider another option. The side effects have been unbearable.