Contraceptive symptoms and conditions

I haven't found Mirena to be very invasive so far. I got it put in after my daughter was born and since then my periods have been few and far between, but I attribute some of that to breastfeeding the first six months. I have had the Mirena in for almost a year and the only thing I notice is that sometimes I feel moody and hungry and lethargic like I'm about to menstruate but then nothing happens. I haven't had weight gain problems and I do fight off some acne on my chin and sides of my face but I don't know if that has to do with the Mirena- I haven't always had the greatest skin to begin with. I got pregnant because I wasn't on the pill or anything, everything else before this has made me psychotic. Any contraceptive you use will have its drawbacks because you are messing with your physiology and biology and everything. This is the best thing I've tried- so far it hasn't been problematic enough to consider taking it out. I think I am a case of very mild side effects with this method. It sounds like some people's bodies are more sensitive and attack the device as a foreign object in their system. My body is less fussy apparently

I had my mirena removed about one week ago after a year and a half of having it in. my doctor had told me that I would have no side effects as it only dispersed hormones locally. My experience was very different! The most noticeable were: immediate weight gain (10pounds in 6 weeks from inserting it), inability to lose weight with diet and exercise, terrible mood swings and depression for no reason at all, extreme fatigue and lack of energy (I couldn't stay up past 9pm), bad acne, hair loss on my head and increase of facial hair (go figure!), constant bloating (I looked pregnant all the time), definite decrease of libido, nausea (which led me to see many gastro dr's as I was convinced I had a stomach bug), vertigo, terrible discharge...you name it, I've had it. The thing about Mirena is that the side effects are accumulative and subtle to begin with, so it takes a while before you make the association. Since removing it a week ago, I have noticed a major increase in my energy level (I love it! i feel alive again...), increase in libido, sudden disappearance of depression and mood swings, and bloating is gone. I'm happy to have my body back and feel liberated! I replaced mirena with a regular Copper IUD. In the past I've had increased bleeding during periods with the copper IUD but I'll have that any day compared with my experience with Mirena. The doctor that removed it for me told me that she never advises woman to use mirena unless they have a medical problem such as fybroids, very heavy periods etc...Mirena is used as a cure for these conditions. Her reasoning is that if you are a healthy woman with no hormonal problems, why would you ingest hormones into your body in this manner and mess with your system? The fact that periods stop with mirena means that hormones are all over your system... I advise all women to listen to their bodies...you know better then any doctor if a contraceptive is right for you. There are always other options for you if you are not happy.

My name is Stephanie and I had the Mirena IUD inserted in 12/2004, about a year after I had my daughter. I had some cramping in the first few months following it's insertion. My periods slowly lightened over my first year and now I haven't had a period since. I will spot every once in a long while for about a day. I have lite acne problems but nothing that can't be handled with washing my face before I go to bed at night. I didn't not experience any weight gain while using the IUD. I think women forget to change their eating habits after the baby is born. YOUR NOT PREGNANT ANYMORE! I love this contraceptive and plan on using it again. Mood swings maybe but I'm a woman that comes with the territory. Anyway, if you are thinking about using this IUD don't listen to only the complaints, this is a good contraceptive it's just not for everyone but that's with any contraceptive on the market. Be smart research all contraceptives, find what your body can handle.

I have been on Yasmin for over 5 years, and just thought that I was a hypochondriac. After starting Yasmin I experienced severe nausea and unrelieved hunger pains. I saw a gastroenterologist who performed an EGD and Colonoscopy at the age of 20. It was normal and I was placed on Protonix to help with the GI issues. Also I have severe joint pains in my knees, hips, elbows and shoulders. I have been tested for everything from Lupus to Rheumatoid Arthritis, and it was all negative. I get headaches, have little sex drive if any, my skin is not clearer than usual and nor has it been since starting Yasmin. Thanks to all those people who have voiced their concerns and shared their stories, it makes us feel less crazy. I threw out all my birth control pills last night and I am going to try another form of contraceptive. I mean my headaches and chest pains have gotten so bad that they have forced me to go to the ER on several occasions. I DO NOT THINK THE BENEFITS OF YASMIN OUTWEIGH THE RISKS ASSOCIATED.

Yasmin is most definitely the pill from hell! I was originally on Microgynon from the age of 17 until I was about 20/21 which was when I changed to Yasmin. I didn't notice at the time but I had the usual mood swings which come with any contraceptive, I got diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and I was suffering with anxiety and palpitations for no reason. I stopped taking Yasmin in 2007 to give my body a break but had problems with other forms of contraception so I gave in and went back on the pill after a few months, this was when the worst side effects came! Depression, anxiety, palpitations, racing heart beat, breathlessness, migraines, crazy mood swings and I’m so aggressive with it too! My aggression scares me sometimes it’s that bad!  The worst side effect has to be my hair loss! It upsets me so much! My GP but it down to low Iron and Pernicious Anaemia a year ago which I am now being treated for and my hair hasn’t got any better! I went back to my GP at the end of my tether and he did more tests including sex hormone tests which show some of my hormone levels through the roof and others struggling to get into the normal range. I had no idea this was what Yasmin did to your body! I have an appointment to see my GP tomorrow to discuss these results! Hopefully he will have some answers!

Oh my god.. I am so happy I found this site. I thought I was going crazy.. I really did.. and that scares me because I have an 8 week old daughter to take care of.. I had the Mirena put in 2 weeks ago and I have bled, spotted, and have had blood clots on my toilet paper ever since then. 2 nights ago I all of the sudden felt scared like something had come over me.. I honestly thought the devil was trying to get me!! sounds dumb but I'm not kidding. i slept with my Bible. My husband works out of town so he is gone this week. I have been so scared all day.. afraid of losing my mind and not being able to take care of my baby! I prayed about it all night and day and then I got an idea to google it.. well well well.. it appears Mirena is NOT the wonder contraceptive my OB said it was. and after reading all of these testimonies.. its like a heavy feeling has been lifted now that I have found out what was doing this to me! so Monday morning i'm calling my Dr. and having it removed ASAP.

I am a 35 year old mum of 2 girls,my youngest being almost 4 month old,previous to having my baby had the non hormone coil fitted with great success and no problems.and following my midwifes advice had the mirena coil fitted after much discussion with both my doctor and nurse thought it was my best option as no other contraceptive suited as well as the coil.however having the morena coil in for the past 5 weeks have suffered from an almost constant brown smelly discharge,weight gain,painful joints,lack of energy and mood changes.after researching the mirena found all the symptoms id been having are fairly common place.after contacting my GP speaking to both the nurse and GP have convinced them to take it out and fit a non hormone coil.
at no time upto or since was i told of the side effects,in particular depression from which i suffered from the birth of my daughter which the same doctor who convinced me the mirena was perfect for me prescribed me thae anti depressants i needed to beat my post-natal depression.
i find it utterly astounding that something which claimed to be the answer could be prescribed for me.im not saying the mirena isn't for some,but it def wasn't for me and before you consider having one fitted do your research before you have one fitted.

Hello! Its kind of creepy that i just now realized my problems and where they are coming from. A couple months ago I was having symptoms very similar to being pregnant.. went to pp and the dr. and I was not. I have been on Yasmin and the generic brands for 3 years now. and recently quit taking them for the 3rd time... About 2 weeks ago I started having " prego " symptoms again.. took a prego test and of course came up negative once again. Its been a little depressing as my partner and I have been wanting a baby. but now i'm starting to see where these symptoms are coming from.. My digestive system has gone haywire.. i get headaches.. my boobs hurt.. and i'm extremely emotional... my boyfriend has mentioned recently that my "outbursts" are frightening to him.. I didn't think it was that bad but now that I look back on it i've had these problems only during the time i've taken BC. WOW!!! as much as i enjoy the BC because it relieves me of my extremely long periods and severe cramps reading and feeling all of this makes me feel a little mad. I wish there were better ways of handling birth control and menstruation My doctor wont give me an IUD and my mother had severe side effects from the shot so i've been left with only the pill.. as the patch gave me really bad numbness after only 4 days..What are us women supposed to do!!! it seems like the doctors know what they're giving us but they do it anyway! women today should be able to be confident in their BC and know its not going to kill them. if anyone has some sort of "option" for me please don't hesitate to email me your thoughts and ideas... thank you! ******

Am booked into to get the Mirena fitted on Thursday for heavy pain periods, I am 47 and after reading all the problems everyone is/had I am getting panicky and now reconsidering.

I am thinking I would prefer to have 5 days heavy periods every 28 days thank continuous bleeding for an unknown length of time...

I cannot contribute - in the same way as other posters, I can add a side effect of getting of all birth control pills-- health. The pill seems to act by mimicking the first trimester symptoms of pregnancy in many ways - explains many of the symptoms. Can you imagine being 1st trimester-pregnant for years? I cannot understand why women will use un-natural, non-organic foreign substances in their bodies with possibly deadly side effects - yet swear by organic soy milk, veggies what have you -seems a bit schizophrenic. Better to wait for the man who would love you fully and not ask you to hurt yourself so he can use you for sex. We become just like the men here, this is so sad to me. Instead of being "liberated" we, (not the men) become slave to the pill. And then we don't get he freedom or the man. Try organic sex, in the ways God intended, much healthier.

I am a 39 year old mother of two teenager daughters. I had my original Mirena inserted in July, 2002 due to extreme bleeding for many months. I would bleed for about 24 days out of every month and felt horrible. As I was only 32 years old at the time, my GYN did not want to perform a hysterectomy and suggested the Mirena. I bled for a couple of months after insertion, but shortly thereafter I had no bleeding and have had no period ever since. This is the side effect that is fantastic!

Shortly after having the Mirena inserted, my marriage fell apart and I was feeling very depressed, EXTREMELY EXHAUSTED and overall "crappy". I assumed that this was all due to my life circumstances. I gained significant weight in my mid-section, I had (and still have) constant headaches, I am always still very very tired, am dizzy, fuzzy-minded, blurred vision, achey, etc. etc. etc. I never once thought about the Mirena being the cause of any of these symptoms.

My doctor has checked my bloodwork numerous time to ensure my iron levels, etc. were okay as well as my thyroid - every time the results were normal so I thought it must all be in my head and all be due to me being somewhat depressed, etc. due to my marital breakdown.

I had my 2nd Mirena put in in December, 2009 as the first one was in for the full 5 years. It was a little painful getting it taken out and the new one put in, but for me the pain was worth it to continue to be period-free for another 5 years!

Recently I have been experiencing hot flashes and night sweats so I asked my doctor if I could be going through menopause. She ordered bloodwork to check my hormones and informed me last week that yes, in fact I am quite far into menopause!!! (remember, age 39)! Because I have not had a period in almost 6 years, I did have the early warning signs of menopause such as missed or irregular periods.

I wondered why I would be going through it so early so googled "Mirena and early menopause" which brought me to this site. When I started reading all the side effects, I wondered if it was maybe the Mirena that cause a lot my problems over the years and it wasn't in fact the dissolving of my marriage and change in life circumstances.

I now have to decide what to do. My doctor stated that I should (because of my young age) go on Hormone Replacement for quality of life. (I am close to my decision and believe that HRT is beneficial for me) - hopefully this will help with the terrible symptoms of menopause I have been having.

I am wondering if having the Mirena inserted had any part in accelerating my body into menopause. I am thinking of having it removed before starting HRT because even though the doctor told me that there is a very low hormone dosage in the Mirena, I don't want to over-do it with hormones as that could cause me even more problems. It would be amazing if I had it removed that I would feel the way I used to feel back 6 years ago (minus the husband)

FYI, before I had the Mirena inserted the first time I read and re-read the pamphlet which contained all the possible side effects, etc. But, as I stated above, my life changed dramatically very shortly after insertion so it never occurred to me that some of my problems may be related to the Mirena.

If this device does accelerate a woman's body into menopause, this should be well publicized as it would be tragic for young women who use this as a form of contraception early in their life to only find out later that they are no longer able to conceive due to their body going though "the change".

oh please your all a bunch of whiners. I don't understand that when people get something medically new that they seem to blame every little thing on it!!! seriously!!! if it were so bad it would not be on the market..... i have had it for two years.....a little cramping in the beginning which is NORMAL and as STATED on the side effects list. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND that these are listed because they DO AND HAVE happened to other people. That is why they are listed! NOW if you died, got cancer, pregnant or what have you then you can bitch. BUT PLEASE don't complain about the LISTED side effects. it is a wonderful product and it does just as it claims. yea the cramping sucks....the spotting is a pain.....men can feel it during intercourse and yes sometimes they can bump it and hurt you. also it causes cysts to grow on your ovaries which can sometimes require surgery. it can also grow outside your uterine wall at time. and it can fall out. all kinds of things can happen that are LISTED. what i would recommend people should do BEFORE they leap into bed with a new contraceptive is RESEARCH the SIDE EFFECTS BEFORE you decide you want it or not. its simple read the damn sheet and decide if you can live with the side effects. maybe one....or all...or none. THEN DECIDE.

am having severe abdominal, pelvic, lower back and hip pain. I went to see my doctor who thought I might have a herniated disk in my back. Having no insurance I had to pay cash for the doctor visit and X-Rays and was told I may be suffering from a herniated disk in my back. X-Rays showed no such thing. I was given a muscle relaxer, pain meds and an anti-inflammatory med. Through the next week the pain began to intensify to the point I had to leave work. I went straight to the ER where I was given steroids and a stronger pain medication. By the way, pain medication has no effect on me so I have been suffering for quite a long time. The ER doctor did recommend I see a gynecologist right away. He thought for sure something was terribly wrong. This was just last night and after reading all the comments above, I am pretty certain this is my problem. Having no insurance my clinic would not see me so I have to go to another doctor who said I must pay $200.00 up front just to get in the door. I have had my Mirena for 2 years and was doing just fine other than having problems with the headaches, zero libido and uuuggghhh, that weight gain thing and a few other problems, but now I am convinced that no woman should use the Mirena. I have already been through all of the with the Norplant. Another horrible contraceptive. If it is indeed the Mirena, I will have to have it removed and most likely will need a hysterectomy. Wish me luck finding a doctor to that with no insurance.

toriintx

I was going to have mirena placed today with the intention of stopping my period and in turn hope to shrink the existing fibroid I have in my uterus. I had removed them once four years ago and now they returned and have been giving me some bad days in between periods. This is one of the possible method I can try that is recommended by my gynae so I won't have to go through another surgery again. However, after reading all your reports and experiences, I surfed the internet for more information and found this site.

******

Please read it. I find it extremely useful. Now I know (saved myself some money and possible hell) that I am not a candidate for mirena. For those who are thinking of opting this method of contraceptive, read carefully before deciding and for those who already have it, now you know why you are experiencing what you are experiencing.

I hope this will help some of you if not give you peace of mind that we are NOT crazy when we tell the doctors and our partners that we are not ourselves sometimes. God bless.

I had Mirena inserted in May 04 and have been miserable ever since!
I had my 2nd child and did not want any more, I was scared to get my tubes tied because I had a newborn & a 4 year old to take care of.
Since I had Mirena, I have had severe back pain, weight that won't budge no matter what, severe constipation, swollen legs & feet, panic and anxiety attacks, moodiness, hot flashes, miscarriages, severe stomach cramps, depression, bloated stomach, almost constant nausea, headaches, you name it I have it.
My husband got a vasectomy 4 weeks ago and I can't wait until I can get this horrible evil thing out of me.
I didn't think it was the IUD until recently. My doctor played it up like it was a miracle contraceptive-even told me it was better than tubal ligation and vasectomy. ha!

c.

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

I had my mirena fitted Jan 07 and within 2 months my sex drive went to zero, constipation just before when my period was 'meant' to begin, last six months the bleeding has returned as normal, and the itchy skin drives me insane, plus my moods can get out of control, huge spots that last about a month, back ache, weight gain that cannot be shifted, I go to the gym twice and week and swimming twice a week but nothing, best contraceptive ever as you don't want anyone near you and your partner will probably be horrified by you anyway!! Today I went and got it removed (happy days!!), whilst there also discovered huge fibroid, just gets better, not. So now waiting and hoping that all these symptoms go and that my life may return to some sort of normality and if you try telling the doctors your opinion they just dismiss your concerns. Was thinking about having the injection but now not so sure if it works in the same way. My advice is don't do it and if you do, take note of what folk have written here so you know what to look out for.

Hey I see Im not the only one with problems that the doctors blam on other things!! I have always been so healthy UNTIL I had twins in Feb 06 and had Mirena put in Oct 06 and almost immediately started having side effects.I started to read up and realized the ones I had were all listed as side effects with it.The first side effects weren't that bad but OMG now I am horrible.I have so many side effects and am wondering if anyone is in the same boat??Mine are:weight gain,hair loss,facial hair,migraines,irritability,fatigue,NO sex drive,anxiety,depression,fluttering in my stomach,back and joint pain,pain during sex,stomach spasms,the list goes ON and ON, oh and lets not forget they say I have PCOS!! Now I wish they could tell me how I went from perfectly healthy to THIS!! I have been to 3 different docs and asked to have it removed but surprise surprise they all did not want to remove it and now I have NO insurance..I am to the point if I could take the thing out myself I would!! I am SOOO miserable and if I say I want it out who are they to tell me no?? Can anyone else relate?? I AM GOING CRAZY!!!

I am 27 had my Mirena inserted May 05 as I could no longer take the pill and I was diagnosed with endometriosis. It's known as a preventative for the spreading of endometriosis due to the lack of menstrual bleeding. I've not had menstrual bleeding since August 05 and not suffered from any side effects. I thought it was the best contraceptive ever invented, so happy with it.To think no periods, cramps, remembering to take the pill and not to forget how much money I've saved over the past years by not having to buy contraception or female toiletries. How ever I've had four UTI's since the Mirena was inserted. I never suffered from UTI's before the mirena was inserted. I have not changed my hygiene practises, fluid intake and I'm having less intercourse. So is it caused by the mirena??? I can't be sure but I'm am very suspicious. Think I'll consult my Gynecologist

Hi. I've had the Mirena birth control for a little over a year now, and nothing but pain, confusion, and utter hell has come from it. I haven't had a period since the day my doctor put it in! I guess that is considered a blessing by most women but it concerns me. I have been diagnosed with not 1, not 2, but 3 Pelvic Inflamatory Infections since it's placement last year. The pain associated with this type of infection is excoriating. It quite literally feels like labor pains. I had contractions, which my doctor told me was just my uterus trying to push out the infection. But these didn't feel like regular contractions. There was no 1, 2 or 3 minute pause between them. It was an almost constant pain, only letting up for 1or 2 seconds and then continuing. I also had large amounts of yellowish discharge, moderate lower back pain, nausea and extreme headaches. I have scheduled a doctors appointment tomorrow to have it removed. GOOD RIDDANCE, I SAY! I have also had notable fluxuations in my mood and appetite. I have developed more acne on my face in the last year than I have ever had in my entire life! These symptoms seem almost constant and never seem to go away for more that a day or two. I too was told by my doctor that the symptoms would be minimal and that i was a perfect candidate for this particular contraceptive. Looking at all of these comments and side effects of other women posted here, I'de say that there are more women who have mirena and are having more than one complication out of it FAR out-weigh the women who have had no side effects. In my personal opinion i think that Mirena should be taken OFF the market and reviewed close and carefully again before putting back on the market to reek more havoc on general female population.

I just took the NR out today. I have used other birth control methods and have never had too many issues. I did have some break through bleeding with depo, but it subsided fairly quickly and then I didn't have my period at all for almost a year. I decided to take the ring out after 12 days because I am experiencing bleeding every day, breast tenderness, and most uncomfortably cramping and pelvis pain. My husband and I don't have sex during my period, so in effect this has turned out to be the ultimate contraceptive because we're not having sex at all. I'm just glad that I haven't used it long enough to be experiencing some of the horrible side affects that some of these other women have had. I think I will go back to using foam and the calendar method. It worked for my mother and it has been successful for us so far!

I know that the Mirena is causing my acne. I have always had clear skin, and it's just like everyone describes, its not just regular acne, its cystic deeply scarring acne. I never used to have to worry about acne, I cannot believe how bad it has gotten. I read all about Accutane being able to help, and I have been taking just Vitamin A (that you can buy at walmart), these seems to have helped the cystic acne a little, it's not as bad as it was, I just have to take about 20 Vitamin A pills a day, but its worth it. A Dr. just prescribed me some Clindamycin Phosphate, and I will be sure to let you ladies know if it helps me get rid of the rest of the acne. If it doesn't I will go ahead and get off the Mirena, it is just a shame because it's a contraceptive that I don't have to think about taking every day, and I paid 700 dollars out of pocket. but having my face scarred for life and having acne ruin my life isn't worth it either. I guess I should mention that my hormones have been kind of crazy, and I've been more irritable than ever. I have gained weight, but I think it may be to my eating habits more than anything...we will see.

I had Mirena inserted about 9 months ago, and I have experienced severe breast pains. I have periods that last as long as 23 days. This is a nightmare. Some nights I cannot hardly sleep because of the soreness of my breast. I do not advise anyone to take this form of contraceptive. I am going to have it removed next month. I am through with birth control!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi ladies, im 18 years old, and i started taking loestrin 24 almost a month ago. The first 2-3 weeks i felt no different as i usually would. No depression, No headaches, but i did experience strong emotions, like i wanted to cry more often over practically nothing.. for a few days, but that went away. Randomly i started spotting between the 2nd-3rd week, but it wasn't just light spotting. I bled for about 6 days. Having sex felt a little different. Once the bleeding was gone, now ive been spotting here and there for the past few days. My mom says that it might not be strong enough hormones for me, so if any of you are having this problem, ask your doctor because it may not be working as a contraceptive. I guess we will see how it goes!

i am planning to have it placed but i can't have sex for fourteen days before i can get i just want to know if anyone else had to this and why. dburgess