Cystic acne symptoms and conditions

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

I got my Mirena in about 20 months ago and almost immediately my life started going downhill. I got moody, depressed, started gaining weight, my skin broke out in TERRIBLE cystic acne. Then I started having trouble sleeping at night, and was waking up EXHAUSTED every morning. etc etc. At first I blamed job stress. Then poor eating habits. Then poor skincare products, my new apartment...everything but the IUD.

I have Type 1 Diabetes, so I see an endocrinologist regularly and when I went in yesterday to show him this new BALD SPOT on the top of my head, and talk about my random weight gain, despite joining weight watchers and exercising every single day, he started asking me questions and determined that that IUD needed to come OUT. He said if the hormones were affecting my body enough to cause acne, and increase my insulin dose (I went from 10 units a day to 20...a HUGE increase!) then it was most certainly affecting my hormones enough to cause weight gain, hair loss, etc. It even explained why I suddenly needed to get waxed every three weeks instead of every six.

Unfortunately all the literature indicates that removal comes with terrible bleeding, clots, and cramps. I'm going on vacation in less than one month and I'm super bummed that I have to keep it in until I get back from vacation but I'm not going to the most civilized region so I don't want to risk the kinds of horror stories I've been reading while abroad.

I have had my Mirena for 3 yrs. (Oct 2006) For a long time my doctor, nurse and I joked about how I was the poster girl for this product. I didn't have much cramping with insertion, had one slight period a month later, and have been period free since December '06.

A few months later I broke out with the cystic acne and they put me on Yaz. It seemed to help for about 6mths. I then went off the Yaz and was fine for a few months, until I broke out again. This time Yaz didn't work. I've delt with them ever since. In the mean time I started having troubles falling to sleep. It was very sporadic at first until this past Jan. (09) My doctor put me on 10mg of generic Ambien. In July she cut me off. I had a full blown panic attack! The next day I contacted another dr who doesn't have a problem with me being on them. She put me on several anti-depressants until we found one that seems to be helping.

I have always been a people person, full of life and love for everyone! Now, I dread going to the store, or taking my boys (11,9 & 4) to soccer practice/games!

My husband has mentioned from time to time that I complain of a lot of headaches. Come to think of it now, they happen nearly every day to one extent or another!

I've been researching the Mirena the last couple of days because of the acne and sleeplessness. MOST posts talk about the symptoms beginning right away, making me think I was crazy and just looking for a reason to feel this way!

My husband has been my rock and is very supportive of me. He has no problems with me taking it out, but will NOT get the sweet lil V done! ugh If I can get this out and have the acne clear up. I'd be HAPPY!

First symptoms: Acne
Then: Sleeplessness, Headaches, back pain especially lower, mood swings, anxiety/depression, oily hair, uncontrollable crying... I'm sure I could go on. The symptoms don't have to be instant. In my case they came slowly...

GOD BLESS!

I am 45 years old. I get the impression many of the ladies here are younger, as they speak of having younger children, so I will tell my side from a bit more "mature" (ie older!) perspective:

Had Mirena for a little over 9 months. My two MAIN side effects were a development of terrible cystic acne on my face, back, shoulders, hairline, behind my ears and straight down my spine, ending in a nice lovely rash just above my tailbone. These things were deep, solid knots under the skin, not average little pimples. Worse acne I've ever had, and at my age too!

Second, profuse sweating under my breasts and lower back, again just at my tailbone, right above my butt. After drying off from a shower, I'd run my hand back there and still feel soaked. This did not seem related to hot flashes. Just sweating, and I think that contributed to the acne, which was beginning to leave scars it was so deep.

I do feel like I gained weight, my pants were much tighter and I just felt bloated all the time.

Fortunately, no hair loss or emotional side effects. I've had anxiety for years and take Ativan (lorazepam) which keeps it pretty much under control. No loss of sex drive either. It seems there are a distinct set of side effects, and some get them in different combination than others, but we're ALL getting them one way or the other!

OBGYN said as the Mirena is only progesterone, I was missing the estrogen which were the 2 components of the pill I took for years with no trouble. He gave me a Rx for a low dose of estrogen. Now I am getting what I had in the pill in 2 separate forms, and having these awful side effects on top of it. It didn't help.

So I had Mirena removed 6 days ago. Luckily he found the strings, told me to cough, and pulled it out, no pain! I immediately went back on Alesse BC pill that same day, so no break in hormones, but I handled the BC pill fine all those years, so I"m just going back on it. Have been bleeding ever since removal, but I figure that is just my body "getting back at me" for not having periods for months. My first real one, due in about 3 weeks following the pill schedule will probably be the period from hell. Ok, I accept that. My uterus wants to get this poison toxic mess out of me, and I'm ok with that.

I'm crossing my fingers that I will miss the "crash" I've read so much about. As it seems to be mostly psychological, and I didn't have those side effects to begin with, maybe it won't be so bad, or at all. Of course that could just be wishful thinking on my part! So far, 6 days of having it out of me and I already feel 100% better! My face cleared up in a matter of days. The sweating stopped immediately. My pants are looser, although I still weigh the same. The bloated feeling is gone. I just feel thinner. Before, my profile in the mirror looked like I was 4 months pregnant! That too is going down quick. Good luck to all who have it removed. Things can only get better!

And don't let any doctor tell you you can't have it out! It's your body! You can demand whatever you want, especially if you feel like it is making you sick! Do not take no for an answer. You don't even owe them an explanation. Just a "Sorry, it's not for me..." at the most.

Good luck to all....

Got the Mirena out yesterday...nearly instant relief of the bloated stomach, foggy head, constant headache. I slept like a baby for the first time in 2 years, I feel clear headed and HAPPY today. Had some cramping after she took it out and spotted for a few hours. It had started to embed itself in my uterus and when she removed it the pain I've been experiencing for the past 2 weeks was immediately GONE. Of course she attempted to give me a million ways to fix all my side effects without taking the "plastic nightmare" out of me but I was firm and told her that it was coming out if I had to take it out myself. Started the patch same day, still anticipating some bleeding but so far nothing to speak of aside from feeling immense relief. I had acne (horrible cystic acne on my back) hair falling out in handfuls, bloated, couldn't lose 5lbs even though I eat clean and work out 6 days a week, bacterial vaginosis several times, foggy head, mood swings like never before, my blood pressure was beginning to raise, stomach and back pains, i could go on for days. I do want to point out that had you asked me 1 1/2 years into having the Mirena if I was happy with it I would have said absolutely, I had no period and no side effects until having it for almost 2 years!

Omg.... I've had the mirena for a few months now and have a lot of the same side effects as a lot of the other women that have posted. I had a bad rash on my face and I thought it was acne at first and I had no clue it was caused by the mirena at first until it got so bad I went to the dermatologist and he told me that is what is causing it and he said they have at least 1-3 girls coming into their office weekly with the same problem. Since then I have made my appointment with my OB/GYN to get it removed. It is just not worth it.

I have had the Mirena for about 3 years now, I first started having noticeable symptoms about 6 months ago. I started having panic attacks out of left field. I am a very happy person, with a good life so I could not understand what was going on with me. I thought I was going crazy. My daughter had to go with my mother for about 2 weeks as I didn't want her to see me the way I was: having panic attacks, paranoia, depression, crying fits. I was put on celexa to help these problems. It worked for the panic attacks, but I'm still moody and can only sleep if I take a 2.0mg of klonopin. I have never had these problems before. I cannot say it was the mirena, but I doubt I have any other reason for it. I recently started getting really bad cystic acne on my face, chest, back, and even on my scalp. I have gained about 25 pounds and cannot get it off for the world. I only have one daughter and a lot of help from my husband and my mother, so I can't understand the feelings of fatigue that plague me. I have a horrible year. Just the anxiety and panic attacks alone have changed me completely. I thought I was abnormal and sometimes just wanted to die. I do feel better, but as I read, I wonder if taking it out will help with the weight, acne and fatigue as my other problems seem to have just vanished after only 2 weeks on celxa, which I thought strange but was thankful nonetheless. I spoke with my doctor today about removal and she gave me a rx for the acne and said we should think about it.... I think I'm all thought out.....

I'm 31 been on YAZ for about 8 months, since then I have become, insane with rage, my emotions are out of control! I'm severely depressed, my skin looks great! the only bonus and I have developed over 21 painful cysts in each breast, so bad in fact some days I can even move my arm from the pain. I have stopped YAZ for a month before to see if it was the pill, my breast cysts went away, I was SO much happier and CALMER! the only bad reaction was my cystic acne came back in a huge way! I have my dermatologist on stand by because I have to officially dump this pill before I ruin my life and my marriage. I should never have gone back on it for such vain reasons as acne. I can't wait to feel like me again.

I had the Mirena for 5yrs & had it replaced this past April. I had loved it (no menses) but little did I know of the adverse side effects that were plaguing me. I always had some depression, but wrote it off to cyclical hormones; cystic acne that seemed to be getting worse as the years went by; heart palpitations; NO libido; anxiousness. All this seemed to happen slowly over time for me. Once I had the new one inserted, I started noticing the part in my hair was becoming thinner, like balding; developed an eczema/rash on the back of my neck at the hairline; I felt like my hay fever was non-stop & got an ear infection/sinusitis for the first time ever; then the headaches which most recently turned into a migraine with visual changes coupled with insomnia. And I ached all over like I had the flu all the time. I had no clue that the Mirena could do this until I started researching & read the PHYSICIAN insert info! I discovered that out of 21 "adverse effects" I had at least 13 of them! I was mortified - being a Ob/Gyn RN, I felt I was really misled by the manufacturer & my doctors. I could not take the headaches & insomnia any longer. A week ago, desperate & could not wait until an appt., I went into the bathroom, pulled the strings myself & removed the sucker (being a RN, I have to tell you not to do that; I was willing to take the heat should something bad happen!). Over this last week, a HUGE difference for the better. NO headaches, insomnia, body aches, skin is clearing & my mood is getting better. I actually am feeling frisky for my hubby even (who by the way will be having a vasectomy in the next couple weeks & was fully supportive of me doing this). I am so disappointed as I LOVED the no period thing, but I am not willing to risk my well-being over that!

Wow, thank you all for your postings. I just wished I had found this before I had Mirena put in. I had it placed in Feb 2009, it's been exactly 5 months. I have been extremely tired and agitated. I didn't really associate this with the Mirena until reading the other posts. My hair comes out by the handful (with root attached), I never have solid stools, I have gained about 10 pounds even though I have been trying to lose weight through a diet and exercise program. All the weight is in my stomach and people keep asking me if I'm pregnant. I started to wonder if I could be seeing as I was crying all the time, extremely moody, and that I look at least 4 or 5 months pregnant. All pregnancy tests have come back negative. I got this put in the day before my fiance and I got engaged ( not knowing at the time) and last week we were about to call of the wedding because of my emotional state and constant conflicts. I have to wonder how much of this is caused by the Mirena. I have already made an appointment to talk to my doctor after reading what all these other women have been through. It's just so tough because with any type of birth control their are side effects so I don't want to make it out to be like this is the worst thing ever, it may be exactly what someone is looking for, but just be informed that there are some side effects because I like a lot of other women on this post was lead to believe that there were no side effects or very little side effects.

What is wrong with all these doctors telling all of us that it CAN'T be the Mirena!!! We all have similar side effects. I am waiting for there to be one of those commercials on TV.... 'if you have used Mirena in the past you may be entitled to money due to damages'
I just want to feel better again. I wake every day hoping for the dizzy/brain fog to be gone and my mood to be back to normal.
Also, after viewing the video found on this page about Mirena I did have a great question... it states only a certain amount of hormone is released every 24hrs, how can they be so sure no more than that amount of hormone is released? With the pill you only take 1 pill which obviously gives you only that amount of hormone. This IUD is simply in you releasing hormones with no control. Just so frustrated and want to feel better again. Tomorrow will be 1 week since I had it removed.

I am 17 years old and have been on NuvaRing for about 5 months. My doctor put me on birth control because i have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and would not be able to get my periods on my own. I've noticed that ive been much more tired and can sleep longer but that isn't what bothers me. PCOS made me have severe cystic acne but after being on the NuvaRing for a few months my skin is completely clear. Also, I find it convenient not to have to take a pill every day. The side effect that really bothers me is the weight gain. I have gained 10 pounds over the past 5 months and being 5'2 I really can't handle it. None of my clothes fit, my face looks fatter, and I am completely insecure. My boobs went up a cup size which is always a plus, but I really can't deal with the weight gain. I've been on birth control before and it made me gain 10 pounds also, and I was wondering if anyone has seen the weight gain disappear after using the NuvaRing for longer periods of time. If not, I plan on switching to a low-dose birth control this week but if the side effects of weight gain start to go away I would like to stay on the NuvaRing.

I was on Nuvaring twice since the birth of my daughter. First time was for about a year and I was really happy with it in general. I still had a bit of acne but nothing major so I sticked with it.
I then had 6 months with no bc at all and I went back on nuvaring. What a surprise when I had all these nasty side effects!
Extreme fatigue (which I still have on my pil now, so it might just be the bc in general), nightmares, sadness and mood swings, bloating, no sex drive at all, body aches and a lot of PAINFUL cystic acne!! It was much worse than with no bc!! I decided to stick to it for 3 months to see if there would be any enhancement but it went worse and worse!
I stopped it and had another month with no bc where I felt so much better. Now I'm on loestrin24fe and after the first month which was bad it is now almost heaven...

I am quitting Yaz tomorrow. All totaled, I've been on it for about 3 years (I quit a year and a half ago because I was getting terrible yeast infections and gross brown discharge every month, but then after I quit I didn't have a period for three months, and that drove me nuts, so I got back on). I've recently realized that I have EVERY symptom. I have zero sex drive (actually, less than zero--the thought of sex makes me sick to my stomach) and I used to be way more "excitable" than my boyfriends. Now my bf thinks I don't find him to be attractive, which couldn't be more false! When we do have sex, I do not get wet (ever) and do not have an orgasm about 90% of the time (I used to have multiple EVERY time). I get foot cramps every night (no joke), sometimes multiple times per night. I've gained 20 lbs since I started. I get migraines every month with my period, and sometimes as many as one per week. Though it cleared up my acne, I still get really big cystic acne around my period, so that small benefit isn't enough to outweigh all of the horrible side effects.

Like someone else said, it also has taken away my feelings. I don't feel much of anything anymore...no happiness, no sadness...nothing. I'm always exhausted, no matter how much I sleep, and even with regular exercise and an extremely healthy diet. I get sore nipples and cramps...something I never got pre-Yaz. I just can't take it anymore (literally). I'd rather be zitty than be a fat, sad lady with ZERO sex drive.

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

I posted back in August or September 2008. I FINALLY had my Mirena removed and when I say FINALLY, I mean FINALLY. I went in late October to have it removed only to be told that it could not be located. I then had to have an internal ultrasound to locate the IUD. Thankfully she found it, but I was very scared of the pain of removal that I talked some more with my OB about it and decided to wait until the New Year to see if my symptoms had subsided. My symptoms were namely the horrible acne I started having after insertion. My periods at this point were non-existent, which was nice, but as a 37 year old woman, the acne was more than I could handle. Come 2009, the acne was still there - and when I say acne, I mean acne. I mean hard cystic acne that turns red and does not go away with time and medication. I have been a Proactiv advocate for a long time and sadly not even Proactiv was managing my acne on the IUD. So . . . January I went in to have the Mirena removed. The doctor knew it's general location and tried to remove it. She could not locate it and the procedure was extremely painful. Long story short, I had to undergo out-patient surgery and be knocked out to have it removed. I'm back on the Yaz and am already noticing a difference in my skin!

If you ever struggled with acne during your teens and early twenties, I would think twice about the Mirena. I struggled with acne and was finally at a point where my skin was "maturing" and the Mirena made me feel like that 14 year old with horrible skin all over again.

Day 3 Removal Update:

So at last I got the Mirena removed. It all happened on Monday 2 March. The doc at first couldn't find the strings, but after a "clean up" she quickly pulled it out, with only a slight discomfort feeling. And the day after I started with the pill again...

My only side effect for Mirena, and its a real big problem is the ACNE thing. Funny how the day before I got the Mirena removed was the worst acne day in my whole life. My cystic acne is only on my face, mainly the cheeck area and jaw line. Nothing on my back or arms. At this moment Ive got one huge cystic acne about 1cm by 1cm on my jaw, this guy is the biggest most sore acne Ive ever had.

I really really hope that Mirena was the cause of my acne, if so it would explain why none of the other acne treatments ever worked. So far, I cant really see a change, but its been only 3 days, and Ive been on the Mirena for over 8 years. Sigh...

Over the past weekend I went to a chemist with my husband to get him some flu stuff and the chemist working there asked me if I had shingels on my face!!! (sp) Sigh...

See another post of me, by scrolling down, for my whole history with the Mirena....
And Ive started a blog, with photos of myself to monitor my progress, which I will update every third day or so. Hopefully things get better, cos else I will most likely just run away....
******

How can I describe my thanks to this site and everybody telling their stories? Thank you oh soooo much!!!

My not so short story: Im on my second Mirena, in total now for just over 8 years. The first Mirena was all joy, periods stopped, no side effects whatsoever. Then I got the second Mirena after I removed the first after over 5 years (my gyn recommended keeping it in for longer but I didn't want to take the risk).

And for the past 2 years my ACNE problems started, first only one or two cystic acne once a month or a couple of small ones here and there. Nothing major. But for the past year, my skin / face makes me feel like a freak. So I went to the derm, got put on Accutane, more meds with a yard long list of side affects. Had to go of Accutane cos my right eye's sight deteriorated so bad I couldn't drive home at night. Went to my house doctor, he wanted to take me of the Mirena asap and refered me to a new gyn, cos mine moved away and I was stuck. But the new gyn did not want to take it out, but rather put me on a retinoid cream, cos it wasn't the acne that caused the acne.... yea right. So 5 months I gave this retinoid cream... I feel like a freak with my face, both cheeks inflamed red bumps under the skin, large cystic acne everywhere... sigh.

But during this 5 months I found a web site acne.org and here I made friends and read stories and hoping and praying, even believing things are getting better, but they weren't. If I look at pics I took of myself 5 months ago and now... sadly things are worse. My self confidence is gone, and I don't even want to have sex with my husband with the light on!!! And then last week somebody posted on the acne site some posts regarding zinc supplements, and I read and researched more on zinc and acne and found that your skin needs zinc to be healthy and having no zinc could be because of to much copper or copper toxicity. So then I researched copper toxicity and found some web sites with references to birth control.... and a bright light went on... and I found this site...

I am glad to say I saw my normal trusted house doc again last night, and made an appointment to have the thing, Mirena, removed first thing Monday morning. I have stopped using any meds like the retinoid cream for my face and cant wait for Monday. I just hope my face returns to normal quickly.... time lines anyone? I had no trouble with acne ever until now.... and Im 35!!! Udult acne my @#$ :)

My right eye now needs laser surgery to remove a layer or something, Im seeing an eye specialist soon, and this was caused by the accutane drying up my eyes so much! :(

I will report back to let other ladies know how it went and how I am progressing... thinking of taking a daily photo of my skin for reference purposes.

Pray for me please, I really need it....

C.

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.

There are simply too many posts here to read but I did read MANY & many of the replies to some posts. I have found so much comfort in all of your comments. I wanted to reply to several of your posts but time doesn’t allow for that! So I’ll post my own. Forgive me for the length – I have so much to say about this. For those of you who have only just recently had your Mirena inserted and are concerned about the elongated period, mine was the same in the beginning.

This April will be 2 years that I’ve had my Mirena. I’ve experienced the whole gamut of side effects along the way and at different intervals or times. The very first was the incredibly long period. I had bleeding for roughly 25 days out of each month the first 5 months. My dr. told me that might happen but would eventually give way to short & light or no periods. He was right. I haven’t really had a period since those first 5 months. Just the occasional light day. I’ve been loving that!

I do recall in that first year, some days of cramping, and sharp pains. Again, those eventually went away after some months. I’ve experienced the opposite of many of you when it comes to weight gain. I’ve actually lost 15 pounds since being on it. Why? The nausea. Nausea that lasted all day. It began somewhere around the 5th month after insertion (and right after the periods stopped) and has subsided in the last 3 months. So the nausea affected me for about a year (some weeks worse than others). It felt like the morning sickness from my pregnancies. I had an extremely suppressed appetite for that year I had nausea on Mirena. This was a side-effect I was willing to deal with – I hate to say it but the weight loss was a pleasant surprise, when I was expecting weight gain, which I knew could happen. But the other stuff I’m about to mention….I’m DONE!...

The cystic acne has destroyed my face – specifically my chin & jaw line & in recent weeks has started to creep up my face and is now on my back & shoulders. I have what looks to be permanent scarring. I’ve had clear skin my whole life & didn’t develop acne until mid-way thru these last 22 months on Mirena. DAILY. I haven’t had a clear-face day since the acne began. I didn’t make the Mirena connection to my cystic acne until recently. I didn’t know it was a side effect.

Fatigue, lethargy & insomnia. These have been with me for about the last year. Totally Mirena’s fault. I’m a slug. I used to workout before Mirena & now have no energy to do so. And here’s the worst side effect of all and I’m a complete idiot for not making the connection to Mirena before 2 days ago: Emotional imbalance and depression. I’ve spent the last 15 months an emotional basket case. Extreme highs & lows. COUNTLESS days of crying for no reason. COUNTLESS days of being a tyrant to my husband & kids. Moody. Mean. Short-tempered. The tiniest thing sets me off. I can’t handle the most basic of life duties without freaking out on my family or falling apart in front of them. Everyhting bothers or irritates me. The sound of my family’s voices – that’s awful! I constantly lock myself in my office away from them all. I can’t handle the slightest noise sometimes. THIS HAS BEEN EVERY DAY for the last 15 months! Like someone else posted, I wish I could wear a sign that says, “I’m so sorry for the person I’ve been these past several months”. I’ve told my husband a hundred times since I’ve had Mirena, “I don’t know who I am anymore. I think I’m going crazy. Something is wrong with me”. MY GOD!!!! I didn’t realize until a couple of days ago, when I started to cruise the Internet about more info on Mirena, that Mirena was to blame for what’s happened to me!!! I’m so angry. I’m so sad. I feel like I’ve lost nearly 2 years of my life. It sounds dramatic but it’s so very true – I’ve been that bad….my emotional well-being. I’m calling my doctor first thing Monday morning to make an appointment to have this godforsaken thing removed from me. I can’t wait to be “me” again. I’m so very sorry for all of you going thru what you’ve gone thru, as well. I know how you feel. It’s awful and I’m sorry.

Glad I decided to type "mirena and acne" in my search engine today. It brought me here. I got the mirena placed last May. Starting around September I started having horrible acne. Just like what other people are describing. Large, red cystic acne. Horrible. I hardly have a day where my face isn't broken out. I didn't have any problem with my skin, besides the occasional breakout, until these last months. Often they are leaving scars. What I am most upset about is the fact that it cost over $500 out of pocket to get it put in. I don't know if I really want to just toss that money out the window. I also suffer from cramps for at least half of the month. I'm not sure if this is better than having periods that last 1-2 weeks. That is the reason I got this placed, because of heavy bleeding. It seems like there is not a good choice. I'm not sure I can continue to look at myself in the mirror each day. I dread it. As soon as one bump starts to fade, two more pop up. Often they are so bad, even cover-up doesn't work. I don't know what to do.

have to agree with Mrsbarrett's post right below mine...I have been a lurker on this board for the past couple of months and thank God for it or who knows how crazy i'd be right now!! Here is a list of my side effects and pertinent information:
DOI: October 2008
Side effects were gradual and most evident around the Christmas Holidays:
Dizziness
Weird eye/vision disturbance where i'd lose focus for a moment and then be okay.
Constant spotting of "old blood" nothing much but did require pantiliners 24/7
Anxiety
Hypertension (more than ever, like when I was pregnant, 150-170s/100)
Panic Attacks
Face Dryness
ZERO SEX DRIVE
No "natural" lubrication, but who cares when you have no drive, are spotting all the time, and it hurts to have sex
Vaginal Odor
Mood Swings
Depression
FATIGUE to the point of wanting to stay in bed despite having to care for my 7.5 year old.
Chest pains (kept thinking maybe I had heart trouble, had cardiac workup that came up PERFECT and bloodwork was perfect, Thyroid test was perfect)
Nausea (morning sickness type, would get slightly better in evening but not so much)
IBS symptoms (diarrhea)

DOR: January 23, 2009
2 days later heavy bleeding for a couple of days.....had somewhat of a "crash" the first week where I was still not better. By the 2nd week post removal I was still nauseated in the morning but improved in the late afternoon and got energy boost in late afternoon.By the 3rd week I was totally back to normal!!!!! (well what's normal for crazy me! hahahahha)

My husband came with me to the doc, and she had no problem with removal. I went back for a follow up this past Friday and she saw how normal I am and that I have lost several pounds as well. She realizes I am extremely sensitive to hormone changes but says i'm the only one that she has seen like that. (how many have problems that don't think it is the Mirena...that's what I want to know???)

Anyway, that's my story and i'm sticking to it!!! If anyone would like to chat or share please let me know. I will also add that I have a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies (just not practicing since becoming a SAHM) and so I looked up tons of information to figure out what was wrong with me, I really am thankful to have found this site....medical mumbo jumbo is NOTHING when you have your body telling you something and all you fine ladies......Thanks again!
~G

I have been on the nuvaring since May of 08 to relieve my endometriosis. At first I loved it; less cramping, lighter periods, but then around November I started feeling stressed. Lots of anxiety during the first few days of every cycle to the point it was like I was paranoid. I'm not one to worry about what to do if my husband dies but with the Ring I was getting these feelings. I thought it was stress of work messing with me, maybe some winter blues. When I finally got around to seeing my Dr. he said it could be the ring and I needed to get off of it. He's putting me on the pill and I look forward to seeing if things change.

I had my Mirena put in on 12/23/08. That was just a little over one month ago. Thus far, I have had almost constant bleeding, or spotting, almost every day since I got it put in. That is expected, so I've been told, so I'm not too concerned. However, last week, my first real "period" started. Since then, I've had headaches, have been crabby and completely fatigued. I could sleep forever. I'm not sure if these problems are going to subside. Most of the postings on here have had the Mirena for over a year. Can anyone recommend how long I should give this thing a chance before getting it removed? There is no way I can live life this crabby and tired.

I Had Mirena Inserted in Late July 2008 at 22 years old. I've always been a very happy go-lucky person, optimistic, and I've never had any issues with headaches or acne. I was very optimistic about my decision to get Mirena. I had thoroughly researched it, and it seemed like it would be perfect for me. I WAS SO WRONG! My Insertion was a horrible experience that I would never want anybody else to go through. Apparently I have a thin/small cervix, so my Ob/gyn had to manually dialate me to 1cm. I have a very high threshold/tolerance for pain through 15 years of catching in softball and growing up with 2 brothers and being the middle child. But, this was painful, from the inside, felt like my inside were being pushed out through my abdomen. Then it was in and my ob/gyn tells me wow, your a real trooper most women cant take dilation unless their having a baby, your the only one thats never passed out from it. As soon as I struggled through getting dressed I had to sit down for like 5 minutes. I was sweating, I was dizzy, and I felt like I was gonna vomit and on the verge of passing out. I was in bed for the rest of the day after I fought and struggled through the 7 minute drive home. Over the next month the cramps were horrible, excruciating, damn near debilitating, as well as accompanied with brown discharge that didnt go away for two months and pretty much ruined all of my panties and were not even gonna talk about all the maxi thins I went through (at least 10 a day). So, now it's Mid January and I just set up my appointment to get this dam thing out of me. I'm a big girl as is, I'm 5'10 and I was 160lbs. Now I'm 190. But, I never had any issues with exercising and getting the weight off, I run at least 2 miles everyday as well as 30 minutes on my Ab Lounge and I do extreme jump rope, I just continue to gain weight and I have these massive cravings for food where I will literally get sick if I do not eat. My mood swings are all over the place, I'll be super happy, then hyper, then pissed off, and mean and it's like that all the time. I keep getting headaches at least 3 a week that I can only get rid of if I take medicine and sleep it off. Also my boyfriend complains of it poking him from the inside. My absolute worse complaint, THE ACNE. Before Mirena I had skin of a porcelain doll. Smooth, moisturized, soft, clear skin. After a month of being on Mirena, I started getting breakouts, and then it's just continued to get worse since. I've spent at least $200 bucks on acne meds, and make up to cover up, where before my skin regimine was water and a wash cloth with an exfoliant once a week. Now its a 40 minute process twice a day and it still doesn't help. I have bad breakouts almost 3 times a week on my cheeks and my chin. It's not regular acne either, its big,red, boil like bumps that take forever to go away and some have been so bad that they have actually scarred my face. My skin is now rough, broken out, scarred, and I've also noticed hair growth. Yeah hair is growing on my face which is absolute BS. I see it as I've spent $400 dollars for Mirena to spend about $300 more on preventative meds for headaches and acne, to be insecure about the way I look, have mood swings, and gained weight that cant be lost. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYBODY. ITS NOT WORTH TAKING THE CHANCE ON AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH. IT IS A DAILY STRUGGLE UNTIL I GET THIS OUT OF ME. MY CONSULTATION APPOINTMENT IS ON WEDNESDAY, I'M 2 DAYS AWAY FROM RELIEF AND HAPPINESS. WISH ME LUCK AND TO ALL OF YOU OTHERS OUT THERE, GET IT TAKEN OUT, DON'T PROLONG THE AGGRAVATION.