Frequent yeast infections symptoms and conditions

Hi! I am 23 with two kids. I got pregnant with both of them b/c we were just using condoms and slipped up a couple of times. I chose the Mirena IUC because i didn't want anymore surprises! I have had it for about 14 months, since Aug. of 2007. I had it inserted 7 weeks pp. I was informed by my doc that there would be some cramping that would minimize and probably be gone over time. I knew that there were some serious side effects also, but i was lead to believe that they were very very rare. So, ive had many things going on in my body that, as most of you did, i contributed it to being older and my body changing after having two kids (16m apart!). Some of my symptoms have been, sharp, piercing pains on either side of my pelvic region (i assume thats my ovaries), and also dull, cramping that comes on slowly and intensifies and radiates to my lower back. Almost as bad as labor pains. My stomach is always bloated, i too look like i am about 4 months pregnant. I am extremely fatigued all the time. I can't sleep at night. I wake up with night sweats and even when i do sleep i am still tired. I haven't gained any weight, but i haven't lost any, seeing as how i was only 7 weeks pp when i had it inserted i am still not back to my normal weight. I have gone to the gym every day for months and took up running which i hate, only to see no results! My hair is falling out in the shower and when i brush my hair. I thought this happened because i stopped my prenatal vitamin because it happened with my first son, but i'm still losing hair. I have terrible headaches. I probably get one or two a month. I use to have maybe one or two a year. I am very anxious and nervous all the time. Sometimes more than others. I have always been worried about germs but now i tend to go overboard. I know i'm doing it but i can't help myself. I have really bad mood swings and i realize it when they're coming too but its so overwhelming i just have outbursts! I have very frequent yeast infections and i had never had one before. For a long time i didn't know what was going on. I have a lot of discharge also very irritating! I have absolutely no libido. My poor husband begs me and then i cringe the whole time. I've never been like that before. Anyway, when i came across the website and read all of these posts that were exactly what i was going through i knew it was the Mirena! I called my doc. and i'm having it removed on the 26th! I cannot wait! I am so excited that i can look forward to feeling myself once again after thinking this was the way it was for so long. I am just sad that for 14 months i've lived my life in a fog, and not been as excited about life as i could have been. By the way, i know a lot of you guys are going to be looking for other birth control whenever you get this one taken out, but make sure you read some reviews on it too because i thought about yaz and nuvaring, but they seem to have reviews that are almost as bad. I want to be me! The way i felt when i was 19 before i ever had kids. I want to have fun! I say NO to any extra hormone running through my body. The condom will have to do for me, and my husband and i have vowed to use it the way we were suppose to be the other times we got pregnant. If i do get pregnant, its is what the Lord had planned for me and my family and i'll look at it as a blessing. Besides being pregnant is way better than feeling like this.

My Mirena was placed on Oct 8th 2008. I had a very painful insertion. Since its placement I have had frequent yeast infections-one almost every other month. Prior to it's placement I had not had a yeast infection in years! I also bleed for the entire first month.( just enough to be annoying). Then every 2 weeks. Then another full month. Now every 2 weeks. In month six my breasts became extremely tender, swollen and itchy for the week before I began bleeding then just past the 6 month mark I have developed what seems to be an eczema rash on both of my legs ( this can be a side effect). I have never had eczema before and some days my legs itch so badly they burn. I had called the Mirena company to report the bleeding and was told that this was not unusual for the first 6 months. I have not yet spoken to them about the rash but plan to this week. On my last call they asked we what I thought of it as birth control and I told them "who would want to have sex while bleeding like this". I plan on seeing a dermatologist and if this is eczema this will be the last thing I can deal with. I strongly feel that the company owes us some money in refund for a product that can't be tolerated for even a year when it was sold as a 5 year birth control for over $500.00 !

I am a nurse and right now I cannot say I recommend the Mirena. I will probably soon have it removed.