General anaesthetic symptoms and conditions

I had the Mirena Coil fitted 4 months ago and since then I have suffered 2 infections. I suffer with severe endometriosis and had a liter of blood removed from my last ovarian cyst, which, I've been told is growing back again. I thought this coil was supposed to improve things, but alas, sadly, that's not the case...It feels like I can actually physically feel it inside of my uterus. I am 36 and don't have kids, therefore had to be put under general anesthetic when the damn thing was inserted, had horrific headaches and abdominal pain since and I'm told this is the best protection I have for my condition!?! I don't know what it is that's making my system dislike it so much, scans show it's not displaced, it's just, for some reason, not agreeing with me, maybe I need a little more time to adjust, but it feels like I have an alien device sitting inside of me and it's hurting instead of helping...any advice on the subject would be greatly appreciated!!!

Wow, I'm speechless I came across this website! I just had to share my experience! I had my Mirena removed yesterday. I'm 29 years old, I had it put in 5 years ago under General Anaesthetic whilst having a laporoscopy for Endomentriosis, I was advised by my doctor to give Mirena a go - at that stage I was desperate for a bit of relief from such heavy bleeding and cramps. Reading everyone elses side effects, has made me realize, I have suffered a bit over the last 5 years! I gained 25kgs, and could never understand how I could not shift the weight, I'm really active, play a lot of sport, and eat healthy, I was diagnosed with depression also, and have been taking anti-depressants for 4 of the the last 5 years, I've at times been very short fused, angry, and anxious. Now I've had the Mirena removed, I can't wait to see if I can shift my extra weight with ease! Having it removed was absolutely horrific! The pain was so bad, all I can describe it like, is someone giving your cervix a Chinese burn! OUCH!! I have been bleeding quite heavily, but have been told this is normal????? Is it??? My husband and I hope to start a family soon, so fingers crossed all goes well! I know for some woman out there, the Mirena is great! But for those of us who suffered... I feel your pain... literally!

Hi ladies, i have had mirena coil since august 2003 and was supposed to have it removed august 2008. Due to a crap childhood i don't like anyone coming near me and my doc will not let me get it removed under general anaesthetic, but i so want to get it removed.
I have had the same problems, weight gain, depression (which doc gave me prozac for, and still taking), pains in the stomach, hair loss, mood swings (felt really sorry for the person on the other end of them), stringy brown blood (old blood),poor concentration, really bad memory and so on.
I put all my problems down to an under active thyroid which i do have, because some of the symptoms are the same. I am so glad i found this site and to know i am not the only one.
For anyone reading this site and considering having a Mirena coil fitted, i strongly suggest you think about it long and hard, i know some people have no problems at all and think it's the best thing since sliced bread, they are the extremely lucky ones.
Good luck everyone

I cant believe i have just found this page!!

After feeling more sore inflamed 'hormonal' spots on my poor cheeks i decided to look up 'mirena related acne'.. i knew that it had some side effects, like possible skin breakouts, but i really didn't think that i would have ended up with skin like a pubescent teenager.

i was diagnosed with severe endometriosis after years of complaining to my gyne at 19. i tried all the usual route of contraceptive pills, oestrogen and the mini pill, but non seemed to suit me, so i was recommend the 'mirena'.

i first had one implanted 4-5 yrs ago, this had to be removed after barley 5 months. i was doubled over in agony on the bathroom floor and often had my breath taken away with excruciating stabbing pains.

i had my current one inserted in May 2007 at 23, under general anaesthetic whilst having a laparoscopy to try and remove some of the endometriosis. Granted i felt rough after being in surgery for 5 hours, but once all the stitches were gone i thought i would begin to feel human again.

i have put on quite a bit of weight, i went from 7 1/2 stone to just over 9 stone in just over a year (i don't know what it is in lbs sorry!) believe me at 5ft in height it's noticeable!!!!

i have never previously had migraines until the mirena, i now have them every 2-3 months or so.

my poor long suffering boyfriend thinks i no longer 'fancy' him as my libido has gone!
my breasts have become so painful and swollen it hurts to sleep on my side, its painful if i even try to run up stairs, and the boyfriend is no longer allowed to touch them!!

and at certain time in my cycle, my tummy becomes so swollen, i look 5 months pregnant, in fact i was asked the other day when was my baby due...i was really not impressed!! during the swollen tummy time sometimes when i am sitting down it feels like the mirena may burst out of my back passage.. (not a nice image i know) there is a sharp stabbing pain and then a wave of nausea comes over me, this stabbing pain can last on and off for a full day.. i have told this to my gyne.. he had said it must be irritable bowel syndrome!! i have never had IBS before!!

all this at 24 nearly 25, i'm supposed to be enjoying these years, but with my skin the way it is and my body confidence shot, it is really really depressing.
i just thought for so long i was being silly and over reacting to everything, but obviously i'm not the only one..i would not recommend the Mirena to anyone, i fact i would not wish it on my worst enemy. ther are far too many side effects!

Has anyone had these problems......I have had many dizzy spells, yeast infections, nausea, headaches that get worse when I bend over. I kept telling the doctors and he just went on like I was crazy. I finally went to have it removed and he claims it is stuck and he has scheduled surgery for me to have it removed! I am so mad at him and this stupid bc! I am mad at him for talking me into it and ignoring me when I was in pain! just email me your responses if you can jennysanders03@msn.com . I really need ppl to talk about this and the time thank you.

Hi all....came across this website on Sunday and could not believe what i was reading, after reading the side effects everyone was experiencing i decided to get my mirena coil removed!!! I had my coil fitted just over 4 weeks ago and have been experiencing headaches, greasy hair, spots like a teenager, sore lower back, severe cervix pain, bloating, heavy bleeding, sore muscles in my legs like having flu, hot flushes then shivering, sometimes a feeling of being spaced out, my concentration is poor, crying all the time, mood swings and nausea!!! I was told by the nurse about 2 weeks ago side effects can last 3 months and decided to keep going, but on Monday i decided enough was enough and went to my GP to get it taken out. She could not find the strings and all that poking about made my stomach pains even worse, bleeding heavier and very tender. She sent me to the hospital thinking they would find the strings, but they couldn't either, had to have a scan and internal scan. Well, it turns out that my coil is lodged in my uterus and the strings are not hanging down they are tucked up. So, now i have to back to hospital this Wednesday coming to get it removed under general anesthetic, not so pleased!!! I am writing this as i would like to know if anyone was told the side effects were quite as bad as they are or were they just handed a leaflet to read like me and were they told that they might not be able to get it out easily and having to get it out by general anesthetic??? I think if they are going to give woman things like this then they really have to tell you everything that can happen, especially the fact that things can go wrong!!! I really sympathise with you all who are going through this hell of having a mirena fitted!!! I would not recommend this type of contraception to anyone now!!! I now just want mine out and am counting the days down to when i will be feeling better!!!

Just had a tubal yesterday and to remove my Mirena. It was embedded into my uterus and had to have stitches to stop the bleeding.

My new gyno was very understanding about wanting this removed (not like everyone else I talked to)

Don;t know what followups if any I will need because of the embedding. Anyone know?

I posted in August and realized I needed to do something quick.

Thank god I got this done sooner rather than later. I knew something was wrong!

I had my mirena coil fitted at my 8 week post-partum check after my second child, this was feb 07. I was breast feeding until july so didn't resume periods until last aug. When they did resume they were so heavy blood would drip onto the floor - and occurred every 2 weeks without fail. I was assured this would settle down, but by April this year I'd had enough. I was referred for a scan to check for cysts - nothing, then sent to a gynecologist who decided to remove the coil...except she couldn't find it. Another scan showed it was not there and I'd probably expelled it, but I had to have an abdominal x-ray just in case. Two weeks ago I finally got the results - my uterus has been perforated and the coil now lies in my abdominal cavity just near my left hip. I am in constant discomfort, and sometimes searing pain (I had to miss work today because the pain was so bad it made me sick) Yet I have to wait a full 2 months to have the operation under general anesthetic to remove the damn thing. I just want it out of me, and am unclear as to whether it can do any further damage. The consultant told me they can fit a new one whilst I'm under, but I'm having serious doubts as to whether I want another one. Interestingly I've steadily put on 4 - 5lbs since October but yet haven't changed my lifestyle at all.

I am 26 years old and I thought I was having a heart attack last night. I seriously thought I was going to die. At work my feet and hands started to swell up really bad, but that went away pretty quickly. Then I started getting dizzy and feeling nauseated. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of it's chest and all I could do was think about it! I went and had my blood pressure checked at Walgreen's and they said it wasn't high enough for me to go to the ER, but I was scared. I was told I was having a panic attack to take deep breathes and try to take my mind off of it! Well that is hard to do when you are convinced that you are having a heart attack. Now I am experiencing pain in my lower back and having sharp stabbing pains near my left ovary and in my left shoulder down to my elbow.......when will this end? I just want my body back again!

Since any links to other sites are going to be deleted, I will copy the texts here:

Mirena: the other side of the story
AAA Ewiesaa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UKa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK
Sir,

I read with interest the article by Halmesmaki et al.1 that only 48.7% of women randomised to the levonorgestrel (LNG)-releasing intrauterine system Mirena, kept it in situ until their 5 years follow-up visit, while the rest either had it prematurely removed (8.5%) or underwent a hysterectomy (42.7%). It supports the growing evidence that women’s satisfaction with Mirena (Schering Health, Newbury, UK) is limited. I do not find this surprising. A colleague and myself previously reported (as an abstract) a survey including 160 Mirena users in Suffolk in which we found that 46% of women had had the system removed within 3 years of insertion (median duration = 260.5 days; range = 4–1460 days). The most common reasons for early removal were unscheduled bleeding, abdominal pain and progestogenic adverse effects; including bloatedness, headache, weight gain, depression, breast tenderness, excessive hairiness, greasiness of skin and lack of sexual interest.2 Our data related to a selected population who had the Mirena inserted under general anaesthetic after hysteroscopic examination of uterine cavity to exclude lesions, such as submucous fibroids. I would expect the continuation rate to be lower in women having the system inserted without prior exclusion of intrauterine pathology. The satisfaction rate in our cohort of women, as assessed by visual analogue scale of 0–10 cm, was only 49% (unpublished data).

Halmesmaki et al.1 reasonably attributed the detrimental effect of Mirena on the sexual function to the higher incidence of lower abdominal pain in users when compared with those who underwent hysterectomy. Furthermore, the decreased satisfaction of sexual partners could be due to the inhibiting effect of the irregular bleeding, which is the most common adverse effect of using Mirena.2,3 The observed decrease in women’s sex drive could also be due to the systemic effect of the progestogen absorbed into the circulation, indirectly affecting the sexual partner. The argument used by the authors that serum concentration of LNG is extremely low and that its influence on ovarian function is limited has been disputed recently by many investigators. Xiao et al.4 found that Mirena was associated with substantial systemic absorption of LNG and recorded serum levels of around 500 pmol/l. This is equivalent to two LNG-containing ‘minipills’ taken daily on a continuous basis. Moreover, a retrospective observational study documented that 21% of Mirena users experienced progestogenic adverse effects.3 Wahab and Al-Azzawi5 reported that Mirena suppresses oestrogen production, inducing a clinical situation similar to a premature menopause in at least 50% of treated women. The prolonged oestrogen deprivation will have a profound negative effect on women’s sex drive, which may explain the sexual partners’ decreased satisfaction.

In fact, despite the popularity of Mirena as a contraceptive method and in treating menorrhagia, the continuation rate and women satisfaction level have not been adequately assessed in the UK population. A large well-designed study is required to evaluate these important factors so that women can be adequately counselled. The idea that Mirena works entirely as a local source of progestogen should be revised, and the recent concerns about Mirena should be made clear to women regardless of the marketing pressures.5

AAA Ewiesaa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK

They can't get my Mirena out. I'm a 43 year old mother of two. I had a Mirena inserted in April 2003. I was a sleep-deprived new mum at the time so wasn't in the mood for sex anyway. Five years on and I was very happy with getting no periods, and reported to the GP to see about getting a new one inserted. She couldn't find it, and the examination was damn painful too. She said that I would probably need a general anesthetic to take it out. I started researching Mirena and suddenly made the connection - perhaps my lack of libido was due to this? I could hardly blame lack of sleep anymore and I hate having my breasts touched and never feel like having sex. I knew the Mirena was still there but she insisted I had to have an ultrasound scan t prove this. Sure enough, it's there, in the right place. I think the doctor who inserted it cut the threads too short. Anyway, I now want it out, and a tubal ligation to stop me getting pregnant again - still waiting to hear if they'll do both under the same anesthetic. My husband was prepared to have a vasectomy, but guess what, he had a botched hernia ten years ago which caused one of his testicles to atrophy so they aren't certain that a vasectomy will be successful - seems ridiculous for us both to be undergoing medical procedures so it's down to me again. Never got on with the pill - mood swings, weight gain, etc. I'm sure they never mentioned that it might need an operation to get the damn thing out when I had it inserted.