Hassle symptoms and conditions

I chose to have the Mirena inserted in August of 2009. I found this site because I have been bleeding for three weeks straight, and the doctors were unavailable to advise me (holiday weekend). I see now that my experience is a side-effect of the IUD. I have also seen a diminished sex drive, fatigue, loss of energy, and constant cramping.

I was very hopeful for the Mirena. Five years without having to worry about birth control, wow! My first complaint is the pain involved with insertion. I was told to eat a big breakfast or early lunch before the procedure, and to take a few advils prior to the appointment. I did - however, I was still not prepared for the process. First, they measure your uterus to make sure that it is the right size, with an instrument similar to the IUD. I was in tears the entire time. I wished someone had told me to bring a friend or my partner with me to hold my hand. It hurt so much! The nurse was as understanding as she could be, but said that once the package has been opened, I would be charged the full amount. I went ahead with the procedure, wondering how I would reschedule during a period and with a busy work week. I was in pain the rest of the day, and felt extremely uncomfortable for a few days after. The pain and bleeding still did not go away, and after a week I made an appointment to check on the IUD's position, if there was any preforation of the uterus; etc. The strings were there, and they just told me that the cramping and spotting is normal. To me, it felt like the doctors tell you the best case scenario, and as you approach more and more of the side-effects, they confirm those as a possibility.

Before the Mirena, I have used DepoProvera, the NuvaRing, and Ortho-Tri Ciclen. I didn't like the weight gain from the Depo, the NuvaRing is somewhat expensive through my insurance, and the traditional birth control bills, like Ortho, are a hassle if you happen to miss a day. I thought that the Mirena was the best solution to my situation.

Be aware. I have been through childbirth, and this was a painful experience for me! I wish I would have read the comments on this site before opting for the Mirena... at least I would have been a more informed & educated consumer.

I'm 23 and just started Loestrin 24. I noticed the negative side effects immediately- nausea, cramping, constant headache, breakthrough bleeding, and severe depression. In general, I feel sick and unwell; ironically, I feel like I'm in the first trimester of a pregnancy. My doctor told me it may take a few cycles for me to adjust to this pill but I don't think I want to commit to a pill that causes this many adverse health problems. I think a baby would be less hassle!

I am 25, I had my daughter last October 2008 and had Mirena inserted December 2008 at my 8 week postpartum appt. Everything was fine for about 6 months... It is now September 2009 and since July I have been having EXTREME hair loss (I already have gone through the post preggo hair loss 3 months after giving birth), anxiety feeling in the chest, crazy discharge, erratic periods, no sex drive, moody, ACNE on face chest and back (and I NEVER have acne). So my annual physical was yesterday, so I tell my doc about all these symptoms and he thinks "thyroid" so they pull 4 viles of blood. Then, I get home and I googled "Mirena and hair loss" and here's this site! SO, I called my OBGYN this afternoon and tell her Im losing my hair plus the other symptoms I listed above and she says "Yep its the Mirena, the same thing happened when I had it too and it stopped when I took it out" So she told me to come in and they will remove it and try PARAGUARD - a NO hormone IUD that will bring me back to my "base" and I will start having one period a month (like your body is supposed to in my eyes) and no crazy side effects. I can not tell you how much better I feel that she said right away it was the Mirena. I have really not been feeling myself the past 2 months AND everyone in my household has noticed my hair ALL OVER THE PLACE and has asked me to ask the Doctor... so glad I did.

I came to the conclusion myself, luckily, that Yaz was causing my weight gain. After having back surgery in April and gaining not a pound while not working out, I have been on Yaz for four months and I literally have gained 10 pounds in the past three weeks, my boobs hurt like when I was pregnant and I have even been lactating a little! Ugh! Sex drive...gone. Headaches, lack of motivation, could sleep ALL day. I took Yasmin for years and years with no problem at all. I recommend against this method of BC if you aren't taking it for a specific condition. It's just not worth the hassle OR a new wardrobe! I'm almost 40 years old, have been working out since I was in my teens and have not weighed this much since I was pregnant. I know that the trainers in my gym think i'm some kind of closet eater or something! I'm working and working and getting fatter!
The symptoms all are things I experienced while pregnant with my son - 18 years ago! If I wanted to feel preggers, I'd get preggers! My new husband probably thinks I'm letting myself go now that I'm married. Luckily he's very sweet and understanding. It was his idea to change my BC back. Call you doctor. Now!

I am so glad that I found this site! I have been on the NuvaRing for about a year and have noticed side effects that I couldn't pinpoint the cause of.

I'm a very petite girl. Only 5 feet tall and usually about 94 lbs. Well since going on the NuvaRing my weight has gone up to 112! Not a big increase to the average person. But I am so small boned and so short, that all of this extra weight went straight to my tummy, butt and thighs and now I look so un-proportioned that it's ridiculous! 18 lbs. is a HUGE amount of weight for me to gain.

I've also had terrible headaches that (if I don't take anything right away for them) sometimes cause me to pass out or vomit because the pain is so intense. I have crazy mood swings that go up and down minute by minute and this has caused many fights between my fiance and I that start over stupid little things.

Also, my periods are alot heavier since I've gone on the ring. I used to have to change my tampon once every five hours or maybe even every six and never, ever leaked. Since going on the ring my periods have changed drastically and now I'm lucky if I can go two hours without leaking through a tampon! When I have my period I'm on constant guard.

Lastly, my sex drive is non-existent. Completely 100% gone. It's awful! I never, ever feel like having sex and that is NOT the normal me. Normally my sex drive is through the roof, but since going on NR I've noticed my sex drive drop more and more every month, every week, every day. This has hurt my fiance because he thinks it's him, which obviously it never was. Now after finding this site at least I can assure him of that.

After all of these side effects I decided to go off the NuvaRing. It's a form of birth control that I don't feel is safe for my body and is damaging to my relationship. I was on Ortho-Tri Lo before and will happily be going back on it again. After all I've gone through with NuvaRing, taking a little pill every day doesn't seem like that much of a hassle anymore.

i have had the mirena for 12 months and my partner says he is able to feel it during sex he says it feels like a sharp stabbing pain so went to the doc and he says its not possible for him to feel it but he says he can and it is really killing our sex life because every time we have sex we have to stop because it is painful for him and for me doc didn't tell me that this would happen, scared about getting it taken out cause it killed getting it put in i thought it would be a hassle free contraception but it has turned out to be a nightmare!!!! has anyone else experienced this?

hi all. i had the mirena put in January this year. i also noticed a lot of the side effects that a lot have mentioned, my biggest issue was the hair loss. i went back to the GP who said it had nothing to do with the coil and put it down to stress. it was strange that it happened just a few days after having it inserted! so i had it removed in march. however i have noticed that my hair is still lifeless and falling out. im 26 and shouldn't be losing my hair. please can anybody help in telling me if they had the same experience and how long did it take to stop. im very worried about it. all of you ladies out there think twice before you have this device inserted its more hassle and heartache than whats it worth. if any body can help me please please do.

I started Lisinopril 10mg in mid November 2008. In December I caught a particularly nasty cold, terrible cough, lost my voice for weeks but very little sinus problems. Went to urgent care on New Years Eve because I couldn't deal with the coughing anymore. They gave me a chest x-ray and breathing treatment and sent me home with a z-pack, inhaler and cough syrup. Slowly started feeling better and by mid January I had my voice back, but the cough continued. It was a cough like so many of you describe, the kind where you cough until you puke! No fun. But, I'm a smoker so I kept thinking that was why it was taking so long to get over.

March 1, 2009 I had a coughing attack while shopping. While coughingl I felt a terrible pain in my side, it was so bad I thought I was going to fall over. I knew I had broken a rib! From coughing... imagine that! When I got home I starting googling chronic cough and broken ribs. I came across reference to medications as a cause of chronic cough. The light bulb came on.

I stopped taking the Lisinopril and called the Doc in the morning. Told the nurse that I wanted to change my medication and that I needed a chest x-ray to see if I had broken a rib. Saw the doctor two days later, no hassle about changing meds, but I really had to talk her into the broken rib theory. Had my chest x-ray and sure enough, I have a broken rib.

Well, three weeks later and I feel so much better. Now I only have coughing fits 3-4 times a day instead of the 5-6 times an hour. I think I will get over this!

Too bad though, because the meds actually worked. My blood pressure was lower than it had been in years. But I think this is one cure that has side effects worse than the disease it cures.

I am home right now (called into work) because of the severe abdominal cramps I am having since I stopped taking NuvaRing. It was so bad yesterday (sunday) my husband wanted to take me to the emergency room. I'm not currently menstruating, it's actually about a week before, though my periods have always been wonky, even with the birth control helping me tell it when to start, so I'm not really expecting it to show up. I seriously thought I was having a miscarriage last night, because I've had a child and labor pains didn't hurt as bad I hurt last night. The pain started at the top of my pelvic bone (around the ovaries) and moved up through my entire abdomen to my diaphragm. I'm so glad I found this webiste, because I actually thought something was really wrong with me. My belly feels swollen and walking is still a hassle through the soreness, but I think I can survive now. Also, the overeating - I was having that problem too right before my periods when I was on the ring, and while not a work out freak, I was always very conscious of maintaining my weight. It was like I was a bottomless Pit. I was on lexapro at the same time that I started the Nuvaring 2 1/2 years ago and between the two medicines, I gained 30 pounds. Now, since stopping the lexapro and starting the south beach diet, I've lost about 1/2 of that, so now that I've stopped the ring as well, I'm hoping I can lose the other 15, as easily as I lost weight before I started this medicine. All of the depression and moodiness - the loss of ability to concentrate. I thought all of that was just the PTSD I was experiencing (over something I won't go into here), but now I realize that if it was PTSD, then the NuvaRing wasn't helping. I hope this pain doesn't continue and I hope I can get back to normal. My problems with focusing have actually increased since I stopped, but I really hope that I can go back to normal soon. I'd rather have my irregular three or four day periods sometime between 28 and 37 days apart, and feel like I have my life back than the convenience that the NuvaRing presented. I think it's time to buy out some stock in Trojan. Thanks ladies for sharing your stories, I've really been helped here.

I have had the mirena almost two years. Wow now I know im not going insane. My energy has been sucked right out of me, ive been forgetting things left and right and got my first muffin top. I am interested in having mine replaced with the copper t. Does anyone have any experience with this? I like the sound of it because it contains no hormones.
What to do?

Lower back pain,depression, anxiety, mood swings, mind fog, out of sorts,
lack of energy, junk food cravings, terrible acne on neck chin and back

To those with a history of depression or mood swings: DON'T TAKE THIS MEDICINE.

I started taking Loestrin 24fe in January 2009 to alleviate heavy and irregular periods. I managed to stick with it for a month and a half before the depression and mood swings were too much for me to handle. My boyfriend and six or seven other people (some whom I am close to and some whom I am just friends with) told me I was being strangely moody and wasn't acting like myself AT ALL. My moods fluctuated constantly during the day, always tending toward depression, but alternated between being extremely peppy and very depressed and dull, sometimes several times within a few hours. I started snapping at people for no reason, and random crying spells began as the mood swings went even further downhill to the point where those I am close to became seriously concerned about my mental state and feared that I would become suicidal. I could live with the other side effects-- acne, increased breast size & tenderness, nightmares, and spotting-- but not the personality change.

I stopped taking Loestrin 24 two days ago and immediately noticed a change in my personality. One of my close friends called me and two minutes into the conversation, she told me that I sound like my normal self for the first time since I started taking the pill. The mood swings are gone, as is the depression, and I'm willing to live with irregular periods and the hassle they can be rather than become a different person and end up taking even more medicines to treat the side effects of Loestrin.

i took my nuvaring out about 2 weeks ago and now i am experiencing very bad abdominal pain. has this happened to anyone else PLEASE REPLY!

I have had to Mirena IUD since January 2008. I decided to get it because most other forms of birth control have some terrible side effects on my body, and I have one daughter and I want something hassle and side effect free! I first only experienced HORRIBLE cramping and unpredictable spotting. I now have migraines, nausea, bloating, and the complete inability to lose weight!!! Worst mistake I've ever made...I wonder though what else I can find that will be effective?!

Hi there. I was researching possible side effects with Nuvaring and found this board.

Lately, I've been irritable, I've been sleeping so much, I have no energy to do anything.. I went on Nuvaring due to my fiancee and I needing some kind of protection against pregnancy, since we're both in college and (well, you know the drill). I thought that my decreased sex drive was stress related.. until I found this board.

I love my fiancee. We make some great love together. Lately though, I haven't wanted him to touch me.. In fact there's been fights about it. It's only been since I got on Nuvaring. At first it was great.. the increased lubrication etc. But now, I really think this is more of a hassle than anything.. It hurts when we do have sex, it's decreasing my sex drive insanely.. I hate it.

I'm gaining weight.. I used to be 112 pounds, I am now 120 lbs. I have only been on this for two months.. I'm afraid on what could happen if I stay on it any longer.

I have mood swings, headaches, and sleep 12 hours even if I go to bed early.. The headaches are severe, and I have weird stomach pains.

My suggestion to anyone who comes to this board, is to forget about Nuvaring. It's a hassle; more of a hassle than it's worth. If you read up on google more, you'll find there is a lawsuit against the makers of Nuvaring as well.

Thanks for all your help! I contacted my doctor today and I am scheduled to change my birth control. The Nuvaring turned out to be more of a hassle than they said. There are a lot of side effects that are listed on the Nuvaring site, which explains my long period. There are also a lot of other scary side effects as well. Hopefully I can find something that works for me that I don't want to discontinue in ten days!

Hi. I just had my mirena placed on Sept. 5th, 2008 (5 days ago). I decided to go with this after just giving birth to my 2nd daughter on July 21st, 2008. All my girlfriends have it and recommended it as well as my ob/gyn. I read and watched a dvd about it and then after being told it's only going to cost me my copay of $27, I said oh yeah--for 5 years worth of bc, you bet! Anyhow, the insertion was quick and painless as I had just ended my period that morning, just had a baby 6 weeks prior, and my ob/gyn numbed my cervix. I only bled for about 5 hours after. After my doc placed the mirena he told me if I wanted to that night I could have sex with my husband and nit have to worry about a secondary form of bc. I was not able to that night due to my 2 children (one is 4 and the other is now 7 weeks), but we did get to the next day. I have actually had an increase in my sex drive since having this iud placed and maybe it is just the simple fact that it is a hassle free form of bc that is 99.9% effective. Lately however, in the last couple days I have been feeling irritable, increased anger, depression (which I already take meds for-but don't seem to help-they always had before for 10yrs), crying spells, a lot of anxiety, heart palpations, hard to get to sleep, severe headaches (not quite migraines), hot flashes, lethargic, and now nausea. If some of these symptoms don't go away, I may have to find another bc/iud that would better suit me (perhaps non-hormonal). I don't know that I would recommend mirena to anyone, but I also would not tell anyone it's horrible. Everyone's body reacts differently to medicines. So, if you have one good luck with it and if you're deciding on one, please read all the side effects and testimonials you can-on any that you choose and don't think it can't happen to you-you just never know! Hope this helps someone!

I'm 29 years old and just recently decided to get off the pill after about 3 years. I have taken MANY different kinds because I started having yeast infections every month and then I was given diflucan once a month for that, but I could never shake the migraines. I think I was taking it for about 8 months and my period was the same day every month and that was awesome. I was going to stop the pill last month, but decided to get the new generic version for another month. Even if Yasmin works for you be VERY CAUTIOUS about the new generic version. this came out July 1st and the generic name is Ocella. I took it for a week and had to get off of it because I broke out in hives and I've never had an allergy in my life. I wanted to stay on something thru the month so I didn't mess my cycle up, but making a trip to my family doctor because of it is not worth the hassle. I wish they could make the magic trick for no migraines with birth control pills so hopefully we can get pregnant soon and then I'll be getting my tubes tied and no more pills!! good luck ladies, but always ask your doctor for more options if something doesn't work for you.

I have had the Mirena for almost 4 years, my health has gone down hill ever since. I never ever thought that it could be the IUD causing all of these issues that I have been having, discharge, tired all of the time, no sex drive, lower back pain and whole lot more. Over the last couple of weeks I have been experiencing really bad headaches with dizziness and nausea and don't let me forget the bad cramping, even though I had my period 2 weeks earlier. I went to my PCP and he said to me " I have no idea what is wrong with you" I finally decided to look up MIRENA and it's side effects, since it's the only thing left that I have not investigated as a possible cause to all of my aches and pains. When I found this site, I realized what is causing all of my problems, needless to say I am making an appointment in the morning to have this GOD AWFUL thing removed. My only wish is that I can live a normal life again.

I started dating my now husband over a year 1/2 ago & started taking Alesse for 6 months. I had no bad side effects & everything was great those 6 months but I didn't renew the prescription because remembering the pill everyday is a hassle... Dumb mistake! I got a 3 month trial of that new NuvaRing thinking it would be great not to worry about the pill. Wrong again, I had the worst breakouts. mood swings, numbness in my face/arms & total lack of sex drive brought on by constant pain during intercourse with painful tenderness lasting days after.... So I asked to be prescribed Alesse again but the pharmacy ended up giving me this Aviane since my coverage is for generic. I don't know how to explain it really, don't know if it's just the switch but I my period lasted about one day. First it was dark (nearly black) hardly blood at all but congealed! Than later that night I had some cramping & a flow of blood. That was it. The next morning I woke up to find my labia majora was painfully red and swollen. (Now I have never been sexually active before my husband and a few months after we started having intercourse I asked him to get checked with me & both came back clear so as far as I know there is nothing unknown that can be causing this!) I am going to call my doctors office today & hopefully speak with a nurse... In the meantime I refilled my prescription for Alesse & will dish out the extra money..

I've been on the NuvaRing for 4yrs on and off. I NEVER gained any weight from it, I do get moody but then again whenever your taking B/C expect that, your messing with your hormones! My sex drive is the same I still want it every night, but I can also say it's better actually because when I do have sex and if he does hit the Ring that's a plus to me..Maybe that's just me. I tried Depo I didn't gain any weight from it, my sex drive was the same but I did get my period for a full month sometimes..wasn't too happy about that...and then I got pregnant...I have a Depo baby!!! Next I used the patch I had many problems with the patch it would dry me out down in my happy place...my doctor (who is not my doctor anymore) gave me another patch to increase my juices lol ...I had to have a patch for my patch... next was the NuvaRing I never had a problem till this last ring I put in I got this yeast infection. I haven't changed my diet or soap that I wash with so I think maybe I got a defective NuvaRing this time(this is what I'm telling myself).. I decided to take it out clear up my infection and then put another one in and go from there...but I do like the Ring. Depo gave me my daughter, the patch was a hassle, the pill I can't remember to take that darn thing everyday, and to me next in line is the NuvaRing and so far It's been good too me except this last one I put in..if it's the Ring I'm just gonna really cry...And ladies we have to remember EVERYBODY'S BODY IS DIFFERENT!! You have to do your own studies and make your own choices. With most of your b/c contraceptives your going to gain weight I've haven't gain anything from the Pill-Depo-Patch- to the NuvaRing. It's always 99.9 percent effective. That .1 is my daughter so..some people get every single side effect in the book some people like me don't.. make your own mind up!

My story:
First of all, thank you all so much for your postings. I, as well, am sitting here in tears finally realizing that I'm not the only one going through this. I am 32 with 3 kids (13, 11, 7) and with the exception of my pregnancies always used Depo-provera for my bc method. I was lucky in that I never experienced the terrible weight gain and side effects that many women using Depo often did. After my divorce 5 years ago, I finally decided to stop the birth control. I was not sexually active and it seemed like more of a hassle just to not have a period any longer. The two years I had no bc in me...I felt fantastic. Normal, balanced, happy. Then I met Matt. I decided to try bc pills again, but as historically is normal for me...had severe breakthrough bleeding. (14 day periods..even on Yaz)

So I went back to the depo this past September. I had a little weight gain, and some mild acne. Not severe, but enough to make me talk to the doctor about it at my three month check. So he tells me about Mirena! The same hormone base as depo, but since it sits intra-uterine, the hormones are not quite as systemic, and my symptoms should decrease significantly.

SHOULD! but DIDN"T!

Periods: Since I had already been on depo, I simply did not have periods. I did have some mild spotting right after insertion...and did notice a slight brownish tinge occasionally, especially after intercourse, but nothing significant. It wasn't until the end of February (2 months after insertion) that I noticed a "period." It was nothing more than spotting and only lasted 3 days. But then I had another one 2 weeks later, and again 2 weeks after that.

Weight: My starting weight, late August 2007, was 145 pounds. My last doctor visit on April 7 weighed me in at 175. From September to December on depo...I gained about 10 pounds. From December through now...I'm up another 25 pounds. Please keep in mind that I used to work out anywhere form 2-4 times per week. Around mid-February, I increased to 4-5 times per week...and for the last month have been working out 5-7 times per week. (I'm not any kind of health freak...and am irritated because I don't feel like I have a life anymore. My life consists of working, kids, and my flipping treadmill!) Over the last month, I have also decreased my caloric intake to 1200-1500 calories per day. I'm still gaining.

Acne: Plus the acne went from mild to severe. To the point that I ended up going to a dermatologist in early March and am now on my second course of treatment with no luck. The next course is Accutane...which if you don't know about...simply google it. I have no intention of putting that in my body!

Depression: So I call my doctor and of course they say it couldn't be the Mirena. Now I'm feeling really crazy and Matt's wondering what he's gotten himself into being with this girl who cries at Hallmark commercials, and is moody, and always in a bad mood, and now is getting worse because she can't fit into anything in her closet, and is dreading summer not only for the fear of getting into a bathing suit...but if I go swimming I'm absolutely dreadful of people seeing what my face and skin looks like with no make-up due to the acne.

Pain: Shortly after the first of the year, I noticed pain in my lower back...I figured it was due to shoveling the drive and whatnot...just everyday things. Then the pain in my shoulders started; the right one especially. (I'm a healthy 32 year old. I cut down a tree in my yard by myself two summers ago.) Joint pain is not an option and rather new territory for me. So I go to the doc who wants me in PT 3 times a week...anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections...the works. (I settled with anti-inflammatories.) I had never even heard of this as a possible side effect until I read it on these postings.

I looked at my medicine cabinet this weekend. I feel like I could run a pharmacy out of my home. Medications for acne, joint pain, depression, anxiety. Plus the cost of co-pays and deductibles. And it hit me. With the exception of my Claritin for seasonal allergies...every medication I am now taking is simply to combat the side effects of this T-shaped hormonal vehicle snuggled in my womb! The I saw the Special K commercial: "Who's going to win? The bathing suit? or you?"

Well guess what! I decided it's going to be ME!

I finally decided I've had it and have an appointment on May 6th to have it removed. Matt can wrap it or snip it...but I can't keep doing this to myself. I've made a decision to use no form of hormonal birth control. I'm thinking about trying the FemCap which is basically a silicone cervical cap. It needs to be used with spermicide, but no hormones!

The idea of feeling like I did last year again is the only thing keeping me going right now. To be happy, and confident, and just feel balanced and whole again...I'll post more later after it's removed. In the meantime...if anyone has heard of any class action lawsuits with Mirena, I'd be interested to know about it.

Good luck to all of us!

I am almost in tears finally knowing that I am not alone. I had the Mirena inserted in December 07. Over the past 16 months since then I have only had about 60-90 days (very few of them consecutive) bleeding/spotting free. I am cramping constantly at various intensity. At times, I wondered if I was somehow pregnant and having contractions because of the type of tightening I felt. I have been an emotional wreck as I see-sawed within minutes between congeniality and disgust. My sometime-y migraines happened all too frequently. My acne has increased exponentially. I gained 30 lbs! After each child I successfully managed to lose the weight yet maintain a modest, healthy few pounds extra as I embraced my motherly curves. Almost 4 years after my last child, I gained all of this weight during my Mirena saga. I have been living a nightmare!

I am 34 w/ 3 children (14,6,5). I thought this would be one less hassle for my already life. I have never felt so out of control of my health and well being as I have the past 16 months. I saw may doctor 4 times over the past year wondering what I should do. I took birth control pills for 3 months to control the spotting. I took estrogen for 2 weeks. He knew how much I wanted it to work and told me to wait it out if I could. I feel so betrayed. I kept asking him if this was normal. He told me that it would get better.

I can't lose a pound (30 occurring during the 15 hell-ish Mirena months). I am fatigued to the point of uselessness to my family. I am depressed and inexplicably anxious.

Thank you for sharing and letting me know I'm not crazy. I thought it was all in my head because I couldn't find any validation for my feelings. I have sneered and balked at the amount of trust and worthiness all too often placed on message boards, blogs, and websites. While I am still cynical, this site has renewed my faith and spirit in that each of your testimonies has resolved my indecision to have this shackle removed from my body.

I am overcome with so much emotion right now (possible Mirena related) that I am now speechless.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I had taken Loestrin for almost a year until about two months ago when I decided to quit. I suspected that this birth control had something to do with my intense headaches, weight gain (I was a size 4 now I wear a 10), and a non-existent period. I also have eczema now and I think it might be related as well. Let me know if anyone else has encountered this problem. Since I have quit, I have noticed my eczema has improved and my face is not as puffy. I hope it will improve even more with time off from this drug.

I got the Mirena put in Sep. of 2006, 2 months after giving birth to my son. I didn't have any problems the 1st year I had it. I nursed my son till he was a year old. After I stopped nursing is when the problems started. I gained over 10 lbs. in like 2 weeks. I was bloated everyday. I went to my doc and he didn't want to take it out. Told me that my weight gain and bloating was not from the Mirena. Then I was getting major headaches. They were so bad and I never got headaches before. I started feeling like there was a baby kicking inside me. So weird. I didn't think anything of it. It still does it. Freaks me out. I have had heart palpetations too. That really makes me nervous. My husband has been telling me for some time now too that my hair has been coming out too. Alot. And yes I agree, my hair has gotten so thin. I used to have really thick hair. I am calling my Doc today and making an appt. to have the Mirena removed. I am just worried b/c my husband and I do not want to get pregnant again anytime soon. I was 125 lbs when I got the MIrena put in, I am now almost 150. Doesn't matter how much I workout or how good I eat. I can't loose even a pound. I am making the call now.......We'll see

I just recently switched from Yasmin to Alesse.. due to Yasmin giving me ZERO sex drive and crazy emotions. I have not been on Alesse very long at all.. it has not even been a week! but all day today I have had a terrible headache!! I really just want to know if that will go away? Or if i will have to switch again! Since it is such a hassle to get a doctors appointment haha.
DO THE HEADACHES GO AWAY? I have not been able to do anything all day because of it =(