Initial insertion symptoms and conditions

I know that for every woman, the side effects or various medications and hormones are different. I personally had the Mirena IUD inserted a little over 3 years ago on the recommendation of a friend who, at the time, had nothing but positive things to say about it. I went on that recommendation alone, and now wish that I had done more research into the side effects before having one inserted.

The initial insertion was not horrible, but not great either- a pinch at insertion, severe cramping and pain within a few hours, and a dull aching feeling in my abdomen for about a week. After that, though, I couldn't feel the IUD at all.

It was not long after that when I began to experience side effects. Like many of you, I attributed my symptoms to stress and life changes. I figured that my migraines, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, increasing urinary tract infections, and weight gain were a result of a changing metabolism and high-stress job.

When I went to my family physician to have blood work done (because I was declared anemic when trying to give blood), I was told that I wasn't getting enough iron and I went on iron supplements. (The supplements then made me constipated- sorry if that is TMI, but that was a very unwelcome result!) When I took trip after trip to my ob/gyn for antibiotics to treat UTIs, I was told that the UTIs were unrelated to the IUD. When I saw a urologist to have three separate tests done (one for hormone levels, another for uterine function, and yet another to test kidney function), all tests came back within normal range. Even when I went to the ER one Saturday morning, when my back was spasming so badly that I could barely walk or stand, I was told that my back pain was stress-related.

All the while, my friend (the one who recommended the IUD in the first place) was dealing with similar problems- weekly severe migraines, back pain, etc. She was being told the same things by her ob/gyn- none of her symptoms were related to the IUD. Since she and I trusted our doctors completely, we went on about our lives, upped our workout regimens, tried to de-stress as much as possible, took OTC pain meds when it was all too much to bear- and yet for both of us, our symptoms continued.

Then, in July, my husband and I decided to begin trying for a baby. I made my appointment to have the IUD removed (which was a painless process), and it was only then that I began to research the Mirena IUD online. My former ob/gyn had moved, and my new one seemed ill-informed about what to expect once the IUD was removed. I wanted to know how soon I could conceive, and she knew very little about the process- heck, she didn't even know what the hormone was called that she had given me to jump-start my period (it was progestin, by the way- a very common prescription that my paramedic husband knew quite a bit about, but the ob/gyn didn't even know the name of!).

Once I got online and found this site (among many others), I finally began to put two and two together. I am now firmly convinced that my symptoms were directly related to the Mirena IUD. Again, different women are affected in different ways, but I know that for me- nothing good came of messing with Mother Nature like that.

Now that I've had the IUD out for about four months, I feel like a different human being. I did experience the "Mirena Crash," but once that passed, I almost immediately began losing weight, my abdomen was no longer blown up like a balloon, my energy level and sex drive increased, my back pain is now gone, and I haven't had a migraine or UTI since.

I've since switched ob/gyns, but I now have a healthy distrust of anything medically new and experimental. I will never have the Mirena inserted again, and I will definitely research anything and everything regarding my body. Ladies, listen to your bodies- mine was screaming at me loud and clear for over three years, and even though I knew that something was very wrong, I didn't listen. I'm just happy that I "accidentally" figured it out. (Oh, and my friend will be having her IUD removed later this week. She and I now call ourselves the "sister skeptics!")

i just recently had the Mirena put in on 8/5/09. i would rather go thru child birth again, then have to deal with the pain of it being put in. When i got home from the dr. that day i could barely walk and felt sick to my stomach. After the excessive vomiting i took a nap with a heating pad and woke up hours later feeling much better. The last few days i have had horrible stomach and back pains. Is this normal or should i call my doctor??

I just wanted to post my experience/perspective. I am 30, never had children...

For the most part I love my mirena and would get it again in a heartbeat. Negatives: I have had it for over 2.5 years (I had to get it reinserted after the first month because it had started to expel, but the removal was pain-free and the reinsertion was less painful than the initial insertion). My period does generally last 8-9 days (compared to 3-4 before); BUT, I love that I only have to wear a pad or pantyliner because my flow is so light. My cramps are not necessarily worse, but different--I swear I feel myself ovulating!

Positives/Neutral: I have actually lost weight since getting my mirena (about 30 pounds), but this is because I joined weight watchers not because mirena helped me lose weight :) I have always shed a bunch of hair and haven't noticed a difference. My sex drive has been low lately, but I think it's because my significant other gets home from work after I'm asleep so my motivation for sex succumbs to being tired. My period is so light that I only have to wear a pad (first time since 6th grade!). I've always had some acne since I was about 11 and have noticed no changes. My significant other can't feel the strings because they are way up by my cervix (I have to struggle to feel them to check that it is still in place). I love not having to remember a pill--I am very forgetful and busy!

I had the Mirena put in 2 1/2 years ago. About six months after having my first child. At first I bleed for a month straight. It was painful to have it put in but I'm usually a wimp with that type of stuff. After the first month my periods become lighter and then not at all. At first it seemed virtually unnoticeable. But my boyfriend starting saying he could feel something poking him during sex. I also do have the worst back pain that seemed to start after having the Mirena put in. I also have acne, stomach flutters, and nausea.I also experienced anxiety and panic attacks. However, I think they were associated with my job because once I left that job my anxiety decreased. I don't know if any of these symptoms have to do with Mirena but they aren't really that bothersome. Well the back is but it's mostly in the upper back and neck area and I think it has to do with stress. I do fight with my boyfriend a lot. But unlike many others have said I don't experience rage or yell at him for no good reason. We fight cause he is a lazy jerk and that's that. LOL So all in all my experience has been pleasant but have something foreign inside of me scares me. Like many others have said, I think it's important to take all factors into account. We all get a little crazy and stressed out. :)

I'm 28, and I had my mirena inserted back in May, 2007. The initial insertion was uncomfortable, and I experienced pain and nausea for a few weeks afterwards, but those symptoms eventually went away. I was relatively happy with my mirena for the first year, despite the fact that I was extremely moody and had no desire to have sex (I was taking more than the recommended course load at university, so not wanting to have anything to do with anyone meant that I had more time for study - my marks certainly didn't suffer!). During the second year, however, things started to change. I found that my skin became incredibly greasy. I'd wake up every morning feeling like an oil slick. I started developing lots acne on my back, chest, neck and chin, and the acne on my back and chin was the cystic, painful sort that generally leaves scars. I began experiencing cramps and severe depression during the week leading up to my period, which I was still getting, even though I'd been told to expect that it would stop. Half the time I felt too big for my skin, especially around my thighs, and when this was bad it was so bad that wearing pants drove me crazy. I started getting a weird sensation in my chest every now and then, like my heart was missing a beat, sort of a tingly weird feeling, and for a second or two I couldn't draw a breath. I have no idea if that's what a panic attack feels like, or if it was some sort of hair problem. My hair, which used to be fairly thick at the back, started thinning out to the point where I started wearing clip-in hair extensions to mask things. The texture of my hair changed - instead of the occasional coarse, kinky piece in amongst the finer, smooth strands, almost all the hair growing from the crown of my head is kinky. I experienced cramps and discomfort every time I had an orgasm! My weight, which has hovered around 110-115 for my entire adult life, began climbing, despite little change in my diet and exercise routine (I'm now 125, and all that weight is around my waist and hips). This last winter I had no energy for anything, and slept ten hours every night, and napped between classes as well. In the last two months my breasts have grown more than a cup size, and feel swollen and tender to the touch.

I had my mirena removed yesterday, and I feel like it was a good decision. The removal was only slightly painful, no worse than a single bad cramp, and I've had no bleeding so far. The doctor was very sweet about it, agreeing that it just wasn't working for me. She had me count to three and then cough during the removal, a technique she said she'd come up with to make the procedure as painless as possible. I agree that it helped - coughing took my mind off my cervix = )

I held on to my IUD for so long because it cost me a lot of money, but I finally decided that the continuing decline in my self-confidence wasn't worth it. I don't know if all the changes in my body over the last two years can be chalked up to the IUD, but I'm fairly sure a lot of them can. I'll post again in a few weeks to share my experiences post-removal.

I am 19 and have had Mirena for a year in a half. They allowed me to get it, even though I have not had any children, because I have a severe blood clotting problem. (Birth control pills previously aggravated this and sent me to the hospital for a month) With the blood thinners I have to take for the clotting problem, if I was to get pregnant, it would kill the baby. With Mirena, there is an extremely small chance of getting pregnant and it regulates periods so this is exactly what I needed.
I have had no side effects at all through this year and a half besides the initial insertion pain. In fact, I'm probably the most healthy I've even been. I really don't understand how so many people are having horrible problems because of it- I forget it's even there most of the time. I'm so very sorry to all of you who have had problems, though. =( I wish you luck in getting it removed!

I had Mirena inserted in 2007 due to a lack of tolerance to birth control pills. The experience was very painful for me. However, the doctor explained that the initial insertion process is different for every woman as we are not all designed the same. My cervix/uterus is oddly positioned. According to the doctor they are "crooked". As a result, the doctor had a difficult time properly inserting the mirena, which in turn resulted in major pain! But, this was just my personal experience. Not every woman will encounter this difficulty. However, I would recommend taking at least 2 ibuprofen before the procedure. Throughout the past 2 years, I have experienced a range of symptoms. Major depression, severe mood swings, acne, lack of energy, excruciating lower back pain which mocked mild labor pains, and the overall inability to function normally. I begged the Doctor to remove the Mirena 6 months ago, but she convinced me otherwise considering I cannot tolerate birth control pills either. Nevertheless, I am 35 years old, have one child already, and do not plan on having more. Well, last week, I was basically confined to my bed due to excruciating lower back pain, and severe bleeding. I called the Doctor, and they finally saw me today. I insisted on having the Mirena removed once and for all, and already feel 100% better just 12 hours later! The purpose of my message is not to discourage anyone, as we all have different levels of tolerance when it comes to pain, medications, etc.....Yet, I felt compelled to share my personal experience as it was not a positive one for me! The only "positive" symptom I obtained from the Mirena was a lack of periods. Unfortunately, there was a downfall to that as well. Due to a lack of a regular menstrual cycle, I felt extremely bloated, and had difficulty losing weight despite working out 5 days a week, and eating a proper diet. I sympathize with each and every one of you, and appreciate your efforts in sharing your experiences. Upon stumbling upon this website a few days ago, I finally found the courage to have this thing removed so I can once again "feel normal!" Good luck to all of you!

I have an appt with my GYN tomorrow, and I am going to try to convince him to remove Mirena right away. I fear that he will do everything to convince me to keep it... Another thing is that I horribly afraid of pain, and found Mirena insertion EXTREMELY painful, so I am full of fear for its removal. I will load myself with Ibuprofen before going.
Anyway... After reading this blog, I at least want to give it a shot and compare how I feel with and without Mirena. However, If I decide to have it again, I will go for inaertion ONLY under anesthesia.

I had my Mirena inserted 8 weeks after having my 3rd child. Everything seemed fine for the first 3 months but then I began to develop severe pain in my finger joints, wrists, ankles, elbows, back and neck. I was shuffling around like a 90 year old woman. At first I thought I may have developed arthritis and then my mother suggested I give up the breastfeeding as it might be 'taking it out of me'. Then the other symptoms seemed to creep up on me - foggy brain, severe mood swings, feeling sad and depressed for no reason, SEVERE headaches, night sweats and extreme fatigue. I couldn't complete tasks like washing the clothes and general cleaning of my home and I never felt refreshed after a long sleep. I remember saying to my husband on 3 or 4 occasions 'I feel like I'm going crazy!!' I think he thought the same thing. It was only by chance I revisited a forum I had bookmarked earlier when I was trying to find out how long after initial insertion the bleeding lasted that a post containing some similar side-effects to the ones I was experiencing caught my eye - well what an eye-opener, I would never in my wildest dreams have connected my symptoms with my IUD. The cause of my debilitating symptoms became so clear and that night I squatted down in the shower, found the strings, gave a tug and took the damn thing out myself! That was 3 weeks ago and I've felt a little better every day. I'm hoping to be back to my old self as soon as possible. Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experiences. If it wasn't for you these debilitating effects on my body would have continued for I dont know how long.