Irregular periods symptoms and conditions

Hi, my name is B. and I am 24, this is my first time using birth control and I have been on Femcon FE for a little over one month now. I always had irregular periods, sometimes i skipped, sometimes i bleed for an excessive amount of time. The reason why I was put on birth control now is because I had very heavy bleeding, which i clotted badly, passed out, was extremely dizzy, and so forth. It is normal to have periods like that in my family but after a few days i went to the hospital cause i noticed that my situation was getting worst, i was told I was anemic and i had to have 4 units of blood transfusions...

My gyno put me on Femcon FE and i was told to take two a day to stop the bleeding first off, she also gave me additional meds for the nausea. Well, at first I stopped bleeding for about a week and after the week was up I went down to one pill, well I started spotting, but my gyno told me that was normal. A few more days has past and my bleeding is getting heavier, not as bad before, so my gyno told me to start taking two a day again, and i did and still am. Well I am STILL bleeding, and I have been bleeding for 16 days now. I have been taking Femcon FE for a little over a month and I am almost done with the 3rd month's package of Femcon FE.

Some of the side effects I have been feeling:
-vaginal cramps (some REALLY painful)
-depression
-moodiness
-being tired most days
-some weight gain
-bleeding

Since reading these stories you have shared with me, I am going to discuss with my gyno on Thursday about maybe trying a new birth control, so thank you for your opinions.

I have been on this drug for a month because I HAVE BEEN HAVING IRREGULAR PERIODS FOR 5 MONTHS AND THEN MY DOCTOR GAVE THIS TO ME and THREE WEEKS LATER I HAD A PERIOD CHANGING TAMPONS EVERY TWO- THREE HOURS WITH VERY HEAVY CRAMPING? BLEEDING AND BREAKTHROUGH BLEEDING ALSO EVEN NOT ON PERIOD DAYS..PERIOD LASTS FOR 8 DAYS......YEA RIGHT? SHORTER AND LIGHTER........NO WAY!

I am seventeen years old and i have been on Aviane for almost three months. I have never been on any pill, this is my first time on the pill. I read all the side effects and i have had different side effects from the ones i have read. My sex drive has gone up and i have irregular periods. This month i have had my period again for the third time. this has never happened to me before. So i searched online and found this website which is a great relief. I have also been very tired, taking naps and having having heart burns without even eating. I have not been eating well either, i eat 1-2 meals a day or go on without eating at all. I've been having headaches two to three times a week. Some days i experience cramping without being on or near the time of my period.

I had the shot for a bad outbreak of eczema. This was a last resort thing. I'm not usually for taking any form of medicine other than natural stuff. The doctor warned that the possible side effects would be muscle spams and high blood sugar. She never mention anything about irregular periods or weaken immune system. I just had my period 15 days before I had the shot and a couple days after the shot I got my period. I few days later I got the stomach flu. While still having my period. Then a week later I had a ear infection. I still have my period. I emailed the dermatologist explaining the symptoms I was having, she informed me that its a side effect of the shot. She failed to mention it before taking the shot. I don't want to take another drug like birth control pills to cure something a drug caused in the first place. I'm now on day 17. My period has never been irregular. I'm a healthy 30yr old. Does anyone know if this goes away on its on? What are things you can do to naturally cure this? I appreciate any advice.

HI, i have had my coil for almost four years. I had it inserted in October 2005, 4 months after my first son was born. it wasn't really painful but felt a bit weird like someone was opening an umbrella inside my uterus. Anyway since then (the past 2 years in particular) i have had crazy moon swings, my breasts are almost always tender, i have a really offensive discharge(which is awful) no libido! my poor husband. i never really had this problem before having the coil. i am quite depressed, cry spontaneously, am irritable and have little patience. when im due on i have really bad lower back pain, stabbing pains in my sides, nausea, bloating, and constipation. but the most recent one is acne! i don't get spots( maybe one when im on but not one every day!) they are mostly on and around my jaw and chin. i feel like a kid again, im 28! my confidence has suffered and i have put on about a stone in the last 6 months. i also get almost constant stomach pains, mostly just under my diaphragm and get heartburn with most foods i eat. i have very light and irregular periods but always get all the pre-period symptoms. the most awful ones are the acne and bad odor. has anyone else experienced bed odor? i also feel tired all the time and just want to sit and do nothing. i don't feel productive at all and have lost my desire to be productive. I am going to see my doctor this week so hopefully she will be able to shed some light on everything. i really want to get it taken out but am scared that i might fall pregnant again. i have one beautiful son but don't really want anymore children. should i put up with all these symptoms? anyway, will let you know how my appointment goes. take care and thanks for making me feel better and not so alone!

I took Topamax 50 mg for about 2 months and experienced a change in menstrual bleeding. I wonder if Topamax effects progesterone levels. I had light spotting 5 days before period due for both months. This medication also made me very depressed and angry. I quit taking it about 5 days ago and felt the depression lift on the 2nd day after stopping the medication. This was my 2nd round for Topamax. My first time taking it I worked up to 100mg and lost 15 lbs in just a few weeks. I had no appetite. I also go very sick with a respiratory infection and dry coughing. I had menstrual problems with the first round too but didn't figure out if may be the Topamax until my 2nd round. It did help my migraines significantly. But I'm uncertain how if potentially messes up menstrual cycle. The warnings for the medication says "menstrual problems" but doesn't go into detail. Anyone else have menstrual problems.

I started this pill on Aug 17, I got a period one week later on Aug 24, I still have a period as I type this on Sep 4th. I was put on this pill to control irregular periods. I have called my doctor and she tells me to stick it out. I am SICK of having a period. I also suffered dizzy spells the first two weeks. I was in a bad mood, emotional, irritable and annoyed with life in general. I have acne, which I never suffer from. To say I HATE this pill would be an understatement.

After reading all these women's experience with Yasmin, I am super confused and worried. I just started on my Yasmin packet almost 3 weeks ago. Before that I was on Brevicon for about 2 months before being switched to Yasmin. My concern for switching was the amount of irregular bleeding on Brevicon (I had a period every other week on Brevicon) and since I also have PCOS, my doctor recommended switching to Yasmin.

But in the short 3 weeks I have noticed some crazy side effects and I wonder if it is the pill. Side effects for me have been:
1. Dryness - I cannot seem to stay hydrated. My skin, eyes and throat are always dry, not to mention the intimacies in the bedroom. Which I've never had issues with before.
2. Fatigue - I am constantly tired. No matter how much rest I get, I'm constantly exhausted.
3. Headaches - I thought initially it was because I'm trying to ween myself off of caffeine, but even when I do get my caffeine fix, I still have them.
4. Back pain - much like when I have my period, but it's happening well over a week before my period.
5. Cramping - again like the back pain. I have never had such severe cramping this many days before my period.

Those are the severe side effects I am experiencing but in addition to heart palpitations, mood swings and trouble sleeping also happen every so often. I feel like I'm drinking red bull, but I have not.

I am not sure what pill to request, I've tried Brevicon and now Yasmin, but I'm starting to think dealing with irregular periods (every 5-8 weeks) and the usual period pangs is better than dealing with these symptoms every month. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I received my gardasil shots almost a year ago. my mother insisted that i have them, in the past couple months i have experienced painful urination and irregular periods, i have also developed asthma. I have been to the doctors about the painful urination, the first time i went, they said, your fine go home. the second time the pain was unbearable and i went back to them, they said ummm it might be a yeast infection or a urinary tract infection, so take these pills, i took the pills, nothing changed. the third time i went back they said oh your fine, go home...still no change so i went back again and they give me meds for a bladder infection. i am now done with the meds for my "bladder infection" and i still feel pain. other woman have reported feeling painful urination and suddenly having asthma. i am scared....i am so scared, i have plans for myself. i never wanted this. and to all you woman out there now experiencing pain....i feel for all of you. because now i have a serious case of asthma, cant even walk up the stairs with out getting dizzy and feeling like i'm gonna pass out, and i cant go pee with out crying because the burning.

I am 21 years old and had my third shot last December. Since then I have been suffering from dizzy spells, bad anxiety and irregular periods. I am not completely sure that all these are because of my shot, but i really wish i had never had that last dose. My anxiety has been absolutely horrible, and lasts for days or weeks on end. My last few periods lasted for several weeks, and there seems to be no other explanation for the way i have been feeling since the end of last year. My friend works at a local hospital in cancer cell research, and amongst some of the papers she has read she has told me over 1000 girls have appeared with psychotic symptoms for no apparent reason, all after having gardasil. I hope we can all do something about this and get the word out, because i know it is affecting so many people in such a horrible way.

I took it from Feb 2007 to October 2008. I decided to take it back since May 2009.

There are some Pros/Cons:

Pros: I lost 25 lbs within a year with that pills. My hormones level (masculine) was getting better. It helped my period to go regular in every month. I controlled my appetite.

Con: My skin has melasma. I was at the beach for few hours with 45 SPF on my face. I got some brown patches, and it was from these pills. Also, I was in depression stage and I was VERY depressed/crazy-emotion over a-small-thing, while I was on the pills. That's why I decided to quit.

I gained 25 lbs back, return to irregular periods, and loves to EAT lot of junk foods. My depression is gone and I decided to take Femcon back and stayed away from the sun.

If you are depression or very upset about any losses/breakups/betrayals/or anything, then do not take Femcon, it gives DOUBLE depression/emotion.

I have been on Quasense for 9 months now. I have had 3 weeks of bleeding during the second month every 3-month pack/cycle. I am getting extremely tired from bleeding so much non-stop. During the last cycle and this one, I have been suffering from yeast infections. I have had one for 3 weeks straight now, and the gyno has given me prescriptions along with using monistat, and it has not gone away yet! I've been married a little over a month, and intercourse just makes me burn badly! I had irregular periods before, but this makes everything in my body irregular. I plan to switch pills ASAP.

I was put on Yasmin in 2006 due to irregular periods. I thought during the time I was on it I felt fine, I thought. I am the type of person who doesn't like going to the doctor bc all they want is my money. At first everything was fine. Then one day I started getting really hot and was so weak I could barely hold my head up. My vision was blacked out but I could still hear everything. I figured I was just dehydrated so I drank a few glasses of water and everything returned to normal within 15 minutes. I went on with life as normal and just swept the episode under the rug. The same thing happened a few more times in the near future but I didn't have loss of vision again. Still went on with life. I used to be a server, therefore I was on my feet all the time and I was a workaholic. I started getting severe cramps on my lower left calf but again ignored the symptom bc I just thought it was a bad muscle cramp from always being my feet. Then one day at work a girl ran into me just right and knocked my hip out of place. I walked around like that for about 5 days or so but I was taking TONS of Ibuprofen to ease the severe pain which helped me forget the leg cramps.. Eventually I went to the chiropractor to get an adjustment and everything was great again. No pain. As the next month passes the cramp in my leg started gradually moving up the back of my calf, around to just above my knee and then up to my groin. Again I just ignored this mystery "cramp." I ignored it until September 19th when I was working and my episodes stared again while I was working. I started feeling weak again and just really dehydrated. I went to get a drink and passed out in the kitchen during lunch rush. I got some water and then went back to work. I made one last round at my tables and then collapsed in the back bc I had one of the worst pains in my groin I had ever experienced. This time I couldn't ignore it and had my bf take me to an immediate care hospital. The doctor took my blood and ran tests and everything came back normal. Then they asked if I could give a urine sample and I did. They said it would take about 45 minutes for the results to come back. So I took a walk outside and felt like I was waddling. My left leg started getting really tight and swollen. I walked back in and went to the bathroom again. My left leg was purple!!!! I told the dr about it and she looked at my leg for a second, and ordered me to lay down and not move an inch and walked out the door. She immediately ordered a CT scan. We got the results back and we discovered I have blood clots from my ankle up to the top of my knee. That's the only part of my leg that was scanned. I was transferred to intensive care and was there for 4 days. I was immediately taken off Yasmin and put on extremely high doses of coumadin and other blood thinners to absorb the clots back into my bloodstream. Other CT scans were performed and the clots actually go from ankle up to my lower abdomen. After I was released from the hospital, I was on bed rest for 3 months. Bc I cannot be on my feet I had to quit my job. Keep in mind I was only 19 years old, now only 22. I now have to be on coumadin for the rest of my life, I have to get my blood levels tested monthly, and I also had to have a filter put in my inferior vena cava (the main vessel in your body that goes to your heart.) To prevent clots from moving to my heart, lungs, and or brain. Since then I have to have a job that I Cannot sit down for too long but can't have a job that I am on my feet either, pretty limited, huh? And of course I must have insurance to pay for the nonstop medical bills. I have been pretty depressed about the whole thing so make sure if you take Yasmin you get off immediately!!! Now instead of birth control pills I have a 10 year IUD. Now after reading some of the other posts I am wondering if my depression, anxiety, anger and mood swings have something to do with the IUD....

I was wondering if anyone has any updates since having it out for more than a week or so. I pretty much just have moderate to severe back pain and possibly weight loss, sometimes bloated belly, but also haven't really exercised since having my baby 7 mo. ago. ...

I was just given this pill to help with perimenopausal irregular periods (anywhere from 50 day cycle down to 20 days). I'd tried HRT and bled every 2 weeks on that, so gave it up. I'm on day 14 of the Loestrin and just started bleeding (2 weeks after my last period). Sound like this isn't unusual, but it's annoying as hell. I've also been depressed, irritable and had no sex drive.
I can't decide if I'm willing to stick it out for 3 months and see if things level out--I do like the idea of someday having very short, regular periods.

Wow. I had Mirena insertedin March 2009, following two years of horrible periods following my third c-section. I would have a heavy period for an average of 10 days, then get two weeks off and start again. They originally tried giving me Depo Provera - BAD! I was losing blood clots the size of my fist for three months!

At first Mirena seemed ideal, though I don't need birth control - I had a tubal ligation with my c-section. The periods were just awful! They inserted the mirena during a D&C and hysteroscopy because I also had uterine polyps. My hair is falling out (my thyroid has been checked, thank you);I have acne on my face and back; I am growing hair on my face; I am irritable; my back hurts; I am bloated; I am gaining weight even though I am on a reduced calorie diet, gave up drinking wine AND run two miles a day; I have yeast infections; sex hurts and I bleed nearly every time I have sex; I have a low sex drive now; I bleed when I exercise or go for a walk; I have ruined every pair of panties I own, and I am still having 14 day long periods. No longer heavy periods, but 14 days of bleeding, then nine days off before starting again!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and told him all of this: his responses were that the spotting and irregular periods are likely for the FIRST YEAR (WHICH IS NOT IN THE FINE PRINT INCLUDED WITH THE MEDICATION!!!) and that doctors can't find or treat the cause of heavy periods and bleeding, only treat the symptoms.

We need to band together to demand that women's health issues are taken seriously. It is not acceptable to have a doctor say that the cause of these problems doesn't matter. Treating the cause should be the primary goal, not peddling drugs or covering up symptoms! The New York Times ran an article yesterday recommending Mirena as a solution to heavy bleeding in women! This is not a solution. And neither is a hysterectomy - I am only 31.

I am a 39 year old mother of two teenager daughters. I had my original Mirena inserted in July, 2002 due to extreme bleeding for many months. I would bleed for about 24 days out of every month and felt horrible. As I was only 32 years old at the time, my GYN did not want to perform a hysterectomy and suggested the Mirena. I bled for a couple of months after insertion, but shortly thereafter I had no bleeding and have had no period ever since. This is the side effect that is fantastic!

Shortly after having the Mirena inserted, my marriage fell apart and I was feeling very depressed, EXTREMELY EXHAUSTED and overall "crappy". I assumed that this was all due to my life circumstances. I gained significant weight in my mid-section, I had (and still have) constant headaches, I am always still very very tired, am dizzy, fuzzy-minded, blurred vision, achey, etc. etc. etc. I never once thought about the Mirena being the cause of any of these symptoms.

My doctor has checked my bloodwork numerous time to ensure my iron levels, etc. were okay as well as my thyroid - every time the results were normal so I thought it must all be in my head and all be due to me being somewhat depressed, etc. due to my marital breakdown.

I had my 2nd Mirena put in in December, 2009 as the first one was in for the full 5 years. It was a little painful getting it taken out and the new one put in, but for me the pain was worth it to continue to be period-free for another 5 years!

Recently I have been experiencing hot flashes and night sweats so I asked my doctor if I could be going through menopause. She ordered bloodwork to check my hormones and informed me last week that yes, in fact I am quite far into menopause!!! (remember, age 39)! Because I have not had a period in almost 6 years, I did have the early warning signs of menopause such as missed or irregular periods.

I wondered why I would be going through it so early so googled "Mirena and early menopause" which brought me to this site. When I started reading all the side effects, I wondered if it was maybe the Mirena that cause a lot my problems over the years and it wasn't in fact the dissolving of my marriage and change in life circumstances.

I now have to decide what to do. My doctor stated that I should (because of my young age) go on Hormone Replacement for quality of life. (I am close to my decision and believe that HRT is beneficial for me) - hopefully this will help with the terrible symptoms of menopause I have been having.

I am wondering if having the Mirena inserted had any part in accelerating my body into menopause. I am thinking of having it removed before starting HRT because even though the doctor told me that there is a very low hormone dosage in the Mirena, I don't want to over-do it with hormones as that could cause me even more problems. It would be amazing if I had it removed that I would feel the way I used to feel back 6 years ago (minus the husband)

FYI, before I had the Mirena inserted the first time I read and re-read the pamphlet which contained all the possible side effects, etc. But, as I stated above, my life changed dramatically very shortly after insertion so it never occurred to me that some of my problems may be related to the Mirena.

If this device does accelerate a woman's body into menopause, this should be well publicized as it would be tragic for young women who use this as a form of contraception early in their life to only find out later that they are no longer able to conceive due to their body going though "the change".

hey everyone im 16 and i started taking Yasmin on June 14th mainly for irregular periods and to not get pregnant.ive almost finished this pack but lately ive been having some really bad stomach cramps tht r almost period like and not to mention the mood swings and decreased sex drive.it really sucks. has the stomach cramps happened to any1 r is it just me?

I am literally in tears after reading all of this, I'm beginning to think that Mirena ruined my life and I didn't even know it.

I stumbled upon this site while searching for Mirena side effects related to periods. I had mine inserted in October 2007, at my 6 week checkup after my daughter was born. I had severe cramping and irregular periods for about 3 months, but after that, my periods have been completely regular and pretty much the same as they had always been before my pregnancy and Mirena. But, just now, I've started my period 2 weeks early and was slightly curious if it may have anything to do with the Mirena. Apparently, it may. And now I see that having an early period is the least of my worries.

I've been experiencing so many of these side effects without even realizing they were side effects! I had put everything off on stress, disliking my job, then losing my job, the fact that "pregnancy changed me," and numerous other things. Now I feel sort of stupid for not even thinking that it could be Mirena.

I had my daughter in August 2007, at 23 years old. Mirena was put in during October of the same year. I was overwhelmed with motherhood and suffered from post-partom depression and severe anxiety attacks. I thought that this was what was causing my complete lack of sex drive.

Seriously, the thought of sex physically made me ill. And on the rare occasion that I did give in and have sex with my husband, it was so painful that I would cry. For a long time I thought that it was just because my body was not finished healing after giving birth. I had been told by several people that it isn't uncommon for sex to hurt for up to a year after giving birth. A year passed, and it still hurt. Now it's been almost 2, and it still hurts. I've probably had sex a total of about 10 times since I started Mirena. It's been 21 months.

On top of this, I've also had serious rage issues. I fly off the handle over the smallest things. For the longest time, this rage was directed mainly at my husband. Everything he did was wrong, hurtful, stupid, or just plain irritating. I'm even getting angry right now, just thinking about him. I left my husband 5 months ago, because I simply could not stand him anymore. But when someone asks me why we're getting a divorce, I really can't come up with a good reason. Sure, he made some mistakes, and did some stupid things (don't all men?), but he never really did anything terrible or life altering. He was always faithful to me, was generally a good husband, and loved me unconditionally. So why can't I stand him? Why don't I love him anymore? I can't logically explain it.

So now that I don't have him around anymore to be angry at all the time, I'm starting to direct my anger at my daughter. She'll be 2 in August, and has started that "terrible 2's" phase. I'm very quick to just completely blow up and yell at her for the littlest things. I've been starting to think that I'm just not cut out to be a parent. I love her with all of my heart but I have no patience with her at all. If this rage issue is, in fact, caused by the Mirena, I have to admit that I'll be somewhat relieved.

Other than anger, I'm pretty much emotionally dead. I've cried ONE time since my husband and I split up (well two now, since reading all of your posts actually made me cry). I'm jobless, husbandless, living with my mother, and pretty much have absolutely nothing going well for me in my life right now... and I have not cried. I don't even feel very sad. There has seriously got to be something wrong there.

I'm constantly tired, and if given the chance, will sleep 14-16 hours at a time. I don't feel like doing anything. I thought this might be signs of depression... but again, I don't feel sad. I can't keep up with my daughter. She's so full of energy and I often have to get help from my Mother. I'm 25 years old and I'm so tired I have to get help from a 48 year old woman!

I get headaches almost daily. Migraines weekly. I've got severe anxiety about just about everything. I freak out about driving, being around groups of people, anything new, anything fairly difficult, or anytime my daughter is with a sitter or relative. Even when my husband has her, and he is a wonderful father, and very responsible with her. If I had insurance, I would probably already be on anxiety medication.

I've started getting acne, which I never ever had. Not even as a teen. Now I get those really deep pimples that never come up to the surface, and they ache very badly.

I haven't had a lot of the physical side effects that have been talked about here. No weight gain or loss (120 lbs pre-pregnancy, 145 lbs at 9 months, 125 lbs now). No hair loss. No bloating. No breast swelling/soreness. Normal periods until just now. No pains or flutters or anything. Really the only physical symptoms I've had are the headaches, acne, and tiredness (all of which I attributed to stress) and the pain during sex.

Do you ladies think that my symptoms are all the cause of Mirena? Does my story seem to fit the bill? It seems to all fit, to me. But maybe I'm just looking too hard for an answer. Please give me your opinions! I need to decide if I should start saving up some money to get this thing taken out of me!

Okay. I have been on Yaz for the last year. I have been having horrible migraines. I have been told to switch from Yaz to something else. The doctor prescribed me Loestrin 24. Now, ever statement I read someone says they have had a lot of spotting. Is there anyone taking Loestrin and is not spotting? I am not sure if I should take this pill now?????? I also need to loose about 10 pounds from taking the Yaz. I am afraid that taking the Loestrin I will gain more........ I just don't know what to do.

OMG! Just reading these posts are giving me chills. I have had mine in since end of April 08. I had my son in March 08. I was prescribed Zoloft soon after having my son for post partum depression. It didn't help much and the doctor said it should go away by 6 months. It didn't. The symptoms have gotten worse and include thoughts of suicide often. I am EXTREMELY moody. I feel like I am psycho! I yell at my kids and hubby. I cut myself off from friends and family. For a while I was cautious everyday but not so much anymore. I have severe cramping, irregular periods, migraines, and I get that funny feeling like its something in my belly too. Worst of all is the weight gain. I have 3 children and I am naturally thin. After my 1st two I went back down in around 6 months. My son is almost 16 months and I am the same since after his birth! I am 5'7'' 160 lbs...normally 131. I look 4 months pregnant. I workout 5xs a week and have a strict diet..nothings working. Not to mention the dramatic loss of interest in sex. Me and my hubby were very frisky and now I just don't want to be bothered. When we do have sex there is pain and sometimes bleeding. After reading this post I have now realized these things have to be because of the Mirena, too many people have the same symptoms. I am suffering from low self esteem because of the weight gain and other issues and have become very paranoid. It may sound dramatic but I am suffering, my husband and children are suffering and I am making an appointment tomorrow to get it removed....

I had my mirena inserted in November of 2008 and since that time I have had irregular periods. And by irregular I mean, lighter periods but for extreme lengths of time. Most of mine last from 7 to 14 days at a time and are only gone for about 20 to 25 days in between (if I am lucky). Up until about 2 months ago, that was the only real side effect I noticed. But then I got hit with intense migraines (the current one has lasted over a month now with little relief) a major breakout of acne both on my face & back....something I have never had before, major mood swings (violent at times) I have lost my temper with everyone and for no reason at all and then 10 mins later I am crying and (big deal for me) a semi-big weight gain (147 in November and 182 now) with no change in diet! So needless to say that even though the convenience of not having to take a pill daily and the cost I am saving is amazing........I can't say that it is worth my sanity or the lives I am affecting with my attitude! I think I will schedule to have it removed next week! Can anyone tell me if it hurts to have it removed?? I think it hurt putting it in so I am nervous to get it out!

This is my 3rd posr here...... long story short.... I'm 40yrs-- I got Mirena to help with my irregular periods....... I got Mirena in on 06/03/09, took it out on 06/10/2009.... I started a heavy period with huge clots from 06/12 -06/15 or so....post removal, I was really moody, down (depressed), tired, & my breast was tender but it all seemed to go away when the bleeding stopped....

So, fast forward to 06/21 when another extremely heavy period started and has continued on through today.... I'm moody, depressed , tired, and spacey since Sunday..... this is not a normal cycle for me because I was on when I got it inserted on 06/03 and shouldn't have seen another cycle until July....

By the way.... I got acne after I got it removed.... yet great 40 yr old woman with acne----OMG!!!.

I'm hoping this bleeding stops today or tomorrow... Has anyone else had this happen post removal ????

Is there a drug other that BCP that will help with irregular periods ??? These crazy cycles are ruining my sex life..... lol... thanks for your help.....

I am a 48 year old woman, 5'1" (now 145 pounds). I had Mirena inserted almost exactly 5 years ago, and am scheduled to have it removed in 2 weeks. I gained 25 pounds over the course of the last three years; prior to that, my maximum weight for my whole (non pregnant) life was 123 (I was at 120 when Mirena was inserted, four years after the birth of my second child). I have always been very healthy, never abnormal blood tests except during my two pregnancies was tested as pre-gestational diabetic and had to watch my carbs.

I never put it together with Mirena until just recently, when I started doing research on hypothyroidism after a friend told me that my symptoms could be due to that problem. Depression, hair loss, acne on my back, and the terrible weight gain. I went to see my G.P. who referred me for blood work. I hoped to see evidence of low thyroid function (actual TSH value, 3.12 -- I was told this is normal on a range of .4 to 4.5). I also discovered that I now have high cholesterol (269 triglycerides, 251 total cholesterol, 46 HDL, and 151 LDL). My fasting (14 hours) glucose # is 99 (I was told this is normal on a range of 65-99 mg/dL), and my vitamin D, 25-OH is 21 (also was told this is still normal but low on a range of 20-100 ng/mL). I tried to give blood six months ago, and was turned down because of anemia, so I've been eating a lot of spinach, greens, and more red meat than I normally would, so I was interested to see if I am still anemic -- the red blood cell count is 3.8 (told it was normal on a range of 3.8-5.1 mill/uL). I mention these specific results because although I was told they were normal (except for cholesterol), when I physically went to the doctor's office and requested a copy of the results and did some research online I see that my thyroid IS actually low-functioning -- according to guidelines revised six years ago, anything over 3.0 is considered hypothyroid and should be treated. Plus, isn't a fasting glucose of 99 pretty high? Yet my doctor's only suggestion: diet and exercise. Good grief, I've been on a diet since I had my first child, 13 years ago. True, I don't exercise regularly (I'm a teacher and mom of 2; I never seem to have the me time.) I guess I have an excuse to get a gym membership now.

Also, for the last year I've had increasing pain in my shoulder (I couldn't lay on my side, for example, and lately I can't reach behind me or over my head). An x-ray turned up mild bone degeneration, but not enough to cause the pain I've been having. I was referred to an orthopedist, who today diagnosed a shoulder rotator cuff injury (I've had no injury; he says it is a common degenerative complaint in the over-40 crowd). He gave me a cortisone injection and I'll be on PT for a while to see if the pain goes away. If not, I'll have to have an MRI and surgery to correct the tear.

I'm posting all of this in case it might be useful to someone out there who might be going through the same thing. I had a thyroid test done about six years ago at my OB/GYN, and it was normal then (though I don't have the number; I'll get it in 2 weeks at the OB/GYN). It will be interesting to learn whether my thyroid level has gone up since Mirena. Also, although my research suggests that the effects of these synthetic hormones do not wear off for some time, possibly even years, I will finally feel like there may be hope if my symptoms improve over the next few months when Mirena is gone. If so, I will share it with you.

If you are reading this, perhaps you have a similar story. I wish I had been more aggressive about checking out the possible causes of my many symptoms, but I let them go for years because, I guess, I just figured I'm a healthy woman who is no longer young. (Oh, one more thing: for the first year or even two years that I had Mirena, I had incredibly heavy periods. The blood flow was similar to that during the day or two after the vaginal births of my daughters. Don't know if that's significant, but it took a couple of years for my periods to get fairly normal on Mirena.)

Has anyone had side effects pop up after 3 years? Yes, you heard me. Three years. Hair falling out. Joint pain. "Foggy headedness." Chest discomfort. Gotta be that. Please share.