Iud symptoms and conditions

hello, i got the mirena in 2007 and after i got it put in a few months went by and everything was fine. then i started getting sick in the mornings and i thought great this birth control sucks i am pregnant again. but that wasn't the case because i took test and it said no and then the docs told me that nausea was a side effect so i figured i would just leave it at that. but it only got worse i started getting really bad headaches, pain in my stomache, sick all day long, and for some reason i couldn't eat more then once a day but i would gain weight i was depressed and i felt like a complete piece of crap. it also made me gain weight i am 22 yrs old and i have never weighed over 130lbs even when i was pregnant during the 2 yrs i had the mirena i gained 15lbs my expierence with the mirena was absolutely terrible if you ever got morning sickness that turned into all day sickness while you were pregnant this is exactly how the mirena made me feel bloated, painful and sick to my stomache i finally got the mirena removed because i just couldn't take it any more i have been off the mirena for 3 months now and i still can't eat much and it really bothers me i am hoping it gets better because i can't take much more of this. please let me know if anyone else expierienced this!

Thank you Thanks you Thank you!
I am literally crying - tears - reading all of your posts because I have been totally stressed this week trying to figure out what is wrong with me... I am 33 and mother of 3 so I just thought it was normal to be tired constantly. I had Mirena put in Dec of 2008 so almost a year now. At first not a big deal, slight spotting here and there. Now I am headed to the doctor with 100 symptoms. I have felt ALL the things you all are saying, the mood swings, random crampiness, feeling like a period is coming, but nothing happens. Cramping after sex and almost always spotting the following day. Low back pain, hip/groin pain too. Feeling bloated/ full/swollen in my low abdomen. I've had a headache just about everyday for the last 2 weeks and I have been nauseous (feeling like I'm preggo again) since I got the Mirena. Anxiety, dizziness, etc etc etc. Finally called the Dr because after 10 months of no periods, I have now been actually bleeding for a week. It has scared me to death thinking I have cysts, or worse!! It has helped tremendously hearing your stories although I am sorry that so many of us are going through this.
Of course my doctor won't get me in for another 6 days - but at least I am going. The nurse made it sound like the IUD may be out of place! I have felt uncomfortable all along knowing that there was this foreign object lodged in my body so I am sure I will be getting it removed no matter what they tell me. I just have to figure out what my next step is.... I am not prepared to have any more children!
3 is amazing, but just about all I can handle right now! : )
Thanks for your posts, they have calmed my fears tremendously.

I had my IUD removed November 12th after having it for two years. The removal was painless. Within twenty-four hours, the abdominal bloating was noticeably less and within a week, gone. I also noticed an increase in energy level and change in appetite. I am looking forward to getting rid of the gained weight over the past two years and getting back into the clothes I love. More importantly, I want to feel alive and attractive again. The only adverse effect of having the IUD removed was four days after removal, I had a very emotional, crying episode for the better part of the day. A minimal amount of vaginal discharge, similar to the start of a period, has been present for about six days. Otherwise, no problems. Also, my knees, hips and back are no longer hurting like they were. Don't hesitate to have it removed and don't let your doctor talk you out of it! It is your body and your right to make all decisions regarding your healthcare! Good luck to you all. Thank you for sharing your experiences. If you had not, I may have never put two and two together.

I have had severe canker sores since January of this year I had the IUD put in on Dec 23, 2008. I am only 21 and have maybe had a few canker sores here and there but I have had multiple canker sores now for almost a year. I have been to my doctor several times, a ear nose and throat doctor twice and a oral specialist once. I have had a blood test done only for it to come back normal. No one seems to know why I keep getting them the only thing I can think of is the IUD. Can anyone help?

I have been on the Loestrin 24 for 3 months and i am about to call my dr and see if i can try the IUD, the side effects on the Loestrin 24 is horrible, i work out every day and i am having a battle with my weight management and i can only blame the pill, before i was in good shape i kept my weight in check by working out but now is very serious, i need to get back to my 135lb, since i gave birth 5 months ago i have been 150lb and it does not drop. i am really disappointed

ive been on mirena since march 2008. at first i thought this was the best birth control product out there. however for over two years i have been riddled with allergies, sinus infections, upper respiratory tract infections, tiredness, headaches, joint pains, muscle aches, gastric and bowel problems, cyst like acne, mood swings tachycardia (rapid heart rate), anxiety. at first i thought all these were related to getting older (im 29) and work related stress so i wrote it off. but being a person who has never been sick in my life to all of a sudden being sick once a month is crazy. this has been the only thing i could think of that i could think the problem is. i hate to remove the iud because it is so convenient but i am sick of being sick. the doctors dont tell you of the not so obvious side effects like these. i just hope that no permanent damage has occurred.

I got the mirena in September of this year , I have had 2 bacteria infections,once I get them gone they come right back this IUD makes u smell very bad, I have experience feeling like I have peed on myself.. I don't know why someone would make something like this , the string holding fluids from sex or just from discharge, the devise is plastic which is probably hold odors making you smell fishy, they need a lawsuit out on this , It messes with your sex life in more then one way.

I have had Mirena in since May of 2008 and have not felt the same since. In the beginning the headaches and fatigue that occurred was constant. I decided to give it time to see if my body got used to the progesterone and to also figure out whether or not it's having three small kids. Over the last year I've noticed when I have spotting, which usually occurs once or twice a month, I feel downright awful. One day I'll be on top of the world and energized...my normal self. The next day I'm spotting and the extreme body fatigue, leg an hip pain, foggy head, and depression occurs. EVERY time it is linked to the spotting. Which makes me believe that it has something to do with the IUD. I am scheduling an appointment to get it removed asap. I'd rather have my body go through it's natural processes and rely on that process than to feel this bad unexpectedly. Can't wait to remove the IUD!

Well i been on loestrin for about 5 months now, Ive tried 4 other contraceptives (that kept giving me nasty yeast infections, headaches and severe nausea! , but this is probably the only one my body tolerates..... as far as symptoms, in the beginning i would have massive migraines and nausea almost everyday it was horrible! but it got a lil better as time past....of coarse mood swings from here to there, and a low sex drive... it suxs my boyfriend thinks "im not into him" anymore, and im telling u its the pills... cuz i didnt have this problem before i got on em. but i guess i choose to be on the pills cuz i dont want any accidents....it helps my acne for the most part.....haven't had any migrans lately hopefully they wont come back.... but my next step will probably be the IUD...hopefully this wont give me no problems =/ if that dont work then i dont no what im gonna do...anything with tooo much estrogen gets me really sick.....

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 have had palpitations, racing heart, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue and nausea since I had the IUD inserted over a week ago - Ive been through a whole heap of tests and they have all came back fine. Im wondering if Im reacting to the hormone in it?? as I haven't taken the pill before either. If the symptoms don't go away Im having it removed but I think the most frustrating thing is being told they don't know whats wrong with you and you thinking it's all in your head :( I am post baby but I was feeling well before the Mirena - not so well since...

I had Mirena since Sept 2008. All I felt was a slight cramp when it was put in and a minor ache for a few hours afterward. I had some spotting for about 4 days after it and then nothing. Periods got lighter each month but the spotting got longer and longer.

I stumbled across this sight a few days ago when I was wondering if the Mirena could cause weight gain. After reading everyone's experience with it, everything started to come together. I got it 3 months after my daughter was born. I had gained 80 pounds while pregnant and lost 40 within 3 months. I then had that damn IUD put in. I gained it all back. I haven't been able to lose anything after gaining it all back. I have trouble just trying to maintain my weight. This is what I've experienced so far: weight gain, facial hair, cramping, sharp abdominal pains, joint pain, constant exhaustion, mood swings, bloating, tingling sensations, headaches/migraines, 15 days of spotting each month, constant hunger, no sex drive... I've had blood work, tests on my stomach and abdomen, iron infusions... All my doctor was telling me to do is change my diet and exercise when I went about the exhaustion. I've done that and gained 3 more pounds!

It's scheduled to come out December 4th. That day can't come fast enough for me!

Some of this may be TMI for some, but I believe in not pulling the punches:

I had mine inserted 12/07 when my youngest was 8 weeks old. I had the para-guard (no hormone) previously and loved it, I didn't take into account how poorly I have done with hormonal BC in the past (2 pregnancy's on the pill, 30lbs weight gain in 6 weeks of the patch, constant 'morning sickness' with the shot, etc) all I heard was no more periods....

After doing the HGC diet (as a last resort) I am finally down to the weight I was 2 days before my dd was born. At my peak I was 20lbs more. I want to get pregnant again next spring, but I have at least 35 lbs to loose before even considering it.

I bleed 2-3 weeks out of the month- too light for even the lightest tampons, but still no fun. I have actually developed raw spots from wearing a pad ALL THE TIME since I never know when the bleeding will start.

And, best of all, I hate sex. I have always had a great sex drive (I'm 29 with four kids) but now if my husband even looks like he's thinking about it I snap at him. When I finally give in (maybe once a month!) it hurts horribly for days- two main types: even with copious amounts of lube I am still dry enough that I feel swollen and bruised. On top of that I cramp for a full day - Feels like I've been punched in the stomach repeatedly. And then the bleeding starts.

Also some (relatively mild) acne, constant, but manageable (never a problem before). Including some in the groin area that end up as boils when on a stretch mark. I had never attributed it to my IUD until reading these posts, but had never had them previously.

The only reason I've had it this long is we lost our insurance shortly after the baby was born (DH laid off after 10 years in construction) I am calling my doctor on Monday to find out how much it will cost to have it removed!

I would ( and have) recommend IUD's to all my friends, but if any have ever had a problem with any hormones- para guard it is!!

Hi there... I came off of Yasmin just 2 weeks ago and thought I should share with you my story since yours is a skin issue. I took Yasmin for 3 years. This past year I would wake up some bumps on my lip.. then on my hands.. then (this is over a period of months) I would wake up and have a slightly swollen lip... this was over the last year or so. I would also get a feeling in my throat, like something was in it and swallowing felt funny.
WELL, 2 weeks ago, I took my bc like I always do, right before I go to bed and my lip starts to tingle and itch.. and in the morning my face was swollen 3x the normal size on on side, mostly at the lips... I couldn't really talk.. it was like those awful photos on google. It was angioedema and can kill you by swelling of the throat. I had also for about a year- an ear issue.. it would sound like I was talking under water and felt like swimmer's ear- related to the swelling I found out later. Turns out I'm allergic. I developed this allergy over the period of time I was exposed.

I just want to say to anyone out there that has FACIAL/LIP SWELLING, or swelling of the hands... GO TO THE ER. It can kill you. I got lucky.. my swelling started slow and after about a year if was full blown. It is not something to mess around with!I was prescribed an epi pen. I developed an allergy to a preservative in it and I'm not an allergen sensitive person. That was just the parms/doctor guess I might add.

The first year I took Yasmin I had numb and tingling toes. and the whole tie I've had on and off leg pain.. no sex drive, that's the truth..definite bloating issues about 6 lbs weight gain, sometimes more without change in diet. I haven't noticed any hair loss thankfully. Migraines. Lots of nausea in the morning, every morning like morning sickness. Car sick even when driving.. not normal! I used to work on an airplane and I never got motion sickness.

I'm now on day 4 of Mirena IUD and I'm having having severe diarrhea and trouble sleeping.. I really, really don't want to get pregnant. Our next step is a vasectomy for the hubby. I'm 25 and I weigh 140 5'10 if that helps. I wasn't an 'at risk' like the pamphlet said.

SIX HOURS POST REMOVAL- I had my mirena removed today after 3 years and nearly 3 months. My side effects included headaches, sore breasts, weight gain, nausea, severe hair loss, depression, severe pitting edema of my right foot, cramping, hip pain, exhaustion, severe mood swings, and acne. During the first six months I had constant bleeding, which I had been told to expect. I took regular pills everyday and the bleeding stopped. Then the hair loss started. My hair came out in clumps and was EVERYWHERE. I lost about 15 inches of my hair in spots. I went to the salon and got a fantastic hair cut, I attributed my hair loss to stress. Now I'm not too sure. I also didn't feel like I was myself with the odor that I developed. No matter how many times I showered I felt not regular. Slowly but surely over the past three years I have gained 30 lbs. I worked out to try to get the weight off, I lost nothing and in fact gained weight! The pitting edema of my left foot started in July of 08. I have been tested for everything including diabetes, heart problems, clotting disorders, pregnancy, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and the list goes on to the tune of $6,000. I went to my OB back in the spring and was told if they could find nothing else then they would remove the IUD. In the interim I lost my job and subsequently my insurance. I luckily was able to get coverage again and immediately set an appointment for the removal. Insertion hurt like nothing I have ever experience, removal was quick and almost painless. I also ended up with BV (bacterial vaginosis). I feel and look as though I am about 6 or 7 months pregnant. My belly is actually the same size as it was when my son was born. I weight about 15 lbs more. My breasts were extremely swollen and sore.

I instantly felt better after removal. My hip immediately stopped tingling. I have no back pain. It felt almost like a lifting if that makes sense. I am curious to see what the next few weeks will bring and I will definitely keep you all posted.

I had my Mirena inserted in November 08. I immediately started experiencing sever mood swings and I was very angry and mean. I stayed depressed nearly the whole year to the point of feeling suicidal. I had nigh sweats and pains. I also gained almost 25 lbs during 1 year. My Mirena got "lost" in may of 09 and I could not feel the string, I had to have a sonogram to find it. That was really horrible. 4 weeks ago I started having a discharge and severe stabbing pains on the right side of my abdomen. I went to ER to have someone check me out but I left because teh wait was too long. The next morning I went to two doctors to try and locate the IUD and check for issues and they couldn't find the IUD or anything wrong with me. I knew I wasn't imagining the symptoms and I felt like I was going crazy. I finally got in to see my OB and she was able to locate and remove the IUD. The removal was extremely painful. She told me that the IUD was embedded into the back wall of my uterus. Its been exactly 1 week today since I had it removed and I feel 100% better. Almost all of my symptoms are gone. I would not recommend the Mirena to my worst enemy.

i just stumbled on this site, SO i like to share my experience. I had the Mirena placed in Oct 08 and took it out recently Oct 09 so exactly a year within, that year: I was having the ose Headaches ever (i expressed this to my doctor but almost immediately he was dismissive on the idea that it was related to the IUD. I insisted it was because of it.. I also wasn't able to lose any weight, and had moody side effect. I now realized it wasn;t just me. There should be a more testing when producing a product such as this. I am just wondering is there going to be a time (soon) where there will be a recall on this product or are they going to keep this on the market until someone gets really ill or are they waiting for someone to die?.. Geez I am now going to do this the natural way. (calculate my periods and be vigilant as to when i am ovulating) these birth control assist with one thing and mess up 10

I had the Mirena put in October of 06 and had it removed in October of 08. During the time that I had it, I didn't get a period, which I expected but I was really hormonal. It was like I would get angry or upset for no apparent reason. It was ruining my relationship, and I would also get terrible headaches, no sex drive, and I started getting cysts in the groin area. The doctor told me it had nothing to do with the Mirena, but I believe it did. Since I had it removed I don't get so bent out of shape so easily, no more headaches, but I do still get the cysts, but just prior to my period every month. Also, we have been trying to get pregnant again and it just isn't happening. I never had a problem with my first two kids, and now I just cant seem to make it happen. I would not recommend that horrible IUD for anyone. It caused nothing but problems for me.

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!

I am 26 years old and have 3 and 1/2 month old son. i recently had mirena inserted and will be having it removed first thing tomorrow when i call the doctors office. i have ready numerous blogs and have a hair loss problem as well. I know that after u birth a child u loose hair as well as when its cold out as the air changes and may cause ur hair to be more dry and break etc. That is not the case here, my hair line on both sides is thinning as well as the front top part of my hair line.when i wash my hair it comes out way to easily and not the normal shedding when u wash and scrub ur hair. I have very long, thick thick hair so it took a few weeks to notice, but i know this is not normal.The first thing u can do is go to the fda website and find ur region complaint line number and call and report it. they take this serious, as they called me back a few minutes after i left my info with the young lady on the phone. if it is not reported to them they don't know to pull the product. it is even posted on the mirena web page to report any side affects u feel are not normal, or something along those lines. drug reps are surely not going to tell ur doctor this is more common then the 5% the info on the web page says. If u do not know medical terms or what u are looking for, ur likely not to see it and its not listed in "common" side affects like it needs to be. Please help by calling the fda in ur area so that this can be further looked into. i have only had the iud for 7 weeks and already notice this and caught it. I have read a ton of post on other pages and feel so bad that so many people did not catch it for awhile. Like most said, they thought age or an imbalance in their body was the causing factor. if i find more info i will post, hope this helps, and if u have any info for me please send it-

I got my Mirena in about 20 months ago and almost immediately my life started going downhill. I got moody, depressed, started gaining weight, my skin broke out in TERRIBLE cystic acne. Then I started having trouble sleeping at night, and was waking up EXHAUSTED every morning. etc etc. At first I blamed job stress. Then poor eating habits. Then poor skincare products, my new apartment...everything but the IUD.

I have Type 1 Diabetes, so I see an endocrinologist regularly and when I went in yesterday to show him this new BALD SPOT on the top of my head, and talk about my random weight gain, despite joining weight watchers and exercising every single day, he started asking me questions and determined that that IUD needed to come OUT. He said if the hormones were affecting my body enough to cause acne, and increase my insulin dose (I went from 10 units a day to 20...a HUGE increase!) then it was most certainly affecting my hormones enough to cause weight gain, hair loss, etc. It even explained why I suddenly needed to get waxed every three weeks instead of every six.

Unfortunately all the literature indicates that removal comes with terrible bleeding, clots, and cramps. I'm going on vacation in less than one month and I'm super bummed that I have to keep it in until I get back from vacation but I'm not going to the most civilized region so I don't want to risk the kinds of horror stories I've been reading while abroad.

I had the Mirena put in on 8-26-2009. The day it was put in I started bleeding and have not stopped. Some days it is very heavy some day very light. I have gained about 10lbs since it was put in I feel depressed all the time, back hurts and my head hurts ALL the time. The last few days I have started having bad pains in my side. I keep telling myself "I am sure it has nothing to do with the IUD" But know I am not so sure. Now that I have read everyone post I really am thinking that all of this is being caused by my IUD.

I took lisinopril for 2 months and throughout experienced dizziness and dray cough. Towards the end of the two months I noticed a small itchy rash on my neck. Then I had mirena IUD inserted, immediately my whole body including the head was covered by an itchy rash, have bumps all over my body. Doctor immediately removed the IUD, stopped lisinopril (I was telling her to stop lisinopril before - did not help), and i am still suffering. My fingers are swollen so difficult to type. I am 48 years old and my bp is back. i am taking HCL (water pill for BP) Monday going to see an allergist/immunologist. I am positive the lisinopril and mirena caused these symptoms. I was told it will take a while for this to go off. I had mirena for 7 days and see what a mess. both drugs have given this together. Until then absolute misery!