Long periods symptoms and conditions

I'm partial to Mirena. I had it for all 5 years, but still debate as to whether my weight gain, hair loss and joint pain were related. I got it shortly before my boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me, starting drinking a bit more and was in general stressed out. So stress & alcohol equals weight gain. Weight gain (30 lbs in a year) equals joint pain. The hair loss is another story. It might be stress, but I went long periods afterward without stress and I could pull out rat size clumps of hair once every few weeks from my shower drain. I had it removed on October 6th 2009. I immediately started NuvaRing. 3 weeks later, I'm DONE with that. That's another story. Overall, though, I don't think the majority of the side effects were caused by Mirena and the 5 years I had it in were good. I won't get another one, just because I'm still skeptical. I think I'm going to take some time off birth control with hormones. We'll see how it goes. I can't say I'd recommend Mirena due to all of the horror stories I've read. Maybe in a year, if all my symptoms go away, I won't be so wishy washy.

I've been on Aviane for a month and just got my period.
So far here are the good things: I haven't gained weight. My boobs haven't swollen up like crazy (they usually do right before my period), and my period isnt killing me! Yay! I used to have HORRIBLE week long periods. It was so bad I would throw up and stay in bed squirming in pain for hours and miss work and class because of it on my second day of my period. But after this first month of being on Aviane my period will be max five days long which makes me really happy and I'm only sleepy but there ARE NO CRAMPS. Also I'm always lubricated during sex and it doesn't hurt anymore. It used to.
It also helped my bladder. I have interstitial cystitis and now my bladder isn't as sensitive anymore.

Negatives: I AM VERY MOODY. I cried a lot this month and was really paranoid and jealous about whatever my boyfriend was doing. I am never like this.
I have a lack of appetite. I have lost weight (not that I'm complaining).
I'm always tired.
My clitoris isn't as sensitive and I have a hard time orgasming. Before I used to have multiple orgasms but want less sex. Now I am always aroused but can't orgasm! It's weird.

But it has been the best birth control I've been on. And I've tried EVERYTHING. So we'll see...

I am 42 years old and had Mirena inserted almost seven weeks ago. I had it put in to help stop long periods. I wish I had found this web site before. I would never of had it done. It was REALLY painful when she inserted it. And I think that I have a pretty high tolerance of pain. They said it would probably take 6 weeks to stop my period. I am having it extremely heavy all the time. I have a lot less energy and have bloated up and gained weight. This is not typical of me. I just called my dr. office even though it is closed and told them I want it removed ASAP. Can't wait. Thanks, for the all the honest talk ladies!

Looking back at a post, it was 8 months ago when i first posted re long periods. and I'd had 3 two week ones then. So 11 months of bleeding...I've been to the docs, taken more hormones, different hormones, tried not having sex, tried having lots, but still bleeding and bleeding. Mirena used to be great. Have had it for over 3 years..... but it just stopped working. The acne has got worse.. the mood swings are worse, the dizzy spells before the "period" pain.....

I feel so guilty for recommending it to so many people as the answer... but it just isn't right for me anymore. Got an appointment to have it removed - scared of the removal pain and possible Crash... always struggled to keep hormones in check!

Thanks to all for their posts ... nice to know we are not alone. Would be nice to hear from anyone who has used Mirena to control Endometriosis.... or is thinking of it.... think it's pretty good... but hard to tell as it was inserted when I had my lapaoscapy and removed the adhesions. All Mirena side affects confused with endo.... but still think Mirena is the big cause.... enough is enough. Three years is a long time. (and a period constantly for nearly a year is insane!!) Good luck.....xx

I have mirena for about three years. My biggest complaint is my period sometimes i will have one for about two weeks and then it will skip a couple months. Lately it seems its getting to be longer. Im starting to feel nausea when im on. Other than that i have no complaints i loss about 51 pounds this year just eating right. My sex drive hasn't changed a bit its always been high. Im not sure if i will get another one after my five years is up.

I am 27 years old and have been on YAZ for about 1 year now. I never struggled with acne, long periods, cramps, etc and was simply trying a new form of BC. From my understanding YAZ was suppose to control mood swings but instead gave me horrible MOOD SWINGS. I would be good for a few days, then the next mad, and the next wanting to cry. I started thinking maybe I was depressed or maybe reacting to being stressed but this has gone on for far too long. I don't have the desire for sex as I did before I started taking YAZ and my boyfriend thinks I am crazy. It took me to see a commercial for a law firm in regards to yaz side effects to look up more information concerning the medication when I came across tons of responses from others that have experienced these same effects as I have if not worse. I done as of NOW. This has done nothing but made me a complete train wreck for the past year. I also read that the pill can cause upper respiratory infections/cough and I have had two bouts of Respiratory infections coming out of no where. No cold or allergies at all....Just hoarse and coughing. Please do your research on these pills

Wow, I decided to google nuvaring and leg cramps. I haven't had a charlie horse in 11 years, but I had one two weeks ago and I have noticed my legs are always achey. I have rheumatoid arthritis and my other joints don't even hurt this bad. After reading this I took it out. I rather have long periods than leg cramps. Guess I will call the doctor on Monday and let her know. I can't take oral pills because it goes through the liver. This sucks. I just wasted 35.00 after getting the mail order people to drop the one prescription from 67.00 to 35.00. I am anxious to see if my leg cramps go away. :-)

Well, I have reading lots of reviews about this pill since my doctor prescribed it, and being a science teacher, I have to say I am disappointed by how little many women who have issues (or not) go into specifics about their situation. So, I am going to be detailed here about this. Maybe if your situation is similar to mine, this could be helpful... :)
-I am 23...nearly 24 years old.
-5'10", 140-145 pounds.
-Very active, I at least ride my bike and/or go for a walk every day, and I try to work out at least twice a week. Healthy eater, but I still like to indulge...pretty much everyday.
-Non-smoker, rarely drink.
-Occasionally have coffee, mostly a tea drinker, avoid soda and dairy products.
-I have never used birth control before.
-I have been sexually active for approximately 3 years with one partner. We have always used condoms.
-I am on the last week of my first month.
-Reasons for going on the pill:
-Although very regular (comes approximately every 35 days like clockwork), I have very heavy and long periods (*Lots* of clotting, eight days long-my mother had a history of her periods lasting as long as two weeks as she has gotten older, I would like to avoid this.)
-Intense migraines and headaches, generally around my period.
-Intense cramping, diarrhea, and bloating before and during my period.
-Lack in energy, decrease in sex drive, and increase in stress level/unhappiness before and during my period.
-My doctor actually had me start the day AFTER my last period.
-I take it at 8:00 each night (set my alarm so I don't forget).
-Since starting Loestrin 24 Fe:
-Increase in energy level; however, I have found it more difficult to fall asleep. I also get very hot at night.
-Two headaches in the past 24 days, compared to the at least 3 severe ones I would get a week.
-Increase in sex drive, though I think we are both feeling a little less "afraid" of having any accidents, so that may be the difference.
-Breast slightly swollen (like they would be around my period before) and only slightly sensitive, but nothing unbearable.
-My mood has been generally good. Less stressed. Pretty happy lately.
-No pre-period cramping or diarrhea, but lots of bloating; however, I am always bloated and gassy because I have some digestion issues.
-No weight gain yet other than the normal water weight that changes daily regardless.
-Eyes are little dry, not tearing up when irritated. I am not sure if I can cry, and I used to be able to at the drop of hat.
- No real nausea.
-Skin is the same, actually my complexion looks slightly more even. My breakout zones (blackheads on my nose and chin are still there) haven't changed, but no whiteheads have appeared lately.
-Some breakthrough bleeding by the second week, but barely anything. If you had the kind of periods I had, a spot of light brown is nothing at all. I usually don't even need a panty liner.

All in all, I have been pretty pleased so far.

Hello! Its kind of creepy that i just now realized my problems and where they are coming from. A couple months ago I was having symptoms very similar to being pregnant.. went to pp and the dr. and I was not. I have been on Yasmin and the generic brands for 3 years now. and recently quit taking them for the 3rd time... About 2 weeks ago I started having " prego " symptoms again.. took a prego test and of course came up negative once again. Its been a little depressing as my partner and I have been wanting a baby. but now i'm starting to see where these symptoms are coming from.. My digestive system has gone haywire.. i get headaches.. my boobs hurt.. and i'm extremely emotional... my boyfriend has mentioned recently that my "outbursts" are frightening to him.. I didn't think it was that bad but now that I look back on it i've had these problems only during the time i've taken BC. WOW!!! as much as i enjoy the BC because it relieves me of my extremely long periods and severe cramps reading and feeling all of this makes me feel a little mad. I wish there were better ways of handling birth control and menstruation My doctor wont give me an IUD and my mother had severe side effects from the shot so i've been left with only the pill.. as the patch gave me really bad numbness after only 4 days..What are us women supposed to do!!! it seems like the doctors know what they're giving us but they do it anyway! women today should be able to be confident in their BC and know its not going to kill them. if anyone has some sort of "option" for me please don't hesitate to email me your thoughts and ideas... thank you! ******

I haven't posted since March '09, that is when I had my Mirena removed. Went through a few symptoms The Mirena Crash, bleeding gums, nausea, extended period over so far 14 days. I wanted to know of others that have had long periods like this after the removal, mind this long period is happening now in my 4 month of removal..

I had the MIRENA removed yesterday. I had it for 1 month and the first sign of change to my body was odor, I stink, bad, I did not have this problem before. So when I had my 1 month appointment for the follow up I decided to take it out. This was not so easy, the Doctor was really mean to me, told me the odor has NOTHING to do with the Mirena. Now that I'm reading all these posts I realize everything that went wrong with me had to do with this Mirena, trouble sleeping, acne, mood swings, weight gain...ack! I don't need birth control because I have my tubes tied, but I needed to control my super heavy periods, but let me tell you, I would rather have long periods over all these other side effects, oh, and my cramps got so much worse. What really bothers me is how the doctors want to push this product on you like it's the best thing ever, they are lying, big time!! I'm sure they get some kind of commission from Bayer. I'm really mad, and feel like I really can't trust my doctor.

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.

on my third pack now...for the first week when i started i did feel very tired, sleepy...and lazy, also had some light headaches..but that all went away.
did not have any mood swings, actually i am less cranky and in better mood.
before starting on BC... i had severe pains, long periods ( 6 days) and really bad bloating (would go up a dress size)...
so far Yaz has been good, no pains, light periods. period usually starts on the 4th placebo pill. the only problem as soon as i start taking placebo pills i get red bumps that sort of look like pimples on my face... and they last me until i am done my period.

Major hair loss (even my eyelashes have thinned out. Talk about upsetting), nausea, seriously bloated stomach, gassy, bacterial vaginosis (the second in my entire life), 2 week periods, breasts grew a half size so far, foggy headed, vision seems off when I drive (focusing it harder).

I posted some of my side effects last week. Today I got Mirena removed! I was sweating it b/c it hurt bad during the insertion 2 months ago, but it wasn't that bad. Hurt a little but it was quick and easy. They used long tongs to pull it out. I'm bleeding now a little bit but I've been bleeding for 10 days already from being on my 'extended' Mirena period, so I don't care. I'm just glad it's over with. My doctor said I didn't have to explain why I wanted it out. It was my choice. I mentioned again to her anyway the hair loss (probably a third of my hair in just 2 months), and the bloating (I look at least 3 month pregnant and I haven't really gained but like 2 lbs. I think it's from progesterone. Progesterone has to be causing this gas too b/c I had that side effect years ago when I was on progesterone). She said it's all possible side effects and that everyone is different. Some women do well on it and some don't. I'm just bummed b/c I could never have sex anyway b/c of the long periods and the case of BV in between those. These past 2 months have been a big waste of time and energy/worry. I can tell my husband is glad this saga is over with. With 2 young children I need to focus my energy on them and be clear headed. Good luck! I won't recommend this to my friends.

Got Mirena put in 2 months ago. Side effects: hair loss, slight weight gain, bloated stomach (can't even suck it in anymore), 2+ week periods, spotting, tired all the time, foggy headed (Like I need a cup of coffee)...

I'm 39 years old and have 2 kids (youngest is age 2). I don't like BCP's and was sick of condoms so I thought I'd try Mirena. Especially since my periods were starting to get heavier (guess it's my age). The insertion was extremely painful. I yelled out in the doctors office. I turned pale and got sweaty and lightheaded. That I didn't expect. I was okay the next day. I soon noticed that A LOT of hair would shed out when I washed my hair, brushed , etc. Not a normal amount at all. It's been 2 months now and my pony tail doesn't even feel the same. I've lost a lot. It's everywhere. Have to put it up when I cook. Thinking of calling my doctor this week to get it removed. I haven't had sex anyway since it was inserted b/c of the LONG periods anyway. It's just gross and stinky. Plus I'm so bloated. My pants fit differently. I've only gained about 3 lbs. I really wanted Mirena to work too. I think about the side effects too often and it's affecting the quality of my life. I'm in tune w/my body and this is the only change in my life so I know it's a real side effect. When I mentioned this to my doctor she said she had only really heard of women complaining about the bleeding pattern and moodiness. She had never heard of the hair loss but now that I read this site, I see it's quite common. It's listed as a side effect too on the medical websites. Good luck ladies. I'm making the call this week.

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".

I am a 58 year old female Who has been taking Simvaststin for 16 months .
I have been increasingly bothered with mainly night leg pain ( bilateral) that radites to my hips and back. It's like a tooth ache. I too have had to resort to taking pain medication at night to sleep. During the day when I sit for long periods my legs ( especially the thigh area) aches and standing up , walking etc does not alleviate the ache. It is not constant at this point but very frustrating.
After reading the posted notes I am contemplating going off the Simvastatin for a while to see if my symptoms improve.
Any thought?

Thanks!

Just want to survey everyone and ask for responses for the following 3 questions:

1. how long did you keep your Mirena and if you no longer have it, why did you have it removed?

2. how many of you had your thyroid checked? who's came back abnormal? what were the levels?

(I'm a medical student doing research on this one since I believe the levonorgestrel affects our thyroid hormone. My TSH was elevated to 5.2 which is considered "subclinical HYPOthyroidism". This was mid cycle when my natural progesterone AND synthetic progestin were cumulatively high. When I had it rechecked 6 weeks later (around my period when any natural progesterone level is gone) it was normalized at 1.5. So I think that the P+P screws up our thyroid and can throw us into a high TSH and "hypothyroid state". The opposite effect may be true during menstruation and we can become HYPERthyroid for a few days... hence the really bad anxiety?!)

3. where is everyone from? perhaps we can have support group meetings?

I had mine taken out today for all of the same reasons. I've also had horrible headaches daily for at least two months. My headaches, nausea and depression have started getting worse every week. Fortunately, I only had Mirena three months before now when I started putting things together. I've never had a problem with birth control pills and I've taken all of them. I used to get heavy and long periods- it took a while to find one to regulate my period. I love, love, love my OB. He told me the same thing today he told me when I got Mirena- that it has less side effects than any birth control pills because the amount of hormones released is lower. Nonetheless, he did agree that it should come out to see if it has been the cause of all of my misery.

I hate to think about the women out there with Mirena who are feeling tired, sick, and depressed and don't know why. Honestly, I don't know how I put it together for myself because I thought, IUD- NO SIDE-EFFECTS, it's just a device right, thrown in with a tiny bit of hormones, but at first I thought maybe I wasn't taking good enough care of myself and that was why I felt so bad all the time. Then the headaches . . . I thought that was sinuses . . . had a CT scan, came back okay . . . thought it was migraines . . . went to the neurologist, had an eeg, treated for migraines . . . still having headaches with nausea.

I almost didn't realize how depressed I was until my husband said something to me. He told me, "you've been depressed for three months now". Eureka!! I got Mirena three months ago. Plus, I am always under the treatment of a psychiatrist who monitors my medicine and am currently taking high dosages of prozac and wellbutrin. I've always had depression/anxiety problems and actually had to continue taking my meds while pregnant, just at half dosage. I had NO problems with post-partum depression (which was very much planned between my psychiatrist and medications). If I were to have problems arise with depression I certainly think it would have been closer to post-partum. I really don't think that my meds just quit working either. I realized that nothing gets me excited. I exert all of my energy into being a decent human being by going to work, taking care of my child, and trying to keep a somewhat-neat house. There is never time, energy, or desire for anything else.

I'm anxious to see how the next couple of weeks go . . . keep posting your progress and I will do the same. I certainly hope my symptoms start to subside . . . if not, I'm in trouble because I know that something is wrong with my body!!

Also, a Naturopathic Doctor told me to take Evening Primrose and it should aid in getting my hormones back to a natural level more quickly.

After 2 years and 7 months, I had my Mirena removed on 5/4. I had it inserted 3 months after the birth of my first child in 2006. At the time, it seemed like my best option due to problems I’d had with the Pill. I was on the Pill for 6 years, the first year or 2 weren’t too bad, but things gradually got worse. Because it was so gradual, it took me years to realize the cause of my problems. My blood pressure slowly got higher, my heart would often race, and I had anxiety and mini-panic attacks to the point where I never wanted to go anywhere. (My heart rate got up to 160 while waiting for the Dr during an appointment and my blood pressure was up to ~145/99) I also started getting migraines that got more and more frequent. I had an EKG and stress test and everything came back normal. I stopped taking the Pill and within a couple months felt a million times better and my BP went back to normal. I had no idea how much it had affected me and it still makes me sick to think of the years I lost because I felt so awful. I didn’t take anything for 6 months before we started trying to get pregnant and they were the best months in a very long time.

After I got Mirena, I thought it was great. I bled for about 2 months, then never really had periods after that (just some occasionally spotting). Three months after it was inserted, I lost the final 10 pounds of baby weight just by dieting. If I was emotional or moody during the first year, I just thought it was my hormones after having a baby. Slowly over time, I began to get more and more irritable. Everything and anything would enrage me. Rage is the best word for it. It would take a split second for me to fly off the handle. Everything irritated me, particularly anything my husband did. The more it happened, the worse it got and I began to worry if I would eventually lose control completely. Meanwhile, I slowly lost my desire to do anything. I’ve never been a big housekeeper, but our house has become a wreck and I have to force myself to get things down when people are coming over. If it weren’t for family coming to visit frequently, we’d really be living in a mess. I just never feel like doing anything and I’ve lost my passion for everything.

I’ve always had bad skin and have taken everything made for acne, including Accutane. My skin was the best it’s ever been the weeks after my son was born. Over the past 2.5 years, it gotten worse and now it’s as bad as it’s ever been. As my 30th birthday approached, I began to wonder if I’d have zits when I’m 70, then began wondering if the IUD might be causing it.

Also in the past year, I have begun to struggle with my weight. It had slowly started to creep up even though my diet hadn’t really changed. The past 6 months have been the worst. I constantly have a desire to eat and crave anything sugary which I’m sure has contributed to my weight gain. I’ve tried dieting and exercising more than ever before and couldn’t lose anything. Then I gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks. If I diet and workout, my weight stays the same – if I eat normally, I gain weight, just as many others here have mentioned. I’d say 80-90% of my excess weight is on my stomach and I’ve been asked twice in the last 6 months by strangers about being pregnant. I now weigh what I did when I was 7-8 months pregnant (25lbs over my pre-preg weight) and I look 6-7 months preg.

All of these issues have gradually gotten worse over time, but significantly so in the past 6 months. My fits of rage began to scare me and I would feel like my head and/or chest were going to explode when I would yell. I started to realize from my previous experience with the Pill that my blood pressure was going up again. I had also begun to get migraines again which I hadn’t had since the Pill. Then I began to feel like I was living in a depression medicine commercial. I’ve never dealt with depression before even when my husband was gone for months at a time in the Navy. Yet all the sudden I felt like I could check off all the symptoms for depression. I started having irrational and scary thoughts that I had no control over and they would go as quickly as they came. I began to get frightened because I felt like I had no control over myself, my thoughts, or my emotions. For whatever reason, I decided to look up Mirena and depression and couldn’t believe what I found - pages and pages of people describing exactly how I felt with all the same symptoms. I had been contemplating it anyway, but I decided then that I was going to get it removed. I went to the doctor and my blood pressure was higher than I expected. She gave me BP meds and offered me meds for everything else. I got the impression that she probably thought I was blaming too much on the Mirena. I would have agreed if not for my experiences on the Pill. She had never removed one, so she referred me to an OB/GYN. They couldn’t see me for over a month and there was no way I could wait that long because I knew it would take a while for my body to get back to normal. Amazingly, I found someone who got me in 4 days later. I was so excited! As everyone says, it’s a lot easier coming out than going in – just a pinch that lasts a second. So far, I haven’t noticed a huge difference (it’s been about 3 days). I felt less bloated the second day, but it seems to have come back a little yesterday. I have been very thirsty since the evening after I got it removed and have been peeing as much as I did when I was pregnant. I slowly feel like my desire to constantly eat is going away and I am not craving sugar as much.

I also wanted to mention, I started the blood pressure meds the day after I got them. I will say that it has helped my irritability a little and I no longer feel like I’m going to explode when I get angry. Now that the IUD is gone, I’m sure it will go back to normal on its own in month or 2. It’s frustrating because I got Mirena because of my BP problems on the pill. I was under the impression that there wouldn’t be any side effects and now I’m back to where I was when I stopped the Pill. I lost several good years with my husband because of the Pill and now I’ve lost almost 3 more and the first 3 years of my son’s life because of this stupid IUD. If it weren’t for our son, I don’t know that our marriage would have survived the last 3 years. I just pray that I will get back to being me and will be able to be the mother that my son deserves.

A few other side effects I’ve noticed after reading all these posts that may also be related are greasy hair and skin, hair loss, facial hair, memory loss/lack of concentration, and the strange odors and various infections that others have mentioned. I used to not be able to wrap my fingers around my ponytail. Now I can almost wrap them around twice. Like most of the other side effects, I blamed it on aging, stress, etc. I’m interested to see if it starts coming back now.

I know this is a really long post, but I wanted to include as much info as possible in case it might help someone else. I probably would have gotten it out sooner, but I didn’t think there were any side effects. For now, I am not going to take anything. I want to know whether the side effects go away and not have to worry if something is caused by a new birth control. I may try something else in 6 months or so, but we’ll see. My husband doesn’t want me to take anything ever again, but I really don’t want to get pregnant. I don’t think I want any more kids, but I’m only 30 and not ready to do anything permanent yet. My new OB/GYN mentioned Implantation, which uses a different hormone, but I don’t have much faith that it won’t have the same effects. I will probably just try different pills and keep an eye on my blood pressure. I plan to post updates when I can to let you know if things get better. I hope that my story helps someone else.

I had my Mirena IUD inserted two weeks ago today. I had it inserted on day three of my normally five-day period. My period stopped for 2 days following insertion and then I spotted for one day. After that one day, I have been bleeding heavily ever since, and I'm talking super jumbo tampon every 2-3 hours bleeding. Before receiving Mirena, I talked to my GYN, read the pamphlet and researched online. Each resource told me to expect spotting - so I expected spotting for 3-4 weeks after and I am completely blown away by the constant heavy bleeding that I am now being told could potentially last 3-4 months.

I normally do not use oral contraceptives because of my problems with High Blood Pressure, but my doctor felt the low dosage of hormones in Mirena was "ok" for me. Since insertion, I've experienced a slight raise in my blood pressure but the doctor doesn't seem too concerned about it because I am supposedly "adjusting" to the Mirena. I am slightly worried that my constant bleeding and increased blood pressure are not going to subside in the 3-4 months the doctor is recommending I wait it out.

Not to mention how the constant, constant bleeding is ruining my sex life.

I honestly have no idea what kind of standards or limits I need to be setting here for myself. It has only been two weeks, but how much is too much..? I also have to say I am worried as well since I have to have minor surger in 4 weeks and would hate to have HBP/Anemia complications because of this.

I got my Mirena in September 2008. At first it was great I did not have any side effects. I did notice the weight gain but I figured that I was just eating to much. Then I noticed the nausea and severe migraines. I thought that it was from stress and all of the dieting that I do. Today I started a new diet and I noticed that my face had been getting a lot of acne and that I was very moody. I decided to research the mirena iud because, this is the only thing that I have done different to my body. I am now so scared because of what I am reading. Now I noticed that it is not the dieting that the same symptoms that you all are having I am having. Long periods,moody, low sex drive, nausea and more. I am making an appointment tomorrow to take this thing out. Thank you for the site

Wow. I have realized as many others have that im not crazy. The beginning of my experience with YAZ was horrible. Massive emotional change. I have been taking it since August 08. After about two months my crazy emotional imbalance changed. It wasn't as bad. However, I have realized I am constantly irritable still. My new symptom is month long periods. It is awful. I never miss a pill nor am I ever late taking one. I can't seem to understand why I get my period either a week or two weeks early. Has anyone else experienced this or is it just me. Im going back to ortho...

Maybe I'm one of the few - but I'm not having terrible side effects like it sounds most of you are having. I have a constant mild headache - which I've learned to deal with. My breasts enlarged - that wasn't a bad thing. And I have this weird fluttering thing with my heartbeats, but my dr. says it's nothing to worry about. However, I no longer have 2 week long periods that have beyond heavy bleeding. And the cramps I do experience don't even come close to what I had before I went on the pill. I've been on birth control now for 8 years (mircette for 6 years, Yasmin/ocella for 2). I would much rather deal with the side effects I'm having, than have to go through life with periods the way they were.

Wow..I have been wondering for awhile now if the symptoms I have been having for over a year now had something to do with the MIRENA, and now I know I am not alone. I had the Merina put in in August of 2007, due to prolonged bleeding after my 3rd child (2nd pregnancy). I had on and off bleeding for the first 6 months, which they say is normal. Since then, I have experienced sore eyes, head aches, thinning hair (to the point that my pony tail holder falls out all the time), thinning eye lashes, and I feel sick to my stomach on a regular basis. My memory is horrible lately too. The worst of all would have to be my mood swings, anger, and feelings of depression. My poor husband and kids. I have 3 beautiful children and an amazing husband. None of us deserve this. I can feel my change in mood come and go. I went to my doctor and had all my blood work done and tested , and it all came back normal. I am 30 years old, I eat right and exercise regularly. There has to be something hormonally going on. I did not have these symptoms before the Mirena, and after reading everyone's experience, I truly believe that the Mirena is what has caused this major shift in the way my body feels. I want to take back control of my body.

Thank you all for sharing your stories. It has helped me to know I am making the right decision in getting this taken out as soon as possible. I'd rather have long periods, and take a pill everyday than have my entire life disrupted just because the Mirena is convenient. I have 2 goods friends that have the Mirena and they love it. I guess it just goes to show that all of our bodies are different, and it's up to us to listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us. Good luck to you all,and I will post once I have it taken out on how it effects me.