Midwife symptoms and conditions

iVE POSTED BEFORE ABOUT THE CHRONIC HEADACHES I GET WITH THE MIRENA, I ALSO GET PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER SYMPTOM EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO BE COMPLAINING ABOUT BESIDES THE WEIGHT GAIN I ACTUALLY LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT INSTEAD, WHICH I WAS ALREADY A PETITE PERSON WHEN I GOT THIS THING INSERTED I WEIGHED AROUND 118 AND IT DROPPED ME DOWN TO 100. SCARY....IVE HAD TO EAT THE EQUIVALENT OF LIKE TWO GROWN MEN JUST TO GET BACK UP TO 110!! I AM DESPERATE TO GET THIS THING OUT BEFORE IT TEARS MY RELATIONSHIP APART MORE THAN IT ALREADY HAS, CAN ANYONE PLEASE RECOMMEND A GOOD BIRTH CONTROL, THAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE ME TO GAIN WEIGHT!!!???
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND HONESTY LADIES IM SO RELIEVED I AM NOT CRAZY AND JUST THINKING UP ALL THIS IN MY HEAD!!!

Okay...this is amazing, cause I thought I was crazy but now I know all of us are!!!hahah...I had the Mirena put in in early October. I am perimenopausal and my hubby has a vasectomy. The docs encouraged it to help with my menopausal symptoms, primarily irregular cycles and cramping due to not bleeding - they said that was due to low progesterone and the Mirena would work wonders. I had it put in (very very painful - and this from a woman who gave birth, at home, two separate times with nothing but a midwife and some gentle massaging during the birthings!) and never stopped bleeding. Not once! I have gone through two boxes of tampons and three of pads. I have cramping all the time, and low back ache. I noticed that my bras felt really sore and enlarged (so did hubby) and they grew overnight. I gained three pounds and started crying at the time. The final insult: no sex drive. zippo. none at all. I also have terrible vagina odor which is, I know gross to admit, but a very new thing. I think that there are many women who simply cannot tolerate these hormones. Our bodies know what to do and I am going to brave the change without intervention. I went to see doctor today and, of course, she tried to talk me out of removal. She even had the nerve to say that it was good to have in, to protect my uterus, for eventual Hormone replacement therapy -as if I had ever mentioned that as an option? I looked at her and said, "take it out". Now I don' t know if this is imagination, but I swear the cramps have abated in the past several hours. I am still bleeding but feel hope for its ending. I would not recommend this to anyone and to those out there being told its value in managing menopausal symptoms, move on. It is not worth it - the change is change enough!

Well I had the mirena inserted in January and went for my 6 week checkup last week, Now let me tell you I thought that getting it was one of the most painful things I have ever gone through, it felt like i was in labor again, the midwife that inserted it even told me that she never had that much trouble trying to put it in...Anyway when I went back for my check up she said she couldn't find the strings so they sent me for a ultra sound and still could not see it, They then sent me to the hospital for a x-ray and saw that it was somewhere in my pelvic area....I had to go back this week on Wednesday so they could stick a little camra in my uterus and see if the mirena was there and if it wasn't then i would have to have laparscopic surgery to get it removed because it would have had to went through my uterus walls..well guess what ladies I'm scheduled for laparscopic surgery on april 6th because once again it wasnt there, as you can see i have not had the best of luck and i hate how bad things happen to good people, I'm not sayinf mirena is a bad thing but I really wish this wouldn't have happened, so those of you who have had bad luck I feel your pain, for now on the only birth control I'll be using if the kind you can see and take everyday

Hi ladies

I am sitting here in tears reading all your posts! I haven't felt myself since I had my Mirena IUD inserted in Nov 2006! I had it done after the birth of my third child thinking it would be the perfect solution in not getting pregnant. Boy was I wrong! I feel like my life has fallen apart. I'm constantly moody, aggravated, irritable, angry, impatient, little sex drive, foggy and blurry vision, weight gain in places I didn't think possible, lower back pain, headaches that never seem to end and the list goes on! I have had a feeling about the Mirena being the cause for some time now and am not sure why I haven't researched it yet (I'm a research junky).

I'm making a phonecall right now to my midwife to get this thing out of me and claim my life back. I'm definitely doing a detox on top of that too!
Thanks for sharing all your stories and WHEN THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO TAKE SOME LEGAL ACTION!!???

I have been on the NuvaRing for 4 months. And I have to say, Ladies beware!! My story is basically this... I had two children during the age of 25 years old, so my midwife wouldn't release me from the hospital unless I had a birth control plan because if I have another child again so soon it will put my health and life at risk (2 c-sections with back to back children is apparently a bad thing no time to recover!).... I had problems with having anger with other forms of hormonal birth control so I was very nervous about taking the pill or trying the depo shot again. So she suggested the NuvaRing and warned me that because it is hormonal that I may have the same problems with this that I had with the others. She told me that it would take being on the NuvaRing for at least 2-3 months before my hormones would regulate and we would know for sure how my body would handle it and I would react to it. These have been my side effects so far:
Explosive Anger: Every other day my husband and I are fighting in which I over react blow everything WAY out of proportion and threatening to leave.... And I have no right to do this because I literally am treated like a princess.
Depression: Generally after feeling the anger I hit an extreme low.
Sleeplessness: Feeling horrible about myself for acting the way I have, small issues bother me that shouldn't and I'll stay up all night thinking about them not being able to sleep, always feeling like my mind is racing.
Loss of Libido: I have sex because he wants to and it's a rarity at that. When before we were having sex 3-4 times a week, now, it's been about once a month.
Unable to reach orgasm: He knows how to get me there, and I know how to get me there and all of a sudden, neither one of us can get me there no matter how hard we've tried.
Vaginal Itching: Mostly external to the point where it's red, swollen, sore to the touch.
More Discharge: (which is probably causing the above problem)
Headaches: Almost daily and completely out of no where.
Chills and freezing: I live in Sunny Arizona in the South West corner where the average coldest temp is around 70 degrees out and I'm constantly freezing when every one around me is completely fine or way too hot.

All of these side effects started with in 1-2 weeks after I started the NuvaRing. I gave it 4 months to see if my body would regulate and change, and some of these issues would go away and they haven't, if anything they are getting worse. So with that said, we're going to good ol' fashioned condoms!! No more NuvaRing for me.

I hope this helps someone else who might be questioning to stay on it or not... I know you guys helped me! Thanks to all these responses!

This is unbelievable. Like most of you, I was told there were very few side effects with Mirena. I had a baby girl in May this year and was considering using the depo after birth since I had used it before with no major issues or dislikes (a little weight gain but, I always felt I was too thin before and the depo made me look curvy in all the right places so no complaints at that time which was about 4 years ago.) I did however, stop using the depo when I wanted to try for another baby and while off the depo I gained much more weight. Right before my due date this year, my midwife suggested I consider Mirena because unlike the depo, "it doesn't make you gain weight." Considering I had gained 30 lbs. during pregnancy and wanted to lose a total of about 45 after birth, I agreed to use Mirena as b/c. Well, I had my baby on May 10th, I immediately breastfed and on my two week postnatal visit I had already lost ALL of the pregnancy weight (30 lbs.!) I then scheduled the appt. to have the Mirena inserted on July twenty something. By that visit I had already lost 50 lbs. by breastfeeding alone...I was ecstatic! About four months later and with the Mirena in me, I am gaining weight, so far 8 lbs. and all of it on my belly, I look like I am about 5-6 months preg. This is especially depressing because only a couple months ago my husband was talking about how flat my stomach had gotten. I am also experiencing hair loss and spotting/bleeding after every intercourse. I am also considering having this thing removed! AHHHHHH!

I have had my Mirena since 2004 and haven't had any major issues... the usual spotting when I first got it, and some spotting and mood changes when I am due for a period (which is typical of PMS). I also do not really get cycles anymore, which I consider an added bonus (my doctor said this might happen because before the IUS my cycles only lasted for two days and were really light). Sometimes I do feel abdominal pain or have a little spotting after intercourse and my honey also complains about feeling the IUS and being poked by it but I dismiss his complaints because he would really complain if he had kid number 5 was on the way. My concerns at this point are will the IUS stop working early it will be 5 years in Feb. but it wasn't like the device was manufactured the day I got it. And, should I get another IUS once I remove this one or is there another birth control that will be better for me.... the Mirena is still somewhat new when compared to other methods of birth control and I don't what to have two over a period of 10 years and then find out in 15 years it was a bad decision.

I had the Mirena put in May'08. I've noticed increased acne, cramping in my legs, and spotting. I am also dealing with symptoms of bladder infections, however, there is no infection. My OBGYN says there is no correlation between the Mirena and my bladder problems, however, the urologist said that the Mirena could cause problems to other organs around the uterus (including the bladder). He stated it could be traumatic to our bodies, causing muscles in our pelvic area to tighten, nerve damage, etc. My OB diagnosed me with Interstitial Cystitis, a disease of the bladder lining that is without a cure, but my urologist didn't buy off on this and so now I'm having other tests done to make sure it's not bladder cancer, etc. Again, my urologist believes it's related to the Mirena. All I know is that I didn't have bladder problems until I had the Mirena inserted, which was the most painful experience aside from giving birth to my children! After reading the postings on this website, I'm definitely removing this device from my body ASAP! Good luck to all of you women who have had similar experiences. I pray that our bodies will return to some sense of normalcy.

I've had mirena inserted about a month after my son was born he's now 15 months. I haven't had any side affects until now. Today is Monday Aug 10, 2008. On Saturday I was completely out of it. I was experiencing cramping, nausea, spotting, and the worst vomitting. What was wrong with me. Everyone suspects that I am pregnant. Not to mention that I slept for almost 7 hours on Friday. I have been searching every website to see if anyone experienced a pregnancy on mirena. I have found helpful advices. My husband says he's sueing if I'm pregnant, but I will be more concerned about having a healthy baby. At 22 this would be my third baby, it was unplanned nevertheless I will be happy. I pray that the baby is healthy and beautiful. I will see a nurse today to confirm if indeed I am pregnant. No birth control is 100 %. I don't know who to prevent pregnancy. I think it is Gods matter and man can not take it into their own hands. He said to be fruitful and multiply. Keep me in your prayers as I would for you.

Oh my gosh, I am soooo glad to read all of these posts. I have had the same issues.......in January of 06, I lost 30 lbs and was very happy with my body and was in a good place mentally. Then in November of 07, I got the Mirena inserted. It went downhill sooooo fast. I have since gained 40 lbs (my heaviest non-pregnancy weight EVER), I look like I'm about 4 months pregnant even though I have always had a thin waist even after having two kids, I have pimples like a teenager, I yell at my kids, I don't want my husband anywhere near me, and I feel like I'm going insane inside my own head. Plus, I've been having itchy skin and panic attacks/anxiety. My doctor says none of this is from the IUD, but I have to disagree......the lovely sheet they give you upon insertion even says that some of these things are possible. So, I'm making an appointment to take this thing out and hope it gets better.

Thanks everyone for putting all this information out here.......I'm so relieved to know that this isn't "in my head" or some other issue. Thanks and good luck to you all!

I have been having problems with the Pill so my midwife suggested the Ring because of the low hormone dose. I am currently in my third week of my first month. I have been having the worst time of it. I have a constant headache. It started almost immediately after insertion of the Ring and has not gone away. It fades and then flares up. I thought it was my stressful job, but obviously not. For the last couple of days, I have had extreme pain on my right side by my pelvis. At first thought I pulled a muscle, but the pain is getting worse instead of better. With all the years I was on Pill I never had this many problems. Once week four comes, it's out of here and I'll deal with the other minor problems I had with the Pill

I had my Mirena first placed in March 2007 after the birth of my son in November 2006 (this was my first post-partum cycle). I had prepared myself for pain, but after the doctor placed it, I couldn't believe it! I felt nothing. He told me to come back in a month for a check. So I did, and he said everything is fine, but he wanted me to have an ultrasound. I had the ultrasound which said my device was low. He said, let's do another US in 3 months because sometimes they will move back to where they need to be. I had the 2nd US, which said it was still too low and not effective. My doctor said I needed this device out, and a new device in. Well, I told him I wasn't going to pay for it (or all these copays), so he called the company and I received a new device for free. However, he wouldn't take the old one out and put the new one in unless I had my period. Well, I did not get my period on the Mirena...ever. So after months of waiting, I finally talked to a midwife at the practice who agreed to replace the device without having my period. I had the device replaced in December 2007 (incredibly painful!).

So now it is March 2008, last weekend I was watching TV and felt something funny "down there." I went into the bathroom and felt my string almost coming out of my vagina. I did not feel any device. So, all weekend the strings would jab me in the side of my vagina. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he said everything looked fine, I just had long strings. I asked him, why have I never felt this before? He sent me for another US, which read that my IUD was again too low and needs to be taken out. I am done with the Mirena and will see what happens next.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

I got the Mirena inserted in March of 2007. My midwife had warned me of bleeding in the first month but it lasted far longer than that. I also began to notice an increase in facial hair, acne on face, chest and back and a dramatic change in my weight. I have gained 20 lbs since May of 2007. I have been following a strict 1200 calorie diet and haven't been able to lose anything. My midwife has assured me that there is no correlation between the Mirena & the other symptoms so I decided to keep it in but during a routine Pap Smear the brush got tangled in the wire and pulled the IUD out. I'm starting to think someone must have been trying to tell me something. So here I am 2 days later w/o the IUD and I've been having heavy bleeding with lots of clots. I really don't care about the bleeding, I just want to lose the weight!!!

I've had Mirena in four approximately 5 months now. It wasn't unbearingly painful to have inserted and I was having mood swings and riding emotional roller coasters months before I had it placed. I spotted for about 6 weeks after it was placed, but my periods now have gone from 4-6 days a month to 2 or none. My only concern is that I now have some vulva fissures that I can't really relate to anything else but this. I talked to a midwife about it and she believes that it's due to a lack of estrogen. She said that breastfeeding can sometimes decrease estrogen to the point of thinning the skin and causing these fissures, but I don't know. I never had this problem with my first child and the only thing different is that I'm using Mirena. I don't know if I should have it removed or wait it out until my son weans and see if there is a change. My insurance paid to have it inserted, but I have no insurance now and I dread seeing the price tag to have it removed.

I didn't even relate all these other side effects to my mirena (tiredness, acne, depression, joint & leg pain), so at least I have a clue where all that came from. My biggest problem with the mirena is that at my first checkup, the midwife couldn't find the string, so I had an ultrasound, which did not show it, and then an x-ray which did, but not in my uterus. It's off to the side somewhere, apparently perforated my uterus & travelled to somewhere inside my abdomen, where it is now going to have to be surgically removed, and who knows what other damage it has caused in its travels.

I have had the mirena in for over 9 months, since then I have gained 26 pounds !!! I weigh more now then I did when I was 9 months pregnant !! My breasts have gone from a DD to a triple D, even when I was breast feeding for 5 months they never were this big ! I go months without a period and then when I get one its horrrible cramping and the bleeding seems like its never going to go away, sex drive has gone way down & its also painful no matter what position you try !, my midwife put me on prescription diet pills to help me get my weight in control, i couldnt believe it , nothing has changed my diet and excersize are the same, also I have had major mood swings and repeated yeast infections that my doc said are from the mirena. I have mine taken out on Oct. 3rd I cant wait this thing just isnt for me !!

To all the others with the same reactions to mirena, after it was taken out did you start to loose weight ?

I had the Mirena removed on August 30th. I immediately felt a sense of calm and knew I had done the right thing. My midwife was very supportive and understanding. She said that some women are just extremely sensitive to the hormones from it (and other forms of bc). The removal was not painful, only slightly uncomfortable. I have had some bleeding since, but nothing bad. I just cannot express how much better I feel-it's as though a huge weight has been lifted from me. The anxiety, anger, all of the horrible side effects are GONE. Another thing I noticed (TMI warning) is that the first time my husband and I had sex after it was removed was that I no longer had any pain when he hit my cervix. And he says it's much better for him, since he is no longer getting poked by the strings. Getting it removed was the best thing I could have done. I will never take a chemical form of bc again, so I have decided to commit myself to FAM (the Fertility Awareness Method). I just bought the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and it is AMAZING. I highly recommend it. If you are suffering Mirena side effects-LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Don't let a doctor tell you that Mirena is not the cause of what is happening to you. Best of luck to everyone.

Hi Ladies.. I am so happy to see so many postings on this pill. I have been on this pill over 2 1/2 years and didn't think anything was wrong with it until 6 months ago. I stopped getting my periods and at first I thought it was because I was working out 6 days a week but when the next month came around and I didn't get it again I thought it was strange. Now 6 months later I have only had my period once. I talked to my midwife about it and she said it was perfectly normal. I have been on the pill for about 12 years and I always got my period. I also have noticed that after 6 months of working out and eating right I am not losing any weight. The only time I lose a couple pounds is when I am suppose to be having my period and I am taking the sugar pill. I also have been experiencing headaches but chalked it up to my life of working, with two kids and maintaining family, house etc. Recently blood clots have come up with a few of my friends and it just makes me think that this pill has something to do with it. I am not ready to have another child, so I would really like to find another pill to try out. Any suggestions??

hi kelly,
the midwife finally called me back.the good news is i don't have blood clots in my leg.i see my dingbat md in the morning over my leg pain & eye problems.i will make a complaint to the fda over the yasmin.when i can.
take care
michellep

hi kelly,
the midwife who ordered an ultrasound of my leg last week finally called.no clots.but i see my dingbat of a reg md thursday morning over my leg pain & problems with my eyes.
take care everyone
michellep

hi everyone,
i had been taken yasmin for 2 years for severe pcos. i'm only 28 years old.in march 2005 i saw my reg md because my heart was racing.he told me it wasn't anything.i ended up in the er in april 2005 for another problem the er dr listened to my heart & ran an ekg on me because she heard something.that was fine.then i went back to my reg md my eyes were hurting very bad & my heart was still racing.this time my reg md said it was a panic,anxiety,depression.learn to live with it.i saw my reg md nov3 2005 because now i'm having sharp shooting pains in my left leg,swelling & my foot's numb.he ordered me a gi xray.i was finally able to get an appt with my gyn dr on dec 27 2005 told him the problems i'm having .he took me right off the yasmin.gave me lo ovral which i just started to take sunday my leg got worse it got so bad on weds i called the dr's office up got 4 return calls telling me go to the er.which i couldn't afford i have no insurnace or income.as i take care of my bedridden mother.so i called the midwife back she tells me sounds like a blood clot & orders an ultrasound. i got it done on thursday & have yet to get an answer. i'm even had floating blurry spots in my left eye.i see my reg md on thursday 16 i can't even find out when my gyn dr going to be in the office as he has 3 offices to run between.does anybody have any ideas what i can do in the meantime to make my leg feel better.
thanks
michellep

Hi,
I was on intravenus yutopa to stop labour at 31/32 weeks, in 1995. I had severe adverse reactions at the time my heart beat was racing,I began to have what appeared to be a fit, my eyes rolled to the back of my head and my whole body shook. The midwife immediately took yhe drip from my arm and told my husband that I could have had a cardiac arrest. I recovered and labour was posponed.

My daughter however was born blind with retardation of the milination of the nerves between eye and brain. At 11/12 weeks she started to see. We were told that it was unlikly to be the Yutopa.
Now 10 my daughter is dyslexic, has some social difficalties and we have been advised to have her refered for other problems of an autistic nature.

In 1997 I had another daughter. During labour I was given Salbutamol (apparently same as Yutopa) at 30/31 weeks to delay labour. Again I had same reaction. This daughter was also born blind. Is also dyslexic but as yet appears to have no further problems.
Any thoughts?

Just an update on the dizziness.... I'm on the 6th day of my inactive pill week and still experiencing slight vertigo. I read here about someone's foot cramps, which reminded me of my own! In fact, I had asked my chiropractor what the problem was, and he couldn't find anything. Anyway, I talked to my midwife about my dizziness, and she said it was probably from the absence of estrogen while taking the placebo pills. Either way, I told her I am not starting another pack of pills because I'm tired of the hot flashes, the sweating and the dizziness.... even if it is only on my inactive week. I am done with this pill.