Pregnancy symptoms and conditions

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!!

My daughter was born 9-6-08 and had the Mirena inserted a month later. I tried really hard to lose the weight from my pregnancy and at first I thought it was working but then I stopped losing any weight and before I knew it I weigh the same as my when I was pregnant. I feel the fluttering in my stomach and the acne and the sore breasts and even the moodiness. I thought I was pregnant. I took 4 hpt and they all came back negative. Went for a urine test at my doctors but I still wasn't convinced when it came back negative so I asked for a blood test too. That also came back negative. Thank goodness cuz I didn't want another child this soon. It just seemed to be too much stress and too much to worry about. It's not worth it. I'm convinced that I will call my doctor and have it removed because I just cannot handle this. I'm going back on the pill. Not sure which kind but anything is bound to be better than this. Any suggestions? I'm so hoping to lose all this weight and stop getting acne. Not to mention stop snapping at my husband all the time.

I began taking this pill in August 2009, to prevent pregnancy. I am nineteen years old. In the first month, my sex drive increased, I had no "breakthrough bleeding" or spotting, no mood swings that I could tell...everything seemed fine. My doctor put me on this pill because I told her I wanted a pill that wouldn't make me go crazy. This is the first bc pill I've ever been on, and hopefully the last. Let me put it this way: before I got on Loestrin 24 Fe, I actually WANTED to have sex. I had a sex drive. I have absolutely NO SEX DRIVE now. Sex is a chore. What's the point of taking a pill that enables you to have sex without the risk of being pregnant, if you completely lose interest in having sex anyway? I'm extremely frustrated. Over the past two months (I'm now on my fourth pack) I have been extremely fatigued, depressed, and especially anxious. I also have a blistering headache 90% of the time, I kid you not. Additionally, my blood pressure has gone way down, which makes no sense, as I am a very active and healthy person. This pill is literally deteriorating my mental and physical health. I refuse to put these pills, or any bc pills, in my body any more. I would much rather deal with the terrible cramps and heavy periods that I had before. And I still experienced bad cramps while on the pill anyway. I'm sticking with condoms.

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!

The first time I got on Mirena was in October of 06 after I had my first son. I don't remember it being painful to get. But I do remember getting a head ache every single day. And I would bleed for weeks at a time. I was moody and unhappy. I had to have it removed because my husband (now eX) cheated on me. So once I had all of that cleared up I decided to get another one. So 4 months ago I went in. Since my uterus had closed all of the way they had to open it back up, I screamed because it hurt so bad and tears were just flowing. I have not had a period in about 4 months and that part is great. But I have gained an extreme amount of weight. I would say 20 lbs with the first one and another 20 since I had the second one put in. I relate ot those of you that say you breakout like a teenager. Its awful. Not only am I fat again but I cant get my skin under control. I am afraid to take it out due to pregnancy, but I don't know what else to do at this point...any of you that have had yours taken out, were you able to loose the weight that it forced you to gain? And did your skin clear up???

I have been getting lupron depot injections since my laproscopy back in August and had no trouble the first month except for hot flashes. After the second injection I started to experience migraine type headaches and I would get the shakes really bad through the night almost as if I was coming down with the flu. I just had my third injection and the symptoms are worse. I feel tired, nauseated, body aches, chills through the night and hot flashes all day long. Will my symptoms continue to get worse as I go on? I have two more months of injections and I am contemplating not doing it. My husband and I have a beautiful little girl but really want another child. Is two more months really going to guarantee pregnancy or is it a waste of my time?

I think I know how Mirena works now.. You don't get pregnant because you never want to have sex!!.lol.. At least that is my experience. I had it put in about 4 months ago, and have completely lost my sex drive. I have tingling in my arms and hands all the time now, my whole body aches, and I feel flutters in my stomach as if I were pregnant (even though I'm not).My breasts also hurt like heck! I feel confident in its effectiveness but don't want these side effects anymore!! I also was told that using Mirena is like always having an abortion.. does anybody know if that is true?? I wasn't informed this when I had it put in... I was just told that the hormones stop you from getting pregnant, If any of you ladies have any answers to my questions that would be great!!

I have to say I am SHOCKED over this site but had to read every bit of it. I am a TRUE believer in the Mirena and until I came across this site while searching for sites to send a friend to encourage the Mirena I never knew how many horrible things could happen for someone on the Mirena. HOWEVER, I guess this is proof when with any type of birth control including Mirena it is said it's not for everyone. I happen to LOVE mine. I'm actually on my 2nd insertion. My first one went very well, after a crampy insertion and 2 days of horrible cramps controlled by ibuprofin I was left to enjoy 5 years of birth control w/out problems. I can't take the pill as no matter the dose I spend the 1st to weeks nauseated and vomiting in the morning, I tried the Depo Shot (personally that is the EVIL OF ALL EVIL birth control methods, gained 68 pounds in 11mnts never going over 105 pounds except for pregnancy in my life, have battled to control my weight since therefore I believe it destroyed my metabolism forever, major depression to the point of medication and medical leave from work & the world). And after an accident pregnancy no way was condoms going to be enough for me. My Dr. recommended Mirena and I gave it a try. I was not lucky enough to go period free my first insertion I did have a max of 3 days of period with little or no cramping. My second not as good, I now have about 5 days of spotting only if sex promotes it and occasionally after using the bathroom a little blood on the toilet paper, never needing to actually use any feminine products. I use to get ovarian cysts all the time, small enough surgery was only needed once but I knew when one was there and I knew one they "popped" as my doctor would call it. I haven't had that problem since I started with Mirena, I'm told its due to the small amount of hormones (hence the reason my Dr suggested Mirena versus a non hormone IUD). My sex drive has not been affected one bit...in fact like one of the positive posts I just read...my husband and I have discussed more then once prior to coming across this site how much more of a sex drive I do have, although we contributed it to not being pulled down in the dark world of depression from the Depo shot...and the freedom of placed once & forget for 5 years type birth control. I have 8 friends and coworkers that have the Mirena...One person had a problem, hers "fell out" in the toilet and she had been cramping and in abdominal pain for a few days prior not connecting it to her Mirena...but after 2 months of other methods she had another one placed and has had no problem since...that was 2 years ago. It stinks to hear how horrible this "wonder bc method" is for others...(are you seeing how terrible the other methods were for me first for me to feel this is the wonder of all wonders) and of course I'm concerned with the fact that most of you that had a problem had SEVERE problems..not just a small one here or there. But I'm going to bet that on the flip side the methods that caused me hell might work for one of you. I have 2 more years left on this 2nd cycle...I pray I never have the problems you do if I chose a 3rd insertion...however, with science today we can only hope your complaints are taken seriously and the makers of Mirena continue to improve so that less and less people run into these side effects. I'm not sure I would have another option...SCARY!

u dammed if u do dammed if u don't. i just picked up may pack yesterday of loestrin 24 waiting on my period to start to begin taken them. but by the looks of this site might not be taken them.im just confused right now.i was on Yasmin years ago caused me depression.then last year levora.28 made my blood pressure high and my heart beat extremely fast.depo made me gain weight and spot and bleed irregularly.im even using condoms with my boyfriend right now to be extremely cautious they SUCK..I just don't know what to do the pull out method isn't full proof.im just lost at this point.

I am 29 and had the Mirena put in 6 weeks after having baby #2. I thought it was a great idea and my OB said "NO SIDE EFFECTS". I have been bleeding heavily since it was inserted, cramps, sharp pains in my uterus area, bloating and headaches at night. I don't know if this is their form of birth control, but if your bleeding everyday you can't have sex! I run 3 miles five times a week and was losing weight steadily, until I had the Mirena put in. I watch what I eat obsessively and I am gaining weight! I am emotional all the time and find myself losing my patience with my kids and my husband all the time. I am getting it taken out today! I'll update how it went and the side effects going away. I would rather deal with another pregnancy than go through this. Follow your gut feelings - the Mirena won't work for everyone and obviously there are quite a few of us!

I was on yaz for close to 4-5 years. I started taking antibiotics and my husband and I became pregnant while on the pill. We were well aware of chances of becoming pregnant. From the day I found out i was pregnant I started throwing up. I LOST 15 pounds during my pregnancy due to being sick all of the time. I had constant heartburn and choked all of this up to being pregnant with a little girl with a head full of black hair! The day my husband was suppose to go back to work from his leave (exactly 2 weeks after having my baby) i started throwing up at about 3am due to intense stomach pain that radiated into my chest and back and couldn't stop. He stayed home. The next day it happened again, my husband assumed i had postpartum depression and told me i would be fine and left for work. I tried to go back to bed but couldn't stop throwing up long enough to go into the next room and check on my crying newborn. I had to beg him to come home from work, we got a babysitter, went to the hospital, they did an ultrasound and admitted me. 12 hrs later I was on the operating table having my gallbladder removed. I now suffer with DAILY diarrhea immediately after I eat ANYTHING and stomach pain. I try to stick to a low fat diet but it doesn't help!!!! i have constant stomach pain, headaches, nausea and heartburn. Not to mention the FOUR scars that i have from the surgery. When i started taking Yasmin and eventually yaz NOWHERE did it say that it could cause gallbladder disease!

I got mirena inserted in feb 2009, I bled off and on every month up until this last month. I have had drastic mood swings with my deployed fiance. One minute we are okay and for some weird reason I would just get so angry for something very minute. I have been experiencing discharge with a foul odor.
I have had increase episodes of migraines, insomnia, cramps, and throbbing pain in my vaginal walls. I have experience vaginal dryness and having to use lubrication more than often.
I have no desire for sex. My fiance is 24 and I am 28. He is always ready to go like 5 times a day sometimes if we don't have the kids at home with us. I feel really awful putting him through this, especially being he in Kuwait, he doesn't deserve my attitude. The problem is I can never remember to take the pill. The MIRENA is more convenient and a safer method to prevent pregnancy, My fiance does not want us to have any kids right now. I am nervous if I take out the MIRENA we will slip somewhere and get pregnant again. Pregnancy right now with really cause a strain in our relationship related to him not wanting us to get pregnant right now.
I feel so trapped because I don't know what to do at this time.
By C. W.

I have been reading these posts for awhile now and am so glad to have found them.
I am a 25yr female with epilepsy and have been on lamictal for the past 4yrs. I changed from epilim because I was getting married and heard that lamictal was safer in case of pregnancy. Not long after I found myself getting very angry over small things and not being able to sleep. I thought this was just me so I tried to get myself together. It went on for some time before I gave up and got help. I was diagnosed with depression and given fluoxetine. This helped me get back on my feet but I did not want to be on it long term and have been of the fluoxetine 2yrs. I still struggle with my mood but is manageable which I am happy for.
I did not realize that the headaches and the memory loss I had were from the lamictal until I found this forum then it all made sense. I had always thought that I was staying up too late and hence getting headaches. As for the memory I often feel like a blithering idiot. Cant remember words and often the wrong ones come out its so embarrassing. So often I feel like I'm in a daze and life is passing me by.
After all this said I have not heard of any other drug that would be any better. I have found comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this. There are a lot of people that do not understand the effects of medication or take it seriously when I try to explain. If there is anyone out there that is keen to chat about epilepsy or lamictal I would love to talk.

Hey Gals,
I had my mirena put in in February 2009. I just got it out three weeks ago.
When I gave birth to my son I weighed 230, having gained 50 pounds during the pregnancy. Two months after giving birth I was down to 190 and losing weight fine. All throughout the pregnancy and afterwards I was eating healthy and exercising, so for people who say its just because we eat poorly and don't change our diet after we give birth, thats not always the case.
Then I got Mirena put in. I gained all that weight back, horrible mood swings where I would start snapping at my husband over inconsequential things. I started getting really bad headaches, (I've never had migraines before, but I'm sure it was pretty close). Constant fatigue; I was always tired, no matter how much sleep I got and never had any energy to play with my son. I also hadn't had a period since February of 2008, just a little spotting after getting the Mirena put in. Not to mention discomfort during intercourse, which just made the act seem unpleasant for both of us.
Now that I've got it out I've lost 15 pounds, I no longer have headaches, All of my energy is back and I'm not as tired as I was before, and I finally got my period! I have never been more excited to have it than before.
I guess it works for some people, but with it and the hormones it was secreting, my body couldn't handle it. I've tried other BC's before too and didn't have any problems.

Hi my name is Emily. I am getting my Mirena removed tomorrow after having it in for three years. Loved the carefree feeling of it, hate the side effects. I have been a gym rat hard core for three years...and haven't been able to loose any weight at all! i am 110 lbs and five feet tall...and completely uncomfortable with these 8lbs that refuse to leave my body! i never thought my iud was to blame. I feel bloated all the time....i haven't had a period for three years, and yet i feel like I'm on it every week.my husband is so confused!! I'm bloated, my emotions are insane and i keep thinking "what is wrong why am i so sad?" The most recent thing has been headaches in the evening....every night. And I am not that "person" i never had constant headaches in the past ever. I get zits on my throat and usually have very clear skin. I am happy to get this thing out, and actually looking forward to having a period and just having my body do what it was designed to do on its own.a little scared of pregnancy,but more scared of infertility.

I have had Mirena for 18 months now. I love it. I have had no side effects that you all are describing. I have 4 friends that switched and all love it and only one had to have a follow up to have the strings shortened.

As far as the weight gain, ladies, let’s be honest. We are not 18 anymore and as we get older it is only going to become more difficult to keep weight off. Blaming it on a B/C....lets think about that last chocolate bar we ate because we were busy carting the kids off to a sports practice HMMM....
With any drug comes side effects, headaches, nausea, and some other terribly worse, but lets again be honest, all of these were pointed out in the literature available.

I just thought I would take the time to write my support as this does work and work well for some women, just not all, same as any other form of B/C.

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

I am 22 years old and had a baby last feb in 2008, shortly after that i had a mirena inserted with minor side effects...well now a year later i decided to remove that darn thing after noticing the side effects! i lost most of my pregnancy weight all but around 10 pounds so that was (150) then several months later i noticed my weight shooting up...now i'm almost 170 poun\nds! i dont eat all crazy either and did my fair share of exercising...not too mention the constant bloating and stomach aches...i have also been suffering from acne for the past year which is way out of the ordinary! my vision has worsened in the past year, im very moody, and i'm taking wellbutrin for my depression. i just removed this darn thing last week and have not stopped bleeding, it is very heavy with huge clots! i hope this ends soon, i'm ticked off because i was not told about any of these side effects, and this darn company should be sued! ugh, well i'm glad i did my research because never again will i get this mirena iud! there was also some info on infertility so everyone should read up on that. glad to know i'm not the only one with these problems! good luck everyone!

I had been on Yaz for about a year and a half. My doctor just switched me to Loestrin 24 Fe because I started to experience spotting between periods. This is my 3rd week on Loestrin and I have gained 5 lbs, have experienced bloating, and spotting. I am also breaking out. I am assuming this is because I was on Yaz for so long and my body is not used to the new pill. Hopefully the symptoms clear up after I get my period next week (though reading these posts I am just hoping I get one or I will freak about pregnancy).

Anybody experience anything similar? Did it clear up after a cycle?

I had a baby in May.I had the mirena inserted in the beginning of August. I began having night sweats and noticing a lot of hair loss at the beginning of Sept. I went to my Ob/gyn who said it couldn't be the mirena causing the symptoms. So I thought that maybe I had a thyroid issue.(After my last pregnancy I had post-partum thyroiditis, which caused my hair to fall out and night sweats). I had my levels checked, and sure enough my t4 levels were high. So, now I am waiting for my t4 levels to go back to normal and hope that's what was causing my symptoms, not the mirena. I have also read that the mirena can cause thyroid problems, so who knows what is REALLY causing my symptoms. My most recent symptom is numbness and pain in my wrist/hand. I'm thinking it is possibly carpal tunnel syndrome which can be caused by hypothyroidism. If you just had a baby and are having the night sweats, hair loss, heart palpitations, weight gain etc.... I would recommend getting your thyroid checked.

I had a mirena fitted twice with no significant problems except weight gain but I now have a 6 month old baby and had my 3rd mirena removed this morning.I had my second one removed in April last year when we decided we would like to try for baby no3 after a 12 year gap.I fell pregnant in the July and had lost 10lbs in the three months after removal without trying.I felt calm,slept better and had loads of energy.I then progressed with my pregnancy and continued to lose weight as was very sick so by the time my daughter was born I had lost 35lbs in total.i then lost a further 10lbs in the six weeks following her birth and felt great,loads of energy,my skin looked fantastic and was really happy.
I decided to have my 3rd mirena inserted just after my six week postnatal check as I hate heavy periods etc,well that was at the beginning of June.As soon as it was inserted my stomach started to bloat and it looked like I was 6 months pregnant,I have experienced extremely heavy prolonged bleeding with clots.I had phoned my doctor 3 times over the last 3 months and they said to give it time,it was the fact I had not long had a baby and give it 6 months.I have also gained 14lbs in the 3 months,my skin has broken out,my hair is thinning and have really bad mood swings,anxiety and restless sleep and I know I don't have post-nantal depression as had that 16 years ago and know the difference.
I am so glad i took the decision to have it removed and feel 100 times better already knowing this thing is no longer inside me.I definitely know this mirena has caused all these side effects now.Why do the doctors not listen to us.

I'm 23 and just started Loestrin 24. I noticed the negative side effects immediately- nausea, cramping, constant headache, breakthrough bleeding, and severe depression. In general, I feel sick and unwell; ironically, I feel like I'm in the first trimester of a pregnancy. My doctor told me it may take a few cycles for me to adjust to this pill but I don't think I want to commit to a pill that causes this many adverse health problems. I think a baby would be less hassle!

I am 25, I had my daughter last October 2008 and had Mirena inserted December 2008 at my 8 week postpartum appt. Everything was fine for about 6 months... It is now September 2009 and since July I have been having EXTREME hair loss (I already have gone through the post preggo hair loss 3 months after giving birth), anxiety feeling in the chest, crazy discharge, erratic periods, no sex drive, moody, ACNE on face chest and back (and I NEVER have acne). So my annual physical was yesterday, so I tell my doc about all these symptoms and he thinks "thyroid" so they pull 4 viles of blood. Then, I get home and I googled "Mirena and hair loss" and here's this site! SO, I called my OBGYN this afternoon and tell her Im losing my hair plus the other symptoms I listed above and she says "Yep its the Mirena, the same thing happened when I had it too and it stopped when I took it out" So she told me to come in and they will remove it and try PARAGUARD - a NO hormone IUD that will bring me back to my "base" and I will start having one period a month (like your body is supposed to in my eyes) and no crazy side effects. I can not tell you how much better I feel that she said right away it was the Mirena. I have really not been feeling myself the past 2 months AND everyone in my household has noticed my hair ALL OVER THE PLACE and has asked me to ask the Doctor... so glad I did.

I had mirena put in in Oct 08. My symptoms are: dizziness, sweating, nausea, (these symptoms can be mild and brief (seconds); or last a few minutes. I had severe dizziness in May and June of 2009. I also get acne on my shoulders, neck, face, and my T zone is very oily (especially my forehead). I am using good acne products to try to combat this problem, but I continue to have a problem. Some of my acne is like welts and I even have this going on on my scalp. I wrecked my car in December 2008. At that time I was very foggy headed. I blamed the foggy headedness on being stressed and overworked. I am 40 years old. My children are 10 and 13, therefore I know my symptoms are not post pregnancy. Today, I questioned if I wasn't going through early menopause. My doctor said this mirena would be wonderful and that after six months I would not have a period anymore. I have a period every two weeks. My periods are very light, but I still have them every two weeks, and they last for two weeks. I have been wondering if my body will adjust, and if I will eventually get to this heavenly place of now periods and bliss?

I have had the Mirena IUD for 2 years. I have notice lately that I have had vaginal dryness during intercourse. I have extreme dry scalp, and I have had about three bacterial infections in that time. I have been irritable for so long everyone in my house has gotten use to it. I am getting the IUD out next week. I am looking forward to the change.