January 2th
2009
7:07 PM
I had the Mirena put in in March or April (can't remember which one) of 2007. It was absolutely the worst pain I had felt in my life when it went in, but by the end of the day I was fine. (I had to walk home from the Planned Parenthood and could barely do it, the pain was so bad at the time.) I didn't notice any side effects, or at least nothing that I immediately linked to the Mirena. I read the list of side effects, but nothing was listed as "severe" and I had no idea that these side effects were so common and so intense.
By summer I was a wreck emotionally. I thought it was due to the stress of my senior year of college. I visited my boyfriend over winter break and snapped at him for every little thing he did or said. I actually threw rocks at him, punched him, etc., and yelled at him ALL THE TIME. I was also crying almost every day by that point. The acne was beginning but it wasn't too bad yet, just a few large cysts on my face, mostly on my chin, but I didn't think that it was connected to the IUD.
By the end of the summer that relationship was over due to my extreme moodiness (this was a long-term relationship and I had never been moody like that before), depression, lightning-quick temper, etc. The acne was still on my face and slowly but surely getting worse. I was still moody and cried all the time.
Fast-forward a year, and by fall 2008 the acne was taking over my face. I was embarrassed to go out. I spent three hundred dollars on makeup to try to cover it up. I think I still have scars on my chin, but it's hard to tell through the cysts that remain. Like many women who have posted here and elsewhere online, my acne was disgusting: giant, red, painful cysts that never came to a head and took weeks to go away. They didn't respond to any acne medication. I saw a dermatologist and she told me it was probably my toothpaste (my toothpaste causes acne on my forehead??) and told me to take antibiotics. Of course that didn't work. I was also a complete train wreck emotionally. I was in a new relationship but continued the same behaviors as in the previous relationship post-Mirena: short temper, yelling, overreacting to minor things, sometimes physical violence because I just got SO ANGRY with little or no provocation. There were a few months when I literally cried every day, sometimes multiple times a day. I thought it was due to the stressful things that were going on in my life and didn't even imagine it could be related to the Mirena.
A few days ago, on December 30, 2008, I was so fed up with the acne that I was googling, and I knew that sometimes acne can have hormonal causes. So I googled "Mirena acne" and came across this message board and many others, all of them basically saying the same thing. I showed my current boyfriend (who on several occasions almost broke up with me because of my moody, irrational behavior that I now know was caused by the Mirena!) what all of you and the women on the other boards had written, and I called to see how quickly I could get the thing taken out. On the phone with the insurance company, I started crying when she said I would probably have to wait three weeks to have it removed. I wept for a long time and then the next day I went straight into the urgent care center, where I again ended up crying. After much begging and looking completely pathetic, they finally agreed to take it out, and since then, I have felt five thousand million percent better. I haven't cried or felt like crying since I had it removed, and I haven't been moody or irritable or angry or quick-tempered. My boyfriend has said and done things that I know would have made me cry or want to punch him in the face, and I haven't reacted in either of those ways since the Mirena has been out of my body. I actually thought it would take a while for the hormones to get out of my body, but I feel SO MUCH BETTER already.
It took a long time for these symptoms to show up for me, and a long time for me to realize what was causing them. For anyone who is considering the Mirena, I would strongly encourage you to try the Paragard or one of the other non-hormonal methods. I actually had used the Nuvaring for a while too, and that one wasn't as bad as this. The Mirena has been HELL. The only positive side effect I had from it was that my periods got really light, to the point that I didn't have to use tampons or really much of anything beyond pantiliners. I'm scared to try the Paragard because it's supposed to make your periods much heavier, and also because the Mirena was such a hellish contraption. Other effects I've had that may or may not be due to the Mirena are: constipation, though this may have been due to the stress of living overseas; fatigue; dizziness, like I'm going to pass out and/or fall over if I stand up too quickly; inability to lose weight unless I am literally starving.
-- By blue_proteus | Reply | Private Message me
December 30th
2008
3:04 PM
Hi... I'm really glad to find this website with all these posts! I've had the Mirena in for about 3 years. I had it inserted after our fourth child and before we moved overseas to be missionaries in a third world country. We knew we didn't want to get pregnant overseas so this looked like the perfect solution. Because of our move, I thought my moodiness, stress, quick temper and feelings of depression were all from adjusting to living in another culture. I was never short tempered or easily stressed out, but since I had the mirena I have felt very out of control. My sex drive had decreased greatly and I'm constantly tired... even to the point of feeling like I'm going to pass out I'm so exhausted. I had no idea mirena was affecting me this way until reading all these posts... I'm not sure if we'll have any more kids, but I'm planning on getting the mirena removed. These side affects are not allowing me to enjoy my wonderful kids and husband and life and that's not worth it~!
September 26th
2008
9:55 PM
POLL: If you or your child have been adversely affected by Singulair could you please reply to this and let me know what ethnicity you are and skin tone. (fair, med., dark, etc.) I'm interested in the demographics of this drugs effects.
Thank you!
March 28th
2008
11:43 PM
Wow, this last few months have been a revelation. My big guy (now nearly 7) was diagnosed with Asthma at 18 months or so. He has been on singulair for as long as we can remember, and then since November 07 on Flovent too. He was such a happy baby, just the cutest thing, but as he grew older he got more emotional. A little high strung, quick temper, and some signs of depression. His eating habits were awful, which we thought were due to him having allergies to some foods. We have noticed mood swings and depression, but it would pass. Leg cramps were a common complaint which we brushed off.
Then for some reason we thought it would be a good idea to put him on Flovent too in the winter, well it really went downhill from there. Violent anger, depression, wanting to die, wanting to kill himself, wouldn't eat at all. You name it, he had it. My wife and I were at our wits end, but we didn't think it was the medicine, never entered our minds, and my wife is a paediatric RN too. I sent an e-mail to a psychiatrist friend of mine desperate for help. Well while I was writing it I saw there was a pattern and the sudden slide began the same time he started Flovent. I researched it on the web and OMG the horror, the other parents could have been talking about my boy.
I took him off immediately, co-incidentally his Doc had failed to renew his Singulair scrip the month before so he hadn't been taking it for a month. Well within 24 hours we saw a difference, by the end of the week I cried as I had my boy back. Never thought about Singulair as really we thought it was the Flovent. However after seeing the news today, and having seen a little guy get less and less happy over the years, we realize that the singulair was also affecting him, and then the combo just ripped him apart.
We had filled the Singulair but thankfully were holding off until we saw a pulmonologist and allergist this next few weeks. We will now not be putting him back on it at all. We removed his bedding, got rid of our cats (labs came back highly allergic to them) and tonight after being outside running around in the 40 F air, he went to bed breathing fine. He still is a little emotional, still a little difficult to feed, but we can negotiate, he listens to reason (as much as a 6 yr old will), and more importantly is happy and chatty again.
-- By mresdad | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
March 28th
2008
10:53 AM
WOW! I cant believe this, I happened to see the news this morning about the correlation between Singulair and suicide. After reading all the posts, I am amazed, how many stories describe my 13 year old son. He has been on Singulair since he was 5! We have gone thought he ADHD, BI Polar diagnoses, taking medications and therapy. Funny thing, once we stopped the meds for ADHD and Bi Polar, we did not see a difference in his behavior. We have just chalked it up to an emotional child. He has said since he was 5 that he wished he would die (hence starting therapy for depression) quick temper, loss of attention in school, leg pains (growing pains as I was told by the doctor) and the list goes on..... We just this week stopped the Singulair, hoping he has outgrown his childhood asthma and also due to loss of insurance, we could not afford it, and then this morning I see the news! It pains me that all these years I have spent trying to help my child with his emotional issues and it may be linked to a medication that helped him breathe. It is nice to know that so many others have the same problems and he is not the only one. I hope also that the effects are not permanent and the meds come out of his system quickly!
-- By jenbaker02 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
December 2th
2007
4:43 PM
I had the Mirena IUD inserted in September 2007... BIG MISTAKE! I paid $550.00 for the stupid IUD & another 225.00 for doctor fees!!
Okay here's my story.. I have three children, 26 yrs old, married, 120/122 pounds.. can stay in shape/get in shape easily, happy, VERY short 3-4 day periods.. BEFORE Mirena..
Now.. its been 7 weeks.. And even though I keep to the same diet, I have gained 8 pounds! I have been on a period & constantly spotting for 15 DAYS~ oh yeah.. AND bad, bad, bad, BLOATING!! Yesterday I had Severe Cramps- my doctor is out of town so the nurse actually called in muscle relaxers to help with the pain.. I was in TEARS yesterday. I NEVER EVER had menstrual cramps before.... to make things worse..I am so moody & I hate my quick temper. I have never had acne, but now I get a few spots.. not so bad, but I shouldn't have any. I feel like I don't have control over my body.
My appointment is for this Thursday.. I am getting this thing removed, so I can return to normal!
Before getting this awful thing ( which hurts when inserted & bad cramps afterward) I was using NuvaRing for two months.. I did not have any of these bad side effects with NuvaRing... I am going to try that again.
IN SHORT.. I PAID over $800.00 for severe cramping, 15 day long periods, constant spotting, brown discharge, EXTREME BLOATING, huge weight gain, and acne!! WHAT?!? I want a refund!!
-- By c2007 | Reply | (9) replies | Private Message me
July 4th
2007
9:31 AM
I came to this website because my period came on ealry this month, it was on time last month, but i was late in May. So I am really confused. But then I satart reading these other girls side effects with YAzmin and realize that we are all in the same boat. I dont like to leave the house except to go to work, I have even been distant and pissy with my boyfriend. Ive snapped on people, and I do have a quick temper, but I dont snap that quick. And also my libido has been weird, sometimes I have to sike myself to get interested, and sex with my man has always been off the chain. I appreciate you all sharing your experiences. I kept a log of whats been going on with me, I also experienced a little breakouts, but hen my skin has been really dry. And I gained alot of weight within that first month, which is not normal for me. I had to drastical eat like a rabbit just to get the weigh back off because exercise alone was just not doing it, and if you ask my friends, I was always a picky eater from the beginning. My mom has talked to me about the IUD (inter uterine device) and it is completely hormone free, and 99.9% effective. I think I may go that route.
-- By tl25 | Reply | Private Message me
September 11th
2009
7:43 PM
UPDATE!! I had my evil IUD removed today and the hardest/worst part was conveniencing the Dr. I wanted it taken out! She kept telling me that my symptoms (headaches, achey all over,panic attacks, quick temper, high blood pressure,sinus infection,cant sleep at night,no desire for sex ) were NOT related to the IUD and I just spent a lot of money to have it inserted.......she would be glad to write me a script for Wellbutrin (sp?) to help with my "issues". I was even more upset when I asked if she had ever googled "Mirena side effects" and she just laughed at me asking me if thats where I got the idea to have it removed. I was very disappointed as this has been my gyn for the past 12+ years and with my family history of breast and ovarion cancer we have always been on the same page. Well, I asked her if she was refusing to remove because I would be glad to get another Dr. to do it and thats when she agreed. It only took a breif 10 seconds and it was out(didnt feel a thing) I instantly felt better but feel that was just because I felt like a huge burden had been lifted and now I can focus on getting back to my old self. I wish others the best of luck for what ever they decide but would encourage you take some kind of action if you feel there may connection to your health issues.
-- By mt767676 | Reply | Private Message me