Regular periods symptoms and conditions

I had mine removed this week - thank the lord above!!! However, it has been rough and be forewarned that I experienced horrific cramping and HEAVY bleeding for nearly five days. I also had terrible back pains and some pain down my legs as well as some mental fogginess. I only had it in about one month and had gained 3 pounds and outgrown my bras! So now, two boxes of tampons later, I finally stopped bleeding altogether about 24 hours ago and the cramping has subsided. I feel mentally clearer and, believe it or not, have some semblance of libido - my husband is thrilled!

I am exploring other options for managing hormonal changes in perimenopause - including evening primrose oil and am still doing lots of yoga (even during the pain periods I did lots of yoga to help me manage)...Mainly, I feel so betrayed by the doctors (two women half my age) who insisted my symptoms were "all in my head" - to those of you planning for removal I encourage you to tell the medical professionals you work with that you are NOT crazy and NOT the only one experiencing these side effects. I personally believe that many women get too much progestin in the Mirena (which is not Progesterone, either) and this, in addition to overloading our estrogen, is enough to make us completely insane and miserable. I say let nature work its course as regards my own perimenopause and to those out there using Mirena for birth control I managed to avoid pregnancy with little concern using natural/rhythm methods and condoms as well as a diaphragm, conceiving my two beautiful (now teenage) sons without any intervention from hormones except my own. I am going to do peri and menopause the same way here on out. !!!!

Would love to hear how long it took for weight and stomach fat to go away after the removal from anyone who has been there - I eat very healthfully and exercise daily so I knew the pregnant look I got after that month with the Mirena was not due to one too many cookies )as my doctor seemed to infer !

I had no noticeable side effects when I first got it but now two and half years later, I have all the symptoms cited by other contributors. My breasts ache all the time, I have trouble concentrating, feel exhausted (even when I go to bed at 9:00 pm), feeling worthless, weight gain, bloated, arguing and complain all the time. Oh, and the ovarian cyst that caused soreness in my abdomen. I have so many symptoms and never put it together with the Mirena, probably because they came on slowly over time. The last year has been horrible! I'm finally getting it out tomorrow. Has anyone else experienced a gradual increase in symptoms over time?

I had Mirena inserted in February 2006. It was not a pleasant experience to have it installed, but I have never regretted the choice. The only downside that I have noticed is that before the IUD I had very short regular periods and now I have two 3 day light periods per month.

I have been on this pill for 1 and a half months now. Shortly after I started taking the pill, I started my period! I'm not talking spotting, I'm talking full-blown period--severe cramping, cravings, mood swings, and all. The whole month (last month) I was on my period. Again, I WAS ON MY PERIOD FOR A WHOLE MONTH! I just got off of my period after I stopped taking the first month's placebo pills. Normally, when I'm not taking any birth control at all, I have VERY regular periods. The extreme side effects of the first month were incredibly shocking to me. I'm still having crazy mood swings; I really hope this gets better with time.

I stopped Yaz about a month ago after being on it for a year and a half and should have had my period a week ago. Freaking out, I took a pregnancy test but it came back negative and I couldn't think why I would be late.Even before I went on Yaz I always had very regular periods, always on time and always for the same length of time, Yaz did help with the severity of my periods and the length of them. My husband suggested that it may be something to do with me quitting Yaz...has anyone else who's quit taking it had these side effects??

HAS ANYONE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH MIRENA??

before my mirena i always had VERY regular periods. every 30 days for 4-5 days. when i had my mirena inserted in the 2nd week of june, i started my period 4 days later on time (the 15th). however, it lasted 14 days! 2 weeks later on-time on july 15th, i had another 12 day period. since then NOTHING. does this sound normal to go from two super heavy periods to nothing?

since missing my last period (almost 2 weeks ago) ive had an out of control appetite but have only gained 5lbs and im extremely fatigued yet have a hard time falling asleep.

I had my mirena put in 5 years ago!! It was a horrible experience getting put in, but the pain made the next 4 and 1/2 years worth it (I thought) because i had no horrible side effects but the best part was NO PERIOD. My side effects were weight gain and acne which i never had before. So that was difficult to deal with. But my biggest thing was my mirena was Removed 5-28-09 almost 3 months ago!!, It was a Thursday, my doctor told me to start my BC pills on Sunday, and that i didn't have to wait for my first period, so i started my pills and still have not had one period since i had my Mirena removed. I was on the pill before the Mirena and always had 2-3 days regular periods every month. Ive taken several dollars worth of pregnancy test and all come out negative. If i do not start when i am suppose to next week, i feel i need to get checked out. Both my friends have had theirs removed a few months before me, and the odd thing is, is they both had miscarriages at 5 -6 weeks along. Now im scared to death to find out, maybe i am pregnant, but the tests are not showing it although i have no pregnancy symptoms, or has this damn mirena messed my life up so now i will never be able to have another child??? has any one else not had a period since removal of the mirena and on birth control pills? Any info will help!

I was just given this pill to help with perimenopausal irregular periods (anywhere from 50 day cycle down to 20 days). I'd tried HRT and bled every 2 weeks on that, so gave it up. I'm on day 14 of the Loestrin and just started bleeding (2 weeks after my last period). Sound like this isn't unusual, but it's annoying as hell. I've also been depressed, irritable and had no sex drive.
I can't decide if I'm willing to stick it out for 3 months and see if things level out--I do like the idea of someday having very short, regular periods.

I have severe endometriosis & a double uterus(yes, that means 2 separate periods). My periods would last between 7 & 15 days w/ heavy clotting & very painful cramps. Last year my dr. said he didn't think it was good to bleed every month, so he put me on Jolessa. The 1st month was great w/ no period & no side effects. Then I started spotting & had a period on & off for about 2 months. Then, I didn't have my period for 2 months @ all & the following month had a 3 day period. The next month(May), I started spotting & it continued until 2 weeks ago(2nd week of July). Then an actual period started & is still continuing. So that's 7 weeks of spotting & 2 weeks(so far) of full bleeding. Besides the on/ off bleeding, I have had no other side effects. Although this severely irregular bleeding is annoying, it is still better than my regular periods so I am reluctant to stop taking them. My dr. said it could really take up to a year to fully regulate my cycle, so I am willing to wait.

I had my mirena place in October 2008. I had no symptoms at first, but about 3 months ago that all changed. I'm losing my hair, severe abdominal cramping, fluttering (like being pregnant), severe lower back pain, dizziness, headache constantly at least once a day. I also had regular periods up until last month, when it simply never came. I freaked thinking I was pregnant I had all symptoms (tender breast, missed period, frequent urination, and nausea). So I called my doctor and demanded he order a blood test because with my son the home pregnancy test did not show positive until I was 3 months pregnant. Of course the test came back negative, but I swear I am pregnant, all the symptoms I had with my son I am having now. I know that I'm not but these are crazy side effects from the mirena..Also I didn't know until I read on here that the cyst are a side effect I have one on my right hand that just appeared out of no where about 3 months ago as well..It hurts just to type :)....In the end I will not have the mirena removed, the benefits surely out weigh the risks. Good luck to everyone with the mirena!

I have been on loestrin for 4 months now. The first three months i did have a lot of spotting (which almost seemed like a regular period) my gyno said this was normal. After the three months the spotting stopped and my regular periods are very light and only last about 3 days. My only side effects are minor mood swings right before my period (which is normal for me anyway) and slight breast tenderness. I haven't gained any weight due to the pill and my skin is about the same as it was before i was on it. I would suggest for those that have been on the pill for less than 3 months to wait and keep taking it until after the 3 months time. I have found it is a lot different after 3 months. It's such a low dose of hormones that once your body has regulated to it, your a totally normal person again.

Ladies there are some things you should consider before raging out against your BC. First of all, and your doctor should tell you this, it can take up to four months for things to straighten out, but they will straighten out. Anything that means you should stop taking the pill now should be told to you by your doctor (in fact you have to sign off on it), so PAY ATTENTION. There are obviously other less serious side effects that aren't worth putting up with, like hair loss; call your Doc and say your going to stop because your hair is falling out. I had difficulty while on LoOvral driving: I would get body aches, become disoriented, and slowly pass out. When eating/drinking water didn't cure the problem, I immediately stopped the only change I had made - taking the BC. It isn't a listed side effect, just my bad luck with it. I hadn't had the problem before and do not have it with FEMCON. You need to use a little logic. If there is an unbearable side effect, stop and change pills, but please don't rage out (unless that's your side effect). If your worried about your OBGYN trying to give you an easy fix, ask your general practitioner.

I'm going to throw weight gain in right now. I haven't had any. Furthermore, I was told that I might by my Doc. It's temporary, may take several months but it will go away. Also, you body weight fluctuates up to five pounds a day, everyday. It depends on a lot of things ie. when you last went to the bathroom, when you last ate, how much water your retaining...

I suppose the first thing I should say is why I'm on FEMCON. I have alwasy had extremely regular periods (five week cycles - so cool), starting at age nine. In middle school I began to have very painful periods. In High School, the nurse would give me a heating pad and put me to bed for the rest of the day (other girls got 15 min). The pain was so bad I cried in my sleep. When I went to college my OBGYN started me on Yaz. I went about three months with no improvement what-so-ever, and a mild increase in my depression/anxiety. So I stopped, my cycle was now regulated to four weeks and never recovered. The monthly pain reduced to a lower constant over the next few months, but now had terrible spiking shooting pains, at one point I nearly fell down the stairs. Over the next two years a couple more pills were tried with no help and irritating side effects, none lasted long. I changed doctors. My new doctor, said he wanted to try me on a high dose pill tricycle to do a sort of hormonal reset. The jury is out but it seems to be on a good trend.

I have had several side effects with FEMCON. Or at least what could be side effects. I'm currently on a study abroad so any of them could be from an environmental cause, but I'm thinking not. The most irritating has been a pretty severe case of motion sickness, if it's moving and I'm in it, I get a severe migraine, which eventually makes me very nauseous (I don't throw up for anything, but this would have had anyone else I know talking to a toilet). That is steadily going away. The addition of a ginger tablet each day to keep my stomach calm didn't hurt any, either. Second most annoying was breakthrough bleeding and cramping. Starting in the middle of my first pack I got nasty brown breakthrough bleeding (varying degrees) and moderate cramping daily. Very aggravating when your cycle is three months and it lasted the whole time. This cycle I'm don't have either. I couldn't tell you if FEMCON is effecting my depression, but I did have a nasty spell the last time I saw my brother (then again he is my brother). I seem to be doing as well as I ever have since he left. I have some breast tenderness still, mostly in the nipples. During my first cycle it could be very painful, but now doesn't bother me much. Personally, I believed that I was rather insensitive (physically speaking) before, so this may now just be a normal level of sensitivity. I never really had a sex drive before but I've got a pint sized one now. Other short-lived side effects were: nausea, occasional dizziness (continuing, but I am more inclined to blame my diet of cafeteria food at this point), swollen fingers (water retention), heavy watery discharge (not an infection).

If your pill isn't right for you, you'll know pretty quickly. If you get side effects, read the reference packet. I don't recommend reading all of the piddly side effects (ie. headache, nervousness) before hand because you may cause yourself to get them. The mind has a lot of power over the body, if you worry about side effects your just might get them as a point of mind over matter. Do not ignore anything, side effects for most BC are the same, if you've read one packet you've read 90% of every other packet. If you think your having a side effect that's dangerous deal with it immediately, if it isn't listed in your packet - go to the ER or call your Doctor on the spot. If your having one of the generic temporary ones (or worsening of a previous condition), the packet is a good place to look to see if it's normal. If you aren't happy with your BC talk to your Doc. Be smart and give things a chance to normalize. I hope this note can be helpful to people.

I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for a year and a half. When I first started out I had terrible head aches and severe nausea. But I had regular periods always getting them on a Friday and ending on a Sunday. Never missed a period or had any spotting. The last few months I have struggled to get out of bed every day. Going to work is a chore. I can't stay up past 8:00 p.m. I feel very fatigued. I have had a few episodes where I am driving in my car and suddenly every thing goes blurry, I get very hot, dizzy, confused, can't remember where i'm at or where I'm going, I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I didn't know what was wrong with me I thought I was having a heart attack I never thought it could be from the birth control. I also can't stop eating. I am never full. I haven't gained any wait but lately my stomach is so bloated. I get very shaky when I haven't eaten. I scheduled a doctors appointment because I thought i had a thyroid problem or diabetes but after reading all of these comments I now think my health problems have a lot to do with the loestrin . If my doctor doesn't find anything wrong with me than I am going to stop using loestrin. I can't live like this anymore. It is affecting my relationship and quality of life. Whats the purpose of being on birth control to have sex if you never feel well enough to do anything ...

I've taken Yaz for the past 18 months. It was fine the first few months, then I started to get severely depressed - suddenly and for no reason. I had a hard time wanting to live, despite the fact that I have the "perfect" life as a stay-at-home mom, 2 kids and a wonderful husband. I also would feel like crying quite often for no reason. Everything else was fine: regular periods, good skin, no weight gain.

I recently quit yaz, about 6-8 weeks ago because of the mood swings. This is how I feel nearly every day since: shaky, crazy in the head, headaches (which I never got before), full of anger and outbursts at my children & husband, jittery and sleepy in the afternoon (like I have low blood sugar or something). I really feel like I'm going crazy. I'm going to go see my doctor this week to see what's up. I was considering hypoglycemia, diabetes, or thyroid problems, so I'm glad I found this site and considered yaz as the culprit.

I got the Mirena inserted in the beginning of December 2008. About three weeks later, I started having excruciating pain in my right side. It went from the bottom of my rib cage to my hip bone. The pain is sporadic and intense, but I haven't had any bleeding. Has anyone else had the stomach cramps without the bleeding?

Help me figure out what im doing wrong?

I'm 21, i exercise constantly, I have never had children. i have what I'd like to think of as "a very healthy normally functioning uterus". extremely regular periods, barely get any cramps. I'm in great health, except i drink and recently picked up smoking . I got my Mirena inserted 3weeks ago exactly.

this is my mini journal:
1st day:(3/16/09) got it inserted and they gave me antibiotics to prevent infections. i had very light spotting and mild cramping. Advil did the trick

2nd& 3rd day:
like nothing ever happened. i was feeling great.

4th day:
I finished taking my antibiotics.I bicycled for about 2hours. i got home and i had cramps more painful than usual. spotting got darker

5thday: (4/20/09)
i had a very sharp pain from the bottom my ribs cage to my belly button felt like my organs in that area where gonna pop or like someone punched me really hard. i had a drink that night and it really didn't help. it would come and go all day. spotting was heavier but not dark

6thday: (4/21/09)
it was my 21st birthday so naturally i had to drink but i was really hesitant because i still had the same pain. i had a couple drinks smoke a couple cigarettes and the pain went away and never felt it again. spotting faded and was pinkish color

(4/22/09)-(05/02/09)
to pain no nothing spotting was becoming clearer over these days

05/03/09:
was my friends birthday party I walked around town everywhere. i had no car and no bike and i had to run errands for the party... grocery store, bank,...everywhere! my legs were so sore when i finally got home.
at the party and had maybe 3 drinks and smoked a lot of cigarettes. the next morning i was woken up by in the worst pain ever (i wasn't hungover) its felt like someone was sticking a knife up my vagina into my uterus. i was bleeding a lot and it was really dark i was in tears. i didn't have ANY type of aspirin or anything at the time. it would come and go for about 3-4 hours. finally i got some Tylenol and the pain went away haven't felt it since.

05/04-today: drank,smoked, no exercise, no pain, since then spotting is almost clear

now im wondering if the pains or cramps were from really from excessive exercise?
does that mean i cant exercise now or ride my bike? :(

I've had Mirena for 5 months now. I bled for the first 3 months ... straight ... but months 4 and 5 I've had regular periods (which I'm hoping disappear altogether as they did with BC Pills for me). Anyway, I'm trying to weigh the pro's and con's. I'm 33 and don't want kids, so I think this is a great alternative to other BC's with the 5 year safety, however, I have seriously been CRAZY tired and lacking energy for the full 5 months and am so bloated I look pregnant (when I normally have a flat, attractive tummy). I've never experienced anything like this. I'm not ready to remove it for these irritants - yet - because I truly feel it's a fantastic concept. Was anyone able to combat these things? I'm not about to get on diuretics because that's a temporary and unhealthy habit. I drink plenty of water, work out (when I can find the energy) and eat very healthily. Any advice that's worked for others is welcome!

was put on this femcon after not getting regular periods with karvia/mircette. lasted 1 1/2 packs and have had enough. everything hurts as if i have the flu, in the morning i have such pain in my heels it hurts to stand and i didn't have it before starting the femcon. the headaches are constant all day long. starting taken then at night which made getting out of bed in the morning hard with all the pain throughout the entire body. last night i didn't take one, slept well and no headache until midday about an hour after taking the pill... i just got my old prescription refilled.

I had mine Mirena put in Nov. 2007. Pain and spotting for 6 weeks and because I was nursing - nothing until I stopped in Aug. 2008. Started spotting every other week for a few days, then in Dec and Jan had 2 heavier regular periods. Went in for yearly and it was painful as he moved it around to check it and then ever since I have spotted and had horrible back pain, bloating, gas pains. I realize after reading on here that I also have the mood swings - I am so mean and make all kinds of accusations against my husband. I also realize that this bloated tummy that I blamed 3 kids and separated abs is really from this iud. I never had this problem of bloating with my first 2 because I had not gone the Mirena route. Also, have dizziness that comes and goes. My question is has anyone else had the symptoms come on after an annual? Had gas, gas pains and back pains that have lasted 4 weeks and actually go away or do I have to take this thing out to get relief?

My daughter had her gardasil injections in 2007 at age 16. Until then she'd had 3 years of normal regular periods. Since then her period has all but stopped, just appearing every 4 or 5 months for a day. We are now worried if this will effect her fertility.
Since the injection she has also developed vairly severe acne.
She has also had 2 episodes of passing out and seeming to have a seizure after just 2 alcoholic drinks. The doctor says none of this has anything to do with the vaccine, however I am sure that the sudden change in her periods came directly after her first shot. Qld. Australia

i went on Yasmin for probably about 4-5 months. i have irritable bowel and asthma and noticed they both got SO much worse on Yasmin. it crept up on me so i wasn't sure at first, but noticed my symptoms improved when i got off it.

my skin was also affected. i had more breakouts and had skin rashes and itchiness all over my body-- mostly confined to my trunk. i am a runner so the breathing troubles bothered me the most and at first i attributed them to the pollen in the springtime. once i looked at the list of side effects i realized having asthma i probably should have never been put on this drug!

i have never had very regular periods and always had light periods and with the Yasmin i had heavy periods. now, two years later, i'm considering another kind of birth control and this experience has made me believe there is none out there that could work for me. this list has made me think otherwise. i'm hoping to try something with a lower dose... has anyone had a good experience with another type of birth control? i am thinking alesse could be a good one, but a little wary to try anything especially after this last experience.

I got the Mirena put in in October 2007. I had just lost all my post baby weight and was feeling GREAT. then I immediately gained 20 lbs. I tried EVERYTHING to lose it. I went to extremes...power walking 5 miles a day, going to fitness classes, lifting weights, bicycling up hills, playing soccer with my kids. AND eating very healthy, small portions, minimal fats, no starches, or sugars, no eating out ever. NOT ONE POUND moved. What is so weird is the way the weight came on. It is all concentrated in this perfect little round bump on my belly making me look about 4 months preg. I can tell there is a lot of water there and I retain water terribly. I bloat all over so badly by the end of the day, I have to unzip my pants (even though I barely eat). I went to my doc thinking something is wrong and she assured me it wasn't my IUD but my age!!! After reading these and other posts, I was amazed to see SO many other symptoms I have been having since Oct. of 2007 that I Never attributed to the Mirena!!! My breasts hurt, my energy levels are up and down. I have had a terrible time emotionally, handfuls of hair falling out, NO SEX DRIVE, (don't have acne), irritable, depressed, impatient, headaches, complete space cadet, inability to make decisions, etc. All this since the Mirena was put in. I TOO want my body back and my SELF back!! I have an appointment in TWO Weeks from today to get it out and I cant wait!!! This can NOT be healthy!! I will report back to you and let you know what happens.
L.

I'm 18 years old. I am only sexually active with one boy whom I have been with for 3 years. I had some spotting before my my brown pills, but I never started my period. I am now on another pack and still haven't started. I am usually late. Does anyone else have this problem?

Had my son in May 2006. Had mirena inserted in Nov 2006. Insertion was quite uncomfortable. I have a very high tolerance for pain. I bleed for maybe a week. Stopped having regular periods, which was great. Spotted a minor amount for the first 1.5 yrs. I've had mood swings and depression on and off for the entire time. Lately, within the past 6-9 months, I've had anxiety issues, dizziness (which I went to the dr for), hot flashes, cold flashes and the mood swings are worse. Spotting has increased. Abdominal pain in lower abdomen is almost unbareable. Like many of the women have posted, I am about ready to go the ER from time to time because of the pain. I've had 2 back to back vaginal infections which my dr says can cause cramping associated with the IUD (but she says its not because of the IUD). My skin is dryer and my libido is decreased.

I am having it removed; after 2 years. I don't know what I am going to do for BC but I honestly do not think that the mirena is worth it for me. Not to mention the more serious KNOWN possible side effects like cancer, blood clots, hypertension (which already runs in my family). I don't have these, but I don't want to take the chance of getting them. The mood swings, depression and anxiety alone not only harm me but my family as well. I'm thankful that my husband has put up with it, but frankly, I'm starting to get on my own nerves now!

And, to top it all off, for the past 2 months, at times I have a very hormonal smell. Now, I am the type to shower every day and some days (hot summer days) maybe even twice a day and so I know its completely internal. My freakin' Degree deodorant doesn't work sometimes and the smell seems to be emitting from my pores. Its not a terrible smell or constant. But when I have it, I smell like I'm in heat or something! LOL

Its coming out this week!

I am on my seconded pack (month 4) I have endo and thought it would be awesome to only have my period 4 times a year. To my dismay, I've been spotting for the past 2 months and counting. I had a full period about 3 weeks ago and had hoped it was ending and the spotting has continued! I don't want to give up this far. I am SO hopeful that it will stop, but I am really losing that hope. Also, I have cramping still (maybe from the endo) and feel like an emotional wreck!!! I do NOT want to go back to having my regular periods... they were really heavy and severely painful, but this is really getting old fast too! I am 34 and am thinking that maybe I should just go talk to the Dr. about having a hysterectomy. I don't have children and don't think I'll ever have any anyways. Im older and am not in a relationship, so maybe I should just take the plunge?! Help!