Sex drive symptoms and conditions

I am 19 years old and have had Mirena since May 2008. I really struggled with the cramps and continuous bleeding for the first two months. My menstrual periods became less and less until I hit my year mark of having it. NOW, if I'm around a girl friend for more than a few days, I automatically get my menstrual period the same day she will and it will last for 8 to 10 days. I thought I wasn't supposed to get my period after a year of having Mirena?!! I've really enjoyed not having to worry about taking a pill every day or putting a new patch on every week and hope it stays on.... BUT, a year and a half of constant acne, the freshman 15, the anxiety, the decreased sex drive, the abdominal cramps are really starting to take a toll on my mental health!
I recently have developed new symptoms of excessive sweating in my armpits, loss of interest in doing things I used to love, joint pain, thin peeling nails, dry skin, cold intolerance. I mentioned these things to my mother the other day on the phone and she reminded me that thyroid problems are very congenital in our family. I have a doctor appt in 2 days for a blood test. If all goes well, I may just have to say goodbye to Mirena. Its been 100% effective for me in the past year and a half, but I can't handle the excess fine-print bullshit that comes with it!!!

I have had Mirena for about more than a year now. I can relate to many of these symptoms. I have 2 girls and with my first daughter I've never had any problems until i got the IUD inserted in me. Worst side effects are constant back pain everyday, weight loss, the WORST bladder problem which i've never had before (just found out yesterday I have a Cyst on my ovary) , the worst mood swings ever. I've been to the emergency room time for feeling so weak and being so pale because of stomach pains (not knowing if its from the IUD, but was really scary for me) NO Sex Drive at all since the IUD. I am 21 and married, I believe i should have enough to want to be with my husband. To please him.. Right?? And when i do it is so painful.

I went to the Dr. yesterday to remove it and the Dr. told me in these words" I am not going to remove it for you, I respect you and your decision but i would not remove it, You will HAVE to go to another Dr." and then he gave me my money back (i dont have insurance) But I thought that was really strange. It's my decision to want to remove it. Isn't that crazy. It's my choice. So since my Dr. doesn't want to remove it, i am now going to choose another Dr. to remove it from me. I just think their are so many problems with the Mirena IUD and knowing if you are having plenty of symptoms you should remove it, dont take any chance!! I know I'm not

I've been on the NuvaRing for a year and four months. Overall, I've been happy with it. There are a few side effects: my sex drive has gone down (from overdrive to normal) and I can't wear contacts anymore -- my eyes are just too dry. I'm not sure if it affects my mood. I'm a little overly sensitive on and off birth control, so it's hard to say! My breast got a little bigger. When I started, I would get headaches (they weren't bad, but never got headaches before, so it was unusual), but they've gone away. None of the side effects are bad enough to make me stop taking it. I've tried the pill (two kinds), sponges, and condoms, and this is by far my favorite birth control method. It's convenient, effective (for me anyway), and the side effects are definitely manageable.

I had my 1st child in March of 09! Before I had my 1st child I had been on Birth Control for 8yrs and it worked great. After have my baby I decided to use Mirena so I wouldn't have to remember to take a pill everyday and now that I am chasing a baby I can't remember anything when it comes to myself. I thought that I was just going crazy or just creating these side effects in my mind but after doing some research and finding this website it has confirmed what I have thought all along the Mirena is causing A LOT of problems for me. I have acne that never goes away, blurred vision(before I got Mirena I wore glasses just to see things far away when I drove or when I was reading really small print and now I can not even see with my glasses), I feel sick to my stomach all the time through out the day and I even get sick sometimes a couple times a week, I have constant abdominal pain, lower back pain, joint and muscle pain, I have constant infections that will not go away with meds, my breasts are tender, I have dizzy spells several times a week, I have really bad mood swings its like I hate the world and I use to not be like that, I am totally exhausted to the point where it feels like pregnancy exhaustion and for all women who have had children you know there is nothing like pregnancy exhaustion. Also I have pain during and after sex. I haven't lost my sex drive and I haven't gain a bunch of weight but I haven't been able to lose all of my baby weight either and I have tried like HELL to lose my baby weight.

I had my son Oct 2008 and had Mirena inserted at my 6 week postnatal checkup. At that point I had lost about 15 lbs of baby weight and was feeling pretty darn good for just having a baby.

Since then I have gained back the 15 lbs plus 15 more despite exercising and dieting and NURSING for 11 months! I have had blurry vision, no sex drive, migraines, acne on my face and arms?!?!, and just been all around grumpy. I have also been diagnosed as hypothyroid since being on this - I don't know for sure if it is related to Mirena, but I do know that I was tested for it before becoming pregnant with my miracle baby because my husband and I were declared infertile!

I have spotted almost the entire time despite not having a "real" period since before my son was born. I do not want any more children (12 year old girl and 1 year old boy keep me pretty darn busy), but decided to take out the mirena after reading this site and seeing that other women have had the same issues. Removed on Tuesday (Nov 10) and guess what - I already feel better! There was no pain getting it removed and no cramping, unlike the insertion process.

I am looking forward to seeing the other side effects disappear. I wish that my OB would have focused more on possible side effects instead of how simple it would be. The past year has been a personal hell for me when it should have been one of the happiest times of my life! I hope that the rest of you find this helpful:) Good luck!

I have been taking Yasmin for about 7-8 months. I haven't really experienced any negative side effects. I did notice that my breast immediately got bigger, and I may have gained no more than 5 lbs. Lately I have been noticing that around my period I get extremely emotional and moody. I would say overall Yasmin has been great, my skin is clear and flawless, my breasts grew, and haven't gotten pregnant. I have noticed a decreased sex drive and moodiness.

I am 28 and have been on Loestrin since March 2009. I was freaking out because this is the second month I missed my period in a row. I keep taking pregnancy tests to make sure I am not. When I did have my period it has either been super light or very heavy. I feel like I put on a lot of weight in my mid-section and my moodiness hasn't changed. With this pill my sex drive has gone down as well. Sorry a lot of people are having the same problems, but glad I am not alone. I actually have been off it since Sunday and still no period!

I had been on Depo for basically 14 years, I came off of it, got pregnant 3 months later and after the birth went back on it. I had gained a lot of weight with it and had all the side effects plus so when I saw mirena I thought finally something better for me. I had it inserted in aug 2008. Other than painful insertion, like labor delivery contractions the rest of that day and some the next everything was fine. I didn't get my periods back, the only thing I liked about depo, and my weight was coming off and I was actually wanting and enjoying sex again. . A year later, and 15 lbs less, thought I was still doing good. Well I thought maybe my teenage daughter had jinxed me because I was bragging about still not having a period and I started, well a week later I am still having some sort of a period. It's very light and spotty, just when you think it's gone away, well there it is again. I have been noticing vision issues, I figured it was from where I had lasic done several years ago was starting to go but after reading everyone else's posts I think that's not it now. Everything I was experiencing, the back pain, blurry eyes, feeling sad, lower abdominal pain, I made an excuse for until now. I have recently started to loose my sex drive again. I hadn't had any, or so I thought, problems until several weeks ago. My problem is I can't take the pill, I don't want the depo back because of the side effects, the patch won't work for me so I am not sure what is left for me to take, I saved up for this and put so much money into it and now after reading everyone else's post realize that this BC is not for me either.

I have had Mirena since November 2006.(3 years) It was SOOO painful to have it put in, but I know it has to do a bit with the fact that I've never had a kid. I immediately had HORRIBLE cramps for hours and bled for about 4 weeks. Since then I have not had a period at all :) Now, I am 27 yrs old and have NO sex drive, ZERO! I hope that it is because of the Mirena, lol. I don't take any other meds at all. In 3 years I've probably packed on 15 pounds, but I can't say its because of Mirena. Me and my husband are ready for kids, so I'm gonna have it taken out in January. We'll see if it helps with the sex drive :) I haven't had any other side effects really.. overall, I would use it again, just be sure to take some pain meds before you have it put in, cuz that pain is like child birth said my OBGYN.

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!!

Hi there... I came off of Yasmin just 2 weeks ago and thought I should share with you my story since yours is a skin issue. I took Yasmin for 3 years. This past year I would wake up some bumps on my lip.. then on my hands.. then (this is over a period of months) I would wake up and have a slightly swollen lip... this was over the last year or so. I would also get a feeling in my throat, like something was in it and swallowing felt funny.
WELL, 2 weeks ago, I took my bc like I always do, right before I go to bed and my lip starts to tingle and itch.. and in the morning my face was swollen 3x the normal size on on side, mostly at the lips... I couldn't really talk.. it was like those awful photos on google. It was angioedema and can kill you by swelling of the throat. I had also for about a year- an ear issue.. it would sound like I was talking under water and felt like swimmer's ear- related to the swelling I found out later. Turns out I'm allergic. I developed this allergy over the period of time I was exposed.

I just want to say to anyone out there that has FACIAL/LIP SWELLING, or swelling of the hands... GO TO THE ER. It can kill you. I got lucky.. my swelling started slow and after about a year if was full blown. It is not something to mess around with!I was prescribed an epi pen. I developed an allergy to a preservative in it and I'm not an allergen sensitive person. That was just the parms/doctor guess I might add.

The first year I took Yasmin I had numb and tingling toes. and the whole tie I've had on and off leg pain.. no sex drive, that's the truth..definite bloating issues about 6 lbs weight gain, sometimes more without change in diet. I haven't noticed any hair loss thankfully. Migraines. Lots of nausea in the morning, every morning like morning sickness. Car sick even when driving.. not normal! I used to work on an airplane and I never got motion sickness.

I'm now on day 4 of Mirena IUD and I'm having having severe diarrhea and trouble sleeping.. I really, really don't want to get pregnant. Our next step is a vasectomy for the hubby. I'm 25 and I weigh 140 5'10 if that helps. I wasn't an 'at risk' like the pamphlet said.

my insertion was so bad i literally almost kicked the doctor as an instant reaction and yelled a cuss word... i had a c section delivery so pain full doesn't even describe that pain it was unbearable.. but the cramping starting the moment after insertion to about a month ago was i think worse then the c section pain id be at work almost on the floor in a ball crying in pain and the doctor said take Tylenol it will go away and nevvvvver did... i still get random cramps and sharp pains

i never had bv until i was pregnant during the pregnancy i had it one time and thought it was gone... after i got the mirena put in ive have 4 cases of bv this is November., and 3 uti's.. i got the mirena in march i believe... that is not good for my body to be on antibiotics like that ... lately ive been having terrrrrible pain when i pee like above my pubic bone.. my first thought was a uti ... went to er hoping to get an antibiotic once again... blood urine ctscan everything was normal... er doctor said its probably my mirena and i should get it taken out... i called my obgyn and she insisted i keep it in and thats not the mirena giving me those pains!!! why are these doctors so against taking it out i mean i'll get on the pill i don't care i thought the mirena would be handy u know not worrying about missing a pilll!!! wellllll i wish would have never decided to get it in ive had painful sex , very emotional, pain in general, it terrible...

alssssso my boyfriend and i obviously do not use condoms bc the birth control... now we have to use them bc hes been having a burning sensation when he pees like so bad and painful to where his legs almost buckle ... he was talking to his best friend about it and he said hes experiencing the sammmmme thing and his girl is on mirena ... they've come to the conclusion theyyyy are having a reaction to the hormone released from the mirena and it makes complete sense i don't care condom or no condom it doesn't bother me... but its the fact ... he said he felt it at one point which the doctor said your boyfriend shouldn't feel a thing... sorry if thats tmi but while having sex i feel it bad and it ruins the mood for sex with me at least...

i didn't have a pd for roughly 3 months now its heavy and clotty... then the next day nothing then the next clotty again im soooooo sick of it thank god i stumbled across this sight in search if the reaction my man was having... but now i don't feel alone for all my problems ive been having!!!!

OMG! SO glad I decided to research Loestrin24Fe. I am on my 2nd pack now well into the 2nd week. I used to be on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo, but that made me moody, emotional, crampy, bloody and fat. I was switched to Trivora which was 10 times worse. I quit BC pills for a year. Now, I am on Loestrin 24Fe. I have for sure experienced some changes good and bad. I feel my sex drive has gone up! But my eyesight is getting blurry, my breast and nipples are sore most of the time. I'm very constipated all of a sudden. I'm also feeling exhausted and started experiencing headaches. I do get heartburn, but I think that's not related to the pill. I will start paying close attention to the things you ladies pointed out. My husband wants me to stop the pill (due to the eyesight thing) but I want to see if things get better by the 3rd pack. I'll let you know.
-L.

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.

I had the Mirena put in November 2008. And this is the WORST birth control I have EVER had. I have uterin contractions, hot flashes (im 19 yrs old) No sex drive, bitchy, and no period for over 6 months. and nothing is getting better. So I got the depo shot which is 99.7% effective. And no side effects. I wouldn't ever recommend this birth control.

C

I had Mirena placed in August 2009. I was so excited when I first heard about it; shorter, lighter periods, decrease of cramping, no taking a pill daily, birth control for up to 5 years... Well I am so ready to have it taken out! My face broke out worse than a hormonal teenager and I have NO sex drive since it's been inserted, none. Also I have to wear a panty liner every day and night due to spotting. I didn't experience any weight gain but would rather take a few pounds versus all the side effects I do experience. I would not recommend Mirena to anyone and am scheduling an appointment to have it taken out asap.

I had the Mirena put in October of 06 and had it removed in October of 08. During the time that I had it, I didn't get a period, which I expected but I was really hormonal. It was like I would get angry or upset for no apparent reason. It was ruining my relationship, and I would also get terrible headaches, no sex drive, and I started getting cysts in the groin area. The doctor told me it had nothing to do with the Mirena, but I believe it did. Since I had it removed I don't get so bent out of shape so easily, no more headaches, but I do still get the cysts, but just prior to my period every month. Also, we have been trying to get pregnant again and it just isn't happening. I never had a problem with my first two kids, and now I just cant seem to make it happen. I would not recommend that horrible IUD for anyone. It caused nothing but problems for me.

I've had the mirena for only about two months now and about two weeks after it was placed my stomach ballooned to over twice the size it was before and I've gained about seven pounds that are unexplainable. I have not had a regular period which is understandable but I cant deal with the weight gain and bloating. I just had a baby four months and am trying so hard to loose the remainder of the baby weight,and I was doing extremely well until I got the mirena, and nothing drastic has changed about my diet or exercise routine.Does anybody have any idea how long this is suppose to last or what I can do to combat the bloating/weight gain besides getting it removed?

hi i had my mirena in for a year and a half and jus recently took it out...i loved mine i never had a problem with it no mood swings still had sex drive...and i actually lost 20 pounds i guess its just different for everyone...im trying to have another baby right now but i would definitely put mirena right back in after that..sorry to hear about all the side affects i mean it scares me a little but i guess it all depends on ur body and how it reacts to it...good luck ladies

I had my daughter in December 2006 and my doctor tried me on numerous types of birth control pills. Finally I agreed to try Mirena. Since then I too have been moody and gained weight which has never been a problem. I have always weighed no more than 120 now i weigh 150 and can't lose it no matter what I do. The worst part of Mirena is my sex drive is gone and I bleed for at least 2 weeks out of the month usually 3. I am only 23 years old!! There has got to be something else but my doctor has prolonged taking the Mirena out. She keeps telling me that it is the best method of birth control available.

I am amazed to see so many woman going through the same things I am. I really do feel like I have been going crazy with my doctors. Since I have been on the Mirena I have experienced, weight gain, depression, nausea, excessive tiredness, cramps in my uterus and breast tenderness. I also have a hard time sexually. I cant seem to get wet either. Although my sex drive is there I still can get wet. I also have lost hair on my head and have started getting hair on my face. YUK!!!!!!Since I have been on thr Mirena for the past 2 years I have maintained my weight but have lost nothing. I am going to get it taken out really soon, since my husband was nice enough to get a vasectomy. Hopefully these mood swings and tiredness will go away.

i've had the nuvaring for 6 months now and not once have i had all those negative side effects. i've gained 3 pounds, not too bad. it hurt my boyfriend the first two times, he got use to it. it made my boobs noticeably bigger, no one looses with that.
i honestly feel like everyone is just saying all this because someone else has. the nuvaring is amazing, no itchy dry vagina like some of the other people claim to have. and my sex drive has defffffffffffff not gone down. but ive noticed my arms get itchy, although i doubt they are related in anyway . so i would refer this to anyone. but i would rather have the rod that goes in your arm for three years..

Migraines, weight gain, dizziness, depression, no sex drive, some what of an odor and discharge, spotting, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, nausea, mood swings, tired a lot.

I had the Mirena for the full five years and loved it once I got through the first couple of months of side effects. I actually lost about 15 pounds and maintained the weight loss the whole time. My sex drive improved over what it was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen and its generic. Now I'm struggling since having the Mirena removed at its expiration. I tried Seasonale for one pack, but it made me loss sex drive and gain weight. Now I'm trying NuvaRing, but having terrible headaches and nausea. I would have another Mirena, but I really expect I will try to have a child in the next year or so, so I don't want to spend the money for a short usage. My sister also uses Mirena and she likes it as well as I did. The best part was light or no periods for the around four years!

I am on the same boat with all of you!! I had my daughter at the end of July and had my Mirena placed September 21st. At first I thought this was going to be so great and I wont have to worry about a pill every day! WRONG!! I feel pregnant again.I'm swollen, my skin is WHACK, I have never had a breakout so bad, and I have been bleeding ever since it was placed. Sometimes its super heavy and other times its just a gushy brown discharge. So gross. My doctor says "Oh, this may happen" but this is just insane. I have NO sex drive, I'm moody and after reading all of your posts, I know it is from this MONSTER MIRENA! I am calling on Monday to have this removed. Thank you all for sharing!