Sex life symptoms and conditions

I'm 23 years old, and a mother of 2 children under 2. I had my Mirena placed in September 2008. Since the placement, i have had extreme bleeding and clotting for 20 days straight in the beginning. my doctor said that was normal and that it would subside, which it did, but i was still having the abnormal bleeding throughout. That wasn't a concern for me, it started with the strange pains that i would get, it felt as if something sharp was poking my insides, my boyfriend also would feel it during intercourse, and at times it would be so painful for him we had to stop. That has ruined our sex life. Just recently i have developed lower back pains and didn't know where it was coming from, i thought maybe because I'm constantly picking up my 7 month son who weighs as much as his sister who is 2. But then the depression started kicking in. I feel so lost. I cry out of no where, and I'm always tired, and have no motivation, or desire to care. I feel like everything is falling down around me, and i have no control over it. I snap out of no where with anger. I'm a stay at home mother, and i feel trapped every day. i love my kids, but lately i feel like I've lost who i am, and it's effecting my relationship with my children, not only that but with their father. i feel myself distancing myself from him. I don't really have anyone to talk to about anything, and sometimes i just wanna run away from everything in my life. i used to be such a fun person, always laughing and happy, but now i feel like I'm not me, like I've changed completely. i thought i was loosing my mind until i thought maybe this is all a side effect from Mirena? My doctor did not warn me of this so i wasn't sure until i found this website. I can't believe everyone is experiencing the same thing! as of now i don't have medical insurance, and i want this thing removed! I'm in the process of getting insurance so i just hope that i can cope with this a little longer, because i feel like I'm gonna lose myself entirely

I met my fiance a little over two years ago. Initially our sex life was hot and heavy as is the case with most new relationships so we decided to look into some sort of birth control. Like most of you, I was attracted to the idea of not having to worry about taking a pill and the potential consequences of forgetting to take one. We started using the NuvaRing and I went from having an absolutely healthy and fulfilling sex life to now avoiding my fiance like the plague... The decreased libido side effect associated with using the NuvaRing is seriously life altering. It has been approximately 1 year now since I discontinued using it and I still have not regained my sex drive. Its definitely ruining my relationship and I don't see a wedding anywhere in the near future. I cannot urge enough women to avoid it at all costs... Find something else to use if you cherish your libido as much as I did. Best of luck ladies!

Well, I have had my Mirena since June/08. I had my son in May/08. I was 7 weeks pp when I had it put in. After my son was born I felt ok, no pains besides my c section scar
NOW...since insertion I have had a mess of problems. I have been a healthy woman for a long time and never had issues like this until July-ish. I am 27.

1. I had horrible back pain and my legs felt like I walked in 7" heels the night before (the tight muscle cramps, etc). My PCP told me I could possibly have a slipped disc and wanted me to go to PT. I had all my blood work come back fine btw. Since I knew in my heart I didn't have a slipped disc I did not waste my money on PT.
2. I have NO sex drive. The thought of sex makes me gag. No joke. I had sex 6 weeks pp and had a libido with no sleep. My son sleeps 11 hrs a night and I still don't want sex. As I type, I could go the rest of my life with no sex. THAT IS NOT ME AT ALL!
3. Extreme tiredness. Like I said my son sleeps 11 hrs a night and I sleep 8 hrs a night.
4. Light-headedness- I do have a BP of 110/70 so if I get up fast I get dizzy, but more now than before.
5. Started to have SEVERE pelvic pain right above my c section scar. It hurt so bad I was about to go to the ER. I was home alone with my 6 mo old so I tried to wait it out. I called my OB and they got me in. In his exam he felt a huge knot in my pelvis and it hurt like a MF! He suspected a hernia so he sent me for a CT scan.
Got the results yesterday and they came back normal. He said maybe I bruised something. But why do I have a big knot in my pelvis?
I feel like I am crazy. My bf takes my pain issues with a grain of salt now days. My OB did say since there is progesterone in the Mirena that my leg issues could be from Mirena and he was more than happy to remove if I wanted.
I still have it in and more and more I am thinking of getting it removed. My issue is I am so bad at taking pills and didn't like the Depo.
Anyways ladies...please let me know if you have had these issues. My email is arizonaequine@yahoo.com
Hope this can help someone feel less crazy!!

I was on Yasmin for almost a year, and then on Yaz, and I've never felt so crazy in my life. The mood swings were so bad that it was like I was bipolar and became a different person. Worst part is that I couldn't realize it until I was out of the "bout" of anger, depression, and even paranoia. I have had emotional side effects with birth control before, and these were some of the worst. I just really wish there was a non-chemical birth control that didn't involve plastic, latex, or stingy spermicides! I know many women who cannot take hormonal birth controls, and we all complain that our sex life is not as good, and even causes big problems for some. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I've been taking Yaz for about 2 years now. I didn't notice any symptoms right away. In fact, I loved it in the beginning. It calmed my PMDD tremendously. I loved the fact that the mood swings I had been having were much improved. There was some breast tenderness but no big deal.
My symptoms have gotten increasingly worse over the past 6 months. Horrible headaches on an almost daily basis. Nausea 4-5 times per week. Extreme anxiety and panic attacks. Depression and suicidal thoughts. I constantly crave food...not necessarily that I'm hungry but I always want to eat. I have gained 20-25 pounds. I weigh more now than I ever have in my whole life!! Shortness of breath. Chest pains. No energy. It is killing my relationship with my fiance. We USED to have a healthy, active sex life. My libido has diminished to the point of being (basically) nonexistent. When we do have sex, it is extremely painful. Instead of enjoying it, I can't wait for it to be over. Of course, this is due to the fact that, as many other women on this site have stated, it blocks or binds free testosterone. I guess killing the desire to have sex in the first place is one way of avoiding pregnancy.
I recognize that there are side effects with any medication. But this pill creates\d some serious quality of life issues FOR ME. After reading this site and realizing ALL the uncomfortable symptoms I've been experiencing over the last 6 months are related to this (expensive) little pink pill, I threw the pack away. I'm not going to tell anyone else what to do b/c, hey, some women out there may have no probs with it.

I had my Mirena inserted in the beginning of july after having my second child. I made a horrible mistake. I had cramps so bad that I would actually be in so much pain from I turned pale and cry whenever they happened. I constantly bled from the day it was inserted until the day I had it removed which was Oct 29th. Almost 3 months. Some days would be worse than others. Right before I had it removed I had to go to the hospital because I was pouring out blood as if I was peeing. It made me have severe mood swings. One minute I'd be extremely happy then the next I was really hateful and wanted to punch someone. I would get light headed a lot from loosing that amount of blood right before it was removed. It made me tired all the time.I had a lot of migraines. It affected my sex life for the obvious reason I couldn't because I never stopped bleeding besides the fact I had no desire to.

But since I've had it removed from I guess the lack of hormones I am having hot flashes and nausea and getting shivers wile changing from being hot in cold ever few minutes. Its subsided though since I started a new birth control last night. I'm only 20 and I didn't obviously know what a hot flash even was and it scared me i remember I went out to the hospital for a second time because of it lol. Now that I know what they feel like I really don't look froward to going through the change. I'm getting better and better each day since I haven't had it in. I just feel better and my bleeding has subsided.

I would never recommend Mirena to anyone.
Since I've had it removed I feel a lot better

Ladies, ladies, ladies...have I got a few stories for YOU!

I will never forgive myself for wasting three months of my otherwise fabulous life using the Nuvaring.

Nuvaring Nightmare #1: The Slingshot Incident

One night, my boyfriend and I were making love in an unusual position when his member slipped out of me. After an awkward pause I turned around and saw a look of shock and confusion on his face, with the Nuvaring sitting on his chest. Apparently the naughty Nuvaring had gone soaring out of my vagina like a slingshot during all the action and had bounced off his face to land on his chest.

BUT WAIT...it gets worse...

Nuvaring Nightmare #2

Boyfriend and I were in the bathroom for a quickie one day with all the lights turned off, when we realized that the floor was strangely slippery...our feet were slipping all over the place. We turned on the lights to find ourselves and most of the bathroom covered in blood! After a few seconds of searching for the source of the blood, we quickly realized that the evil Nuvaring had badly nicked the head of my poor boyfriend's penis. Needless to say, the mood was killed. Worst of all, it took two weeks to heal...and then it happened again on my brand-new mattress. There are still blood stains under my bed. After that, my boyfriend said, "Either you STOP using the Nuvaring or we STOP having sex!!"

My roommates said I was a moody monster for the entire three months that I used the Nuvaring...and I suspect you would be too, if this had happened to you. If you value your sex life, you relationships with others, and your personal safety, DO NOT EVER TRY THE NUVARING!

If you like yourself, DO NOT choose this form of birth control!!!!!! I experienced several side effects almost immediately within my first cycle of this "should be outlawed" drug including a cyst on my ovary that burst (PAINFUL!!!!!), very hormonal PMS and periods (like going through puberty again), heavy bleeding and clotting, swelling like I experienced after delivering my children - yes, even sitting was uncomfortable, painful intercourse, muscle aches, and cramping like afterbirth. Most of these symptoms subsided after I did the math and freed myself of this health hazard. All I have described sound hormone related and logical but wait, there is more . . . while on the NuvaRing, I also developed a tumor in my leg that attached to my bone and required surgery. I was blessed that it was benign but at first was told it was malignant by bone tumor specialists from three leading Manhattan Hospitals! My children were 3 and 1 at the time so you can imagine how I felt! Also, a condition that has not gone away after 1 year and 4 months of no more NuvaRing is chronic sinus problems. These sinus problems first developed when I made the mistake of using this venomous drug. I myself thought there could be no correlation until I went on line and read that other women suffered with sinus issues after using the NuvaRing. I have developed sinusitis that I've had no luck in treating holistically and these severe infections have been resilient to most antibiotics. I've finally faced this sinus issue and have scheduled a CT scan and ENT appointment for next week so I hope I can get to the root of the problem as I am sick of feeling sick! By the way, I'm extremely fit, a very healthy eater, and was in GREAT health before use of the NuvaRing! I'm writing this because I would not wish my experience on anyone and wish I had read comments like this PRIOR to making this poor decision. I so dislike this drug that I have to turn-off the TV when the commercial comes on. Again if you like yourself, DO NOT use the NuvaRing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been taking a generic version of Wellbutrin SR 150mg for almost 2 months now. I also take Zoloft 50mg. Before I started the wellbutrin, I had been taking zoloft for over a year to help with depression. The zoloft was working very well for my depression, but it completely killed my libido and as a newlywed, I felt something had to be done as it was beginning to affect my relationship with my husband.
So my doctor prescribed the wellbutrin. For the first couple of weeks I experienced a lot of nervous energy, a shortness of breath, a bit of nausea, forgetfulness and confusion. I almost stopped taking it because I didn't feel it was helping my libido either. But I stuck with it and after 3 weeks, it felt like it was definitely having a positive effect on my sex life. My husband noticed it too. He mentioned how much more responsive I had become when we were intimate. After 2 months, I am absolutely convinced that it has changed our lives and our relationship.
It is not, by any means a miracle drug though. I have a few complaints about it, the main one being the CONFUSION that I experience for hours after I take it. I was taking it in the morning before I went to work and everyday I noticed that I was not as sharp and efficient as I usually am. I figured this was a temporary side effect so I kept taking it as usual, but it never went away! I kept forgetting everything, lost focus easily, had dull headaches, and generally felt as if I could not connect to what I was doing.
SO...about a week ago, I thought I would try to take it at night...when it's not as important to be sharp and focused (and more important to be turned on). And it has turned out great! I'm so glad I started to do it. It doesn't affect my sleep...in fact I think I sleep better. And when I wake up in the morning, my dull headache is gone and I feel less foggy. At work, I feel normal again. My short term memory has recovered and I don't get confused as easily.
If you suffer from a lot of memory loss and confusion from this medication, I definitely suggest taking it at night. It has really helped me! Thanks and good luck!

I've been taking Zoloft for nearly a month. My sex drive has not decreased but it takes me a very long time to have an orgasm. It is frustrating because my partner and I have always had a very active sex life. Now, I'm hesitant to have sex because it takes too long to have an orgasm. Any suggestions?? Sexually Frustrated

I am a 42 year old healthy man that started getting tired of getting up during meetings every hour and a half to urinate. I went to the doctor and he prescribed Flomax. The frequent urination has improved, but the sexual side effects are awful. I first noticed a significant decrease in ejaculate. No big deal. I refrained from ejaculation for a week and this morning, when I had my orgasm I had zero ejaculate. The flomax is in the trash! I can not fix one thing and totally mess up a really good sex life. I sure hope this will not have any long term effects. I'm just trying to honest!!

Funny...Me and my Boyfriend of 3 years just had this big heart to heart today trying to figure out...WHERE MY SEX DRIVE WENT???? So we put two and two together in the time frame is seemed to have been "lost" in, and we came up with YAZ. Thats not why I ended up on this site at 1am though...

As we were lying in bed, I got sudden mild chest pains in my left side and my left arm went numb. All I have ever known about these symptoms is that you are having a heart attack! As I get outta bed Travis says "what are you googling?" Him knowing that I am a hypercondreact!

I had decided today to stop taking the pill not willing to risk my wonderful sex life and relationship. I said goodbye to my wonderful FULL C breasts :( I will keep you posted on my after side effects! Good luck to you brave women!!!

Wow. I found this site after looking up causes for lack of sex drive. I've been on Yasmin for 6 years, but never thought for a minute it had anything to do with the problems I've been having. Loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness, hair loss, mood swings (partners always gets the brunt of those), repeated bouts of chest pains (diagnosed with pleurisy recently, don't know if there is a link).

I had got to the point that I thought this is just the way I am, it never occurred to me that something else could be causing this. I can't even remember what it's like to be normal.

I already have 2 kids and don't want any more at the moment so I don't know what the solution is. Well, I haven't wanted sex for the last few years so i suppose the bloody thing has done its job in that way!

I'm just shocked, this has been a real wake up call. I'm stopping taking the evil little things as of now.

I am 26 yrs old and have had my period since August 30, I am currently still bleeding, I went to my doctor who told me to start taking Femcon Fe. I started today took my first one in the morning and I was fine, mind you my doctor told me to take 1 pill 3x a day. So here I am with a horrible headache, nausea and I just feel so tired. I took Yasmin before and it made me sick as well. I am tired of taking these pills from hell that make you sick and not have a normal life. I still don't have a normal sex life being that I have bleed for so long me and my husband don't have that intimate relationship and I don't know what to do anymore, I feel so lost and confused. Please any advice.

Agree with the earlier post -- read the drug insert that comes with your Rx! Majority of these side effects are well-known. Blood clots are a very well-known potential side effect of hormonal birth control -- non common but certainly devastating if it happens. Chances are good that these individuals have a genetic tendency toward abnormal clotting. The only good news for these gals is that they've had a warning (it's likely to happen again).
Re sexual dysfunction, it is a VERY common side effect of all hormonal BC. But especially with Yasmin and Yaz -- the form of progestin in these BC pills has anti-testosterone action which is great for acne but lousy for your sex life. Unfortunately, you might not be able to have clear skin AND libido.
For those with serious mood disorders on the pill, consider non hormonal forms of BC -- copper IUD inserted by an experienced clinician is worth considering.
And gals in your 40s, guess what? PMS often gets worse with age and then slides right into perimenopausal symptoms (did u know 10% of women never stop having hot flashes?!). Normalizing with BC pills is an option, but the sexual side effects are even worse for us older gals.

Hi Everyone. I am so glad I finally decided to look into symptoms I've been having with Nuvaring. I started one month before my wedding and have been on it for 6 months now. I have had NO Sex drive...which as a newlywed you can imagine is a strain on our relationship. The times I have tried it has hurt really bad and like others have said I have had to use lube for the first time in my life. I will be making an appointment very soon to change to a different form of bc. I need my sex life back and my husband does too!

I'm 34 and my children are 3 and 5 years old. I had my Mirena coil fitted on 12 Sept 2007, so have now had it just over a year. During that time, I've had bouts of intense abdominal pain, almost constant vaginal discharge, bleeding after exercise or sex and a curious sensation in the region of the uterus that feels like when a baby moves inside you. My doctor dismisses all my symptoms as being nothing at all to do with the coil, but having read the other posts on this site I'm not so sure....
I'm also constantly exhausted and get spots. I am a coward though, and having the coil fitted was so excruciatingly painful that I'm not sure I can face having it taken out so (relatively) soon. I'm off to see the female GP at my practice next week so it will be interesting to hear her take on things.

OMG -I'm 47 and I've been on for 6 months now and I've had a hunch for a few weeks but never thought I'd find this!! I was on Hydrochlorothiazide for 1 wk-had cramps in my toes so Dr. immediately took me off even though I said I felt great-but peed a lot!- He said this would be better for me..... EVERYTHING I've been feeling is the same as you.......I've just not been able to put my finger on it - I just felt "different", I thought it was me and I was getting "old" with a nagging tinkling cough, at the worst time "bed time"...ruins any sex life! I had fatigue, problems concentrating, headaches- back of my head, blurred vision- my eyes would kinda fog over- scared me to death so had tests but all was ok), I've been getting that "bummed out feeling" & didn't feel like doing anything but I've always loved Summer and Fall - going to the beach, riding motorcycles, swimming, my garden and to be outside, but now I kind of force myself to do. Then just this past week I've been feeling sick and nauseated, with an acid reflux vomit feeling and I've just had enough.......There are way tooo many coincidences here....... I have to get off of this stuff!!

I have very little little sex drive since putting the Mirena in in early June 2008. I figured maybe it was the constant bleeding/spotting (maybe less then a week blood free days a month) for more than three months (i was warned but now am taking extra hormones to stop that, but still bleeding after two weeks). I've had very very frequent headaches and find myself taking painkillers 4 times a week, this is the most worrisome for me personally.
But a very big problem is that my husband can feel the strings during sex and finds it really uncomfortable, basically, session over straight away. I've had the strings shortened recently but it hasn't changed in his perception. Feel like we've given it a fair trial but Mirena has basically meant an end to our sex life, not just from me feeling rather uninterested in it and trying to avoid it, but also from him being seriously affected by it! It may be the position of my uterus.

Gosh, you guys have got me a little nervous about trying this for the first time next week. I'm still going to try it, but I have been noticing some things while reading your accounts.

Many of you seem to mention placing the nuvarung during the first day of your period. My gyno told me to take it OUT to start having the first days of your period. It's just like the pill where the week of green "Sugar pills" means your body is taken off the medicine and allowed to have it's period.

I also noticed that most of the girls who posted on here are having negative side effects within the few months of trying it. I'm not finding a lot of people who stuck it out for longer than that. Though it sounds like all those symptoms and side effects ARE a living hell, perhaps after your body gets used to it, it's not so bad..

At least, that's what I'm hoping. I just ordered 9 months of the stuff.. =/

I started on the NuvaRing on my first day of my period... I didn't feel uncomfortable, it didn't slip out. I was fine until my period kept going. I usually have a 4 day period, and on the 7 day i decided to take out the nuvaring. It is obviously getting in the way of my sex life, but now... i think my body is thinking its PERIOD time again, nuvaring sucks.

I am so thankful i found this site. I have been taking Yasmin for 3 weeks now, and i feel really depressed! Thanks to all the comments I have realized that it was because of YASMIN and I am stop taking it as of today. Before I have a incredible sex life and now i don't feel like it at all. Thanks again for all the post and now I know my decision it's quick clear!

Ladies,

God gave us all that "little voice inside" that we call a woman's intuition. LISTEN TO IT! Unfortunately, I did not when it came to choosing Mirena as my first and only choice of birth control since I was a young teen first experimenting with sex. Well now, I am a day away from my 31st birthday and have been married to my high-school sweetheart for ten-plus years. After two kids and a miscarriage of twins, I decided I just didn't want to go through pregnancy again. So, little ol' me decided to be hip and choose a form of birth control that allowed me to be free and not have to worry about the likes of condoms...or spermicide...or those wretched birth control pills. If only I knew back then what I know now, however.

I first got Mirena inserted the end of March 2007. Since then, my sex life with my husband suffered dramatically, because, first, I bled inconsistently (that is, I didn't know when my period was going to show up---every week, every two weeks, etc.); second, when my period did show up, it would last 8-11 days; and third, the wire attached to the device was painfully uncomfortable for my husband during sex to where we were limited to just a few positions, which made for a pretty mundane sex life.

From a health standpoint, like so many other posters, I suffered severe hair loss. It had gotten to the point where I literally had a receding hair line and had to wear very weird-looking bangs just to cover up my hair loss.

I stayed bloated and on edge from the anxiety I felt from feeling like the start of my period was just imminently hanging over my head, because it seemed as though I was always on it (because I did bleed more times times than not).

The weight gain was horrible. I always felt insatiably hungry and looked up one day and realized I was a size 16...and barely squeezing into my clothes. I went on a diet, which went fine. However, I ended up coming to a standstill even after increasing and intensifying my exercise and lowering my calorie intake even more than I had. NO ONE 'til the day I die will be able to convince me it wasn't Mirena's fault for causing the initial weight gain and later stagnating my progress to lose weight.

And, yes, there was a change in my personality. I went from a laid-back, independent, self-sufficient woman to one who was totally clingy, overbearing, and extremely jealous. But then, I turned into the worst person I had ever seen myself becoming: I then turned into a woman who just wanted to be by herself. And so, I was one phone call away from hiring a divorce attorney and leaving my husband and kids, because I just couldn't handle my every day life as it was. I did not know what was going on with me; I just knew I found myself having a total change of heart about everything in my life, even though my life was a pretty dang good one, according to all of my friends and family and even people on the street who would observe how well my husband treated me.

Enough was enough, and I finally had Mirena taken out Friday, July 11, 2008, at approximately 11:00 AM!

My life has totally changed.

No lies. No embellishments. No exaggerations. I lost three pounds by that Tuesday, July 15. So, my efforts to reach my weight loss goal don't seem so futile now. Furthermore, my husband and I are as happy together as we were back when we were in high school; and, I can't even imagine not having the kids and him in my life. Oh, and my hair.... I no longer have a receding hair line. It's still going through that annoying growing-out phase, but at least it exists again!!!

Looking back, particularly at some of these posts, something told me I was in for a nightmare come to life when my doctor was amazed at how I felt hardly any pain while he inserted Mirena. And even now how he and his nurse act totally shocked and surprised at all of the problems that I had while using Mirena just sickens me to the point of wanting to punch something. These medical professionals know. They get very nice perks for being in cahoots with these drug representatives and manufacturers by going along with making us, the patients, guinea pigs. Such low-life scum! I am hurt and totally pissed off by the whole thing. But still, I am thankful my life has returned to normal since having Mirena taken out.

Nevertheless, be warned! Mirena is a steep, pricey sentence on one's life. So, you'd better be prepared.

I stopped taking this nightmare pill 6 weeks ago. It had caused me to gain over 10 lbs in 3 weeks, all with dieting and working out. As soon as I stopped the weight began to slowly come off, but 6 weeks later, it is still not all gone. normally, it is very easy for me to lose weight, i don't even have to try. something is very wrong here, i think this pill ruined my hormone or my metabolism...stay away from this pill! i know a few of you say you've had no side effects, but most of you have major complaints--do you really want to take that chance of being fat, zitty, and miserable?

I used the NuvaRing for maybe 5 or 6 months. While on it, I began having decreased libido and pelvic pain during intercourse. Soon I also developed intense vaginal burning after sex. I stopped it and hoped the symptoms would soon resolve, only it has been 2 years now. I have had pelvic ultrasounds, MRIs, CAT Scans all looking for alternative reasons why I am experiencing pain. Someone suggested it was bowel related so I went so far as having a colonoscopy, of course it was normal. My ob tried to convince me to have surgery to look around called an exploratory laparoscopy but the idea scared me. I feel like they just think I am nuts now and have just written me off but prior to using the NuvaRing I had a normal healthy sex life. I do believe my problems are all do to that ring and feel that it should be pulled from the market before it ruins other women's lives too.