I had the Mirena fitted in April 2005 because of bad pms and heav...

I had the Mirena fitted in April 2005 because of bad pms and heavy periods. I thought it was great at first not to have the periods, and the pms noticeably subsided for a good 18 months. By that stage I'd put about 4 kgs on, which was starting to niggle me. I worked really hard to keep my weight stable. During the next months up till removal 2 weeks ago I experienced aching joints, particularly back and knees, loss of libido, tiredness, the return of the pms symptoms, and acne as bad as I'd had it as a teenager. When I went to see a dermatologist, it was he who pointed out that this was a major side effect of the Mirena, so when I searched on this on the internet, I was amazed how many women had got the same problems as me. I had started thinking that now I'm 42 I must be over the hill or something. I had it removed 2 weeks ago, and although my weight hasn't changed, I feel lighter on my feet. My back ache has gone, and I feel much more energetic. I know other women who have the Mirena and have not been affected in the slightest by these negative symptoms. I guess it's just the way your body reacts. Fortunately I didn't need to ask twice to get it removed, since I understand some gyne's seem to reject the connection between the symptoms and the Mirena. Problem is, it's difficult to find a birth control that suits me. I'm definitely leaving the hormones alone in future.