I have had my mirena since April of 2006. For the first two years...

Oh my god. I can't believe I have just stumbled upon all these women talking about the same problems. Feeling chronic fatigue, depression, listlessness, anxiety and insomnia, bloating and loss of a sex drive! I also experience aching muscles, headaches, and a brain fog that makes me feel like a fraction of my former self. All of these symptoms, among others, can describe Candida overgrowth.

I have had my Mirena for 2 1/2 years, and I never put together these symptoms and the IUD! Even though they started shortly after my insertion, I also had some serious life circumstances happen to me and assumed I felt crummy from that. Also, I loved not thinking about birth control and was convinced that the small progestin-only tips had to be the most gentel form of hormonal birth control out there. I also worked in the field of sexual health and trusted my doctor completely.

I called to make an appointment to have the Mirena removed shortly before finding this site, because since I have discovered I have candida overgrowth, I have learned it can be onset by hormonal birth control. Candidiasis Albicons is the same yeast that causes yeast infections, and when the healthy flora of the digestive tract are compromised, it can spread out of control, becoming systematic. That's what happened to me. If this sounds all to familiar, please check it out and see if you have it too. I am getting better already, after committing for the last two weeks to the candida diet, where my body is detoxifying and I am comming back to life. (Many western doctors know very little about this, so don't be surprised if they laugh you out of the room and perscribe prosac. Trust your gut, literally ;)

I don't believe the Mirena caused my candida overgrowth, only that its a factor in it, like taking antibiotics or heavy metal poisoning. I felt compelled to share my story, because I am starting to recover, and I can't tell you how good it feels to feel better after 2 1/2 foggy years. Don't give up on your health.

Also, I am writing because removing the IUD won't fix your problem completly, just like it didn't completly cause it, so if you have think you may have systemic candida, find out. You will need to continue treating it after you get the IUD removed, so you get the full recovery you deserve. Hoping for more healthy ladies!