I am a 48 year old with 4 children. I am not showing signs of menopause at all. I have had increasingly heavy periods, sweats, headaches, mood swings, the whole nine yards so what the heck, I had mirena inserted today. My doc encouraged me to try it to see if my periods would get lighter or even stop. As far as side affects, I am already half psyco according to my daughters. I am still crampy off and on but I expected it. I just switched to this doctor because I was seeing satan who knowing I was very anemic from heavy periods let me almost bleed to death. I skipped two months due to low progestin but still built up the lining so when I was getting ready to have a period the third month, I went in for an ultrasound. The technician was wowed at how thick the lining was. She commented to me that I was going to have a really bad period when it started. My doctor did not advise me to do anything about it. He could have said to call if it went for longer than a week or to call if it was extra heavy but he didn't. My period was at almost three weeks and very heavy. I went to work on my birthday no less, and my potassium bottomed out as well as electrolytes. I felt so sick I went to lay down on the bathroom floor but felt nausea and cramps and thought I needed to use the toilet. When I sat down, I felt my arms and legs go numb. Out of vanity, I tried to stand and pull up my pants knowing I was passing out. I went down and ended up fracturing the fibula in my right leg. My friend knocked on the door and I came around and asked her to call the squad. After my 10 minute $750 ride in the squad, I was admitted to the hospital with a hemoglobin of 6. I stayed in for 5 days receiving 4 units of blood. Needless to say, I found the new doctor. My hemoglobin is now around 14 and I am starting to put weight on my leg. Hopefully, I am on the mend. I know there is a lot of negative response about the Mirena, but I don't have anywhere to go but up. I hope it works for me. If not, I will be on my way to the ER for an ablation.
If you had increasingly heavy periods, sweats, headaches and mood swings, at 48, I'd say you at least have signs of peri-menopause, if not menopause itself. Sounds like you've really been through the ringer with this last period. I hope the Mirena works for you. I only had it for 5 months -- had to take it out due to other bad side effects -- but in 5 months I had just 2 discernable periods. I spotted for the first month and a half. The 2 periods that I did have were different than pre-Mirena....instead of starting heavy and tapering off, they would start out light, get heavy, and then abruptly stop...it was strange!
Please take care of yourself!
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