I had a gorgeous baby girl in April. My future husband and I spoke about our B.C. options after her birth and decided that the Mirena would work great for both of us. I spoke with my Dr. because I had been on the Depo in the past (progesterone based) and I had gained a ton of weight. She said that because of the low continuous dose of progesterone, weight wouldn't be an issue. At the end of June I had the Mirena put in. I went in for a recheck to make sure that it was in position in the beginning of August after my wedding (I know... The cart before the horse). At this time I weighed 132 lbs. It is now mid November and I have been having some pretty severe gastric problems. I went to my internal med Dr. a couple of weeks ago and I weighed in at a wopping 146 lbs. I know that it doesn't sound like a lot but to gain that much weight in a short time is nauseating. I am not pregnant anymore. Here is what my symptoms were and why I chose to go to internal medicine and not the gyn. I had TERRIBLE gas. Not only often but the smell. My new husband and baby looked at me like I was a monster. Not to mention the horrible side and back cramps. Bloating was now my best friend and not saved for "that time of the month". My internal med Dr. thought that my gall bladder might be failing because she said that she sees a lot of this in post natal women. I went through 2 weeks of tests from blood draws to scooping my stool into test vials for analysis to having radiographic dyes shot into me to make a movie of my gall bladder function. I couldn't hold my baby for a whole day because I was radioactive. The results turned up nothing. I sat at home on my couch that night (11/13/08) feeling defeated and not understanding what was happening to my body. I reflected on what was different about me, since the birth of my daughter, and all I could come up with was the Mirena. I decided that it was a shot in the dark, but I was going to check out the side effects online. Then I found all of you. OMG, I am a text book case of everything that you all are reporting. The following are my other symptoms that I have been dealing with. I hope it helps you when trying to find a B.C. that is right for you. My sex drive has gone out the bottom... Not to mention my new found skinniness. My headaches are dull and nagging and I am on the verge of massive panic/anxiety attacks on a weekly basis. I lost about half of my head of hair (it started falling out about 2 months after the Mirena was inserted). I go from massive, can't find a bathroom fast enough diarrhea to really soft obnoxious smelling stools. My husband has stated, on many occasions, that he is a man and can "appreciate a good, healthy fart" but what I have makes him want to throw up. Did I mention the bloating? My periods are lighter but last almost 2 weeks every month. I have night sweats and hot flashes. I am irritable and tired all of the time. Funny enough, my tolerance for alcohol has decreased dramatically and I go from having fun and drinking a cocktail to wasted, hammered drunk in seconds. I have acne all of the time and its everywhere... my face, back, chest. I have never suffered from acne. I hope that I covered all of my side effects but I may have missed a few because there are so many things that I am experiencing. Needless to say, I feel like a have a voice and a remedy to everything that I have been going through over the past 2 months. Today, at 30 years old, I going to take a stand for my body... I am having my Mirena taken out at 1:15 this afternoon. Hopefully life will smell and feel so much better... LOL