I had mine removed less than a week ago after using it for al...

I had mine removed less than a week ago after using it for almost 2.5 years. Like most, I did my research post insertion (I'm finishing up my PhD and have always been very 'body aware') and thought I knew what I was getting into. I've had 2 children (now 11 and 13) so I'm familiar with the pregnant feeling. My life has been pretty turbulent for the last 3 years (grad school, divorce, cross-country move, intense new romance) and I blamed my symptoms on stress. The last 9 months, however, have been relatively calm. With that background, here's the low down: Long term symptoms (since within a few months of insertion): Mood swings (very up to very down), Depression (with poor response to treatment), Bloating, Bleeding (sometimes almost all month...mellowed after 1 year), Cramping, Hair loss, Vision effects, Mental fog (pregnancy brain), Weight gain (20 lbs in 2.5 years), Hip pain More recent symptoms that finally tipped me off: Acceleration of mood swings and brain fog, Lethargy, Acceleration of wt gain (despite consistent workouts and diet), Spike in blood pressure (feeling heart beat in finger tips...like when I was pregnant...verified by nurse at removal appointment. Mirena documentation says remove it if you get a spike in BP), Panic attacks (totally irrational with no external explanation, lasted for days), Suicidal thoughts (SO not like me). In just in the few days since removal, my mental clarity has improved immensely. Nothing like being foggy when trying to write a dissertation! My energy level is way up. While I've been working out regularly for a few months with continued wt gain, I can feel it coming off now, already. My moods are much, much better. Little things have been throwing me way off track for a long time. I had a couple emotional knocks last night that just rolled right off (no gruesome details, just know that a week ago I'd have been in a puddle of tears). My blood pressure is down and food cravings are gone. Hips feel much better. Doc at Planned Parenthood said that she has seen a few women in her clinic who have had problems and wanted the Mirena removed (cost me $94). She thinks it might be the beginning of the wave. I had no idea that the hormones in the device could be causing so much trouble. Over the last year, especially, I have adjusted my whole life and lifestyle to stabilize my moods (and maintain a relationship with my very patient partner), not linking them to all the other symptoms. Ugh. I am relieved and angry at the same time. The difference, pre and post, is night and day. FYI, I had a few hot flashes the day after removal, along with a mild headache for a few days. I was on my (light) period when I had it taken out and it's still tapering off. Moods were pretty rough the first afternoon post-removal (another suicidal rant in my journal) but consistently good since then. I'm going to circulate a cautionary message with my girlfriends and grad student peers. I sure would have liked to have known long ago what was causing me so much trouble.