Wow, thank you all for your postings. I just wished I had found ...

Mindy please don't let this thing ruin your relationship. You may be like many of us on this forum, very negatively affected by the Mirena. I had mine for just 5 months and had to have it removed. I had so many of the same symptoms....I, too, looked like I was 5 months pregnant...always bloated...miserable...dizzy....nauseated....blurry vision. The hormone was not staying local for me, that's for sure. There is a different IUD out there w/o any hormones, not sure if it will work for you...but if you ask me, this thing isn't worth it! Good luck to you.

Thank you so much. Since having it removed, how long did it take for the symptoms to go away?

i have to agree with red1964, dont let it ruin your relationship, you are experiencing what we all have experienced.....

i had mine removed and instantly felt better, but the side effects dont go away straight away, i suppose it different for different people, but it took at least 3 months for me to feel back to my old self.

Just be aware that a lot of women on here have been to their doctor and told that its not the mirena, i was convinced to give it another go and the doctor couldnt believe the state of me after a month when i went back, doctors dont seem to admit to the side effects.

good luck to you
xx

Hello again. The side effects went away at varying times. My brain fog started to diminish literally walking back to my car after removal. My stomach bloating was almost gone at about a week. My memory problems resolved in about 2 weeks.The cystic acne healed in a couple of weeks and never returned. The headaches slowly lessened, as did the heart palpitations and the blurry vision. The dizziness took the longest....18 months later it only happens occasionally but the severity of it diminished in just a couple of weeks. I'm not sure of your age...I was 42 when I had it inserted. My 5 months with that thing ended up putting me into early menopause at 43. I now know, based on how I felt when my estrogen completely plummeted, that the side effects of the Mirena were due to hormonal imbalance, something that I did NOT have before the Mirena. My Dr and I went from thinking I needed birth control to talking about HRT over the course of just a few months, it was shocking. Bottom line is that if you didn't have these symptoms pre-Mirena but have them after you get the Mirena, it's the Mirena, no matter what the "official" side effects list. If you decide to get it removed, be patient with yourself, eat well and make sure you take a good multivitamin. My Dr was very honest with me and said that he had been hearing a lot of the same complaints that I had and he knows that I'm not the type to complain for no reason....it just doesn't work for some women. He even told me that up until recently, he was pretty high on the Mirena but as a result of so many problems with his patients, not so much anymore. Take care of yourself!

I am 39 years old and just had my second Mirena inserted in December'08. I had the first one put in in July, 2002 due to heavy bleeding. I am have been even more tired and miserable lately and been having a lot of hot flashes and night sweats so had my doctor check to see if I am in menopause. I got the results a couple of weeks ago and yes, I am quite far into menopause! Because I am only 39 years old my doctor is recommending HRT but I am a smoker and have heard all the controversy regarding the risks of HRT so don't know if I should do it or not. I, like a lot of you out there, have had no sex drive for years, have been tired, dizzy, constant headaches, etc. but I originally thought this was all due to the fact that my marriage ended shortly after I had the original Mirena inserted and it was just a "depression" type thing.

My question now is whether to go on HRT and have the Mirena removed and see if my symptoms disappear. I realize that it won't do anything for the hot flashes or night sweats, but maybe I would actually feel human again and be able to drag myself out of bed in the morning which has been very difficult for the last 7 years! I question whether I am reading into my symptoms too much and that they are just "normal" for a person who is aging and as I haven't had a period for over 6 years, a lot of the symptoms could be due to menopause and not due to the Mirena at all.

Too many questions, too many options - I guess a person just has to decide for themself whether to "deal with it" and keep the Mirena in and live life the best you can or to have it removed and hope that the symptoms improve/disappear and then be able to confirm that the Mirena was in fact the cause of so many negative side effects.

I had mine in Febuary 2009 as well and I am experieneing all those side affects as well. I wish I would of read all the information I am reading now, thank god I am taking it out tommorrow ay 9am. I'll be charged even though i'm on family waiver program (wowman's insurance) here in Wisconsin, only one that is not covered ( I should of known) big sign right thier.