Mirena Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Mirena Iud, Complex Hyperplasia, Lining of the Uterus, Brownish Discharge
I am going to try to avoid the whole "Omg, i'm so glad I found you guys, I thought I was dying, its such a relief, blah blah blah." Instead I am just going to get right to the point. I suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and with such I don't have periods which leads to a thickened uterine lining. This brings with it a whole other web of issues. I was diagnosed with Complex Hyperplasia WITHOUT Atypia; the without is very important. After a D & C, and the recommendation of having a full hysterectomy, I opted to try the MIRENA IUD to thin the lining of the uterus and keep it thin which would help me avoid having the growth of abnormal cells which would avoid the hysterectomy. You still with me? Long story short, I am 39 years old, and had the mirena installed on Jan 11, 2010. In the last 3.5 months, I have gained 28lbs, my skin looks like i'm a teenager (I didn't have bad skin when I was a teenager), my hair is thinning more (it was already thinning from the PCOS, but Mirena didn't help matters), I feel depressed, weepy, have had an anxiety attack or two, I have ZERO interest in sex (I'm married to a very sexy 26 year old... go me. hehe. Good thing he is an incredible human being and understands). Around the time that I SHOULD get my period, my breasts are so tender it hurts to wear even a light cotton shirt. I'm constantly bloated, and the newest thing is my lower back has been in such pain for the last week that I can barely move. When Mirena first went in, I bled for 10 weeks straight - not heavy bleeding, just enough to be annoying - and when I had an orgasm (the few that I've had in the last 3.5 months) a clot of blood and heavy flow would ensue for about 10 minutes, then stop. It was joyous, let me tell you. I have pink or brownish discharge most of the time, like its tinted with blood (the brown being old blood and is "normal" at the end of a period), AND I'm tired ALL the time. Wow that's quite a list. :) ... more »
I am going to try to avoid the whole "Omg, i'm so glad I found you guys, I thought I was dying, its such a relief, blah blah blah." Instead I am just going to get right to the point. I suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and with such I don't have periods which leads to a thickened uterine lining. This brings with it a whole other web of issues. I was diagnosed with Complex Hyperplasia WITHOUT Atypia; the without is very important. After a D & C, and the recommendation of having a full hysterectomy, I opted to try the MIRENA IUD to thin the lining of the uterus and keep it thin which would help me avoid having the growth of abnormal cells which would avoid the hysterectomy. You still with me? Long story short, I am 39 years old, and had the mirena installed on Jan 11, 2010. In the last 3.5 months, I have gained 28lbs, my skin looks like i'm a teenager (I didn't have bad skin when I was a teenager), my hair is thinning more (it was already thinning from the PCOS, but Mirena didn't help matters), I feel depressed, weepy, have had an anxiety attack or two, I have ZERO interest in sex (I'm married to a very sexy 26 year old... go me. hehe. Good thing he is an incredible human being and understands). Around the time that I SHOULD get my period, my breasts are so tender it hurts to wear even a light cotton shirt. I'm constantly bloated, and the newest thing is my lower back has been in such pain for the last week that I can barely move. When Mirena first went in, I bled for 10 weeks straight - not heavy bleeding, just enough to be annoying - and when I had an orgasm (the few that I've had in the last 3.5 months) a clot of blood and heavy flow would ensue for about 10 minutes, then stop. It was joyous, let me tell you. I have pink or brownish discharge most of the time, like its tinted with blood (the brown being old blood and is "normal" at the end of a period), AND I'm tired ALL the time. Wow that's quite a list. :)
I understand that we were warned of these side affects (5-10% of women have them), so I'm not complaining about them, we are all just the unfortunate few. And yes, I read someone posted they thought that number might be higher, but women who aren't having problems don't frequent these boards to tell you how much they love it. There are hundreds of thousands of women who have a Mirena IUD, and a few hundred troll the boards, so keep it in perspective. :)
The IUD was my last hope to avoid a hysterectomy, and sadly, it is intolerable for me as well. May 8th, I will have to make the decision to go under the knife and lose my uterus. Mirena IUD is widely used for PCOS sufferers with great success, but everyone reacts differently, so if you are having side effects, see your doctor.
Good luck!
3 Replies