Mirena side effects

I have had the Mirena in for 5 years and just had it replaced this past June, I myself have alot of the same side effects, feeling like I could pee my pants at times. I am 48 yrs old. When I had a new one put it, the Dr. had a really hard time due to my uterus/cervix being tilted (which I was not aware of). Has anyone ever had pain in their rectum after a bowel movement, or like right now I have the pain there, very painful. Not sure if it is due to my uterus/cervix tilted, Mirena? I feel tired alot, moodiness, I thought that was part of the perimenopausal, but reading the other side effects from younger women, it is the same.

I've had most of the side effects mentioned in these posts. But the biggest problem I've had is the massive mood swings I've had. I'm talking really bad temper tantrums. Has anyone else had this? My oestrogen level is sitting under 130 which is way below the normal 750 - 1400 level. I am only 35, but in a psudo menopause state. I tell you what, if I cannot conceive once this thing is removed, I will sue the pants off them! How can no one tell me that I could LOSE my ability to conceive if I use this? I used to have normal levels and now I'm menopausal? At 35? Do me a freaking favour. Take this thing off the market. NOW.

hello, i got the mirena in 2007 and after i got it put in a few months went by and everything was fine. then i started getting sick in the mornings and i thought great this birth control sucks i am pregnant again. but that wasn't the case because i took test and it said no and then the docs told me that nausea was a side effect so i figured i would just leave it at that. but it only got worse i started getting really bad headaches, pain in my stomache, sick all day long, and for some reason i couldn't eat more then once a day but i would gain weight i was depressed and i felt like a complete piece of crap. it also made me gain weight i am 22 yrs old and i have never weighed over 130lbs even when i was pregnant during the 2 yrs i had the mirena i gained 15lbs my expierence with the mirena was absolutely terrible if you ever got morning sickness that turned into all day sickness while you were pregnant this is exactly how the mirena made me feel bloated, painful and sick to my stomache i finally got the mirena removed because i just couldn't take it any more i have been off the mirena for 3 months now and i still can't eat much and it really bothers me i am hoping it gets better because i can't take much more of this. please let me know if anyone else expierienced this!

I have had Mirena in for almost two years. I have gained about 20+ pounds, my usually high sex drive has disappeared, I have awful lower back pains that shoot down into my leg, I have migraines so severe they send me to bed. I thought this would be a worry-free choice of birth control. I am disturbed to know that so many other women are experiencing the same symptoms. I have not yet had it removed, but I am soon. Thank you to everyone that posted and helped me to understand my symptoms.

Thank you Thanks you Thank you!
I am literally crying - tears - reading all of your posts because I have been totally stressed this week trying to figure out what is wrong with me... I am 33 and mother of 3 so I just thought it was normal to be tired constantly. I had Mirena put in Dec of 2008 so almost a year now. At first not a big deal, slight spotting here and there. Now I am headed to the doctor with 100 symptoms. I have felt ALL the things you all are saying, the mood swings, random crampiness, feeling like a period is coming, but nothing happens. Cramping after sex and almost always spotting the following day. Low back pain, hip/groin pain too. Feeling bloated/ full/swollen in my low abdomen. I've had a headache just about everyday for the last 2 weeks and I have been nauseous (feeling like I'm preggo again) since I got the Mirena. Anxiety, dizziness, etc etc etc. Finally called the Dr because after 10 months of no periods, I have now been actually bleeding for a week. It has scared me to death thinking I have cysts, or worse!! It has helped tremendously hearing your stories although I am sorry that so many of us are going through this.
Of course my doctor won't get me in for another 6 days - but at least I am going. The nurse made it sound like the IUD may be out of place! I have felt uncomfortable all along knowing that there was this foreign object lodged in my body so I am sure I will be getting it removed no matter what they tell me. I just have to figure out what my next step is.... I am not prepared to have any more children!
3 is amazing, but just about all I can handle right now! : )
Thanks for your posts, they have calmed my fears tremendously.

I had my IUD removed November 12th after having it for two years. The removal was painless. Within twenty-four hours, the abdominal bloating was noticeably less and within a week, gone. I also noticed an increase in energy level and change in appetite. I am looking forward to getting rid of the gained weight over the past two years and getting back into the clothes I love. More importantly, I want to feel alive and attractive again. The only adverse effect of having the IUD removed was four days after removal, I had a very emotional, crying episode for the better part of the day. A minimal amount of vaginal discharge, similar to the start of a period, has been present for about six days. Otherwise, no problems. Also, my knees, hips and back are no longer hurting like they were. Don't hesitate to have it removed and don't let your doctor talk you out of it! It is your body and your right to make all decisions regarding your healthcare! Good luck to you all. Thank you for sharing your experiences. If you had not, I may have never put two and two together.

32, mother of twins, had Mirena inserted first week of January 2009. Bad acne first 6 months on face, neck, and back. Good news was I hadn't had a period since February 2009 outside of spotting for 3 days as I used to bleed so heavily I'd get anemic. Outside of that I felt things were fine until 2-3 weeks ago. I got my first full-blown sinus infection. With it a headache that never went away even though I went completely through my antibiotics and cleared up the sinusitis. Then came the backache. I had to stop exercising thinking that was the cause. It would get so bad I would not be able to sit. Then came the nausea. I started googling up my symptoms, and made sure to list everything I was taking - even internally. Ta-da. Loads of people with similar problems, and some of them a lot worse. I really wanted Mirena to work, but I immediately called the doctor to get it out ASAP. That was yesterday, and the backache is being caused by a 2cm cyst on my right ovary - I've never had one to my knowledge, and if I have, it's never bothered me before this. After the Mirena came out, I didn't realize how bloated I was feeling! The headaches have stopped. The cyst should go away in about 8 weeks! DEFINITELY not right for everyone!

i'm a mom of two boys, and i had my baby in May, and i got the mirena in August, and 2 mos ago i notice, my hair had started shedding, and the more i comb my hair the more of my hair came out, and when i went to talked to my dr. he said that my hair shedding wasn't a side effect from the mirena, but i knew thats the only thing that it could've been, because i wasn't taking any medicine, he tried to make me keep the mirena in, dont get me wrong, i didn't have any other side effects from the mirena, but when i did talk to my doctor. he tried to tell me it could be my hormones balance out, he tried to talk me out of getting it removed, but i had it removed two weeks ago, and i notice since then my weight is going down, so it does make you gain weight too. But its not safe to me, i think they need to take it off the market.

I have had severe canker sores since January of this year I had the IUD put in on Dec 23, 2008. I am only 21 and have maybe had a few canker sores here and there but I have had multiple canker sores now for almost a year. I have been to my doctor several times, a ear nose and throat doctor twice and a oral specialist once. I have had a blood test done only for it to come back normal. No one seems to know why I keep getting them the only thing I can think of is the IUD. Can anyone help?

oh and i forgot to list skin rash too

ive been on mirena since march 2008. at first i thought this was the best birth control product out there. however for over two years i have been riddled with allergies, sinus infections, upper respiratory tract infections, tiredness, headaches, joint pains, muscle aches, gastric and bowel problems, cyst like acne, mood swings tachycardia (rapid heart rate), anxiety. at first i thought all these were related to getting older (im 29) and work related stress so i wrote it off. but being a person who has never been sick in my life to all of a sudden being sick once a month is crazy. this has been the only thing i could think of that i could think the problem is. i hate to remove the iud because it is so convenient but i am sick of being sick. the doctors dont tell you of the not so obvious side effects like these. i just hope that no permanent damage has occurred.

It is amazing to read about all of the side effects of Mirena and yet it can still be on the market. I don't understand.
I have all of these side effects. I had it inserted in April and am now getting it removed. However - went to have it removed and they can't find it (as they cut the strings to close) so I have to go back in for an Ultrasound so they can remove it??? GRRRRR!!! I have to wait until next Tuesday to get it removed.
I have put on 15 lbs in 3 months (I eat healthy and exercise daily), my back is killing me, my breasts are the size of watermelons.
I am so angry and movited to get this device taken off the market. I can't wait to get my life back. If you are considering it DO NOT DO IT!!!!!!!

I got the mirena in September of this year , I have had 2 bacteria infections,once I get them gone they come right back this IUD makes u smell very bad, I have experience feeling like I have peed on myself.. I don't know why someone would make something like this , the string holding fluids from sex or just from discharge, the devise is plastic which is probably hold odors making you smell fishy, they need a lawsuit out on this , It messes with your sex life in more then one way.

I am 19 years old and have had Mirena since May 2008. I really struggled with the cramps and continuous bleeding for the first two months. My menstrual periods became less and less until I hit my year mark of having it. NOW, if I'm around a girl friend for more than a few days, I automatically get my menstrual period the same day she will and it will last for 8 to 10 days. I thought I wasn't supposed to get my period after a year of having Mirena?!! I've really enjoyed not having to worry about taking a pill every day or putting a new patch on every week and hope it stays on.... BUT, a year and a half of constant acne, the freshman 15, the anxiety, the decreased sex drive, the abdominal cramps are really starting to take a toll on my mental health!
I recently have developed new symptoms of excessive sweating in my armpits, loss of interest in doing things I used to love, joint pain, thin peeling nails, dry skin, cold intolerance. I mentioned these things to my mother the other day on the phone and she reminded me that thyroid problems are very congenital in our family. I have a doctor appt in 2 days for a blood test. If all goes well, I may just have to say goodbye to Mirena. Its been 100% effective for me in the past year and a half, but I can't handle the excess fine-print bullshit that comes with it!!!

I had Mirena put in January of this year, I am 49 years old. I did not need it for birth control as my tubes are tied. I was having very bad perimenopausal symptoms so my doctor suggested I try it for the hormones. I was still having heavy periods 8 months later. A little over two weeks ago I had a complete hysterectomy so obviously the Mirena is gone! I was and am having HORRIBLE joint pain as others have posted. I feel like I am 100 years old some days, my legs and shoulders and hips hurt the most. I read that the Mirena hormones are contained in a steroid reservoir, whatever that means,does anybody know? I have been on steroids before and this is exactly the same reaction I had, hip and joint pain so bad they had to take me off. Well anyways, I am glad it is out of my body but my question to anyone is, once you had it removed, how long did it take for the joint pain to subside????

I had Mirena put in 5 mos after I had my 1st and only child. It hurt A LOT going in. It provided excellent birth control. However it also gave me chronic yeast infections, headaches, cysts in groin area (Hidradenitis suppurativa), and exacerbated acne. I was so upset when I realized all these conditions were caused by Mirena, I had it removed immediately. I can't believe it took me almost 4 years to link these side effects to Mirena. Removal was painless and uncomplicated. My husband has undergone a vasectomy. I would not recommend Mirena to any woman who has acne, unless being unattractive is part of her birth control efforts. Any woman who gets Mirena should be aware of the side effects.

I got my Mirena o June 18th, 2009. It is now November 17th and I have an appointment to have it removed this Friday. It started with unexplained hives and rashes constantly. The bottom of my feet, my palms, my knees, upper arms, throat and stomach. I was on constant high doses of Prednisone and anytime I started lowering my doses, the hives returned. I went to the ER three times for swelling and hives so bad I could barely see and could barely breathe. seemingly caused by NSAIDS, which I had never had a problem with before.Next was severe lower abdominal pain accompanied by groin pain so bad I could barely walk. Friends said it sounded like cysts, but, when I had an internal ultrasound done, nothing was found. After that I had severe breast pain and swelling. The final straw was the constant all over muscle aches and joint pain in my knees. I feel like I am 100 years old! I am tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get. I went to a dermatologist and I mentioned the Mirena, as I had to my OB, his response was "middle age". I thought I at first has Lupus, but, the rash did not fit that description. I changed detergents, blamed it on a foster dog, anything I could think of. Finally after reading so many posts and finally finding a connection with the rashes and hives, it can be nothing other than the Mirena. I even noticed that this device had the second most posts on this site. I can not wait to have the Mirena removed.

I have had Mirena in since May of 2008 and have not felt the same since. In the beginning the headaches and fatigue that occurred was constant. I decided to give it time to see if my body got used to the progesterone and to also figure out whether or not it's having three small kids. Over the last year I've noticed when I have spotting, which usually occurs once or twice a month, I feel downright awful. One day I'll be on top of the world and energized...my normal self. The next day I'm spotting and the extreme body fatigue, leg an hip pain, foggy head, and depression occurs. EVERY time it is linked to the spotting. Which makes me believe that it has something to do with the IUD. I am scheduling an appointment to get it removed asap. I'd rather have my body go through it's natural processes and rely on that process than to feel this bad unexpectedly. Can't wait to remove the IUD!

I have had Mirena for about more than a year now. I can relate to many of these symptoms. I have 2 girls and with my first daughter I've never had any problems until i got the IUD inserted in me. Worst side effects are constant back pain everyday, weight loss, the WORST bladder problem which i've never had before (just found out yesterday I have a Cyst on my ovary) , the worst mood swings ever. I've been to the emergency room time for feeling so weak and being so pale because of stomach pains (not knowing if its from the IUD, but was really scary for me) NO Sex Drive at all since the IUD. I am 21 and married, I believe i should have enough to want to be with my husband. To please him.. Right?? And when i do it is so painful.

I went to the Dr. yesterday to remove it and the Dr. told me in these words" I am not going to remove it for you, I respect you and your decision but i would not remove it, You will HAVE to go to another Dr." and then he gave me my money back (i dont have insurance) But I thought that was really strange. It's my decision to want to remove it. Isn't that crazy. It's my choice. So since my Dr. doesn't want to remove it, i am now going to choose another Dr. to remove it from me. I just think their are so many problems with the Mirena IUD and knowing if you are having plenty of symptoms you should remove it, dont take any chance!! I know I'm not

OMG!!!!! I am a Registered Nurse and still didn't know so many women (including myself) had these extreme side effects from this awful thing. I had a miscarriage back in March and chose Mirena as my birth control afterwards. Every since then I have felt like I was going (or already gone) insane. Like the original poster, I have EVERY SINGLE SIGN AND SYMPTOM!!!!! I haven't slept more than 2 hours at a time since, My bra size before was a 36C, I am now back up to 40E. Which is larger than they got after I had my son and was breast feeding him. I have the pregnant belly, mood swings from hell, hot flashes, off and on cramping (especially after sex), acne that has scared my face, bouts of awful depression, unable to concentrate on anything, lower back pain, nausea, and I always have this feeling that I'm pregnant. I also gained a whooping 25 lbs which is impossible since I had gastric bypass surgery 6 yrs ago. Just like many of you I stepped up the exercise and modified my already limited diet. I truly wish that I had stayed on Depo-Prevera. I plan on having this thing taken out of me this week. This awful "demon" needs to be taken off the market. I guess all of us that have had these extreme side effects need to be on the look out for a class action lawsuit. No woman should have to go through what all of us have been through. To those of you that have already had it removed: Did you lose all the weight that was gained after the Mirena placement? If so, how long did it take??? I'm so ready to be normal again!!

Someone help! I've had my Mirena IUD for almost five months now and at first I thought it was wonderful but lately I'm thinking I've changed my mind. Every few days I'll get these lower back aches which feel like pre-contractions, and I get this horrible pain on my right side between the bottom of my ribs and my hip (more towards my hip). This is debilitating pain, where I have to put my son down and either sit or lay down. I have an appointment this week with my doctor but I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this. Occasionally I'll bleed during/after sex. Also, I started working out again and after a three mile walk (pushing the stroller) I came home and was bleeding pretty bad, then about ten minutes later the pain on my side started again and my lower back pain started up. I don't know whats going on and my nurse practitioner acted like it was NBD..... its a big deal to me and I'm freaking out about it.... anyone???

I haven't found Mirena to be very invasive so far. I got it put in after my daughter was born and since then my periods have been few and far between, but I attribute some of that to breastfeeding the first six months. I have had the Mirena in for almost a year and the only thing I notice is that sometimes I feel moody and hungry and lethargic like I'm about to menstruate but then nothing happens. I haven't had weight gain problems and I do fight off some acne on my chin and sides of my face but I don't know if that has to do with the Mirena- I haven't always had the greatest skin to begin with. I got pregnant because I wasn't on the pill or anything, everything else before this has made me psychotic. Any contraceptive you use will have its drawbacks because you are messing with your physiology and biology and everything. This is the best thing I've tried- so far it hasn't been problematic enough to consider taking it out. I think I am a case of very mild side effects with this method. It sounds like some people's bodies are more sensitive and attack the device as a foreign object in their system. My body is less fussy apparently

Hi, So far I have had the opposite experience from these posts with Mirena. I got mine about 4 months ago because I was looking for an alternative to the pill. I had been on O/N 7/7/7 for 15+ years with no problems. A couple of years ago, my insurance started to only pay for generic bc pills and I spent 18 months after that trying to adjust to the generics. Weight gain, moods, low sex drive etc. Four months into Mirena, the weight is gone and the sex drive is revving up. I do feel like a teenager again with some minor acne bugging me, but it doesn't seem like too much of a problem yet. My fingers are crossed that this keeps working for me.

I had my 1st child in March of 09! Before I had my 1st child I had been on Birth Control for 8yrs and it worked great. After have my baby I decided to use Mirena so I wouldn't have to remember to take a pill everyday and now that I am chasing a baby I can't remember anything when it comes to myself. I thought that I was just going crazy or just creating these side effects in my mind but after doing some research and finding this website it has confirmed what I have thought all along the Mirena is causing A LOT of problems for me. I have acne that never goes away, blurred vision(before I got Mirena I wore glasses just to see things far away when I drove or when I was reading really small print and now I can not even see with my glasses), I feel sick to my stomach all the time through out the day and I even get sick sometimes a couple times a week, I have constant abdominal pain, lower back pain, joint and muscle pain, I have constant infections that will not go away with meds, my breasts are tender, I have dizzy spells several times a week, I have really bad mood swings its like I hate the world and I use to not be like that, I am totally exhausted to the point where it feels like pregnancy exhaustion and for all women who have had children you know there is nothing like pregnancy exhaustion. Also I have pain during and after sex. I haven't lost my sex drive and I haven't gain a bunch of weight but I haven't been able to lose all of my baby weight either and I have tried like HELL to lose my baby weight.

I just wanted to edit my post below... the hormone prescribed to me was Provera, a type of progesterone (not progestin!).

I know that for every woman, the side effects or various medications and hormones are different. I personally had the Mirena IUD inserted a little over 3 years ago on the recommendation of a friend who, at the time, had nothing but positive things to say about it. I went on that recommendation alone, and now wish that I had done more research into the side effects before having one inserted.

The initial insertion was not horrible, but not great either- a pinch at insertion, severe cramping and pain within a few hours, and a dull aching feeling in my abdomen for about a week. After that, though, I couldn't feel the IUD at all.

It was not long after that when I began to experience side effects. Like many of you, I attributed my symptoms to stress and life changes. I figured that my migraines, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, increasing urinary tract infections, and weight gain were a result of a changing metabolism and high-stress job.

When I went to my family physician to have blood work done (because I was declared anemic when trying to give blood), I was told that I wasn't getting enough iron and I went on iron supplements. (The supplements then made me constipated- sorry if that is TMI, but that was a very unwelcome result!) When I took trip after trip to my ob/gyn for antibiotics to treat UTIs, I was told that the UTIs were unrelated to the IUD. When I saw a urologist to have three separate tests done (one for hormone levels, another for uterine function, and yet another to test kidney function), all tests came back within normal range. Even when I went to the ER one Saturday morning, when my back was spasming so badly that I could barely walk or stand, I was told that my back pain was stress-related.

All the while, my friend (the one who recommended the IUD in the first place) was dealing with similar problems- weekly severe migraines, back pain, etc. She was being told the same things by her ob/gyn- none of her symptoms were related to the IUD. Since she and I trusted our doctors completely, we went on about our lives, upped our workout regimens, tried to de-stress as much as possible, took OTC pain meds when it was all too much to bear- and yet for both of us, our symptoms continued.

Then, in July, my husband and I decided to begin trying for a baby. I made my appointment to have the IUD removed (which was a painless process), and it was only then that I began to research the Mirena IUD online. My former ob/gyn had moved, and my new one seemed ill-informed about what to expect once the IUD was removed. I wanted to know how soon I could conceive, and she knew very little about the process- heck, she didn't even know what the hormone was called that she had given me to jump-start my period (it was progestin, by the way- a very common prescription that my paramedic husband knew quite a bit about, but the ob/gyn didn't even know the name of!).

Once I got online and found this site (among many others), I finally began to put two and two together. I am now firmly convinced that my symptoms were directly related to the Mirena IUD. Again, different women are affected in different ways, but I know that for me- nothing good came of messing with Mother Nature like that.

Now that I've had the IUD out for about four months, I feel like a different human being. I did experience the "Mirena Crash," but once that passed, I almost immediately began losing weight, my abdomen was no longer blown up like a balloon, my energy level and sex drive increased, my back pain is now gone, and I haven't had a migraine or UTI since.

I've since switched ob/gyns, but I now have a healthy distrust of anything medically new and experimental. I will never have the Mirena inserted again, and I will definitely research anything and everything regarding my body. Ladies, listen to your bodies- mine was screaming at me loud and clear for over three years, and even though I knew that something was very wrong, I didn't listen. I'm just happy that I "accidentally" figured it out. (Oh, and my friend will be having her IUD removed later this week. She and I now call ourselves the "sister skeptics!")

Ive been sitting here reading all of your post and experiences pertaining to the Mirena..I'm 29 gave birth to my 1st child in Nov 03....I got the Mirena(5yr) inserted in Jan. 04. Just like some of your stories...I had minor cramping and heavy bleeding for a few days...after that things were fine...It has since been 5 yrs and I just got my second one inserted the same day I got the old one removed in Jan 09...Wouldn't do that again....cramps were a lot worse and lasted a good while..I had to get pain pills and everything....Few hours of that and things were back to normal. I haven't experienced Weight Gain....Loss yes!!! I don't have any major problems with mine. No headaches, stomach pains etc....
Periods are long gone...I may spot when I'm stressing about something but that usually last about couple hours or depending on my mood. Sex is great!!! One side effect though is that my partner can feel the string and SOMETIMES causes minor bleeding..Not enough to be like OMG I'm having my period...Right now I have the string cut as short as possible...
All in all the side effects for everyone is different...Based on my experience i would and have recommend this to my friends. I love it..
The first one did me good for 5yrs and I'm banking on this one to work wonders as well....Like I said I'm 29 with 1 child and second Mirena and no major problems or bothersome side effects.

I have had mirena for almost a year now! I received it after my first child. Not ready for another one so why not get a birth control that i don't have to worry about taking a pill everyday or getting a shot. I wish now i would have gotten on the pills. Apparently with the Mirena my periods are suppose to be not that heavy anymore. Ten months later i am still having to use a pad and a tampon at the same time when i start my period!! Seriously i am only 23. And this is the first month my cramps are bad like contractions bad!! The first thing on my to do list next week is to see if they can find out why i bleed so heavy. Oh and my face is now an acne town!! Never been this bad before!!!!

I just recently had my daughter 8 weeks ago and just had the mirena put in yesterday (Thursday). I came home and started to throw up immediately. I felt pregnant which I did not miss! Now, a day later, I feel like every time when I stand up and or move around I can almost feel it. I have HORRIBLE sharp pains and it feels like if I had it removed the pains would all go away. Any advice please?!

Ladies -
I just had my Mirena removed today - after only 4 months. I gained 10lbs and couldn't budge it off - even with healthy eating and DAILY exercise. I bled every day up until a month ago. I lost my libido almost immediately and don't get me started on the weird cramping that sometime had shooting pains down my left leg. This is the first time that I visited this Website and I'm amazed at how all these symptoms/side effects have affected so many women. I wish I would have known all this before!
Best Wishes

I have had palpitations, racing heart, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue and nausea since I had the IUD inserted over a week ago - Ive been through a whole heap of tests and they have all came back fine. Im wondering if Im reacting to the hormone in it?? as I haven't taken the pill before either. If the symptoms don't go away Im having it removed but I think the most frustrating thing is being told they don't know whats wrong with you and you thinking it's all in your head :( I am post baby but I was feeling well before the Mirena - not so well since...

I have been using Mirena for 6 years now and I have been having all the same symptoms as many of you. Frightenly I also found another website about women just like us complaining about the same things we are complaining about but what is worse is that for many of them they were thrown into early menopause because of this IUD. One as young as 25 years old, I'm only 33 but I feel horrible ever since insertion. Tomorrow I am going to have a blood test done to see if that's what's happening to me, then I am having this thing taken out.

Here is the website: ******

I had my son Oct 2008 and had Mirena inserted at my 6 week postnatal checkup. At that point I had lost about 15 lbs of baby weight and was feeling pretty darn good for just having a baby.

Since then I have gained back the 15 lbs plus 15 more despite exercising and dieting and NURSING for 11 months! I have had blurry vision, no sex drive, migraines, acne on my face and arms?!?!, and just been all around grumpy. I have also been diagnosed as hypothyroid since being on this - I don't know for sure if it is related to Mirena, but I do know that I was tested for it before becoming pregnant with my miracle baby because my husband and I were declared infertile!

I have spotted almost the entire time despite not having a "real" period since before my son was born. I do not want any more children (12 year old girl and 1 year old boy keep me pretty darn busy), but decided to take out the mirena after reading this site and seeing that other women have had the same issues. Removed on Tuesday (Nov 10) and guess what - I already feel better! There was no pain getting it removed and no cramping, unlike the insertion process.

I am looking forward to seeing the other side effects disappear. I wish that my OB would have focused more on possible side effects instead of how simple it would be. The past year has been a personal hell for me when it should have been one of the happiest times of my life! I hope that the rest of you find this helpful:) Good luck!

OMG!!!!....This Is Totally Happening To Me Too. I had my Mirena put in in 2007 and ohh for the past year or so I have started having Excruciating Pain in My Left Leg, Lower Back, upper thigh all the way to my foot...Also I have had to go to the ER quite a few times with Migraine pain so bad it was incapacitating. I have just called my Doctor and am going to insist this thing be removed..Thank you for the Info...I hope this puts an end to this PAIN!!!

I had Mirena inserted in May 2009. I did not have much pain at all with insertion, just minor cramping. I did bleed for almost 3 months after insertion though it was fairly light. After that I have only had 2 periods. They were fairly light and lasted about 3 weeks each. Then it seems like forever till I have another one...I should really be keeping track. But it seems like I go every other month and have a period. Sometimes I think I'm pregnant because my breasts get tender and Ive never been able to feel my string! It makes me nervous. Also I have terrible acne, and I never want to have sex! Don't know if that has anything to do with mirena but I want to blame it on something!
So my experience hasn't been a horrible one, and I enjoy not taking a pill all the time. But I'm thinking there still could be bad to come since it's only been 6 months ish. Are we supposed to get mirena check ups every so often? My doctors never said or scheduled anything about it. Well thanks.

bleeding,

I chose Mirena to help with my severe PMDD and heavy periods, as well as Birth Control pills give me migraines. Depo shots made me gain weight and lose sex drive.

Had Mirena put in this past July. I bled solid for 2 months. Stopped for a few days, started again. I now bleed 3 out of 4 weeks of the month, and my PMDD still comes as usual, though not nearly as badly, same as my periods. This is the only positive thing I've had. My periods had been so heavy they interrupted my life.

My sex drive, previously higher than my husbands, is now dead, and I hate it.

I've gained 20 pounds and CANNOT get it back off.

I'm always tired, wasn't before.

I have constant stabbing pains in my abdomen. After orgasms, it hurts horribly.

I will leave my Mirena in merely because even though I bleed all the time, it is preferable to the heavy bleeding I'd have before I had the Mirena inserted. I'm also willing to put up with the weight gain and sex drive loss, because to me, the lighter bleeding and lack of cramping outweighs the weight gain and sex drive loss issues.

Follow up!!! (don't mind my spelling, it sucks!)
so i just left the ER. Come to find out, i am right! the mirena string is gone! it went up into my cervix and they said something like to the right side of my abdominal cavity going twords my right fallopian tube and has caused fluid build up which is also causing pain. they said my right overy is ovulating and that is some pain added to it. they also said they are worried bout infection and gave me a shot in my but and put me on antibiotics for 2 weeks and gave me 800 mg Motrin and told me they can not take it out but to call the OB in the morning and schedule to have it removed asap. she said they will have to put me out with anesthesia and dilate my cervix almost like I was being forced into labor... they said they will try and take it out that way.. and if that dont work, they have to do surgery to get it out. this sucks!!!! i will NEVERRR EVERRR recommend this thing to ANYONE!!! all my friends who have it are now also worried and want theirs out too! soooo many people complaining about it and it has some NASTYY side affects! now i know why i get so irritated... mad so easily... and can cry so easily too... it has caused a lot of problems in me and my bfs relationship.. once he sat here with me yesterday and read most of u, he was like wow... its not that im purposely ALWAYS being a B*TCH! lol!! thank you everyone for posting so i know im not crazy!!

I had Mirena since Sept 2008. All I felt was a slight cramp when it was put in and a minor ache for a few hours afterward. I had some spotting for about 4 days after it and then nothing. Periods got lighter each month but the spotting got longer and longer.

I stumbled across this sight a few days ago when I was wondering if the Mirena could cause weight gain. After reading everyone's experience with it, everything started to come together. I got it 3 months after my daughter was born. I had gained 80 pounds while pregnant and lost 40 within 3 months. I then had that damn IUD put in. I gained it all back. I haven't been able to lose anything after gaining it all back. I have trouble just trying to maintain my weight. This is what I've experienced so far: weight gain, facial hair, cramping, sharp abdominal pains, joint pain, constant exhaustion, mood swings, bloating, tingling sensations, headaches/migraines, 15 days of spotting each month, constant hunger, no sex drive... I've had blood work, tests on my stomach and abdomen, iron infusions... All my doctor was telling me to do is change my diet and exercise when I went about the exhaustion. I've done that and gained 3 more pounds!

It's scheduled to come out December 4th. That day can't come fast enough for me!

I have been on Mirena since April 2009. At first I thought it was the only form of birth control that I could be on since every other form that I have tried caused me to have anxiety attacks. Recently I've been noticing that I get really dizzy, get frequent headaches, have a hard time focusing, "fly off the hinges" about anything. I also feel weak, have no energy, have muscles aches, and the worst part is I'm always tired & Im only 22 years old. I'm sick of feeling like this! I made an appointment with my OBGYN to get it removed because I believe that I may be allergic to all forms of birth control because of the hormones used in them. The office nurse told me that my OBGYN will probably try & put me on some other kind of birth control, or see how he feels about it being removed, but Im going to tell him I want it removed ASAP. All birth control causes me to have problems so the only form of birth control I plan on being on is a condom! At least I know I'm not allergic to latex. I hate Mirena & regret ever getting it! DO NOT USE!

I have posted a couple of my feelings of the Mirena recently, including the fact that I might be pregnant (after having the mirena over a year) ..... but before now, I thought I was losing my mind in regards to me being irritable, losing my temper, moodiness..I was going to make an appointment with my doctor to get on a anti-depressant. Now, after reading all of the posts on this website, it may be all attributed to the Mirena use. Are the executives of those that market the Mirena or those regulating the use of this contraceptive reading any of our posts? Maybe they should. I am extremely disappointed. If I am pregnant, this is life changing. Think that Mirena should change their marketing scheme to say that the mirena is only 85% - 90% effective, if that....

Why don't the doctors discuss the chances of you getting pregnant with the mirena? I should have stayed on the pill !!!!!

I have had the mirena for over a year and all of a sudden, I start to feel the side effects? I am nauseated, tired, bloated..... I FEEL PREGNANT! Taking a home pregnancy test tomorrow morning. I thought the whole idea of getting birth control was to well......BIRTH CONTROL. This is happening at a time that is impossible for me to be pregnant! Single mom with hopes and dreams of maybe living those dreams?! That is why I got on birth control and now maybe I chose a device that dosent work? Not right! I have an appt with my OB/GYN next week to check the placement and to see if I am in fact pregnant. I am 43 years old and so didn't plan on this.........

everyone says the copper one was better... im getting the mirena outta me asap! i called my docs today and they say my insurance is canceled!! im on disability! that makes no since.. and mass health says i have to reapply... im having such bad pains.. i need this removed......

Ohhh, I thought that I was going crazy. My 5th baby was born May 09, and I felt great for just having a baby. I have only had the Mirena since June 09, but thinking back, it has been since then that most of my issues have arisen. I have a constant pressure in my head, sometimes it is a headache, and occasionally it turns into a migraine. I have my period, and then it lags on with spotting for another week and a half, all the while having the cramps, major moodiness, depression, fatigue. I am having low back pains too. I am tired as heck all the time. I am hypothyroid as well, which can cause you to be tired, so I have went and had my thyroid checked 3 times since the baby was born as I was sooo sure it was off because of my fatigue. I have no libido either. My husband thinks all this stuff is excuses and in my head. I have been on the depo in the past for 5 years, but my blood pressure started to raise, and went back to normal after I changed to the copper IUD. I had that removed to try for another baby. But I did very well on the the copper IUD, which had no hormones and is called Para Gard, or something like that. I did still have my period, with some cramping that was slightly more than what I had without the IUD. But I had a libido, I wasn't fatigued or depressed. My doctor was pushing this Mirena, and against my better judgment I agreed. So please remember that there is another IUD, and it is good for 10 years, which maybe why they don't push that one. I am getting ready to get this hell Mirena out and switch back to the copper IUD.

I had been on Depo for basically 14 years, I came off of it, got pregnant 3 months later and after the birth went back on it. I had gained a lot of weight with it and had all the side effects plus so when I saw mirena I thought finally something better for me. I had it inserted in aug 2008. Other than painful insertion, like labor delivery contractions the rest of that day and some the next everything was fine. I didn't get my periods back, the only thing I liked about depo, and my weight was coming off and I was actually wanting and enjoying sex again. . A year later, and 15 lbs less, thought I was still doing good. Well I thought maybe my teenage daughter had jinxed me because I was bragging about still not having a period and I started, well a week later I am still having some sort of a period. It's very light and spotty, just when you think it's gone away, well there it is again. I have been noticing vision issues, I figured it was from where I had lasic done several years ago was starting to go but after reading everyone else's posts I think that's not it now. Everything I was experiencing, the back pain, blurry eyes, feeling sad, lower abdominal pain, I made an excuse for until now. I have recently started to loose my sex drive again. I hadn't had any, or so I thought, problems until several weeks ago. My problem is I can't take the pill, I don't want the depo back because of the side effects, the patch won't work for me so I am not sure what is left for me to take, I saved up for this and put so much money into it and now after reading everyone else's post realize that this BC is not for me either.

Had a Mirena inserted after baby #2 in June of 09, instantly gained 25 lbs, lost control of my temper, and have been hopeless about future weight loss or family plans. Cannot believe I have acne on my back for the first time in my entire life, keep getting poked by the thing, and DH says the same. Never felt so defeated by life...going to get this thing removed asap; did it in a hurry before I lost my benefits when leaving work, and DH had suggested waiting to see if the non-hormonal IUD would work better, but OB was pushing it & said I'd be fine or would remove it asap. Seemed like it worked like a charm for a while, but now I never know when I'm not on my period because I'm always moody and angry and these crazy side effects are making married life unbearable.

Hello Ladies,
I am extremely happy to say that I had my Mirena removed on Thursday Nov. 5th.
It was a piece of cake taking it out- no pain at all. I have had minor cramping and light spotting since. Nothing compared to what I had for cramping while it was in place though.
The day that it was taken out and the following day I did go thru what felt like withdrawals. Massive mood swings, shakes, etc.
Today I feel almost normal. I haven't been bloated, gassy, crampy, moody, completely exhausted or anything else since then.
I am SOOOOOO HAPPY !!!!
I noticed that someone asked what it would cost to have it removed- I was only charged the cost of an office visit- $70.
All that I can say is that having Mirena removed was the best decision I have made in awhile.
I am enjoying my family, instead of snapping at them. I have more energy- it is 8:30 PM and I just scrubbed my bathroom walls from top to bottom and I am about to start on another project. This on top of dealing with four kids that have had the flu for the last week and I haven't slept much for 4 days, but still have the energy !!. Before, I could barely drag myself out of bed to get the kids off to school and then go outside to do chores.
So much has improved.
There is hope ladies !!! We are not crazy...it is the Mirena !!
Oh I should mention...the doctor insisted that it wasn't the Mirena causing all of my side effects. I brought up the other women out there, and his comment amounted to that we are all just crazy and needed to find the real reason for our problems!
I gave up arguing with him. Told him that we could argue all damn day long on whether or not mirena is the problem, but that I didn't give a damn about his opinion, I knew what the problem was.
I guess that I got a bit rude, but oh well it needed to be said. He is a stubborn old doctor/rancher/ cowboy and nothing would change his mind anyway.
Best of luck everyone !! Take care

I have had mirena since oct 2007. i have had a lot of problems since. i have just recently the past 5 months or so, been able to loose any weight! i actually gained 15 lbs after i had it put in. also it had rejected itself the first time after about 6 months. and the main reason i started searching today on here is because for the past 3 weeks right after my last period, i haven't been able to find the string. i can completely feel my cervix because im short spaced. there is NOO string hanging out and i have had serious cramping. about a week ago i was standing at my microwave and all of a sudden i started having a lot of white/clear discharge leaking down my leg.. i wasn't sure what was up because i was also having some cramping. i figured i HAD to be ovulating. so i took an ovulation test and i was right! i was ovulating. 4 days later i took another test after the discharge went away and it was neg. i called my doctors today because ive been having a lot of bad cramping. she told me you do NOT ovulate while u have the mirena and the test should never had been positive. she said the string can go inside my cervix but it wouldn't cause any cramping but she said if the mirena was moving or shifting, she said i will get a lot of cramping and it can be dangerous. im nervous and she said if the cramping gets worse to go to the er. she said tomorrow i need to have a pregnancy test and an ultrasound done. i am nervous and i want this thing out of me!! when i touch my cervix, i get sharp pains. the same pains i had when i was dilating with my daughter. this sucks!! i will also agree with others.. the weight gain/hard to loose is deff something that has happened, still breaking out, more cramping when bleeding, mood swings, i STILL lactate after over 2 yrs of stopping breastfeeding, i still am VERYY sensitive and cry easily, my lower back hurts all the time, always tired/lazy, i feel pregnant still!!!! i prolly have every symptom u could think off. another thing i want to know is.. can the mirena make it so i can get sick more easily...? like lowering my immune system?? i get sick with a cold or nasel infection or fevers or something everyyyy month!! i am ALWAYS sick!! ive had strep throat prolly 6 times in the past 2 yrs. fevers prolly 5 times.. im sick as we speak with a nasel infection, wooping cough, diarea, sleepyness, head ache... and ive been sick since 10/20/09 and its 11/9/09 today... no fevers so i know it isnt swine flu.. but damn! im always sick!! ever since i had my daughter... which is also around the same time i had the mirena put in... welll... theres my story... mirena needs to be taken off the shelves and if anything happens to my cervix or makes it so i cannot have kids, so help me god ill sue the livin shit out of them!!! yaz got sued... mirena should be too!!!

I have had Mirena since November 2006.(3 years) It was SOOO painful to have it put in, but I know it has to do a bit with the fact that I've never had a kid. I immediately had HORRIBLE cramps for hours and bled for about 4 weeks. Since then I have not had a period at all :) Now, I am 27 yrs old and have NO sex drive, ZERO! I hope that it is because of the Mirena, lol. I don't take any other meds at all. In 3 years I've probably packed on 15 pounds, but I can't say its because of Mirena. Me and my husband are ready for kids, so I'm gonna have it taken out in January. We'll see if it helps with the sex drive :) I haven't had any other side effects really.. overall, I would use it again, just be sure to take some pain meds before you have it put in, cuz that pain is like child birth said my OBGYN.

I am SO glad I found this site. I have had Mirena for 7.5 years and have had these side effects mentioned here by everyone. At first the Mirena was the wonder birth control method, no periods, no cramping- I thought it was the greatest, but then I had strange things happening. I asked my doctor about these on numerous occasions,and he kept saying "the hormone level in Mirena is so low it is not detectable by a blood test" and therefore could not be causing symptoms.

I've experienced a lack of libido, headaches, weight gain, hair thinning, sadness, fatigue, sleeplessness....an overall change I was attributing to getting older and going through my 30's.

OK- so why is my story like every woman's on here if there an no side effects as explained by my doctor?

After finding this site and countless others, I made an appt to have Mirena removed.

I cannot wait to feel like myself again.
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