Mirena and 18 years

My experience has been alright with Mirena...

I'm 18 years old. I got it inserted on January 17, 2008. The first day I had horrid cramps, and would get pretty bad cramps randomly for the first month or so.

I spotted and got break-through bleeding for about 3 months or so afterwards, and then my cycle started steadying out some. My period became lighter with minimal cramps, but it didn't become shorter. Finally after about 6 months my period was back in order. I now have lighter bleeding with minimal cramps, but the amount of time my period takes has not changed any. My period has always lasted around 8 days and these light periods I'm having also last around 8 days (maybe longer), but I LOVE the fact that it has virtually gotten rid of my cramps. I used to get awful cramps that would put me in a cold sweat on the floor with nausea and feeling faint and all that stuff. My period also used to be very heavy the first few days.

As for side effects... I've never had a weight problem and it didn't lower or make me gain weight. I've always had a history of anxiety and depression so I can't really say if it has aggravated either of those disorders. I sometimes get problems with my stomach and intestines (usually just mild to moderate cramping, mild to moderate nausea, and sometimes constipation), but my anxiety has always given me GI trouble.

So, to summarize my experience... I had about 3 months of irregular light bleeding on top of regular, and sometimes heavier, periods. After about 3 months my body gradually regulated itself back to no virtually no spotting or break-through bleeding and I now have a regular monthly period again in which I experience pretty much no pain, lighter bleeding, but how long my period lasts is still the same.

All in all I'm doing alright with the IUD. The most annoying side effects are the possible GI side effects and just generally adjusting to it with the spotting, break-through bleeding, etc. It can take up to a year for your body to fully adjust to Mirena though, so I'm going to wait at least a year before I decide if I want to keep it or not. But so far my experience has been alright. I would like to see my periods be shortened and a little more predictable (they usually are predictable, but sometimes they last longer than my period used to last), but that's about it. :)

I have had the Mirena for 1 1/2 yrs now. Within the past six months I have started to develop acne, all the while my period was starting to fade less and less every month. Now, the acne is severe and the periods are completely gone. I'm just wondering if this is all related. I have scheduled a appointment with a skin clinic, and also called my gyno. I am waiting on a reply from the nurse at the gynos office to see if I need to go on to the skin clinic, or if I just need to get this removed. I have never had more then a pimple or two on my face at one time. Now, I have them completely covering my hair line, almost like a rash.

Read my symptoms first; at the bottom it will tell you how long I had the IUD and the time line of the symptoms.

constant pelvic discomfort
(sometimes to the point where Advil usage doesn't even help)
("zaps" or "pings" of pain...light lightening bolts)
almost constant bleeding
(sometimes with clots - in differing sizes)
(coloring can be bright red to burgundy and brown)
(odor from the bleeding is very noticeable)
immediate weight gain
(this includes severe abdominal protrusion)
(I belly dance, & the costume I had just worn 2 weeks prior to insertion no longer fit)
severe swelling of the extremities
(hands usually do swell in hot weather, however, I've never had my feet and lower legs swell up like this - I had elephant feet/legs)
immediate acne issues
(my skin is always clear except for a few during my period)
moodiness
brain fog
(I'm a bookkeeper, & I noticed an immediate problem with my making stupid mistakes or taking longer than normal to resolve usual issues in this regard)
clumsiness
(could be attributed to the brain fog)
breast tenderness
(feels like someone's constantly squeezing/poking them)
movement of the IUD
(I could feel that it was out of position; it was more on my right side and caused ALOT of discomfort)

Here's the kicker, ladies. This was all within 1 WEEK of USE.

I demanded removal of this nasty thing & the GYN office refused.
After two more weeks of hell, I insisted, & they finally removed it.

This is what I experienced AFTER the removal:
Immediate relief in my pelvic area, BUT, still having pelvic pain.
INTENSE bleeding & clotting. To the point where I bled through my clothing at work (yes, I was using tampons & heavy pads).
The GYN's office didn't seem concerned; they said this was my body's "normal" reaction. (yeah, right). I finally stopped bleeding a good 5+ days later.
Even more breast tenderness.
Weight gain/bloat has not gone away. (I'm quite active)
Still experiencing brain fog.
Acne is starting to dissipate.

I have a ****** Group set up to shout to the world about this horrid device; look for: mirenajustsayno

Report your experience directly to Mirena; they have a contact # to report an "Adverse Reaction". From there, file a report with the varying health organizations.

On another note, I also had several ultrasounds done at the GYN's office prior to the insertion. The DR stated I had no ovarian cysts, no fibroids, BUT, my uterus was overly large. I sounded at a 10 as opposed to the usual 8. I was told it didn't matter, that I was a good candidate. He also stated that I had "a little endo".
(The reason for my use was to control the heavy bleeding during my period, along with the severe cramps.)

Well, I had some ultrasounds done at the hospital late last week, about 10 days after the removal of the Mirena. This is the result:
irregular complex cyst on my left ovary
unusually thickened uterine wall (no other explanation other than it was thicker than average)
It was noted that the series needs to be repeated.
(I'm assuming they want to look deeper)
Note that I have not resolved whether or not there was any perforation from the IUD moving out of place; the GYN never ran an ultrasound to verify it - they just did a regular exam & told me "it was still in my uterus". (that exam initiated severe bleeding for several days as well)

Good luck and let me know how you're doing!

And, yes, I do have several friends that LOVE their Mirena.

I had Mirena put in on Monday at noon and had it removed on Wednesday at 4:30. The time in between was awful. First, the IMPLANTATION (and don't let anyone tell you it's an INSERTION - it's IMPLANTED) was honestly the worst pain I've ever had. It compares to slamming your finger in a door. My eyes immediately teared and I kind of screamed and jumped. The dr. said "It'll only hurt like that one more time." WHAT???? Sure enough, it hurt like that again, then it was in. Then the cramping started. It continued through that day, eased up, hurt a bit the next day. Then my stomach started hurting, and I began developing a bruise on my skin on top of where the Mirena was. It felt as if it were trying to push its way out through my skin. The next day I woke up feeling almost normal, but that afternoon thought I was in labor. Was crying, couldn't take deep breaths or it would REALLY hurt, severe cramps worse than any menstrual cramps I've ever had (and I've had BAD ones). My husband called the doctor and I went right over and had it removed. Within 1-2 minutes I felt normal again.

What upsets me the most is not the promotional piece of literature that only told me the benefits, but the fact that my gyno presented it as The Device That Would End All of my Problems. I would expect a more fair assessment from a doctor.

It ended up being her partner who removed it, and he said, "Mirena's not for everybody." I really wish it had been presented in a more unbiased way upfront.

Anyway, the pain is over now and I'm taking Loestrin. My advice would be to just REALLY SERIOUSLY consider what you are doing before you get this device, and be ready to have it removed if it doesn't work out for you.

Hello,

I have 3 friends who have liked the Mirena, so on their testimony and after talking to my OB/GYN, I decided to give it a try. I have a history of a J Pouch surgery when I was 19, and I'll be 37 in June. My husband and I luckily have one little girl, but it's doubtful we'll have more due to multiple reasons, and I was doing this so that we could finally have spontaneity. We've been together for nearly 18 years.

I had it in for only 5 days. I suffered things I've NEVER suffered: raging hormone headache, bloating like I couldn't believe, anxiety, a panic attack, not just crying jags - SOBBING jags that would come on in a panic, a "doom" feeling and this horrible feeling of loneliness. I was jittery... I don't drink caffeine, but this felt like I'd just had 15 espressos... I had all this nervous energy, but no focus.

After just 5 days, I went in and had it removed. After removal, I continued with the headache for 4 days, these were headaches unTOUCHED by any pain meds, bloating that finally abated and fatigue like you couldn't believe. I never nap, and I spent one full day on the couch without any motivation to do anything, and I also napped everyday and slept at night for 10 hours three nights in a row.

My doctor and nurse were understanding. They said I might have been "Hormone Naive," as I've not been on any kind of birth control, but whatever... it was a horrid experience and I'm so glad it's out. My doctor said I was in the minority of people with this kind of experience to birth control, but she didn't deny its existence, nor did she persuade me to try to "give it more time," and for that I was thankful.