Mirena and anxiety

I am so happy I found this site. I have had my Mirena in for a year. It was Ok until about 7 months ago and starting to experience many side effects including terrible anxiety. It seemed to be getting worse and worse and starting to effect my job. I am a flight attendant and felt like I was having panic attacks while on the job especially during turbulence which has never bothered me in 14 years of flying. I went and had my hormones checked as I thought I was going through peri menopause as I am 47. All was normal there. Thought maybe it was in my head so went for counseling but we both could not figure out where the problem was coming from.

This morning I went to the clinic and had my IUD removed. Thanks to this website I feel that I can go back to my old self!

I am 28, have a 15 month old son and had Mirena put in at my 6 week check up, a little over a year ago. My periods are light and manageable, some what regular. I do have a little spotting here and there throughout the month. All my symptoms are manageable, but all together they do suck.

I have gained weight since stopping breastfeeding about 4 months ago. I am bloated ALL the time, which is not normal. I hate having a balloon belly! I eat well, exercise and have never had a weight problem. I have sporadic cramps, constant lower back pain, some joint pain, pain during sex and no sex drive.

As for the headaches, mood swings, depression and anxiety, I struggled with all of these before Mirena, while on the pill, but still have them now. I dont know if they are worse or better. Mainly the weight gain, bloating, back pain and weird cramping (which makes me worry that I have a cyst or something else freaky) are my concerns.

Probably Mirena is still on the market because these symptoms are not lethal...and when they are, they must be within acceptable ratios. Pharmaceutical companies dont care...they just want money.

I do think its really weird how so few OBs will admit that these symptoms can be caused by Mirena. Also, they must have to fill out a brief question are why women have it removed...maybe they get "docked' if there are symptoms attached as the reason.

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.

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.

Had my Mirena inserted in July 09. Slightly painful to insert but nothing I couldn't handle. Serious cramps the next day...labor pains. Bled for 13 days after. Have never had a period since. I feel cramping for 3 days of the month and that's it. I too have gained weight, about 10lbs. My nipples are extremely sensitive and I have neck acne. I have been on antidepressants since March so have not noticed more anxiety. I do get the symptoms of yeast infections every month. Very itchy. It goes away on its own. I came on this sight to see if anyone else thought they were pregnant with this inserted. I guess the breast sens just comes with it! lovely.

I am supposed to get it tomorrow...I have issues with mood and anxiety already as well as hair loss due to a thyroid disorder. I am re-thinking it now...

I think that I finally figured out why I am so physically and mentally sick. I received the mirena almost 2 years ago and I was a true advocate of the product...I love it!! About 6 months ago I started to have panic attacks and anxiety (i have never experienced this before) it was so bad that I barely made it to work everyday and could no longer handle being out in public. My PCP placed me on different types of anti-depressants (which made me depressed). Currently I take Budeprion which has decreased my anxiety but I do not feel like myself. The past month and a half I wake up with the feeling of morning sickness (the numerous pregnancy test say that I am not), have headaches, low energy levels and little motivation. I was pretty sure that my hormones levels must be "off" but my PCP and OB insisted that there is no way that my symptoms have anything to do with my hormones because my child is almost 2 and I am 29 years old. I have gone through numerous tests, scans etc.to find the cause of why I feel so awful and all tests came back Fine. After reading the stories on this website I now know that I do not need anti-depressants and I am not going crazy...I just need to get the Mirena removed.

I think that I finally figured out why I am so physically and mentally sick. I received the mirena almost 2 years ago and I was a true advocate of the product...I love it!! About 6 months ago I started to have panic attacks and anxiety (i have never experienced this before) it was so bad that I barely made it to work everyday and could no longer handle being out in public. My PCP placed me on different types of anti-depressants (which made me depressed). Currently I take Budeprion which has decreased my anxiety but I do not feel like myself. The past month and a half I wake up with the feeling of morning sickness (the numerous pregnancy test say that I am not), have headaches, low energy levels and little motivation. I was pretty sure that my hormones levels must be "off" but my PCP and OB insisted that there is no way that my symptoms have anything to do with my hormones because my child is almost 2 years old and I am 29 years old. I have gone through numerous tests on my gallbladder and other organs to find the cause of these symptoms that I have and Everything is Fine. After reading the stories on this website I now know that I do not need anti-depressants and I am not going crazy...I just need to get the Mirena removed.

23th
2009
10:36 PM
MIRENA is the worst thing EVER!!!!!!
I got Mirena as my husband and I were lacking in the sexual side of our relationship because we both HATE using condoms.I have a 31/2 year old son and we have decided that for now we are happy and would like if we didn't have anymore children right now so I talked to my doctor about Mirena.
Let me start by saying that my labor 6 hours with NO pain meds was nothing compared to the pain I had when they put it in. Then the bleeding started right away I was bleeding for 8 weeks then had 1 week free and now have been bleeding for about 8 weeks. I had 2 ultrasounds to make sure it was in proper and everything was "fine" my doctor says everyone's body reacts different.
The symptoms I have are Occasional Cramping,
Sever bleeding,
headaches,
irritation in my legs (same symptoms as RLS),
Depression,
no sex drive,
back pain
Weight Gain (17lbs in 2 weeks)
and the weirdest symptom is hard to explain but its the same feeling in my body as if you were to touch a 9volt battery to your tongue! Every now and then I have little shocks and its so annoying. I have had mine in for 17 weeks and I have an appointment in 8 days to have it removed...Back to condoms it is

Had my Mirena put in about 4 weeks ago. I feel like I am sick ALL the time. I have had every symptom mentioned and then some. Severe nausea, indigestion, headaches, fatigue, mood swings, hot flashes, depression, lack of sex drive, achiness, dizziness, anxiety, loss of appetite, and excessive sweating and hot flashes. My husband also says it irritates him when we have sex. I did a good bit of research before getting the Mirena, and never realized any of these side effects could happen. The Mirena website doesn't mention any of these other than headache. The doctor made it sound wonderful, and I just never thought I would feel like this. I almost feel like I am pregnant again, but I know I am not. It is horrible! I have an appointment in 4 days for my Mirena check up, and I am going to have it removed then. Please do your research before getting the Mirena! I am glad I found this site. Now I realize I am not the only one.

Hello Everyone,

I've been doing some research on Mirena IUD side effects, and I'm so glad to come across these testimonials. I had Mirena placed in June of 2008, which hurt badly - something my doctor didn't tell me of until the procedure. Everything was fine most of 2008 but since January 2009 I have been extremely emotional and even was put on anti-anxiety/anti-depressant medication at one point. I have gained over 15 pounds in a year and can not get below a certain weight no matter how hard I try. My weight also fluctuates, which it never has before. I'm constantly gaining/losing 5-10 lbs, on a weekly basis. I have never weighed this much in my life, besides when I was pregnant, and it is really starting to bother me.

I've attributed most of my moods and "hormones" to being a single mom of two toddlers, financial stress, relationship stress with my ex and with my mother. I eat healthy and get exercise a few times a week. I'm definitely thinking removing the IUD would help my situation and make me feel like "me" again.

My question goes to the ladies that have had the Mirena IUD and have had it removed. Have you noticed a considerable difference, and if so, how long does it take for you to notice side effects starting to dissipate?

Thanks.

I have had Mirena put in Feb 09, so it has been 8 months and for 7months I have had a yeast infection that wont go away. It gets really bad the week before my period and the week after its not too bad. I have used OTC drugs and prescriptions. I have never had a YI before I had the mirena. I do believe it is the reason I have one, so I am going to get it removed. I have also been very tired and foggy feeling and never made that connection until reading all these posts.

my name is Brittany and i have had my mirena since around February 2009 and at first i had some severe pain for a few days and bleeding non-stop for about three months.. but other than that for the first two months I had no problems or complaints! i thought it was the best idea any could have thought of! But i was so wrong..the constant UTI's and Yeast infections are unbearable! I have never had a yeast infection or this many UTI's in my life! I have a feeling it is due to the mirena! I'm completely uncomfortable all the time and can't wait for it to get removed! I would never recommend this to anyone!!! yea i didn't get pregnant, but i'd rather have 20 kids then be in the uncomfort that i am in! Also, I am now on zoloft and an anti-anxiety med! i have never had any of these problems before this and im hoping they will all go away! plus the oily skin and acne!! omg!! i had the most perfect skin and now i can't even walk out of the house without make-up on! Mirena is not for me!

Not trying to put a damper on your day ladies, but you will find when you get it out, your "side effects" wont all go away. Gaining weight?? No It's called as we get older we have to watch what we eat.. Hair falling out? I have had no such thing like that. Ache yes but thats with all birth control, headaches, stomach aches thats with all birth control! The Mirena was the best decision i could have EVER made!

I had my Mirena removed 3 weeks ago and I feel SO much better. No more mood swings,depression or anxiety or cramping. The doctor said that my mood swings had nothing to do with the Mirena, that I must be starting early menopause. I don't think so. I bled heavily for 2 weeks after it was removed. Which I'm not sure if that was a period or not? Now I just need to work on loosing the 15 pounds I gained!

It has been fine for a year and all of a sudden im getting spots around my mouth which i never had before and terrible insomnia cause buy hot flashes all though the night. I never had any trouble sleeping before. I now have anxiety also because of not sleeping. The mirena was really good for a year but now i think my hormones are all over the place. Im having it out on on the weekend and i will report back with the results. I heard it takes a month for your hormones to return back to normal, i hope i can sleep before that as i feel terrible. Also my hair has become thinner i don't know if this is because of the coil.
El x

my mirena experience was a nightmare to say the least. i had it inserted about 1.5 years ago and finally had it removed last week. the insertion itself was a nightmare. i passed out. i had horrid pain but then was fine within a day or two. the following week, i near passed out. then, i felt lightheaded for about 6 weeks and was convinced it was mirena. i went for my followup. I was feeling better so i decided to keep going.

in the "getting used" to period i had very painful breasts. eventually i had a painful breast lump that stuck around for a few months. off to the doctor for mammogram and ultrasound. they found it was not the bad kind of lump. it cleared up in a couple months.

about 4 months after insertion, i had a couple of near passing out incidents. off to the doctor again - this time for EKG, echo cardiogram, holter monitor. all normal. they suggested i had either panic attacks or vasovagal syndrome.

i also found that i was extremely alcohol sensitive. one drink was a huge problem for me! (in retrospect, i believe the near passing out and alcohol sensitivity were due to becoming hypoglycemic. it turns out progesterone is tightly coupled to insulin response! who knew!).

my next problem was cystic acne. this is really bad acne that goes deep in the skin and is impossible to get rid of (never had that before!). so i was off to the dermatologist.

oh and did i mention that all this passing out ended up giving me terrible anxiety? so now off to the shrink.

overall, it has been 1 year of a near constant feeling of lightheadedness, numerous near passing out / vasovagal type of episodes (probably due to low blood sugar), anxiety about passing out, throbbing head feeling (which i just realized is a migraine), unable to sleep through the night, mid cycle cyst pain, terribly tender breasts just before my period, did i miss anything?

now, let me mention that all the doctors to whom i mentioned that maybe mirena is the cause of my problems said "nah, that is not it." i also mentioned blood sugar and no one bought that either - "nah, you are too physically fit, eat too healthfully, and your blood test from last year is normal."

finally, the psych nurse believed me. she said to get the mirena removed since it appeared all my problems started after the insertion. if it was psychological or if it was physical didn't matter. just get it out!

i've had it out about 6 days now and i would say i feel 70% better. the throbbing head sensation at night is gone and i am sleeping much better. the lightheadedness is improved. i feel much less hungry than i did on mirena so i can only guess my hypoglycemia is improving.

only time will tell if my problems were caused by mirena!

OMG!!!! Okay, I have had the Mirena since may 2007! Over the past two years I have been through more testing than I care to admit... Severe and constant nausea, headaches, anxiety, depression, acne, sleepless nights, joint pain, no sex drive whatsoever ( my poor poor husband), lack of energy, and just overall moody! I have asked my doctors many times if it could be the mirena causing this.... No! I have also gained about 20 lbs over the last 6 months! I am normally 106 and have never in my life been able to gain weight! This is insane!!! I am calling my doctor today to get this thing taken out of me!!!! Thank you to all the women who have posted! I just thought I was going crazy...

Hello,
I also had Mirena for a few months and did not like it. I experienced cramping comparable to labor pains, weight gain, mood swings, oily hair, hair loss, anxiety, felt depressed most of the time, and also zero sex drive. Since I had it removed I have experienced the heavy bleeding, and clear watery and stretchy discharge kind of when your ovulating so I'm not sure if I am ovulating or if it's just hormonal changes. I however don't like it. I also had mood swings after having it removed. It's been two months since I had it removed and I feel a lot better than when I was using Mirena.

I had a mirena fitted twice with no significant problems except weight gain but I now have a 6 month old baby and had my 3rd mirena removed this morning.I had my second one removed in April last year when we decided we would like to try for baby no3 after a 12 year gap.I fell pregnant in the July and had lost 10lbs in the three months after removal without trying.I felt calm,slept better and had loads of energy.I then progressed with my pregnancy and continued to lose weight as was very sick so by the time my daughter was born I had lost 35lbs in total.i then lost a further 10lbs in the six weeks following her birth and felt great,loads of energy,my skin looked fantastic and was really happy.
I decided to have my 3rd mirena inserted just after my six week postnatal check as I hate heavy periods etc,well that was at the beginning of June.As soon as it was inserted my stomach started to bloat and it looked like I was 6 months pregnant,I have experienced extremely heavy prolonged bleeding with clots.I had phoned my doctor 3 times over the last 3 months and they said to give it time,it was the fact I had not long had a baby and give it 6 months.I have also gained 14lbs in the 3 months,my skin has broken out,my hair is thinning and have really bad mood swings,anxiety and restless sleep and I know I don't have post-nantal depression as had that 16 years ago and know the difference.
I am so glad i took the decision to have it removed and feel 100 times better already knowing this thing is no longer inside me.I definitely know this mirena has caused all these side effects now.Why do the doctors not listen to us.

I have posted a couple of times previously about negative side effects, i.e. migraines, weight gain, acne, chin hair, eczema, lower back pain, no sex drive...and the list could go on. As a mature 36 year old woman I have educated myself over the past couple of years and can really only attribute all these issues to having the Mirena inserted 4 months after the birth of my daughter 3 years ago. Although at this time my doctors will not openly acknowledge these side effects, I am confident that one day they will. I encourage women to report adverse side effects to the FDA. It onlt takes a minute or two. Who knows, it may be the hormones or it may be the silicone plastic? It has to be something. It should also be acknowledged that some women, my very best friend for one, have had wonderful experiences with the Mirena. I really think it may just depend on the woman and her own body. I am having mine removed tomorrow after researching all of this for about 8 months. All I can say is, thank goodness. I am also scheduled for the Essure(permanent birth control). Food for thought for the older women in the group. Whatever each of you decide, realize you are not alone and you do not have to continue to feel the way you do if you believe that the Mirena could be making you feel so bad. Take care.

I am 25, I had my daughter last October 2008 and had Mirena inserted December 2008 at my 8 week postpartum appt. Everything was fine for about 6 months... It is now September 2009 and since July I have been having EXTREME hair loss (I already have gone through the post preggo hair loss 3 months after giving birth), anxiety feeling in the chest, crazy discharge, erratic periods, no sex drive, moody, ACNE on face chest and back (and I NEVER have acne). So my annual physical was yesterday, so I tell my doc about all these symptoms and he thinks "thyroid" so they pull 4 viles of blood. Then, I get home and I googled "Mirena and hair loss" and here's this site! SO, I called my OBGYN this afternoon and tell her Im losing my hair plus the other symptoms I listed above and she says "Yep its the Mirena, the same thing happened when I had it too and it stopped when I took it out" So she told me to come in and they will remove it and try PARAGUARD - a NO hormone IUD that will bring me back to my "base" and I will start having one period a month (like your body is supposed to in my eyes) and no crazy side effects. I can not tell you how much better I feel that she said right away it was the Mirena. I have really not been feeling myself the past 2 months AND everyone in my household has noticed my hair ALL OVER THE PLACE and has asked me to ask the Doctor... so glad I did.

Just hope that you don't end up like me and many other people with no health insurance and the doctor telling you your IUD has to be surgically removed because the strings have disintegrated. And before they refer you to surgery they will try to remove the IUD anyways with a hook while opening your cervix.....and let me add you will be given no anesthesia, your legs and arms will go numb and you will scream because it is the worst pain ever. And then you will finally blackout because you can no longer handle the pain and when you wake up you have to be driven home and put to bed because you cant find your composure for the rest of the evening. And it really sucks having to fork over $3000 to the hospital to have surgery when you have no insurance and cannot be insured due to pre-existing conditions.
I have not had the surgery yet, and will keep you all updated..... but does anyone know if we have a case for a lawsuit here?? I'm wondering if we could all get in on filing one. The Mirena has ruined my marriage, ruined my self-worth, ruined my body, given me anxiety to no limit, and now is costing me nothing but time and money with trips back and forth for 2 months now to the doctor and hospital just to try and have it removed.

I am also really glad I have found this website. I had my mirena placed in March 2006. I loved it, told all my friends thought it was a miracle. I have completely changed my mind. I have dizziness, headaches, joint pain and my PCP put on Lexapro for anxiety and mild depression in September 09.
I have a 3 and 4 year old, but am so fatigued at times I don't want to do anything but sit around. I can not lose any weight. I tried nutrisystem and
that didn't help. I am also having having a symptom that hasn't been mentioned on the site. I have done some research and noticed that the mirena can also cause blood vessels to constrict. In December 08 after having some (quite a few) drinks and smoking cigaretts at my husbands
Christmas Party the next morning my forearms and hands were a dusty blue color. I have had this happen one time since. A couple of times the bottoms of my feet were a purple/ bluish color looked as if they were badly bruised. After researching the cause of this, the only thing I can find is that the mirena can also cause constriction of the blood vessels. Has anyone else had this happen???? I had and echocardiogram done, that was fine all my blood work has come back normal. Am seeing a neurologist, he has me scheduled for a nerve condition test, but he thinks
I may need to see a vascular doctor.

I am getting mine removed today and am nervous about if it will hurt or be any pain afterwards .... any input would be great. I have had the horrible discharge, cramps, fatigue, depression .. etc and am sooo excited to get it out ... just nervous about the pain. I guess I gave birth right !! LOL

I have had the Mirena IUD in since September of 2004 (after the birth of my second son). It is due to come out today. I am looking forward to this so very much. After having the IUD put in, my periods stopped completely. I have not had a period for five years. Yesterday I started bleeding, I guess due to the fact that the IUD is expired. I have also had some severe nausea (not sure if this is due to the IUD). I was doing really well before I had the IUD put in. I was not an angry, sad, or depressed person. However, I did notice that after the IUD was inserted I started to feel really down and out. I began to experience anxiety and was diagnosed with clinical depression. I have battled this for five years now and it has been really tough. I have tried different anti-depressants and just can't seem to get a hold on it. I asked more than one doctor if the Mirena IUD could contribute to depression and all of them told me NO. I am not convinced. Although I have had other personal issues to deal with, I really feel like the IUD has had a major impact on me. I kept the IUD in and delt with all of this because I have two children and I am not looking to have more anytime soon. I may not have more children altogether....I am currently in school and looking at maybe a degree in Nursing. I did not need to be pregnant while trying to finish school. However, the more I have thought about it, I too wish I would have researched this little device a little better and found out more information. Our bodies, as women, were created to have a menstrual cycle each month to naturally cleanse the vagina and uterus. By having the IUD, and my period stopping completely, I interrupted this natural cycle (which helps to cleans my body). This can't be a good thing. I would advise anyone who is considering this as a birth control method to talk to your doctor and ask MANY, MANY questions. Get a second, or third, or fourth opinion if you have to. All of our bodies are different and what doesn't work for one may work for another. Just get the facts, be careful and good luck to everyone else out there.
-faithprincess7

First of all, I am so happy and relieved to have found this site. Thank you so much to all of the woman who have posted their experiences with the mirena. I have been so scared over the past few months that I have literally been going CRAZY. Here is my experience:

I had the mirena inserted at my 6 week check-up after giving birth to my son. I chose the mirena because my doctor recommended it. Anyways, ever since I have had my son (being my first child) have been severely stressed out (of course). Although I have had several different stressful situations go on (my sister becoming very sick, my parents getting a divorce, moving out for the first time, ex troubles) I have been feeling not only stressed, but major anxiety, and I suspect depression. Anyhow, I never contributed any of this to my birth control because I assumed that this is what stress feels like (seeing as though I am lucky to say that I have never really had serious problems to deal with). Well this is where it all came to a head..yesterday.

Since giving birth to my son six months ago, I have since become a H-U-G-E hypochondriac, extremely anxious, depressed, dizzy spells, terrible mood swings, almost daily brain fog (which I find to be the scariest), I just do not feel like the same person. I feel like I am trapped inside my head (thats the best I can describe it). I have no energy and I do not feel like doing anything and when I do all I can think about is how not right I feel. I have started questioning how I feel almost constantly. I have trouble concentrating, have headaches (which I NEVER had before) and now find it difficult to wear my contact lenses. WELL, yesterday I was at work, which also happened to be my birthday, and had such a horrible dizzy spell that I instantly became sick to my stomach, and my heart started to pound. I was so scared by this I instantly started to cry and asked to go home. My mom, who is a psych nurse (for 15 years), was at her home. I rushed over there and cried to her that something was wrong with me and demanded her to tell me if I was crazy. I have been so obsessed with feeling ill that it has consumed me and the bad part is that I know it is all in my head, I just can't overcome it. That is when she asked me if I thought that it may be my birth control? *DING DING* I haven't been on birth control for so long that I forgot how madly I have reacted to it in the past. I then remembered why I had quit taking the birth control patch 5 years ago!

That is when I looked up the side effects and found this blog! I feel so much better now. I now have hope after reading everyone else's experiences which are so similar to mine. I have already made an appointment to get it taken out tomorrow. I have also made an appointment with my family doctor to talk about my anxiety and depression symptoms and see what he suggests (since I am not usually a down or anxious person). I will definitely keep you all posted! Thank you all for posting, I think it has changed my life!

WOW i can't believe what I am reading on here! this is exactly what's been going on with me for years (i've had two mirenas; one for five years and then a new one was put in last may):
acne
VERY stubborn weight gain
anxiety
mood swings
abdominal pain
digestive issues
pain with sex
thyroid issues
...i just made an appt to get my mirena out on Wednesday! thank you ladies!

Hi everyone im a 22 year old mother of two. In April of 2008 i had mirena inserted and like all of you have had all of the side effects associated with it..... hair loss, anxiety, weight gain, lower back and ab pain, ovary pain, acne, depression, mood swings and so on.. after finding this site and reading many posts i made an appointment to have this thing removed... For me the benefits did not out weight the side effects... so i had it removed 1 week ago... spotting there after and a full blown period that has not gotten any lighter (again, has been a week) .. usually i do expect to be on my period for a week with the second and third day being the ones with the most flow but i have not gotten any lighter and i am menstruating blood clots!!! does anyone know if this is normal??? I mean big clots,,, i have never had this happen before... i did call the doctor office where i had it removed and from what i understood its normal but it just doesn't feel right.... im starting to think i was pregnant and am having a miscarriage except i have no pain... ( first day of last period was July 9, 2009) went in to have mirena removed 8-18-09.... did this happen to anyone else??? oh one more thing,,, i do have a bit of lower back pains... i appreciate any replays thank you

This website is a joke! After I had my Mirena inserted 4 months ago I started reading on the internet about possible side effects. I was furious with myself that I hadn't Read up on this before the appointment. There were so many horrible reviews involving hair loss, weight gain, acne, and mood swings! I was so scared and actually thought about removing the Mirena that week. I then found multiple reviews on websites not owned and operated by other drug companies that are trying to scare people in order to prevent the sale and use of the Mirena and the side effects listed here were a 180 degree difference. I have not experienced any weight gain, in fact, I recently was able to shed 5 pounds from picking up running again (so it is possible to LOSE weight on the Mirena as well). I have had zero hair loss, have not had a pimple anywhere or any random hair growth. My live in boyfriend and I have discussed if we've noticed any mood swings or changes and my mood which is usually optimistic and positive has been the same since I had the Mirena inserted. My periods are much lighter and although they can last an extra day or two more than what I was used to, they are light and I have not had any cramping. I'm writing this review not because I absolutely love the Mirena, I think it's a fine form of BC but who LOVES their BC, isn't it all kind of a pain. The Mirena is by far the most convenient form of birth control and I don't worry at all about missing a day and the chance of getting pregnant. I'm writing this review because I encourage everyone to talk more with their doctors about the side effects and look around on the internet for REAL websites.

I had my Mirena inserted 15 months ago. The gynecologist felt that it will keep polyps away (as I just had one removed that was border case) instead of a hysterectomy.
I started to put weight on, my hair was always oily, I got palpitations,hot flushes,anxiety,depression,join pains and loss of concentration..
Worse of all is that my blood pressure went mad. Despite two very strong blood control tablets I could not get it down. I got pains in the side of my face and thought I was having a stroke.
I mentioned this to my physician who thought I was crazy as I was on such strong medication. mes cape town
After I was rejected twice by the gym I went to another doctor who agreed with me that this was all caused by the Mirena. I told him to remove it immediately and it was the best thing I could have done!
I just want to warn ladies to first investigate the product before having it inserted.

i had my mirena inserted 2 1/2 years ago after i had my 4th child. I just had surgery to have it removed it had moved and went through my uterus. Very painful, this is after having very horrible eczema and hives all over my hands and feet. I can't use my unless i have gloves on because of the blisters and they are permanently scarred from the eczema which we think was caused from the mirena because i didn't have it until about 2 months ago when i started other symptoms. Then i found out that it had went through my uterus which required laparoscopic surgery to remove and to top it off no health insurance so what i thought was going to be a less expensive birth control just cost me about 30,000.00 including doctor bills!!!!

I have had Mirena since January, 8 months now, I am feeling so sad, actually I am looking now in the net as I was not able to stop crying and there is no reason for crying, everything is ok in my personal life. I am very concerned as this symptoms have increased in the last four weeks and I am seriously consider removing Mirena, I want my normal life back.

Well I posted something a couple weeks ago about the issues with the mirena...migraines, high blood pressure (which ive never had), gained 30 lbs since it was put it, acne (which i never get), irritability, extremely tired, I already have anxiety issues but it is not 10 times worse, and my periods are lasting about 20 days. I went to the doctor and she feels that i should not have it removed and i should give it more time. Its been 9 months since i had it put in. She swears all these things are not side effects and I should wait it out....i really think its time to get a new doctor!

I had the Mirena inserted 6 weeks post postpartum so it has been in about two and a half months, since then I have turned into a crazy woman. At first I thought it was postpartum depression but then I got to thinking I was fine up until my six week check up.
Symptoms include the following:
Chest pain
Extreme Nausea
Exhaustion
Irritability
Uncontrollable Crying
Loss of hair
Anxiety
Dry skin
Hair on my legs grows out of control I have to shave them EVERY day as opposed to my every three day schedule.
I have been on my period since they put it in basically have had a combined total of seven days of not bleeding. ugh.
Me and my Husband have fought every day since I have been on this.
It's getting RIPPED out lol on Wednesday.
If I would have known what it would do to me I never would have got it!

LADIES.... PLEASE HELP!!!

I had my Mirena removed 6 weeks ago. Unlike most, I didn't bleed right away. It took me 3 weeks before I bleed and it wasn't heavy. I felt better knowing it was out of me but still was EXTREMELY TIRED, brain fogged, depressed. (The only side effects which have diminished were the irritability, greasy hair/skin, and acne.)

It's now been 6 weeks since it was removed and for the past 2 weeks I've been experiencing horrific anxiety and panic attacks. I'm afraid to leave the house... can't focus. Wake up anxious. Don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I'm also depressed about this. I'm still very very very tired all the time. AND THE MENSTRUAL MIGRAINES ARE STILL HERE.

IS THIS ANXIETY THE "CRASH"??? Can it happen so late? My body seems to be "behind" the norm by about 3 weeks. So really this is about the 2-3 week mark past my first withdrawal bleed.

I'M SOOOOOOOOO SCARED

I posted my experiences on June 5, 2009. I thought I would do an update. Yes, I am overjoyed that I had Mirena removed. It took 3-6 months for the side effects from the drug to disappear after removal. In the first 1-3 months following removal I haven't experienced another rash, itchy skin, hair loss, anxiety, heart flutter, bloating, cramping, breast tenderness,or eye twitch. It took about 3-6 months for the mild to cystic acne and low back pain to finally vanish. I still have problems with tendinitis in my wrist. The depression and feeling of laziness is also a side effect of the medication that can disappear if the device is removed. I paid for all the expenses out out pocket with no insurance, but I'm glad I didn't wait to have the Mirena removed because of the expense.

i am 29 yrs old and i had mirena put in about 7 weeks ago. For the past 2 weeks i have experienced anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. I have always been very optimistic and now I just feel kind of blah or flat. My mood can change instantly and I have been definitely taking my anger out on my poor family. I feel lightheaded all of the time and have had heart palpitations. I have had the cords cut 3times and my husband can still feel them which makes sex horrible. My back has been hurting and i have been experiencing sharp pain in my left hand. My hair has been oily lately. Thank God for these blogs bc i thought i was losing it or maybe just stressed with 2 kids but this is definitely not normal for me. I used to have a lot of patience and now I feel like i can not tolerate anything. I am having my mirena removed today and i cannot wait to feel like myself again. I would not recommend this to my worst enemy.

OMG!! This is so scary but I am so relieved. I had my mirena put in 8 months ago after having my second child. I have all of the symptoms. I talked to my doctor and he told me that these were not symptoms of the mirena and gave me lexapro, which I did not have filled because I do not take medicine like that. My mood swings and anxiety are the worst. My sex drive is gone. Even my kids are suffering from this. I made an appointment with another doctor and am having it removed on Thursday. I am so excited. Maybe I can be myself again. I look four months pregnant and I have always been little. i am still little except my stomach. the new doctor told me that he is removing a lot of these from women. We need to get the word out somehow!! thanks for all of your post. This helped me to make my decision and see that I am not alone. I thought I was going crazy and that I was a bad mother and wife. i can not thank everyone enough and wish you all good luck!!!!

I DO NOT recommend Mirena! I have had anxiety, depression, blurred vision, migraines, etc....... I have never been so scared or miserable!! I had no idea what was happening to me until my husband said, "maybe its the IUD you had put in 3 months ago." I light clicked in my head, that had to be the problem. All of this started when I had Mirena put in. It is not worth the risk. I'm having it taken out tomorrow, I will let you all know how I feel after that.

I had Mirena put in about six months ago. My experience with Mirena was not well. I finally had it taken out today after finally feeling like I wasn't in full control of my body. The sickness, headaches (which I've never had headaches before), bleeding for long periods of time, dizziness, tightness in my chest, sever anxiety (I never had this issue before), weight gain (never an issue before), lack of energy, etc. The list could go on. I've always been an upward looking type gal, always happy, always looking for the silver lining. The last few months have gotten worse with depression. I didn't realize it until a few days ago I just couldn't breath at work, I wanted to cry over nothing and I felt hopeless. I've always been emotionally strong and mentally strong. It wasn't until I felt completely down and out over nothing that I started realizing the small changes that had been happening over the last few months. Lets hope life gets back to normal. I drinking lots of water the next few days to get all the chemicals out of my body. I have five kids. I'll have five more before I allow a drug to invade my body like this one did again.

I had my Mirena inserted March 27, 2009. I have had constant bleeding and exhaustion. I cannot sleep on my stomach or back at night due to the cramping. Though my body is thin, I look like I am pregnant due to the bloating and have actually had people ask me if I am pregnant. My breasts are huge and swollen, size 34dd! I just developed severe vertigo, and am having the Mirena removed tomorrow. I am scared that the symptoms will not improve, and many have noted that the symptoms worsened before improving. I switched to the Mirena from birth control because I had depression and anxiety from the Pill, and now am worried about the post-Mirena crash, depression, and anxiety being worse.

I feel like I am Demon Posessed! I am a Christian woman who loves her husband and children more than life itself, and in the last three weeks I have turned into a crazy person. I had the Mirena put in three months ago. I had a period or spotting for two and a half months but two weeks ago when that stopped the crazy devil woman showed up. I have never suffered from depression, anxiety, poor self image or rage until now. In reality I am 29, 140pounds and have the best husband and two great kids 2 and four months. my life was better than ever and then all of a sudden in my mind my husband did not love me and was not doing his part to fulfill my needs and my children were more than I could deal with, I was getting hostile impatient angry and depressed I felt ugly, soooooo fat and had no control over my life. I also had suicidal thoughts and I tried to leave my husband. I wanted him to know how hard it was and I wanted him to feel what I was going through, because he was living in the rational and I wasn't I was angry, alone and scared. then all of a sudden I couldn't even remember why I was upset and everything seemed fine. I had a bad go with the pill, I was emotional and a little irrational and insecure but when I went off of it I was fine. I am getting this taken out because even though the dose of hormone is supposed to be small I feel as though I am hitting a wall of intense or (nonexistent at times) emotions. I just kept crying to my husband last night, I want me back... I want me back, and he does too. I also had the headaches cramping and discharge, a yeast infection, itching and weight gain, bloating and I feel like I have no energy, I don't mind having sex but it isn't something I Iook forward to. I feel so very ashamed for the way my husband and children have been treated by me and I will be the first to say that nothing is worth loosing your family, your sense of security in yourself and your sanity. The doctor told me that I might be in post pardom or need depression meds.... NO I DON'T! I don't feel like medicating a medication. And thats what I would be doing. This Was NOT for me and it almost ruined my family. My husband is a great man and if it wasn't for his patience and kindness we would not be doing good right now. I am looking forward to having it taken out. I miss myself and who I am is not this woman of constant sorrow!!! One thought in my mind stands out... If I would have committed suicide, would Mirena have been responsible? In all of my life I have never had thoughts like these and It hurts me to think that there are woman out there who could be acting out in response to this birth control. I felt like hurting my children... I felt like leaving my husband... I felt like killing myself. And This IS NOT WHO I AM. My doctor is taking it out today and she isn't charging me because we have no insurance and she is a very good woman. I am thankful that my story is this and that it didn't get much worse. My sister is on it too and she is having the same problems except she is having hallucinations. I am trying to tell her to get it out but the doctor told her that its the breast feeding. I disagree with that because she has breast fed all her children and this has never happened. I didn't breast feed while on this and I am having crazy things happen. Don't let the doctor talk you out of getting it removed it didn't get better for me over time it got worse.

Now you guys have me all paranoid. Are any of you first time mothers because some of these things your are experiencing are also post childbirth side effects. Hair loss, when you are pregnant you stop loosing hair, those couple of hairs you loose every time you comb your hair, well they stop happening but you keep growing more hair hence the fantastic thick pregnant lady hair. Once you have the baby the hair that didn't fall out while you were pregnant finally falls out. Also if you are breastfeeding it can cause you to loose your sex drive, its your bodies way of preventing another pregnancy because pregnancy can make your milk supply dry up and then your baby has nothing to eat! My only symptom that sucks that I KNOW is from Mirena is acne and and that's because of the kind of BC it is, which is just something I have to deal with because its the kind I need that wont mess with my milk supply and my son comes first! I am having no mood swings or depression which is something, if someone's going to get it its going to be me, I was diagnosed depressed and bi-polar and an anxiety disorder all through my teenage years and I'm fine now, maybe a little anxious but that comes with having children!

I do also have back pain but I always get back pain when I have my period and well, I've been on my period for almost 3 weeks now so.. A lot of you just sound like tired over worked Moms.

PS: tiny 35 year old.. your 35, your metabolism slows down with age and with every child you have, you can't eat all you want anymore, I lost that ability with my first child before Mirena, you just have to exchange the oatmeal cream pies for carrot sticks, its what I do.

Hi everyone, like almost all of you I was so glad to stumble across this site. I had my mirena put in 4 months ago and when I was getting it put in my partner took the day off work and decided to tell his boss it was because he was coming with me to get the Mirena (I was horrified that he told him at the time!). But it turned out to be a blessing because my partner came home 3 days ago and told me that his boss asked him whether I had been getting deep pimples that never come 'to a head' and that his wife had them all over her face and couldn’t get rid of them and that she had put it down to the Mirena. I said to him, "Don’t be ridiculous, the Mirena does not give any side effects", and that was that. See I was told from my gyno that "The Mirena is perfect" and she said that the only people that go back to her to go off the Mirena "are people that are never satisfied with any contraception". And then over the past three days I realized that the bumps on my face that are deep under my skin have only appeared in the months after I got my Mirena and I have had worse pimples than ever before, and they have been untreatable with new ones appearing every day and I had never before had lumps that remain under my skins for months. It also wasn’t until I got onto this website that I realized the anxiety I have been feeling in the last couple months, weight gain and itchy skin have also all come about since the Mirena. I am tired all the time and never want to move or do anything and hate getting out of bed even with 14 hours sleep!!!!! Also - I have been pulling clumps of hair out of the shower drain and my comb over the past couple months - yet have had the same hairdresser and hair routine for the last 6 years.... I could not figure out why I was losing my hair and ended up having it cut from a mid-long length to above the shoulders 3 weeks ago, because there was just hardly any hair left. Also - about 2 weeks ago I told my partner (in an emotional uncontrollable episode which has become a frequent event since Mirena) that I had no reason to live anymore and just didn’t want to go on. First time I have ever felt like this, it was awful. I am normally the happy person at work who gets along with everyone and yet now I cant stand the look of any of them or even the sound of their voice makes me want to scream at them. WHOA, CRAZY!!!!!!! I have also lost any interest in self appearance and in the past few months have completely let myself go. I have also had sex twice since going on it. YES thats right - SEX TWICE IN FOUR MONTHS, aaaaaarrrrrgh. And to the most disgusting part of all - I have been getting an awful discharge that smells bad. I am a really clean person and was considering going to my gyno in the coming week to ask why it was happening….. I have been on many pills and the depot and whilst I experienced side affects with all of them, none of them were anything like this, I would get a side effect here and there on the others, nothing like this. Biggest waste of $800 ever. p.s. I wear panty liners every single day and night of the week.

Hi everyone, like almost all of you I was so glad to stumble across this site. I had my mirena put in 4 months ago and when I was getting it put in my partner took the day off work and decided to tell his boss it was because he was coming with me to get the Mirena (I was horrified that he told him at the time!). But it turned out to be a blessing because my partner came home 3 days ago and told me that his boss asked him whether I had been getting deep pimples that never come 'to a head' and that his wife had them all over her face and couldn’t get rid of them and that she had put it down to the Mirena. I said to him, "Don’t be ridiculous, the Mirena does not give any side effects", and that was that. See I was told from my gyno that "The Mirena is perfect" and she said that the only people that go back to her to go off the Mirena "are people that are never satisfied with any contraception". And then over the past three days I realized that the bumps on my face that are deep under my skin have only appeared in the months after I got my Mirena and I have had worse pimples than ever before, and they have been untreatable with new ones appearing every day and I had never before had lumps that remain under my skins for months. It also wasn’t until I got onto this website that I realized the anxiety I have been feeling in the last couple months, weight gain and itchy skin have also all come about since the Mirena. I am tired all the time and never want to move or do anything and hate getting out of bed even with 14 hours sleep!!!!! Also - I have been pulling clumps of hair out of the shower drain and my comb over the past couple months - yet have had the same hairdresser and hair routine for the last 6 years.... I could not figure out why I was losing my hair and ended up having it cut from a mid-long length to above the shoulders 3 weeks ago, because there was just hardly any hair left. Also - about 2 weeks ago I told my partner (in an emotional uncontrollable episode which has become a frequent event since Mirena) that I had no reason to live anymore and just didn’t want to go on. First time I have ever felt like this, it was awful. I am normally the happy person at work who gets along with everyone and yet now I cant stand the look of any of them or even the sound of their voice makes me want to scream at them. WHOA, CRAZY!!!!!!! I have also lost any interest in self appearance and in the past few months have completely let myself go. I have also had sex twice since going on it. YES thats right - SEX TWICE IN FOUR MONTHS, aaaaaarrrrrgh. And to the most disgusting part of all - I have been getting an awful discharge that smells bad. I am a really clean person and was considering going to my gyno in the coming week to ask why it was happening….. I have been on many pills and the depot and whilst I experienced side affects with all of them, none of them were anything like this, I would get a side effect here and there on the others, nothing like this. Biggest waste of $800 ever. Mirena = Evil.

I have had mine since oct 06, I immediately started to have unusual discharge, so much that I have to wear panty liners or a lite tampon, It's extremely embarrassing to have to go through with it everyday, especially in the summer, when i wanna wear a bathing suit. I also hate to have sex, it hurts so much, I can barely take it. I have been oody and miserable, around the time I do get my period I have very tender breasts. My period is lite and only lasts a few days, so no complaint there. I have enlarged cysts now, and they also contribute to my pain during sex. I have no sex drive whatsoever. Could care less. And I use to have sex on a regular basis.

For the past year I have been struggling with acne, I have never had pimples in my life, so now having the right side of my face full of acne and nothing, nothing will treat it. I didn't have much weight gain at all. Im back to my regular size, but I do workout now, and haven't lost anything either.

I thought for the past 3 years I've been crazy, Im depressed, but nothing to be depressed about, I dont have a stressful job, Im healthy, taken care of. But I can cry over nothing, literally, I cry everyday, and lately its getting worse, I thought I was pregnant, because I felt so emotional, I was feeling flutters in my stomach. Things that I felt the first itme.

I don't have insurance, and make to much to get medicare. I really want to get it taken out. This has affected my life so much, that its ruining my relationship with my boyfriend.

I cant believe how many others are having same symptoms, I should have looked into this a long long time ago. Hopefully I can have planned parenthood take it out.

Hey guys, just wanted to thank you for speaking out. I just had a baby three months ago and so my doctor suggested the Mirena. Two months after my pregnancy I had it inserted, however 10 days later I started having these exact symptoms: dizziness/foggy head, anger/anxiety/and moodiness, I new something was wrong. In addition, the string attached to the IUD hurt and irritated me down there. Realizing my gut instinct is usually spot on, I decided to research a little and thankfully found you guys. When I went back to my doctor and informed her of my symptoms she said the symptoms were due to sleep deprivation from the baby ( but I am a stay at home mom, and therefore take naps with my baby) hormones, and that it takes a while to adjust to my body. She said I should stay with it. However after a good 21 days, I had her remove it. It has only been two days and I am still feeling dizzy. I guess it takes a while for the drug to exist your body. My mom has been in the medical profession and has always informed me that the drug companies withhold many truths as they are a franchise and optimally want to make their money. The sicker we stay (sometimes from their own drugs) the richer they become as we now need another drug to counteract the first. Be careful ladies and lets stick together. We know our bodies better then any one else!

UPDATE - Day 11 post removal

Still have not bled.
Still having vertigo migraines.
Still have numbness in R foot.
Still moody/irritable.
Still bloated and GAINING water weight.
Still crying (though not as much).
Still have NO energy.
Still having severe memory issues and BRAIN FOG!!!

NEW ACNE ON ARMS!!! :-(

Taking B12, B6, magnesium, multivitamin.

I'm upset/disappointed. I thought taking it out would make me feel better right away and gradually get better and better. So far I'm the only one on here who didn't bleed right away and start feeling good. Maybe more of the progestin got into my system and it will take a bit longer for it to leave?

NEED ENCOURAGEMENT!

Well I'm glad I found this site. I got the mirena 1 year ago this month and I think I'm going to get this thing out of me. Right now I have severe lower stomach pains that shot down into my girl area. I haven't had a period since Nov. 08'. I always always have headaches and here lately I think I have a problem with stress/anxiety and I can't stand it! I feel better now that maybe it is not me thinking all this crazy stuff in my head but its that mirena cause me to feel this way. Can anyone relate?