Mirena and anxiety

I never thought about the side effects of mirena. I had mine in over 4 yrs. and now I've realized the maybe everything that I've been going through could be because of it. I've been depress, moody, in pain all over and I feel like no doctor knows what is going on with me. I have gain a lot of weight, I'm heavier now than I was at 9 months pregnant. I'm a 36 year old married mother of four, my youngest is five now. My main concern is that lately, I've been feeling this terrible pain on my upper back and neck. I feel my bones crack with every movement, they crack even when I breath. A few weeks ago I went to the doctor and she order an x-ray of my neck and it showed some deterioration of the bones. I've been so worried, even thinking that it could be cancer or something. Now after finding this website I am wondering if it could be the Mirena.

I had Mirena placed in Sept 2007. I have 2 girls, wasn't ready for more at the time, was horrible with taking the pill (both in remembering to do so and with the side effects). Since Mirena is only a "local" hormone, I thought it would be a great choice for me. This past summer I got online to find out why my periods were so odd... brown, clumpy, really short but frequent... and came across this site as well as a few others. I couldn't believe the stories everyone was sharing! I could easily dismiss all of my symptoms away to something else... constant exhaustion (I have 2 kids under 5 and work full time, maybe my thyroid), anxiety and even a few panic attacks (started a new job), no libido (tired and stressed… How funny to spend so much money on birth control and have no desire for sex!!!), irritable (2 kids), hair loss (didn't even think of that one, but it is true), night sweats (maybe I am just dressed to warmly to go to bed?), unable to lose some weight (gained 5 pounds post insertion now that I think about it) even though I had joined a gym, was working out with a personal trainer and really watching my eating (maybe this is my new weight... I am 35 and my metabolism is supposed to slow down), weird pain/bloating in my lower abdomen (gas??? maybe something I am eating???), the described ‘Fog’… how true! I saw my doctor about 1 ½ months ago and we discussed taking it out. I had my thyroid checked first just to see if that may be the problem. It was, but after putting all of these pieces together I just needed to get this thing out!!! I had it removed one week ago. I felt better immediately. I am sure that was psychological, but who cares! Bled for a week and now it has stopped. Feeling some cramps still, but overall really good, especially emotionally. I asked my doctor about the ‘CRASH’ and she hadn’t heard of such a thing. I am kind of on the fence with this one… just waiting… hoping it won’t happen. If anyone is about 1 week out like me, I would love to hear more from you! I am sure Mirena is good for some, but I am sure it is not good for me. I am happy to be out of the fog.

I have had the Mirena for five months, I have gained weight and seems like I keep gaining and I have tried everything to loose this pouch. I am always tired and moody. I feel sick to my stomach all the time, especially after I eat something. I feel like I am having another baby. I told my doctor and all she did was prescribe me anti depressants and anti anxiety pills( like I need anything else messing with my system ), and she told me to give it time to work, the symptoms that I am having are normal. I feel like crap everyday and didn't feel like this until I got this thing put in me. Don't get me wrong my life was not peaches and cream before the placement but I was able to deal with my days. Now I just feel like i am about to have a nervous breakdown or panic attack. I literally feel crazy. My husband feels neglected and I am going to get a second opinion from a different doctor because I don't know if I can take it any longer.

I have had Mirena now since August 29th '08. I was one of the people that was lucky enough to not experience any pain what so ever when it was inserted. Not a single bit of discomfort at all!!! I did have my period though so that may have had something to do with it. But ever since I've had Mirena I've gained 12 pounds, my husband and I fight all the time, we have been together for 15 years and haven't fought this much as long as we've been together, I'm always depressed lately which is weird for me at this time of year because until Christmas I love this time of year!! I've had a few anxiety issues, I don't sleep at night, my poor kids I snap over the stupidest things, the fatigue oh my the fatigue. I've had sleeping problems for many years now but I can't even sleep on sleeping pills most nights either and I could before. The last couple of weeks now I've experienced gas (I mean gas very regularly) out of the blue didn't think that had to do with Mirena but then I started reading this site, some days I'm constipated others I don't stop going. It seems I get the "spotting" one week straight done for a few days then here it is again. My husband feels it when we have intercourse. If and when we have intercourse these days it's not enjoyable for me and not him either, he can tell it's not enjoyable for me, let alone he can feel the thing. I have a very clear completion (normally only get acne at that time of the month and only a couple), lately I've broken out along my hair line, getting pimples in spots I didn't know you could get them. And with the weight gain and acne it makes me feel real good about myself. I look like I'm pregnant again some days. And I'm bloated all the time. Oh the one I almost forgot about the hot flashes, I'm 31 years old having hot flashes.
I was thinking that my body just needs to "adjust" to this thing inside me, but after reading this why wait and make it worse with more symptoms I don't have yet?! Like the cysts, I guess as far as I know I don't have them yet.
I just want to feel like myself again. I'm a happy person, normally motivated to clean my house, normally don't feel like I have a grey cloud over my head, I hate feeling like I have a scowl on my face all the time. These are the memory making years for my kids, do I want them to remember the always crabby yelling mommy? No I don't. Well I'm gonna go cry now and call my doctor to have it removed. Thank you for having this site it's made me feel like I'm not going crazy and it's not just me! And you know what I will respond back in a few weeks after having it out and let you know if I've gotten rid of any the "side Effects" the doctors claim have nothing to do with Mirena!

Hello All,
I am a 40 year old woman and I have had the mirena iud insert for at least 5 years. My doctor asked if I would like to try this iud because of the heavy bleeding. So..of course I told him yes I would like to try it(especially when I knew that I would not have to worry about taking the pill everyday). I asked the doctor right before he inserted this device if it would hurt. He said no, it would take less than 5 minutes to put it in. I heard a snap, and then the pain in my abdomen was so great, I thought I would fall against the wall on my way out. I almost pulled over on the highway on my way back home because the pain was so great. It felt like labor pains. I decided that my body just needed to adjust. I have experienced depression, the worst anxiety, severe cramps, some hair loss right above my forehead, crazy moodiness, weight gain constipation(I sit on the toilet for at least an hour.)headaches, unreasonable crying at least once a month, fogginess, gas, pain traveling from both sides of my uterus and around to both sides of my lower back. Some days I wanted to just die. I was so afraid to go to the doctor to remove it because of the experience getting it put in. Having intercourse was another issue. When I felt myself even getting in the mood, I would start cramping. I would ignore it because I didn't want to disappoint my mate. He would hit the threads of the iuc sometimes and he said it would hurt him. He somehow learned to maneuver some type of way to keep from sticking himself and after intercourse I would get the worst cramps. At times the pain was so severe, I would call off from work and sometimes had to leave work. My skin on my face looks terrible. I have always been complimented for my skin but now it looks a sight to me. I do get acne on my back from time to time and I experience breast soreness. One night this week, my cramps were so severe I didn't know how much more I could take. When I went to the bathroom to check it out, the blood was bright red and not like a period. More like something was torn. For the last couple of days the blood looks like a rusty brown color and it smells like metal. I am so afraid to have sex and I am still getting cramps. All I find myself doing is lying down because I am always tired. I am very afraid of this whole thing. It has been a total nightmare. I am glad I came across this website. I did not realize so many women are having some of the same problems that I am having with this device. I don't even want to be alone when they take it out. My mate says that he would be there with me if I want to get it removed but my anxiety is so great. I am terrified!! I can't believe I let all of this time go by thinking that my body would adjust to it. Thank you all for sharing your information. I am about to embark on the journey to have it removed. Wish me luck and I pray for all of you who have felt my pain. I would not recommend this device to anyone. I am glad that I have 3 daughters already so I don't have the worry about not being able to have children. Thank you all for your responses, it has given me(finally)the motivation(which I have not had)to get rid of this iuc.

I am getting my mirena removed today, It has been nothing but trouble. I have hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety for no reason, i always had anxiety but this is awful I can't stand it. I started seeing a shrink, now I come on here a couple of weeks ago and OMG its has to be the mirena. Also the facial hair is unbelievable. My husband and I fight constantly, I feel so bad I have been awful. Weight gain is awful, I had a baby boy 11 months ago, these kind of symptoms should be gone already!! I just want to feel myself again!!!! Oh I also have gotten multiple ovaian cysts, that hurt!! It is awful, not worth the trouble!

Had mine removed yesterday. had an interesting conversation with my doctor also. he said, now get this ladies, a lot of people complain about the weight gain and anxiety, etc., but it has nothing to do with the iud. i'm sitting there like, HELLOOOO?? if a lot of people complained about it, wouldn't you think that the iud DOES have something to do with it?? goes to show you that a lot of doctors are book smart, but don't have an ounce of common sense.
i just read the post about facial hair...LOL!! is that y i'm tweezing everyday?? i had whiskers all over the damn place! and lets not mention the hot flashes!

I gained 20 pounds since i got the mirena :-( now i'm 40 pounds in the hole because i started out wanting to lose 20. i'm afraid this weight will not come off and i'll be stuck with it. this is not good for an unmarried, late 30-something, single mom. i wouldn't be able to snag a guy even if i drugged him!

oh yeah, he wanted to discuss birth control options because, as he put it, I could get preg tomorrow. I'm like Yeah ok, you have to have sex to get preg. Who do you think i am? the blessed virgin mary? oh please!!

i wonder if in like 10 years or so we'll be seeing those commercials that go "If you or a loved one suffered from serious side-effects from using the Mirena...." lol

hi i have had mirena for 8 weeks or so now. For the past two weeks, everyday, i feel sick to my stomach and my throat feel tight, i have also been struggling with anxiety everyday for two weeks, i have had anxiety troubles in the past, but cant figure why it is returning now, after reading this site, i am wondering if it is from the mirena..
Also i have not stopped bleeding since it was put in. I have also noticed my alcohol tolerance had been dramatically reduced anyone else having anxiety issues? i didn't see a lot of postings for this, so i am wondering if it is just me>?

Just had Mirena inserted today and I just want to give some people hope...the insertion was almost painless. Three moderate cramps at about the level of a medium period cramp. One thing that may have helped me is that I took a lorazepam 2 hours before the procedure. This helps with anxiety and I was EXTREMELY nervous after reading all of these posts. If you are considering Mirena, you may want to ask your doctor about getting an anxiety prescription before the procedure.

Hope this helps!

Now that I have had mine removed and can think clearly again, I just realized that I had anxiety at work all year long and felt so overwhelmed with everything coming at me all the time, feeling like I had developed Adult ADD and scared I would lose my job because I couldn't keep up or kept screwing up little things with my foggy brain. WOW - it was this IUD messing up my body and my mind the whole time. Why won't doctors listen to us and hear our cry for help???

I had mine removed last month and still enjoying the NEW ME! I am so happy and cheerful now without the back pain and achy joints and anxiety attacks. Still getting rid of acne, chin hair and 40 lbs but WOW I am so grateful I found this site to validate that I wasn't losing my mind. There seems to be 1% of the population who have no problems at all with this IUD but for the other 99% of us ... BE CAREFUL and REMOVE IT ASAP! By the way, I still have not had a cycle since the 2 days of spotting after it was removed ... and the removal pain is ZERO compared to the insertion. I am also changing to a female holistic obgyn since my male doc refused to acknowledge my valid side effects - ARGH!!!

I've have the Mirena in for about 4 months now. I'm not sure if this is a side affect or not but I've been having horrible hot flashes. They are so bad that I hardly have enough time to get completely ready in the morning. I don't wear make up that much anymore because I'm to hot. My son is 6 months old now so my hormones should be pretty much back to normal. I've had my thyroid checked and it's not that. I've also been having anxiety whick I've NEVER had before. I don't know if that's due to having 3 kids now or the Mirena. Has anyone else experienced these side affects? I also haven't lost much weight since I've had my son which is also very odd.

hey it is me again. It is strange and I really hope that someone can tell me what is going on. I know that I had a little depression and anxiety before I read all these or even went on this site but now 2 weeks later after reading new side effects everyday it seems like the anxiety, depression, mood swings and everything else got ten times worse after reading all of this. Today I was driving and people in front of me just seemed to get on my last nerve I thought that I was going to jump out of my skin and then tonight after dinner I was doing the dishes and I could not breathe I thought that I was going to pass out. I went to sit down on the couch and I could not move and then I felt really anxious again. I started getting really nervous and did not know what to do. This has never happened to me before can someone please tell me if this is the freaking mirena or if it is all in my head. I am going nuts and I am not getting it taken out til Tuesday.

I had my Mirena put in Oct 20, now granted it has only been a week, i have not had any spotting since day 3. I am feeling fine! I have been on the pill for years and if you read up on almost any form of birth control the side effects are all generally the same. I am wondering if these issues people are having are just because they started birth control in general and non specific to Mirena. Hopefully the future is good for my use with Mirena because if am tired of the pill and the high dose of hormones.

I don't know what is wrong with you people but its like you can't handle anything. I had the mirena put in November last year and yeah ok i had cramping for the first month or so and yeah i had spotting. But unlike some of you fools i knew what the side effects were i read what came in the package which means i knew what to expect before i got it put in. And yeah there are loads of possible side effects but if you read everything and know what could happen you shouldn't complain if something does happen. Not everyone who has the mirena has these things and for people who are considering it i would recommend trying it and after 3 months if it doesn't feel good then get it removed. That especially goes to people that have just had a baby... i mean really in the first 3 months after having a baby who is really seriously interested in sex right away. The reason i am here was to see if there was more information about them now because UNFORTUNATELY i had to have mine removed for an operation. I had a cyst on my fallopian tube which was not mirena related. In fact almost all women get them when they are menstruating but they go away. Unfortunately with me they don't go away and this is the 2nd cyst to be removed in 3 years. I am planning on getting a second mirena inserted next week. Because frankly i find it ideal. And yeah i may have had mood swings on occasion while i had it but come on think about it what woman doesn't have mood swings. So sure you can blame everything on the Mirena but for the most part besides then for the people where the mirena got stuck or moved during the time you had it... its all in your head. And like i said before i would recommend the mirena and if after 3 or 4 months it doesn't suit you then go for something else... but don't dismiss it because some people have too much time on their hands and like to spend it whining over everything on the net. Remember with the Mirena you have a 50/50 chance of having symptoms or not. Take that risk before taking the risk of going on the pill and forgetting to take it or going on depo provera and putting on 20 pounds.

Hey ladies! I am not shocked to hear all of this! I had the Mirena placed in me on July,10,2008. It is now October 27th, 2008. Almost 4 months with this in me and i feel like crap! I mean, i thought my headaches were from lack of sleep or something. Im cramping all the time, I have had sharp pains in either right or left side of my stomach but never both sides at the same time. I broke out with acne on my arms UGH and i have never had acne on my body. When i have a period, they are heavy, i fill the toilet up with blood, i fill up a pad in NO time, it lasts a lil over a week, and i have had meat like substances (looks like intestines, or chewed up hamburger *sorry*), and dime & nickle sized clots pass out of me! I have a picture of it and dated time of the passings. When i called a nurse about the passing of the meat and clots, all she had to tell me was "take a pregnancy test and if negative, then take Motrin tablets and see if that helps" WHAT?! I have noticed im a lot angrier now. Its not a pretty sight. =/ I have 1 child, my son (22mths old). I haven't noticed weight gain, maybe at the beginning but i figured it was bloating. When i talked to a different nurse about all of this a while ago, she had thought the mirena had fallen out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uhm noone told me about this happening!!!!! All i heard was the best about it and not the worst! I havent taken a pregnancy test yet, im so scared to! I cant afford another little one right now! =/ I am going to weigh this out one more month, because they did tell me it takes 3 months to adjust. So after another month, by December, if its still the same. Im removing it.

2 1/2 years ago I had my Mirena IUD place. I had the normal weight gain and steady bleeding which were side effects I was warned about. Sure enough after 2 months or so my weight returned to normal and the daily bleeding stopped. In fact I haven't had any periods since, which I was really please about b/c that was the reason for having the IUD in the first place. I have 4 children and my husband is fixed, but my periods were so heavy I had a hard time dealing with my iron levels, so the Mirena was recommended. I have raved about not having my period anymore and the freedom it has provided.

However, recently I have been suffering major anxiety, to the point I am currently off work for 4 weeks. I am a stock broker so everyone is convinced its market related. But all along I have said I don't have more or less anxiety if the market is up or down. I just feel as though I have almost in a car accident and my body is in a constant state of "fight or flight". I have been placed on heavy med's to try and correct my current imbalance. These med's are very powerful, for the past 6 days I have been asleep of 17 hours out of 24. Anything this strong is obviously pretty powerful. I have been discussing my current condition with friends and saying my instincts tell me something else is going on. I've been suspecting that something else in my environment could be contributing to my imbalance. So i have been looking into my IUD. My first signs of anxiety were 9 months after having it in, but I treated my anxiety with exercise and healthy living and got on with it. Today I found a website with many women with my exact symptoms:*****
As a mother I have learned to listen to my instincts, and at this very moment I am convinced that my Mirena IUD has over time created an imbalance which is responsible for my current poor health, and tomorrow i'm getting it taken out!

I have had my mirena for about 9 months now. I thought it was great at first. I moved away from my family to be with my fiance and ever since then I have had such bad anxiety, depression, mood swings like crazy, very low sex drive and bad acne like I never had before. My skin was always very clear. I always have had depression and anxiety but never this bad. I just feel like I hate the world! I thought that it was just that I was homesick and taking it out on my fiance until I had stumbled across this sight. The only thing is that I am not having pains anywhere or excessive weight gain although I am bloated and I look like I am 5 months pregnant. Now what I would like to know is if this is really all caused by the mirena or if it is all in my head? I have a 17 year old and an 11 year old and now I am living with his 3 kids and the last thing I want is to have this removed and find out that it was not the mirena that was giving me all these symptoms. Can someone please help me with some answered questions? Thank you so much!!

Can anyone tell me if they think the "hormone" remains in your system for a while after removal of Mirena? In other words, how long did it take for the symptoms to go completely away??? Thanks for any help!

I have been feeling most of these symptoms for a while but thought it was just in my head or that I was going through early menopause but I am only 38.
Immediately I gained weight in my stomach area which made me mad but I dealt with it. I have have really long periods where I used to have a 3 day period. Now I have anxiety and mood swings where I just feel like being mean. I hate how I am to my husband, mom and kids. I feel like I can't concentrate and I can't remember a conversation that I had 2 days ago. I really feel like I was deceived of all these bad side effects. I just called to have this bitch removed and the nurse said she has never heard of any bad side effects. I guess I am one of the unlucky ones. I also exercise and diet constantly and can't seem to lose the extra weight I put on. It's so frustrating when I try so hard.Now I am a little nervous about getting it taken out. I plan on taking a xanex b.c it hurt so bad when I had it put in! I also am a little nervous about what birth control to use next. I don't want to deal with hormones again. It's not worth it. Also the sex drive is very low for me. I really wish I would have seen this blog ahead of time. I would NEVER of had the mirena inserted and I wouldn't have wasted a year and a half of my life on being miserable!! I'm getting this removed 9am on Friday!!

All I can say is HOLY CRAP!!!!!!! I have had Mirena in for almost 16 months and let me tell you how RELIEVED I was to come across this web page! I have had TERRIBLE cramping, back pain, mental block, NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL, Pain during and after sex, indescribable mood swings, and can we say MENTAL BLOCK!!!!! It sounds crazy but I used to be able to handle daily stress with three children, my husband and our Business! Now I can go from a good mood to crying over MINOR things and we won't even talk about the major things (can we say mental ward!). I get headaches that put me down on the couch! I get lightheaded, heart races, and fell angry over nothing! I just thank GOD my husband is who he is because I have totally failed at my duties as a wife and as a parent when it comes to patience and understanding!!!! If I had to put a simple description on it I would say "It’s like being Pregnant 24/7!" I have to drive to accomplish things and I FEEL USELESS!!!!!!!! So obviously I also suffer from depression! I thought I was going out of my mind and now I am crying as I write because not only have I suffered through all this but it pisses me off to think how it’s effected my children and my husband! It’s coming out!!!!!!!ASAP

i have had mirena for about three months now, it has been an absolute disaster. every scince i have had mirena i have suffered from severe back pain, terrible headaches, severe abdominal pains, mood swings, depression, and anxiety about absolutely every thing. every night i stay up because i have a fear that there is something really wrong with me and i am scared that i am going to die in my sleep. i do not know what to do i have been to several doctors, i have had blood test, x rays, ekgs and every thing else and no one can seem to find anything wrong with me, so i assume that these symptoms are being caused by the mirena. i have a doctors appointment soon, so we will see what my doctor says!!!

I've had Mirena for nearly two and a half years now. About 6 weeks after I got it in I had to take a pregnancy test because I was dizzy, nauseous, bloated, and had sore breasts. I was not pregnant. But I've had a repeat experience every few months since then. Sometimes I feel so sick and tired that I can't do anything but lie on the sofa. After I stopped nursing I got bad pregnancy symptoms and cramps so horrible I thought my IUD had punctured something. Currently I feel sick to my stomach, and I've been getting headaches, and I'm tired and terribly thirsty all the time. I've read about others who had the same problem. I've also had nearly continuous yeast infections and vaginal irritation since I got it in. My libido has dropped incredibly and I'm always kind of dry during sex. I had problems with depression before getting the Mirena, but now I have anxiety on top of that. At the two-year mark I started getting nasty under-the-skin acne under my chin, and I've gained ten pounds since then. Some of that might have been my own fault, but I currently eat healthily and exercise 1 to 1 1/2 hours most days, and it's taken weeks for me to stop gaining, and I know I'm losing way slower than is natural. I put up with it this long because I haven't gained huge amounts of weight or had really bad mood swings, and I'm afraid of what might happen with other types of birth control, but I am sick of being sick all the time. I'm getting this thing out!

I got anxiety when I took birth control pills so I had to stop taking them. I'd hoped that with an IUD that the progesterone would be so low that I could handle it. Unfortunately, the anxiety kicked in within a day of getting the IUD put in (painless for me btw).

Has anyone managed to ride through the anxiety and have this symptom go away? Can my body get used to it since it is lower than bcp?

My doctor doesn't think that the anxiety is a result of the IUD but I haven't had any anxiety since I took bcp a year ago. Why doesn't she believe me?

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I thought I was totally crazy and something seriously wrong with me: Absolutely No Sex Drive, Horrible acne all over my face (really bad under the skin huge ones) and on my chest, neck and back, back depressions and mood swings, bloating, upper back pain, and weight gain! I am an active person and have been on dance teams for years now and I have never gained weight the way I do now. I have also always had energy to do everything! And I don't have any to even get up off the couch right now! :( I thought that my upper back pain was just from everyday/coaching stress but my massage therapist says that the tenseness in my back is unlike anything she's ever seen! I feel like my stomach is going to explode after I've eaten the smalls meal and then my digestive system doesn't work like it used to before my IUD. I've become a completely different person than before I got my IUD! I am going to call my doctor today and make an appointment to go talk about options. I REALLY LOVE NOT having a period and not having to worry about taking a pill or using a condom. My husband likes that aspect too so we will see what the doctor has to say and if they have any advise or suggestions on what to do. I will keep you all posted!!!!

I'm glad I read this. I got the Mirena in March of 2007. I didn't have any symptoms for about the first year. In February of 2008, I started getting headaches almost every day and thought I had tension headaches... Then, I would come home from work feeling tired and irritable and just sleep for hours, wake up to eat dinner and spend time with my husband and son and then go back to bed. I'm SO tired of being tired and irritable. I've gone through small bouts of depression and anxiety. Then, what's happened in the past two months is that my hair has gotten thinner (my hairstylist even noticed) and I've begun to break out really bad around my chin and neck. I've NEVER had a problem with acne before and now these are scarring! It's horrible. If I hadn't come by this site, I would still be wondering what's wrong with me, but now I know. I'm only 24 years old and I have the sex drive of an 80 year old, I swear. I thought I could wait it out and have Mirena removed as scheduled in March 2009, but I can't! I am getting it out as soon as the GYN can give me an appointment!

Oh my GOD! I can't believe I didn't read this b4 I have had Mirena for a month and a half and I HATE IT. I have been constantly sick. I had anxiety. back and leg pain The headaches are crucial and now I have been told I am anemic. The scariest thing is my hair is falling out so badly and I am always tired and irritable. I have 2 kids that I can't interact with as much bc I am so exhausted all the time. I am always in pain. I have an appointment on Nob 14 to have it removed. I am so glad Im not alone, people are acting like I was going crazy.

Same story different person! I had my Mirena placed February 08. Three months later, I could not lose weight no matter how hard I tried. I have major hair loss, anxiety,sore muscles and joints, and extreme fatigue. Oh yeah, I forgot the memory loss and brain fog. I have been to my Drs. and have had thyroid, lupus, and other blood tests. All negative, therefore I am starting to point the finger at the Mirena! It's coming out Monday! Just can't live like this anymore!

I HAD MIRENA INSERTED A YEAR AGO. IT WAS OK AT FIRST. JUST BLED FOR 3 MONTHS STRAIGHT AND MIGRAINES OUT OF NO WHERE. I HAD NEVER HAD MIGRAINES BEFORE. THEN THROUGH THE YEAR IVE HAD ACNE, CANT LOSE WEIGHT, MOOD SWINGS, NO SEX DRIVE, DEPRESSION, LEG PAIN, CRAMPING, COULDN'T WALK UPRIGHT, BAD WATER RETENTION, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS...I DECIDED TO TAKE IT OUT AND FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS IVE BEEN PEEING A LOT. I RELEASED ALL THAT WATER AND I DON'T HAVE LEG PAIN OR WALK FUNNY ANYMORE!!! PREVIOUSLY I SAW A PSYCHIC AND WITHOUT MENTIONING THE IUD SHE TOLD ME TO TAKE OUT THE THING BECAUSE THE HORMONES WERE WORKING AGAINST MY BODY AND NOT WITH IT. SHE SAID IT WAS CAUSING EMOTIONAL ANXIETY AND IT WASN'T GOOD FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH...WEIRD HUH?

I can't believe I didn't google this stuff before i got the IUD. well I had mine painfully inserted in April 07 and have gained 40 lbs since then. I also have severe lower back pain, achy knees, lack of sex drive, anxiety, acne from outer space, severe sugar cravings and bloating. I am soooo relieved to know I am not going crazy when in fact my MALE doctor told me the same thing that the IUD shouldn't have caused any of these side effects. on that note, I am scheduled to have it removed in 3 days and see how things go. I am so tired of people telling me to just eat right and exercise, all the time I knew I wasn't doing anything out of the norm to gain this much. thank you all for sharing and helping me to see the light!!!

Hi. I just had my mirena placed on Sept. 5th, 2008 (5 days ago). I decided to go with this after just giving birth to my 2nd daughter on July 21st, 2008. All my girlfriends have it and recommended it as well as my ob/gyn. I read and watched a dvd about it and then after being told it's only going to cost me my copay of $27, I said oh yeah--for 5 years worth of bc, you bet! Anyhow, the insertion was quick and painless as I had just ended my period that morning, just had a baby 6 weeks prior, and my ob/gyn numbed my cervix. I only bled for about 5 hours after. After my doc placed the mirena he told me if I wanted to that night I could have sex with my husband and nit have to worry about a secondary form of bc. I was not able to that night due to my 2 children (one is 4 and the other is now 7 weeks), but we did get to the next day. I have actually had an increase in my sex drive since having this iud placed and maybe it is just the simple fact that it is a hassle free form of bc that is 99.9% effective. Lately however, in the last couple days I have been feeling irritable, increased anger, depression (which I already take meds for-but don't seem to help-they always had before for 10yrs), crying spells, a lot of anxiety, heart palpations, hard to get to sleep, severe headaches (not quite migraines), hot flashes, lethargic, and now nausea. If some of these symptoms don't go away, I may have to find another bc/iud that would better suit me (perhaps non-hormonal). I don't know that I would recommend mirena to anyone, but I also would not tell anyone it's horrible. Everyone's body reacts differently to medicines. So, if you have one good luck with it and if you're deciding on one, please read all the side effects and testimonials you can-on any that you choose and don't think it can't happen to you-you just never know! Hope this helps someone!

I had mine inserted in Jan of 2005. That wasn't bad. The numbing medicine was what was bad. It made my heart race, I went deaf. But within 5 minutes the IUD was in and the numbing meds had wore off. I LOVED the IUD until I realized what it was causing. I was healthy...Since I have had the IUD:
-Migraines 3x a week or more
-Extreme amount of discharge
-Vaginal Infections
-Acne.
-Anxiety
Rarely had a headache before the IUD.
I have always had discharge, but since the IUD, it has increased by at least double the amount.
I have never had any infection until the IUD. Since I have had it, I have gotten 4 yeast infections and one bacterial infection. The doctor says that is not from the IUD. Several of my friends that have the IUD have the same problem.
I had a clear face up until about 7-8 months after getting the IUD. The doctor says that is not a side effect.
I have never suffered from anxiety until I had the IUD. I have had several attacks where I felt Suicide was the best way to handle it. Fortunately, I have 2 beautiful boys whom I would NEVER abandon!!! They are my angels.
I have to disagree with the doc. I would also like to go the doc for my next pap and tell her that she was wrong. I can't wait for my face to clear up and the infections to suddenly stop. Every one has different side effects and a woman who sees you maybe 3 times a year, is not qualified to say whether BC is the cause or not the cause of your symptoms. Like someone else said, women are born with an instinct- always trust it. More then likely- you are right.
I am married with two kids. My husband is faithful- I know for a fact. So why else would I have infections. I take care of my self the same as I did before the IUD. The acne has ruined my face and my life.
I had my IUD taken out today at 11:30 CST. We'll see what changes. And yes, I had the MIRENA!!!!
DON'T GET THE IUD!!!!!

I got Mirena Jan. 2008. Since then I get migraines, tension headaches, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, mood swings, bloating (no weight gain), increased heart rate, no sex drive at all (I'm only 21!),and my partner can feel the strings poking him. I finally reached my breaking point with Mirena when I developed lower abdominal pain and a slight discharge. Mirena has infected my uterus and ovaries. This damn thing is coming out ASAP!!!

I had my Mirena input about 5 months ago. At first all was well, but for the last two months I have had bad anxiety. It took me this long to think it could be my IUD. The anxiety is horrible. My heart races, my arms and hands hurt, and sometimes I feel like I am going crazy! I can not wait to have this IUD removed and I pray after a few months I will be back to normal. I would tell anyone thinking about using Mirena, Don't do it.

Ladies,

God gave us all that "little voice inside" that we call a woman's intuition. LISTEN TO IT! Unfortunately, I did not when it came to choosing Mirena as my first and only choice of birth control since I was a young teen first experimenting with sex. Well now, I am a day away from my 31st birthday and have been married to my high-school sweetheart for ten-plus years. After two kids and a miscarriage of twins, I decided I just didn't want to go through pregnancy again. So, little ol' me decided to be hip and choose a form of birth control that allowed me to be free and not have to worry about the likes of condoms...or spermicide...or those wretched birth control pills. If only I knew back then what I know now, however.

I first got Mirena inserted the end of March 2007. Since then, my sex life with my husband suffered dramatically, because, first, I bled inconsistently (that is, I didn't know when my period was going to show up---every week, every two weeks, etc.); second, when my period did show up, it would last 8-11 days; and third, the wire attached to the device was painfully uncomfortable for my husband during sex to where we were limited to just a few positions, which made for a pretty mundane sex life.

From a health standpoint, like so many other posters, I suffered severe hair loss. It had gotten to the point where I literally had a receding hair line and had to wear very weird-looking bangs just to cover up my hair loss.

I stayed bloated and on edge from the anxiety I felt from feeling like the start of my period was just imminently hanging over my head, because it seemed as though I was always on it (because I did bleed more times times than not).

The weight gain was horrible. I always felt insatiably hungry and looked up one day and realized I was a size 16...and barely squeezing into my clothes. I went on a diet, which went fine. However, I ended up coming to a standstill even after increasing and intensifying my exercise and lowering my calorie intake even more than I had. NO ONE 'til the day I die will be able to convince me it wasn't Mirena's fault for causing the initial weight gain and later stagnating my progress to lose weight.

And, yes, there was a change in my personality. I went from a laid-back, independent, self-sufficient woman to one who was totally clingy, overbearing, and extremely jealous. But then, I turned into the worst person I had ever seen myself becoming: I then turned into a woman who just wanted to be by herself. And so, I was one phone call away from hiring a divorce attorney and leaving my husband and kids, because I just couldn't handle my every day life as it was. I did not know what was going on with me; I just knew I found myself having a total change of heart about everything in my life, even though my life was a pretty dang good one, according to all of my friends and family and even people on the street who would observe how well my husband treated me.

Enough was enough, and I finally had Mirena taken out Friday, July 11, 2008, at approximately 11:00 AM!

My life has totally changed.

No lies. No embellishments. No exaggerations. I lost three pounds by that Tuesday, July 15. So, my efforts to reach my weight loss goal don't seem so futile now. Furthermore, my husband and I are as happy together as we were back when we were in high school; and, I can't even imagine not having the kids and him in my life. Oh, and my hair.... I no longer have a receding hair line. It's still going through that annoying growing-out phase, but at least it exists again!!!

Looking back, particularly at some of these posts, something told me I was in for a nightmare come to life when my doctor was amazed at how I felt hardly any pain while he inserted Mirena. And even now how he and his nurse act totally shocked and surprised at all of the problems that I had while using Mirena just sickens me to the point of wanting to punch something. These medical professionals know. They get very nice perks for being in cahoots with these drug representatives and manufacturers by going along with making us, the patients, guinea pigs. Such low-life scum! I am hurt and totally pissed off by the whole thing. But still, I am thankful my life has returned to normal since having Mirena taken out.

Nevertheless, be warned! Mirena is a steep, pricey sentence on one's life. So, you'd better be prepared.

For all of the poor girls who are searching "mirena experiences" because you are looking for a sure thing contraceptive-
This site is only for people who have had BAD experiences. Read them all if you want, but take into consideration they are the 3%, or whatever number, that had problems. None of these women deserved it, asked for it, needed it, or wanted it, but unfortunately their bodies responded to it in such an ugly manor.

Here's my experience so far....Had it inserted 8/06/08. Insertion was fine. Felt that speculum more than I could feel the actual insertion of the mirena.
Slight cramping afterwards...not immediately-went home and for like 20 minutes had cramps lighter than my period cramps.
For the first week bled lightly, second week had an actual period, week three and week four just spotting. The doctor told me this can go on for up to six months...kinda worth it if you think about it.
No acne problems so far, my hair is fine (and trust me, if my hair was thinning, falling out, or anything like that I would take the mirena out!), muscles and joints feel like they did before pregnancy, still breastfeeding (I know that they say that the mirena will make you produce less breast milk-tell that to my breastfed 13 pound 24 inch long 2 month old. he would disagree)
My breasts are a little tender and at first I was slightly bloated (less than if I were on my period) but that has subsided. Abstained from sex for a month after insertion per my doctor's orders, so I will come back and post if there were any problems with that...NEXT WEEK! yay!
Know that I understand the side effects could show up later.

Now again, EVERYBODY will experience something different. We are interfering with nature. Birth control is one of the most unnatural things we could do to our body.

Again, since this site commonly comes up when searching the mirena, I want for women to know that it might work for them better than it did for others.

I'm so glad I found this site. I've had my Mirena for only 5 months, but since then I've had horrible depression (very severe), hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, headaches, complete loss of any pleasure in anything, no sex drive AT ALL. I'm making an appointment on Monday to have this removed. I've been seeing a psychiatrist for a few months and being treated with antidepressants and Ativan for anxiety and Prozac for the week before my period for severe PMDD. I never had these issues before. Oh my God. I hope the Mirena is causing it. The idea that I could be 'normal' again is giving me so much hope.

I had mine inserted about two weeks ago. It was slightly uncomfortable. Not a big deal at all. A little bleeding and cramping. Haven't had sex yet due to horrible gas that I have had for two weeks. My husband is convinced that is how it works, because your husband won't touch you....he he he...
We will see.
I have had terrible anxiety issues in my past and I haven't had a problem with mood swings or panic attacks.
I am hoping this will work. I have three children and currently my husband is taking medication for lupus that can cause huge birth defects. So sick of condoms!!!1

Hello all i just had to post this. I had the Merina put in On June 12of 2008. I thought at first this was going to be the best thing for me because i have fibroids. Well 1 week after the insert it all started. Constant heavy Bleeding , Pelvic Pain and ect. Of Course i go to my OBGYN and they thought i was crazy and did not take it out. So i went to my Regular Doctor because my symptoms were getting worse. I started having migraine headaches and i just was feeling so sick along with the heavy clotting bleeding. I was to upset that it really wasn't anything he could do but treat me for my headache. Ok, that didn't work. My headaches got worst and I ended up in the Emergency Department with a severe headache trembles and etc. They took all kinds of test and i kept telling them that im having Major problems , know one was listening. I started having bad Anxiety attacks and Panic Attacks. This never happened a day in my life. My doctor had to put me on medication to control my anxiety attacks. Finally i am going to the OBGYN to get this thing out. While im there i am going to give them a piece of my mind as well. When patients are having severe problems , it should be considered an emergency to take it out. Everyone's Heomoglobin isnt low but experience other side effects. I am suffering really bad and trying to work a full time job as well plus married with 2 Kids. Hell i thought i was loosing my mind. I cant wait until 08/21 to get this removed!
Thanks for reading

Kim

I am so glad I found this website. I had the Mirena inserted on April 14, 2008. Since then I've been having anxiety attacks and I'm always tired no matter how much sleep I get. My mom had an accident 2 days after Mother's Day (May 13th) and passed away on July 17, 2008 so I thought my issues were related to everything going on with her. On July 24th (the day after her funeral) I was transported from my doctor's office to the emergency room via an ambulance because I was having chest pains for about 7 hours. After 2 EKGs, and blood work, they could not find anything wrong (thank goodness) and I made the doctors aware that I had the Mirena. I haven't had chest pains since then but I googled Mirena side effects because I still have bouts of anxiety and I am extremely tired. After reading the posts I think my symptoms may be related to the Mirena. I will have a talk with my OB/GYN and see what she thinks.

I am calling to make an appointment to have my Mirena removed as I type this post. I've had bleeding off and on - mostly on- since inserting in late June, but my main issue is incredible mood swings. Feelings of being out of control, depression and anxiety. My husband pegged it. He noticed that I had not been so witchy before I got my mirena. To make things worse, once I get upset, I can't control it. It is almost like I am possessed. Just two short months ago, I was nothing like this. It is amazing what a different person I've become and I can't wait to get back to my old self!!!!

I can also be added to the list of those who have had stomach cramps and constant discharge.

Most of us that use this seem to have it inserted soon after delivering our babies. Therefore it makes us wonder if it is postpartum depression or the IUD.
I had mind inserted on Aug 1 2008. I started back to work on Aug 4, 12 weeks postpartum. I kept thinking I was feeling so tired, depressed, tons of anxiety, basically not like myself at all, because of my new schedule of being a working mom. Well it has been only about 3 weeks and everyday I feel dizzy and tired at work. I have ridiculous anxiety that people are going to try to turn my baby against me. I have constant anxiety about my mother in law, when before she never really bothered me. I would consider myself severely depressed a lot of the time. We all have so many changes going on with having children but it does seem that it might be the IUD. I'll probably have it removed because I would rather have more children than be worthless to my family. I wanted to wait 5 years before having number 2... but do I want to be depressed and anxious all the time during my sons baby years? No thanks!

I just had my 40th birthday and I've had the mirena for a year and two months now. From the beginning I started gaining some weight that I could not shake off. I've always been 125 lbs but I got up to 133 which may not seem like a lot but I was pudgy all around my stomach area. Anyway, I actually thought I was starting to go thru perimenopause. I've been getting anxiety, depression, mood swings, acne, itchy, brain fog, longer periods, ovarian cysts and I saw my primary doctor today and told her I can't take it anymore. She actually told me to consider having the IUD removed. After reading all of these blogs I'm having it removed 8/5/08. I feel better knowing that I'm not going crazy. Thank you Ladies for writing about what's really going on.

I'm 19 and i've had mine since 2006...i've had most of these side effects but i never thought it was my IUD!!! I've always had an anxiety/depression/insomnia problem but it has gotten WAY worse over the past 2 years...i just never put it together.And i have had TERRIBLE cramps for 3 weeks now and i can't take it anymore.I've tried 3 or 4 times to get it removed but my doctors kept talking me out of it and telling me everything was fine,but obviously it's not so i'm getting it removed for real tomorrow @ 12:45!!!!YAY!!!!!!

I had been on different versions of the pill since the age of 15 due to debilitating and horrific periods. After having migraines, a TIA (mini-stroke), and discovering that I have a small hole in my heart (PFO), my doc told me that I really should not promote estrogen in my body via the pill. So.... after nearly 20 years on the pill, I had to find an alternative. My ob/gyn suggested the Mirena. She told me she has one and that she doesn't have any side effects, I'd love it, it lasts for 5 years, no periods really, etc. I went for it! Not only was the insertion one of the most painful things I've experienced while being 100% awake and alert ---- Motrin and a light numbing cocktail --- and I've never had a baby!????! But the pain afterwards and for the following weeks was amazing. I have had several surgeries, stitches, broken bones, etc. in my life. I'm not a woosie girl. However, that pain was something I had not prepared myself for whatsoever. The first month was really rough. The second month was better. After 3 months of toughing it out, I started to be happier about having made the choice to go with the Mirena. Months 4-6 were pretty good actually. Virtually no period, pretty much no cramping other than once a month, and no glaringly obvious side effects. However... as time kept on, and my life continued to change, I can now look back at Months 7-13 to see how things truly did change albeit at a slow enough pace not to cause any red flags and make me consider pointing my finger towards the Mirena. Work was stressful, but I've always dealt with it... but it was SO much harder to shrug it off, suck it up, and just deal with it! I never sleep enough, but for some reason now, no matter how much I sleep, I'm ALWAYS still tired!! Being single was not as much fun anymore... because I apparently am depressed, even though I've never been depressed a single moment in my life! I freak out about deadlines, but have never had a problem hitting them so why? I clearly have anxiety issues which weren't there before... Lastly, I am BUSY BUSY BUSY, working out regularly, eating quite healthy for me, and consistently gaining weight instead of losing weight..... what the he**? I went to my family doc because I didn't feel "right" and was sick over the weight gain!! He ran blood work, which came back "perfect". He prescribed a med for anxiety and a med for mild depression to get me through "these stressful times". I went to my ob/gyn and she prescribed a diet pill. My sis found this site... I have read 7/14 thru 7/21 so far. I'll read more before making my decision... I will also read more on other sites and talk to my ob/gyn. However, I must admit that the mid-section weight gain, moodiness, anxiety, depression, etc. are all sounding oh so sadly familiar. I also must admit though, I am bummed out if this is the case because as I mentioned, I had high hopes for the Mirena and had enjoyed about 4-5 months of "good" time with it. It's the months after that and right NOW which is seriously in question. I do think it is right for many people, just maybe not for me. Good luck to you all... Oh, P.S. for those of you who have had it taken out, if any of you don't mind saying, had you had a child/children before? I'm really nervous about repeating the horrific pain of the insertion given I had not had a child. Thanks!!

I'm experiencing some VERY concerning symptoms and have a feeling it might be from the Mirena. And my doctors think it's just stress! SOMEBODY HELP!

I had a baby 4 months ago and at my postpardom appointment I was talked into getting the Mirena. After I had it inserted it all started with severe cramping and light bleeding that still has not subsided. I have been suffering with chronic headaches, dizziness, and facial numbness. I've also had bouts of anxiety and leg cramping and recently starting to have pain in my neck and one of my lymph nodes on my left side has become present and tender to the touch.

I mentioned all the these symptoms to my OB/GYN and he said "it's NOT related to the Mirena, go to your Primary Care Dr. and get some tests done" Well, I did that, got a full CBC and had my thyroid checked and all of my blood work came back normal. My Dr. said I am stressed after having the baby and to get some rest. I really wanted to have a CT done but after reading this I am beginning to think it's the Mirena as I had not had any of these symptoms prior to the IUD. I think i'll make an appointment to have it removed.

Anyone ot there have any of my exact same symptoms???

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At first I had all the symptoms you had.. and my doctor told me as well that it wasn't the mirena.. so i decided to stick it out for a few more months.. it totally sucked my first 3.. I was bleeding all the time.. horrible cramps.. breast hurt, sex drive low, hair falling out..MISERABLE.. but still i kept it in cause i knew it would benefit me in the long run. So after the first 3, i got only light spotting here and there from the 4th month to the 6th month.. Ive had it now for 10 months and I totally love it.. about 6 of my friends have it and they said they went through the same thing.. we all love it and im glad i stuck it out. My sex drive is back, acne gone, lost 25lbs, no cramps, spotting sometimes ( only for a day at most)... no more anxiety.. my hair doesn't fall out either.. If your really worried about accidentally getting pregnant then you should keep the mirena, its totally worth. My fiance and I have had sex every day for 2 months and No pregnancy.. so far so good.. well good luck with everything and if you still don't like it after a few month, then maybe the mirena wasn't right for you.. EVERYONES body reacts differently to the mirena... Good Luck all!!!

I have had my mirena for almost 6 weeks now - I am still having some bloating, indigestion, and joint pain - all of which my doctor says should not be related to Mirena. Also, moodiness and anxiety -which she said could be due to my post partum state or the fact that I am nursing - so we left it in for now. She said to give it another month or two - UGH - I don't want to give up on it - but it seems that those that have had it removed are feeling much better - please continue to post comments after removal for those of us on the fence about what to do.

i've had my mirena in for almost 10 weeks, i had my baby girl on April 2nd, and got mirena may 12th and everything was fine at first... besides the fact that i've been bleeding ever since i had it put in, and on 2 occasions have passed flesh colored blood clots, had severe cramping, weight gain, headaches, depression, paranoia, anxiety, anger, extreme appetite gain, loss of sex drive, and many other strange side effects... i never would've thought that these things were caused by this IUD, until i read how many other women were having side effects to... then finally i realized how this thing worked... it doesn't prevent pregnancy at all... there's a chemical that thins the lining of your uterus, therefor, an egg gets fertilized, travels to your uterus, and your body aborts it, so you are time after time becoming pregnant, it just makes it physically impossible for you to carry the baby in your womb... which raises this question to me... does this mean it could cause tubal pregnancy? which is a risk to your life?! hmmm...

Hello!
I've had the Mirena since October 2007. I've had all three of my kids close together, and they were all c-sections. My OBGYN HIGHLY recommended i wait at least 2 years to get pregnant again, if we were to have anymore children. At first my experience with Mirena went OK, but its only recently i've been experiencing some of the same symptoms as other women on this site. I've been having more and more anxiety issues, my hair is coming out at a steady rate, none existent sex drive, and lately it feels as if i have morning sickness! (I know i'm not pregnant, but i wake up and i feel sick.) I'm trying to lose weight, but i seems to hit a point where i can't LOSE ANYTHING. I've been watching what i eat, taking walks, going to the gym when i can. Trust me, with my three kids, THAT IS exercise. When i have my monthly cycles, it seems as if they last FOREVER! They're not really heavy, but they seems to last for up to 2 weeks! Anyway, my moods can turn at the drop of a hat, and it seems like i'm yelling at my kids A LOT. My husband pointed it out, and i feel guilty! I have an appt. tomorrow with my doctor to get it taken out. I'm not the best with the pill, but if taking this IUD out means these side effects going away, then i'm all for it.
So i'm hoping everything will lighten up after tomorrow!!!