Mirena and birth control pills

I too decided to have the mirena inserted on November 5th. I am a 32 year old divorced mother of one 10yr old boy. I have had years of heavy bleeding extreme PMS and cysts and fibroids. After years of birth control pills my Gyno suggested the Mirena. Like many of you I thought the procedure was beyond easy, it felts almost as painful as childbirth again! I had serve cramping and moderate bleeding afterward. My Gyno was concerned it was not positioned correctly, So he ordered a ultrasound right then and it came back fine , position good and no peforated uterus, thank goodness! I am still having some of the same side effects as so of you almost a week later. The bleeding has gotten lighter, the bloating is there and tiredness . Now I have the migraines which suck. However I go back in a month to recheck so I will give it til then and decide. All and all so far not as bad as some of the birth control I have in thepast!

Commenting on the post earlier today. I decided to look into the Norplant (see below for more details) Now i found that development of my Mirena was done in part by the maker of the Norplant? Which has been pulled in the US and the UK after 50,000 people filed a class action suit (which was settle out of court)

Development and studies of the Mirena Coil began in the 1970s. Schering Health distributes Mirena outside the United States, while Berlex distributes it inside the United States. Both companies have worked with the Population Council, a that has worked with other contraceptive manufacturers (including Wyeth, maker of Norplant).
Mirena was first marketed commercially in Finland in 1990, but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until 2000. It is intended to initially release 20 micrograms of levonorgestral per day and may be used for five years. Sound familiar?
Norplant is a form of birth control was first approved in 1983 in Finland. The original Norplant consisted of a set of six small (2.4 mm x 34 mm) silicone capsules, each filled with 36 mg of levonorgestrel (a progestin used in many birth control pills) implanted subdermally in the upper arm and effective for five years. The original (6 capsule) Norplant's production has been phased out; USAID's contract ran until December 2006.
The original (6 capsule) Norplant was approved by the FDA in 1990 and marketed in the United States in 1991 by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Norplant distribution in the United States ended in 2002; limited supplies still remained in the U.S. until 2004. Norplant was withdrawn from the UK market in 1999.
Side effects
After three months of using Norplant, women will need to schedule a follow-up appointment to monitor blood pressure and discuss any concerns. Side effects may include irregular menstrual periods for the first approximately three months, including periods lasting longer than normal, bleeding or spotting between periods, heavy bleeding, or going with no period for the mentioned period of time. Common side effects include weight gain, nervousness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, mastalgia, dizziness, dermatitis/rash, hirsutism, scalp-hair loss, headache, depression, and acne. Sometimes, pain, itching or infection at the site of the implant will occur. Ovarian cysts may also occur, but usually do not require treatment, although they can cause pain even if benign.
Norplant discontinued in the United States
By 1996, more than 50,000 women had filed lawsuits, including 70 class actions, against Wyeth and/or its subsidiaries, or doctors who prescribed Norplant. Wyeth never lost a Norplant lawsuit.
On August 26, 1999, after winning 3 jury verdicts, 20 pretrial summary judgments and the dismissal of 14,000 claims, Wyeth offered out-of-court cash settlements of $1,500 each to about 36,000 women who contended that they had not been adequately warned about possible side effects of Norplant such as irregular menstrual bleeding, headaches, nausea and depression. Wyeth said that most of the plaintiffs experienced routine side effects described in Norplant's labeling information. About 32,000 women accepted the out-of-court $1,500 settlements.
At least they warned the user of these side effects and the no longer offer Norplant in the US

I would like to say that I have had Mirena since Feb. 2008 other than the terrible cramps the first few days (which my Dr. told me I would have) I have had no other problems, in fact a my sex drive has INCREASED!!! I was on birth control pills for the last 15 years and Mirena is a welcome change.

I'm not looking to offend anyone, but if you look up the FDA info on Mirena, the symptoms many of the ladies here are complaining of ARE listed. So for those who claim to feel deceived, I think that they most likely did not do the research they ought have done. If you are going to be shoving some foreign object into your body, and for such a long period of time, It seems common sense that you'd want to know everything there is to know about it beforehand. It's your body- show some responsibility and take charge of yourself. Just like a car salesman, the doctor is going to tell you what you want to hear in order to make the sale. It's up to you to find the truth. And the truth is not that hard to find.

I did research Mirena before choosing to use it. Not just by reading the pamphlets, comparing to other birth control methods and talking to my ob/gyn, but also by browsing through forums filled with horror stories like this one. I have had Mirena for about 1 year. I barely noticed the insertion. I had minimal cramping the day of insertion. I think I bled for a couple weeks. Over the course of about 6 months, my periods got shorter, lighter, and disappeared completely. Once in awhile I will have some brownish spotting, but it is rare. I have no pains or weight gain. My husband only feels the strings in certain positions. The negative effects I have noticed are that my face is extremely oily, I'm fatigued, I have little sex drive and I'm irritable. Besides these, I am very happy with Mirena. I get baby fever rather easily, and even though I have had three children in just over four years, without Mirena I would most likely be pregnant again at this very moment.

Of course my doctor raved about Mirena ("My wife LOVED it!"). He's paid to do that. The same guy tried coercing me into inducing my last labor just so that he wouldn't have to be woken out of bed if it started naturally in the middle of the night. Guess what! I DID drag his butt out of bed in the middle of the night, and I chose Mirena because I decided it was the best option, NOT because he told me it was.

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?

Ok i have read some of the post and now i am a bit scared about what i have done to myself. I had this put in Sept 23 2008 so i have only had it for about a week. I have two children 18 months old and 2 months old i am 22 years old and cant afford to have any children let alone any more children. So i chose mirena since i got pregnant with my children on the pill and the patches pill with my last one and the patch with the first one.

I paid 878.38 to have it put in and so far i have noticed that i have some poking and sometimes stabbing pain in that area and i have really bad gas and i am afraid to push to have a bm scared that i might push it out since the cervix is still dialiated. so far i don't want to have it removed but wanted to know.

Has anyone had it fall out?
and also what about weight gain, face compelxion,

Im not so worried about sex drive i didn't have one with my boyfriend before i had it put in. I lost my sex drive after i had my daughter who is 2 months old i actually lost it before i had her so thats not a major concern of mine that i think has a lot to do with bi polor anyways and the meds i take. And i haven't noticed any changes in depression maybe because i already take 3 different meds for manic bi polar syndrome.

I have notice some pimples popped up on my chest in the last few days but i thought that could be due to the heat and i was out side for a few days doing a yard sale.

Does anyone have any advice.

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.

in response to sarahgo810 - i had the mirena put in today...it was painful while the doctor inserted the mirena. i felt dizzy and got a major hot flash and was shaky for about 1 to 2 hours after it was inserted. i also had cramping and some pressure on and off throughout the day (i did take naproxen sodium to help..aka aleve). i am very hopeful though! i've suffered with severe dysmenorrhea and bleeding with my periods since i was 14 and i will be 34 this year. even after two children my periods never lessened in pain or bleeding. i've tried several different pills that have not helped. i've had several tests done over the years to see if anything is wrong with me, but the test always showed i was fine. after suffering for about 20 years, i figured enough was enough. if mirena will help with my cramping and bleeding, the small amount of pain to insert it is well worth it. my doctor did tell me that most likely i will be spotting for the first few months. i can handle that. she told me most of her patients stop having a period or their period is very light and only lasts a couple of days. also i've read online that most side effects such as headaches and breast tenderness go away in the first few months (just like birth control pills). i am so encouraged and have faith this is going to help me! thanks for reading!

I had my mirena placed in March of this year. Not going to lie, it was Horrible. I have never had kids and assumed that was why. I was bleeding very heavily when they placed it, and had stopped bleeding by the next day. With in three days all cramps were gone, and I have only had a period once since March. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

The first few weeks to a month were not great, but not enough to make me throw in the towel. I had headaches, and was a little crampy here and there. But now, 4 months later, I am So glad i had this done. Honestly....sex drive went up..don't have to worry. :-D

I would suggest to anyone struggling after a few weeks to give yourself time. NOTHING works great instantly, even Tylenol. And to remember things work differently with different ppl, but if you don't give it a fair chance you will not know!!

Just something to think about

I had my Mirena put in a month ago. My OBGYN said it was a much better option than the pill, which I had taken for more than 10 years before I had my son four years ago. My body didn't react the same way to the pill anymore so I thought I would try an IUD. The insertion was awful! I had severe cramping and severe faintness immediately afterward. It took about 5 days for the cramping to go away and I got a light period 2 1/2 weeks later which lasted over 5 days (I suddenly felt that THAT was how it prevented pregnancy...it's hard to get knocked up if you're bleeding all the time!) I've had almost consistent low grade cramping ever since...it always feels like those first couple days before my period starts...kinda achely like you know it's coming. What is now starting to bother me is the acne that's COVERING my face. They're tiny little bumps and my face is always greasy. I'm 36 and I haven't had an acne problem in almost 20 years. Now I'm reading about all the problems with weight wain that other women have posted about. I gain about 10 pounds with the pill and that's exactly why I wanted to try the IUD!! I have a hard enough time keeping my weight in check and the idea of gaining more is enough to make me cry right now! I am blown away by the number of posts on this site and I wish I had found it before I had it put in. The information that I was given didn't mention most of these complaints and I know that if I call my doctor she'll tell me to give it a few months (the same advice she gave me with the three different birth control pills I tried). I'm 99% sure that I don't want anymore children but I don't want to commit to a more permanent form of birth control yet. I hope this post helps anyone who's considering an IUD...I would NOT recommend it!!!

Hello everyone. I am posting follow up after my first posting which was a few hours after removal. (6/20/08 removal, insertion was 9/2007)

I can't believe how much better I feel! It took about 2 days for the headaches to stop. I was having daily major headaches, now its weird to every morning look at my husband and tell him I DON'T have a headache when I used to reach for the Advil every morning.

Before the iud, I was on birth control pills everyday for a year to stop my periods. (I had my tubes tied years ago). It took 3 days for that old feeling to start just before my period started. I was actually happy! I felt like a woman again. I know it sounds weird, but I really wanted my cycle to clean everything out so to speak. It as a usual heavy period but I felt so much better than without it with the iud.

When I had the iud inserted, for almost a year I hardly ate anything and gained weight, since it was taken out, I'm starving! Maybe my body was just so deprived of anything and all the BS with the iud that it puts your body into this "starvation" like mode, no energy, weight gain, no appetite and just a crummy feeling.

I do not feel as bloated all the time, no headaches, less leg pain and joint pain, I feel more "focused" and can pay attention like a fog is lifting. My nickname is not superbitch this week LOL.

I feel sexual again, sex no longer hurts and there is no painful cramping upon orgasm like before. I no longer have the dull ache which was constant where it was inserted, there is no sharp burning pains but the biggest thing is how much better I feel!

With only a few weeks past, and the difference I feel, I can't wait for any left overs from this thing to stop. ANYONE no matter age or circumstances, should not use this device, it has made my life hell since I got it. This thing should be taken off the market! I think there should be a class action suit filed. I hope I can repair the damage it has caused in every other area of my life: marriage, job, personal relationships etc.

Not one person I talked to about this iud had anything positive to say, everyone of the women I talked to all had problems upon problems upon problems. Every doctor said it was NOT the iud, and it was either all in our heads or we were suffering from some mental disorder. How wrong they were!

I'm looking forward to getting my old life back but I still think that Bayer should have to pay for all the damage they caused!

My side effects are severe bloating and complete lack of sex drive....at first I bled for days and days and called to have it removed and was told to wait a couple of weeks. I waited a couple of weeks and the bleeding was dimishing so I left it in. Then the light spotting continued and continued and so I made an appointment to have it removed. The nurse told me it was normal and that it would stop eventually and I may not have a period at all. I agreed to leave it in. She was correct in saying that things would even themselves out eventually but I still have the bloating and it's been 2 years now and I have a very light irritating period that is mainly brown spotting but it lasts for seven days straight and puts a real damper on the sex life that already has issues because I just don't feel like having sex. I don't feel attractive with that thing up there...it's uncomfortable and I feel pain in both ovaries on occasion. It's convenient in that it keeps me from getting pregnant but it's really sucky for the relationship when the man wants to do it all the time and the woman has no desire whatsoever. I find ways to avoid having sex or doing anything remotely sexual. It's crazy, I was never like this before. I like the fact that you don't have to remember anything as far as bc is concerned but they need to be honest with people when they recommend it. It has more side effects than birth control pills. I'm now starting to have chest pains and I've decided I think I'm going to have it removed and use condoms from now on. That's the only thing that keeps me from having issues. I just don't think our bodies were meant for all of these chemicals and I wish the doctors would get that through their heads and stop telling us we're crazy when we're not. We know our bodies better than anyone, you can't tell me this thing isn't causing problems in my body that I never had before. I have put off getting it removed because I know they are going to try to convince me to keep it and I don't feel like arguing but I'm to the point where I really want my life and my body back. I also want that extra 20 lbs to come off as I haven't been able to lose it since I had my daughter 2 years ago and had this thing inserted. So anyway, I'm with the rest of you with the crazy symptoms. Oh yea, I left off the fatigue and headaches that I get the week before I start my period. And oh yea, that mood swings are ridiculous. I hope someone is reading this. It's for real people.

Hello all!
I am so happy I found this site and so is my husband. I'm 44 and was suffering with all that "pre pre menopausal" period. I had my tubes tied when I was 30. After an ultrasound showed very small section of overlie left. My doctor decided to put me on birth control pills (I'm a smoker) on once a day everyday cycle. My menses stopped and some things got better and some worse. After a year, my doctor then felt this iud would help everything. He found out yesterday that this morning he was taking this thing out of me or else. (9 hard months)
I had my iud removed this morning, so I'm only 2 hours out.

Sept 2007 I scheduled for insertion. Since my doctor told me it was 5 minutes in the office, I went on my lunch hour. I never made it back to work. This was on a Friday, so I had the rest of the weekend to rest. This 5 minute insertion hurt more than dilation pain in child birth. I actually cried out! The "measuring" portion felt like my dr poked a hole in me. Sharp hot pain. Then the device, when he said it would "cramp" for a bit, but it actually felt like he was trying to shove it into my left tube or wall but a too small place with painful pressure and a hard pinch. I asked if it had sharp edges. It felt hot, like a hot pin. After I cried out, he said ok ok it's in, Thats it.
I had tears in my eyes it was that painful. I was totally not prepared for there to be this much pain. My doctor told me that I might be a little crampy but that would be it. What I actually felt was so much burning stomach pain where it was hanging on to me with what felt like claw like hands. I could not stand totally straight up or I would get a fast, sharp, hard pain in the left side on my stomach where all the pain I felt at insertion. This lasted everyday for 2 months then happened less and less until now a few times a month. Mostly when I over do it by stretching, exercise and vigorous sex. I always have to slouch a bit or I get those pains now.

I get cramps on and off and it would usually follow a cycle, but I was not mensing at all. Only spotted a few times. The other side effects were making me crazy and my family worried and upset. Mood swings are horrible. They can be quick and fast abnd very dark, mad and angry. I would never have acted this way before insertion.

I get depressed on and off, mostly on, in most often 3 week cycles. Crazy super anxiety over the smallest thing. I have gained weight, feel totally fed up with my appearance. I feel suspicious of everything (my husband keeps saying I'm paranoid about everything and everyone, I didn't see that of course). My mind constantly races and have found myself confused, or forgetful. The worse moment when I was filling out a form and couldn't remember how to write my last name and spell it. I could see it but not write it down, I was unable to spell it out loud for too long not to really scare me into thinking what the heck was going on. I have had almost every side effect everyone has posted except the acne. I see more pimples now and ones sort of under the skin, but not often enough to see a dr about and nausea I haven't a problem with yet.
I will list the rest but there are more if I think about it I have. Now I want to see how long it takes for them to go away.

, Headaches and/or migraines everyday, constant stomach and vagina issues including: aches, full feeling, and sharp shooting hot pains, terrible moods that can come on instantly, feeling depressed, angry and mean, weight gain, fast graying hair, some hair loss, bloated breast that feel real full all the time, breast tenderness and sharp sudden pains, numbness at times in arms and hands, chest pain, anxiety, paranoia, racing thought, some slurred speech on occasion, confusion, memory loss, leg pains and aches, low libido, painful sex, painful orgasm.

I hope someone steps in and has this product taken off the market!

Has anyone had extreme heavy bleeding/clots after having the Mirena removed? This is day 3. The last time I had such heavy bleeding I had just had my son. When do you start to worry about the bleeding?

I have visited this site frequently after going through my own mirena hell. I had it removed today and thought I would finally chime in so as to help others.
37 years old, 2nd child born 12/22/07, 6 week postpartum checkup I was 12 lbs lighter than before I got pregnant, had mirena put in, in the past 5 months I've had: 15 pound weight gain, bloated stomach, insatiable appetite, acne on neck, face, and back, ovary pain, constant spotting/bleeding, extreme moodiness (quick to anger, no patience). I had reported these increasing symptoms 2 times to my ob who said the first time to give it a little longer, and the 2nd time to try Necon birth control pills for a month. The pill only exacerbated my problems. She was understanding when I had it removed today. Strangely enough, she said of the hundreds she's inserted hardly anyone has it removed due to symptoms. She said it would probably take 3-4 weeks for me to feel better and possibly 3 months for my periods to become regular. Someone posted earlier about it tricking your body into thinking it's pregnant. When I read that I totally related as two times as well these past months I've taken a pregnancy test because that's how I felt.

Mirena history

As I neared 50 years of age, my birth control pills no longer controlled my periods, I began to bleed more and more till I was having periods lasting 2 weeks, with needing to wear 2 super tampons and a pad at the same time and having to change this every 30 minutes to an hour. This was not good for sleep or normal life.

A gynecologist recommended mirena. It really helped knock back the heavy periods and let me leave the house, even plan vacations! But I did put on weight and lost my sex drive, which I attributed to eating more and to my husband not looking very hunky any longer.

After 4 years of this, the last year spent with a gym membership which I used daily and lost no weight, but I am shapelier, well as I was saying, after 4 years, the periods were getting worse again, probably because the mirena had run out. I started getting headaches too. I had a ultrasound and found one of my ovaries is still working so no menopause yet.
I had a new mirena inserted. Of course it hurts. but only for a short time.

Now, after 3 weeks, I am bloated. my leg veins are poking out of my legs. Even the hairs on my legs look like they are standing up all the time, an my eyeballs feel pressure. My eyelids must be swollen too because my eyelashes are pointing down rather than their usual curve upwards,(had a gutatta discovered in my eyes last year when I asked for laser eye surgery, but was turned down due to this problem, maybe caused by Mirena?) and I have strange rashes on the back of my calves and the back of my upper arms, possible acne but I don't know. Doctor appointment is next week for a checkup. I don't know if the benefit on not bleeding so profusely outweighs the side-effects, and with a vacation next month, I am afraid to have the mirena removed.

My insurance paid for the mirena because I have it for health reasons rather than birth control.

I had the Mirena inserted in March of this year (2008)! I hate it! Shortly after having it inserted I developed huge painful cysts on my ovaries. The doctors insit that the Mirena didn't cause the cysts but b/c there isn't enough hormones in the Mirena, they cyts aren't going away on their own. I had the cyst aspirated which caused the remainder of the fluid to leak out causing an infection in the lining of my abdomen. They put me on a heavy dose of antibiotics and hormoned to get rid of the cyst. For about a week I felt better until the pain came back worse. The cyst had not only come back but gotten bigger. I have to take a double dose of birth control pills now to get rid of the cysts.
For the past week I have been having pain again and not wanting to tell anyone b/c I know they are just as tired of this as I am! I can't sleep at night which makes it nearly impossible to get through the day. My doctor had given me pain medication the first time I had the pain to sleep at night but they are gone and I'm afraid to ask for more at the risk of sounding like a drug addict! I can't take these pills during the day b/c they make me loopy and tired and I am a single mother of a 3 year old little girl plus I work full time! What kills me is the that I had the Mirena inserted b/c I can't handle the extra hormones or remember to take the pill everyday! I can't deal with it anymore. I have gained almost 12 pounds in the last 2 months and I am afraid to exercise b/c of the cysts. I am hungry like I was when I was pregnant and tired all of the time and don't enjoy the things that I used to do. I cry at everything..good or bad...and I just can't take it anymore.
I will post back more when I have this thing removed and hopefully will have some good news.
I do feel like I have to say that I hear about Mirena from a co-worker who absolutely loves it!! She has had no side effects and has had it in for 7 years now! So it's not for everyone...but if you feel side effects...listen to your body and have it removed!!

I got the Mirena about 7 or 8 months ago. My Dr had a really hard time with insertion the point of having to dispose of the first Mirena. She asked me if anyone had ever told me my uterus was tilted back and to the left. Ummm no. Periods every two weeks, with major sharp, burning pain on my left side at waist level. When I feel the pain, the bleeding follows shortly. My husband says I am moodier than normal and has been telling me I should get it removed. Anyone got a ballpark figure on getting ones tubes tied? I took birth control pills for 20 years and then found out I have a blood clotting disorder and can't take them anymore. I do not want to be 40 and pregnant, but I feel like my choices are dwindling to nothing. I have always had headaches so I wouldn't notice that, but the moods are worse and I am snappy at people. I think I will call tomorrow and make an appt to have this taken out.......

basically, this was my experience with the paragard:
1. Dec 2004 - Paragard iud was placed post-partum after my 2nd daughter was born. i was breast-feeding, and had no noticeable symptoms until Nov 2005.
2. Nov 2005 - had my first period since my daughter was born. it was heavy and crampy, but i thought "i haven't had a period in 2 years, so this is the price i pay..."
3. Each period hence was heavy, long at 6-7 days, and cramps were intense. again, i just decided that i could manage.
By the end of 2006, my periods were so bad that my husband and i decided i had to see the doctor.
4. Jan 2007 - saw the doctor about removing the copper IUD. she said that the paragard should not be causing such bad symptoms, and since i was did not want to get pregnant, she decided we should try to control the symptoms with birth control pills and Prometrium. I did not want to try Prometrium since I was unsure of how I would react to the hormone. she believed that i might be suffering from severe pms, called PMDD. note that i loved and trusted this doctor - i had some complications during my 2 pregnancy, and some problems post-delivery, and she was attentive, personable, and caring. i was very comfortable and trusting, so i listened to her recommendations. i tried yaz, yasmin, and 2 other pills over the next 3-5 months, but was extremely nauseous and sick with all of them (plus break-thru bleeding).
5. Feb - September 2007: i started having pre-period symptoms of nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, abdominal cramps, severe fatigue. the first 2 months that i had these symptoms, they were so bad that i believed that i had an intestinal virus - same cramping, throwing up, and bad diarrhea, plus this was BEFORE my period. I then made the association between my symptoms, and the fact that they occurred 3-5 days before my period, and then they would subside about 3 days after my period started. my periods were still long with heavy bleeding.
6. September 2007 - was having same symptoms, but started 7-10 days before my period, and they were so bad that my husband had to take off from work to take care of our 2 girls each month (i stay home with them). i went back to the doctor during September, and was told to modify my diet (no white flour, sugar, low fat, high protein, lots of water) and to try some vitamin supplements since i didn't want more medications. she again recommended taking 100 mg Prometrium to help ease the symptoms. I asked to remove the IUD, again, and she said that "before she took out something that expensive, she wanted to make sure that something else was not wrong" - I was shocked at her statement, but agian I liked her and trusted her, so i went along for the sonogram.
7. October 2007 - In the meantime, I was desperate, so i took the vitamins and Prometrium, which sent me into what i can describe only as a psychotic episode. i had severe emotional outbursts, i was irrationally angry and irritable, and had absolutely zero patience. i am usually a smart girl, and in my normal "mental state" would have associated that the Prometrium had caused this severe reaction, but I was no where close to my normal state of mind, and i just thought that my physical symptoms were now affecting me mentally.
8. LAte Oct 2007 - BY this time I am so down and really ready to get my life back. I am still sick with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, severe abdominal cramps, severe fatigue, and now my abdomen stays sore and tender through the whole month. FINALLY the doctor calls with the ultrasound results. she said that there were 2 small ovarian cysts - and i was relieved - i thought that FINALLY, we were getting somewhere - but in the next sentence she said that she didn;t think that they were responsible for my symptoms. i was deflated - and at such a loss of words. i listened to her tell me how she thought that i had IBS, and that she was going to refer me to a GI doctor. i know that IBS is a catch-all category of symptoms that some doctors throw on people they can;t diagnose. and remember, i was just a few days out from recovering from 1) having a severe personality reaction to a drug, and didn't know it was because of the Prometrium - i thought i was going mad, and 2) i was just getting over being sick before my period - AGAIN.
I finally called her back a few hours later and left a message with the nurse "since she doesn;t think that the cysts are causing the symptoms, could we please remove the copper IUD?" i never got a reply.
I called my niece who is an RN at a respected women's health center in NC and cried a lot and told her what was going on. she got me an appointment with a doctor there for mid nov 2007.
10. Mid Nov 2007 - tell the NC doctor my medical history, and she says "we need to get that IUD out". in less than 30seconds it is gone with minimal discomfort, 25% of the abdominal soreness and tenderness is gone within 24 hours of removal, and completely gone within a week. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS THAT MY TUMMY WAS NOT TENDER OR SORE!!!
i have a follow-up appointment for mid Jan 2008 with the NC doctor and possible placement of the Mirena
11. Nov 29, 2007 - have my first period in over a year where i am not sick etc - it is heavy and a bit crampy, but is shorter in duration.
12. mid dec 2007 - i start to suspect i may be pregnant, but think that we have been cautious, and my period is probably going to be irregular with all of the crap that has gone on
13. jan 5 2008 - yep - i'm pregnant!! but that was ok - we wanted another anyway.
14. jan 7, 2008 - catch the respiratory flu that has been going around and stay VERY sick for 4 weeks, and i just know that something is unusual - i can't eat i am so sick and am so weak that i shake whe i stand up - call a new local OB doctor and see them.
15. jan 30, 2008 - have miscarried the pregnancy
16. April 2008 - the new ob doctor places a mirena
17. first of may 2008 - my husband is asking if i feel ok, that he has seen similar but much less severe symptoms in my mood as when i was on the Prometrium. i have never had acne this severe on my face, neck and back - it actually hurts and i have some scarring even though i have not picked at it.
By the way, my new local OB told me that HE WILL NOT PLACE PARAGARD COPPER IUDS FOR HIS PATIENTS BECAUSE THEY WORK BY CAUSING INFLAMMATION IN THE UTERUS.
however, he also said that i shouldn't have any issues with the mirena, and now i am starting to wonder if i am going slightly mad...
i want my life back...
i now realize that there is a side effect to EVERYTHING that you put in your body...
i am terrified of getting pregnant right now even though a few months ago i was excited about this wonderful possibility...
i am now talking to a counselor to try to work out the events of this past year+ so i can move on...
i feel like my voice was NOT heard or even acknowledged...
the reality is that WE are ultimately responsible for our own well-being, both physical and mental, and that doctors do treat with preconceived notions about the way health should be and how medications and devices should work...they listen to pharmaceutical reps and not their patients...
i don;t know what to do about birth control now...i suspect the mirena is making me feel this way, but i am terrified of getting pregnant, i can't take birth control pills, and am hesitant to put any thing else in my body that is a chemical...however, i have no libido anymore (my poor wonderful husband) and i use to enjoy the closeness and intimacy of being with my husband...
i don't know how this affects your decision about the copper iud, but i just caution about 1) be careful with sex after the mirena is removed and 2) be mindful of anything that we eat or place in our body.
i do know that i could not find any other information from women who experienced my symptoms, but i find it very difficult to believe that i am the only one who experienced this.
lots of luck, and thank you for sharing your experience with the posting site! it has helped me make an informed decision about removing the mirena, and i hope that the information here will help you make an informed decision about the copper iud.

I made my appointment today to have my Mirena taken out in 2 days.
I have had similar symptoms, low libido, hair loss, and weight gain.
I have been on Weight Watchers since Jan. the same time I got my Mirena inserted and I am at the same weight. I am so frustrated with the weight and the other symptoms I just want it out.
But I did like not having to take a pill everyday. Is anyone considering having the Copper T inserted? It releases no hormones.
Just wondering.

I am almost in tears finally knowing that I am not alone. I had the Mirena inserted in December 07. Over the past 16 months since then I have only had about 60-90 days (very few of them consecutive) bleeding/spotting free. I am cramping constantly at various intensity. At times, I wondered if I was somehow pregnant and having contractions because of the type of tightening I felt. I have been an emotional wreck as I see-sawed within minutes between congeniality and disgust. My sometime-y migraines happened all too frequently. My acne has increased exponentially. I gained 30 lbs! After each child I successfully managed to lose the weight yet maintain a modest, healthy few pounds extra as I embraced my motherly curves. Almost 4 years after my last child, I gained all of this weight during my Mirena saga. I have been living a nightmare!

I am 34 w/ 3 children (14,6,5). I thought this would be one less hassle for my already life. I have never felt so out of control of my health and well being as I have the past 16 months. I saw may doctor 4 times over the past year wondering what I should do. I took birth control pills for 3 months to control the spotting. I took estrogen for 2 weeks. He knew how much I wanted it to work and told me to wait it out if I could. I feel so betrayed. I kept asking him if this was normal. He told me that it would get better.

I can't lose a pound (30 occurring during the 15 hell-ish Mirena months). I am fatigued to the point of uselessness to my family. I am depressed and inexplicably anxious.

Thank you for sharing and letting me know I'm not crazy. I thought it was all in my head because I couldn't find any validation for my feelings. I have sneered and balked at the amount of trust and worthiness all too often placed on message boards, blogs, and websites. While I am still cynical, this site has renewed my faith and spirit in that each of your testimonies has resolved my indecision to have this shackle removed from my body.

I am overcome with so much emotion right now (possible Mirena related) that I am now speechless.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Well here is the male point of view. My spouse had her Mirena inserted Monday 4/14 like the FDA website says she had cramping and spotting. Literally the next day 4/15 the first mood swing hit. It did not matter what I did it aggravated her or annoyed her. Before the Mirena we were having sex 2-3 times a week. Zero sex this week. This morning 4/17 she reported her first bloating. She said she thought she had gas. What baffles me is most of the symptoms reported on this site are listed by the FDA as side effects common to more than 5% of test subjects. So why are your doctors telling you ladies this is all in your head? My spouse’s doctor said that Mirena was known for low weight gain, yet from the post that is like the number 1 common side effect. Am I every going to have sex again? Last night I did everything I could to seduce my spouse, flowers, wine, caressing, you know all those things men are not good at, and nothing....I got snubbed :-(
I'm going to give it some time but god I hope her case will be different. I'd rather wear condoms than deal with the moodiness. God forbid she gains weight (she just lost 15 lbs and that weighed heavy on her decision) that will throw her into a real mood.

Hi everyone. Just got my mirena removed today. I was taken off birth control pills about 8 years ago due to a tumor in my liver from years of taking BCPs; ex-husband had a V, so bc wasn't an issue. I started perimenopausal symptoms around age 38 (I'm now 45), but they weren't severe and I was as regular as clockwork. About two years ago, I started bleeding very heavily with a lot of clotting for about 9 days at a time, and started every third week, which meant I only had 1 clean week/month. Yuck. My doctors agreed that the discomfort of increased bleeding outweighed the risk of the liver business. I started taking a low-dose progesterone pill. I stopped after just two weeks - I felt horrible. My body knows when something's not right. Then I went on the same estrogen-loaded pill I'd taken for 20 some years. It was great the first few months, and then the headaches began...very intense pain about 4 days before my period. It took me months to figure out they were related to the onset of my period. We agreed the pill wasn't for me. My gyn then suggested the mirena, so I had it inserted in October 2007. I went back to having regular periods, but the spotting increased both before and after my 5 day periods (back to 9-day periods, including spotting), but at least the clotting had decreased. Then a couple months later, I started having headaches, backaches, weight gain, and was feeling very blue. I'm at an incredible time in my life...it just doesn't make sense to be feeling down. The last straw was that my hands and feet started to swell up like crazy. Like some others here, I began to feel like an old (really old) lady! And I am heavier than I've ever been...including when I was pregnant! I went to a ladies' boot camp for five weeks in January, ate a healthy diet, and could not lose weight to save my life. In fact, I think I gained weight! I don't like experiencing the normal aging process, hot flashes, moodiness, etc., but at least those things are a natural part of aging. I'm done with all this hormone business for a while. My gyn has now mentioned Novasure (endometrial ablation). I'm too gun-shy to even think about burning my insides permanently for now, so just going natural for a while. I'll check back to let you know if my condition improves. Thanks for posting everyone!

I have always been afraid of birth control pills (weight gain, hormonal stuff) so I got the Mirena. I had it removed about 6 months ago after having it for the full 5 years and LOVED it!!! I thought I'd try the pill since so many people say that it's good. But then I got online and read some of the issues with the pill. Scared me to death, everyone on the site gave horror stories about it. I decided to go online and look up Mirena (which I loved) and see if people had horror stories with it too, and yes they do. I think everyones body is just different and what works for one person doesn't work for another. I never had any of the symptoms mentioned on this site except one: no periods. Wahoo! That's a good thing. If you are completely freaked out after reading the posts, read mine. I love. love, love the Mirena. Had no troubles with it at all. There are women out there who have it and love it. Me and my 3 sisters to name a few.

I had my Mirena inserted in July, shortly after the birth of my second son. Having Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Type 1 Diabetes, and Lupus, the doctors wanted me off estrogen birth control pills. Not sure if we want a third child, thought Mirena was the way to go. I am 33 and back in the college days I was on the Depo shot and had horrible acne, mood swings, breast tenderness, and nightmares. A few months ago I started noticing the same effects with the Mirena. Nightmares, acne, but most annoying, no sex drive whatsoever, and extreme snappiness to my husband and children! I feel like how you get the week before your period....I feel depressed like that EVERY week....like "blah", can't seem to snap out of feeling blue. Not sure what to do. I wonder if Copper IUD's are any better since the evil progesterone is the bad culprit? I may just try to see if the Rheumy and OB will let me go on B.C. pills for just a couple more years....by then I should know if I want one more baby and if not, then I can get sterilized. My OB did say no one has ever complained to her before about these effects. But, I know simply b/c the Depo Shot, that the things I am feeling are real and from the Mirena and not just a modd disorder.

I had Mirena in for 3 1/2 years. The first year was basically a fog. I started spotting, moodiness was ok, bad acne. The next 1 1/2 years I experienced light bleeding, acne , slight dizziness, some fatigue. On the third year that I was on mirena that's when things began getting worse. Around a month after my 38th birthday I started getting really bad symptoms. The worst part was the Dizziness. I got severe headaches, major dizziness, moodiness, less patience with everyone, weight gain, increased appetite, depression, fatigue during day, nervousness, panic attacks, some hair loss, bleeding gums. The dizziness was the worst. I would get panic attacks along with the dizziness. This especially got worse around time of period. I noticed just before I was scheduled to get my period I would get these crazy dizzy spells and anxiety. I have had numerous test and gone to Cardiologists, Nuerologist, Gyno. The gyno's are the worst. They deny that it is the mirena. However, I have been doing some research by myself and have come across many websites like this one. Most of the women who have been on Mirena have had the same symptoms that I have had. The one symptom that I did not here of was bleeding gums. During my pregnancy I noticed that I would bleed when brushing my teeth. Of course this is normal because of hormones. However, about a year after I gave birth to my daughter my gums were still bleeding. I was on mirena for about 6 months already. The dentist had me go in 4 times a year, because he was concerned. They thought it was bizzare that I had this promblem at 38, Wanted to know if anyone else experienced this? Also, wanted to disclose that in the early years of mirena I was taking Prozac. Around the second or third year of mirena I started to be a little forgetful about taking the prozac daily. This may be a reason why my panic attacks came on strong around third year.

Well sure wish I saw this site before I had mine put in.I am 39 with 1 child and may or may not want another. I have a low tolerance for birth control pills, tired of using condoms and practically have just used my body changes and a calendar to plan for the risky times till now. I had the Mirena put in on March 3 2008 and have experienced such a huge change in myself that I decided to google side effects tonight after only a week. I have no energy, my sleep schedule is all worked now. I cant sleep for more than 3-4 hrs at a time. I have the flu like symptoms going now, headache for over 6 days. I am feeling mini heart palps and pains in lower back and legs and the nausea is getting old already. Reading the posts here, doesn't look like I am going to look forward to the rest of the symptoms either. I know each individual responds differently to things and will stick this out for a few more weeks but it looks like it wont be around by this time next month. Good luck to each and every one of you ladies. Peace

I have had the Mirena for 16 months now. Being close to 50, I thought this was the way to go without being on birth control pills, diaphragms, condoms or any other birth control methods. I have had irregular bleeding the entire time. Last month my period lasted 18 days. I probably only have about a week where I don't have any sort of bleeding at all. I have noticed extreme fatigue, weight gain, achy joints and muscles, and terrible mood swings. I have always been an even keel person, but the last 6 months or so I get depressed, and cry for no reason. I thought it was because I was starting to go through menopause, but now I am wondering if my Mirena is causing all of this. Last month I started having a lot of pelvic pain. I thought it was just ovulation, but it lasted 5 days. I am going to have an ultrasound done tomorrow to see what is going on. I think I want to have the Mirena taken out, but I don't know what other birth control to use. I have heard of ablation, where they basically burn the lining of your uterus so you don't get your period anymore. I don't think it is a method of birth control though. Wish me luck!

I posted a few days ago about my experiences with Mirena. This is an update. I'm so happy to have that thing out!! I haven't had any heart palpitations since the day I had it out. After reading pages of posters' side affects here, I noticed quite a few other people have had anxiety/heart palpitations/irregular heart beat with it also. I'm so glad that I listened to my instincts and just got it out. I started bleeding two days after I had it out, HUGE clots, lots of bleeding like I just gave birth! It went away a couple days later then came back again. I guess my body is really trying to clean itself out. I also had already lost 1 pound in 2 days after having it out. I know it's only a pound, but I know it's a loss because my pants are fitting better. I really don't think Mirena was worth the weight gain, acne, loss of hair on my head, additional facial hair, and worst of all the anxiety and palpitations. I've always been extremely sensitive to birth control pills, but this was supposed to be different, the hormone was localized so there weren't supposed to be as many side affects. That apparently wasn't the case with me. This may work for some people, and that's good for them but it's not for me.

Many strange things have been happening to me for the last year and a half, that I did not ever experience before. I just turned 38 years old. I am now suspecting these are side effects from the MIRENA. I want to get opinions about what I'm experiencing and what happens when it's removed.

The most profound thing is the feeling of being in a mental bubble. Even though I'm aware of it and I try to be alert, I feel cloudy minded and can't even rely on myself to remember things or commit to things because I never know how I will feel when I wake up each day. Some days are okay while others are completely LOST because I may have struggled to sleep the night before, sweating and soaking my pillow case and waking up with a rapid heart beat, panicking for no apparent reason right out of sleeping. Or, I'm irritable due to discomfort which takes several forms like these:
- major moodiness, like feeling totally peaceful one minute and then something small triggers me and I'm angry for hours, later realizing that I was overreacting
- visibly shaking hands, especially when I drink just 1/2 cup coffee.
- increased oily skin and acne on face, back, shoulders and even in ears, along with thinning hair around face
- fatigue and stiffness in the morning, so it takes me forever to get out of bed
- off and on fatigue that has me uncontrollably dozing off during the day
- bloated tummy (visible), gas and menstrual cramps in no predicable pattern, but I never go more than a week without these things
- strange libido, one day I wouldn't care if I ever had sex again, the next night wake up horny as heck at 2 am
- ears ringing, jaw pain, mystery pains in back and joints regularly

All along I've been assuming these odd things were stress and age related but the more I think about it, there's just too many things, and these things don't necessarily represent the stress of a typical stay at home mom.
Sure, I have had stress and anxiety in the past, but they could always be connected to something large going on in my life. Now, the anxiety and moodiness hit unpredictably and indiscriminately, it seems. For a long time now I feel like I'm a total mess physically and mentally, even more so because I realize something is wrong
I am pretty sure as of right now that I should get this removed. If the symptoms go away I'll then know what caused them in the first place.
I am wondering what happens upon removal, will it also be a roller coaster of physical and mental anguish???????? How long will it last?

I just had my Mirena put in yesterday1-17-08. It was very painful, the doctor had to dilate me 4 times, because she said I am small. Then she had trouble putting it in because of my retroverted uterus. about 30 minutes after I left I had cramps and my entire left leg hurt bad. My toes tingled, and my whole leg was in pain all night, today it has been off and on. Also I have noticed being short of breath. I am already regretting this decision. I have had no energy which is odd for me. I can feel the Mirena in there, I am worried that it will hurt me because I am smaller than average (4'11" and 104 lbs.) my husband and I have a 14 year old son and don't want anymore kids, but condoms are driving us crazy and it scares me because I am 35 and do NOT want to have a baby at my age. So I thought this would be perfect while we decide on something more permanent. I am going to give it one more week and If I don't feel any better it is coming out!!! I am so glad I found this site, because the doc already told me that my leg pain has nothing to do with the iud even though it started right after I got the iud, she told me to go to a chiropractor or my family doc, because she said it had to be something else. I don't believe her.

I put a post on 12/31 with my concerns. Well I decided to play it safe and remove my Mirena. It was one week as of Friday. I didn't hurt too bad, a pinch and some cramping afterward. But I took a Tylenol beforehand. I still feel most of the side effects as before (anxiety, insomnia etc.) the only one is the constant flush feeling. My period was a little heavy the second day but I was due for my period anyway. I am barely spotting now. I'm sure it will take awhile for my body to get back to normal again, since I had the IUD inserted 4 weeks after my son was born (7/2/6). So my body hasn't had a normal menstrual cycle in years (birth control before my son, and I didn't like how that made me feel . I read that the hormone from Mirena doesn't get out of your system for about 20 days. I am looking forward to feeling good again. My body apparently doesn't like anything foreign in it, so no birth control pills for me or any hormone releasing mechanism (even though getting your period normally STINKS) I'll just do the old fashion way. Thanks for sharing your stories, it did help. Take care

Constant discharge and odor with Mirena. Doctor said it was normal and not to worry about it. I never got headaches before and now I am plagued with them. Frequent urination. Slight weight gain. I lost all my baby weight within five weeks of delivery, but after this was inserted I gained ten of it back. Ladies, nothing you put in your body to change hormone levels is good. Please be sure to tell everyone that you know that. These are the same effects I had with birth control pills and I was told there was no way this product could cause those effects, they were wrong.

When I was offered Mirena I thought it was the best thing ever. I have been going to the same doctor for nearly ten years so he knew the negative effects that regular birth control pills had on me, including severe depression and anxiety issues. I had not had these problems since I had not been on any bc pills. It had been years. Five weeks after the birth of my baby I got the Mirena after my doctor raved about it "having no side effects". I wish daily I would have researched it and not trusted him on it. I am bloated, depressed, I lost so much hair I have bald spots, I am tired all the time. I used to live in the gym, now I can't get up the energy to go. My facial hair has increased dramatically. To the point where I wax my entire face ;( This to me is probably the worst problem as it kills my self esteem. I am an attractive female but because of facial hair I don't even want to leave my house. I didn't have this problem before. My acne is out of control. All of these can be symptoms from having a baby, but most clear up within six months to a year. I just wish doctors would wait and let your hormones settle down before they push for the Mirena, that way the side effects could be properly tracked and people could get accurate information about the risks involved. I am going to have my removed next week. I hope some of these effects will lessen, especially the facial hair which is one of the main causes of the depression. I am heartbroken about it. But I hear that once you wax you have to do it for the rest of your life ;( so I may be stuck anyway and it may be too late for me. I will never trust the word of my doctor again.

Hello,
My journey with Minera started in September 2005, two months after the birth of my second daughter.

Previous to the insertion of Minera and the birth of my daughter I was under the care of a rheumatologist for chronic knee and foot pain. I was never diagnosed with any specific disease or disorder. When I became pregnant with my daughter in May 2004 all of my pain vanished. I stopped seeing the doctor and had a normal pregnancy.

My pain symptoms started to return shortly after I gave birth and in September 2005 I decided to have Minera put in. I had no problems with the insertion and after bleeding for about 6 weeks my period stopped. I had some cramping here and there but no more period. I felt great!

My pain symptoms worsened over time and I developed more problems. none of which I related to Minera. My problems were:

Terrible joint pain and swelling in my knees
Pain that radiates from my lower back to my feet
Pain in my right ring finger
Stiffness
TMJ
Insomnia
Hair loss
Weight gain
Irritability
Mood swings
Scarring acne
Fatigue
Lack of interest in sex
Swelling in my feet

I started to believe I had something really wrong with me. I did research and found a lot of my symptoms were in sync with Fibromyalgia. I started seeing a new rheumatologist who did tons of blood work and x-rays on me. After all the results came back she said I did not test positive for anything. She diagnosed my with rheumatoid arthritis because I had all the clinical symptoms. She prescribed prednisone and placqunel (sp?) for the arthritis which seems to be helping.

I was on a parenting forum I frequent the other day and I saw a post form a woman complaining about all the side effects of Minera. I did some research and found this site and another
http://curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=713
It's like a light bulb went off. All of these things that I have been suffering with seem to be related to the IUD.

So I would like to hear from some of you ladies that have had Minera removed already. Do you feel better? Are your side effects gone?
Also has anyone removed Minera themselves?

I have had the mirena for two years and I hadn'd noticed anything major until reading this. I too have had a huge weight gain, I have gained about 25 lbs in 2 years, I am 39 years old and have weighed the same thing since middle school before mirena. I have had severe acne mostly on my forehead and sides of face and back, I had acne in high school but that was a little more than 20 years ago and I just thought it was returning, but didnt know why. I also have had lower back pain and some joint pain. my sex drive isnt that great either but I didnt think about mirena being the cause. I am not going to take it out yet because I dont want to get pregnant and dont know what else to use, I cant take birth control pills and I am allergic to so many things. I have not had any problems that I've noticed with bleeding or painful sex or some of the other things mentioned.

I have had months of mysterious symptoms, evolving worse and worse, over time. I didn't even remotely suspect that it was my Mirena. Which I had put in over a year and a half ago.
Until, after literally because over the last couple of months. It was as though I was having extreme morning sickness. I threw up every day. Always at the same basic time. It didn't seem to matter what I ate. It felt like 'morning sickness'!!!
I've slowly, but steadily, despite increasing my exercise significantly. As well as eating far better, not worse, than before. Gained about 40 lbs.! I was 60 lbs less, just about 4 years ago. All the weight is concentrated around my middle.
I am on anti-anxiety pills. And they used to help, but now barely get me through the day. I have insomnia regardless of my sched., activity level, or mood. I had an extremely painful insertion, and months of constant bleeding, after getting it put in.
My sister was so stunned w/my symtoms recently, she made me get a pregnancy test.
I look pregnant. Feel pregnant, but alas, not pregnant. Birth control pills never agreed w/ me. I am furious these aren't presented as possible side effects to women. I had it removed yesterday at no small cost. Just hoping I can return to something like my old self soon!

I had the Mirena put in last year and since then it's been anything but good. I had consatnt spotting to light periods that would last weeks and I would be flow free for one day maybe two days if I was lucky. After, about 9 months with no change I was put on birth control pills to help regulate my cycles, Ohh how could I forget the Mirena also caused the worse cramps EVER I had them on a daily bases. Anyhoo, The pills didn't help just caused more problems. It ended with me having to have it taken out because one night I was having sex with my hubby and I got a very painfull feeling on the left side of my vagina. The doc said I had to have it out right away and it turned out the mirena was slightly bent and was rubbing against my insides and my hubby just shoved it more. I got and infection and it was painful to have it taken out. tear...

I had my Mirena inserted July 6, 07. Since i have not had any children i was in pain for the first three days after having it inserted (i felt like my insides were being ripped out of me) but that pain has eased since then. I do have occasional cramps and i still spot for a couple days but again i have only had this in for almost two months. To be honest this has been a life saver for me. I had to be taken off of birth control pills because i was at risk for a stroke. I was getting migraines when i was taken off of the pill during the reminder week. Even on the pill i was always hunched over when it came time for my period becuase i was in agonizing pain. I had cramps so bad that 1000 mg would have to be continuously taken just to get the pain numbed just to function at work. With Mirena my life has changed. I am finally getting a sex drive back (which I thought was gone for good), my periods so far have been a blessing because i'm not sick around that time, I haven't gained any weight, my breasts don't swell to a bigger cup size (talk about a natural boob job once a month) but the biggest thing is I haven' t had a migraine since I had it inserted. My boyfriend loves it as much as I do. But i'm just glad to know that the spotting is normal for the first few months. Thanks for all the responses.

I've had Mirena for 4 1/2 years. A doctor in Australia recommended it to me since I was very sensitive to birth control pills and could not use them. Yes, it hurt the first 3 months, but no more than the years of painful cramps I got every month with my periods. Now I have no cramps, no periods, and none of the craziness that accompanies it. My doctor used a local anesthetic when she put it in, which sounds like it is the best way. I would recommend that to anyone considering having one put it. I just wanted to let people know that there are some people who have positive experiences with it. I have not experienced weight gain, acne, moodiness or loss of sex drive. But as we all know every womans body handles things a little differently!
I'm very lucky to have had it inserted in Australia because many American doctors will not give it to women who have not had children.

I had the mirena put in after my fouth child in December 2004. I continued to have my period like normal for about 6-9 months, then my period stopped. I began to have problems with anxiety, and they seemed to be worse when I was suppose to get my period. I am a registered nurse, and I thought with the stress of working, and four kids I am suppose to have anxiety. As time progressed my anxiety got worse, and I was curious if maybe Mirena was linked. I found in the pamphlet that it may cause mood changes. Well the more I investigated I found I was not the only one experiencing this extreme anxiety. I had my Mirena IUD remove 7/20/07, and right away I could feel the difference. It was like my body knew something foreign was in it and reacted. I also talked with a doctor at the hospital who said because Mirena is inserted in the uterus, the progesterone is absorbed right away. Birth control pills are taking orally and not directly absorbed. Some women may not be able to handle direct absorption of the hormone progesterone. I was one of them. If you have side effects that coinside with the insertion of your Mirena IUD, talk to your doctor, and have it removed.

I have had Mirena since April 2005 and after 3-4 months of spotting I have not had a period. I love it. I don't have to worry about getting pregnant. (I have a 2.5 year old and an 11 month old) It' also ideal for me because birth control pills are not very effective due to the fact that my liver is busy with my anti-seizure medicines. Having the horomones delivered directly to my cervix makes the Mirena 99.9% effective. I haven't had any weight gain, I can breast feed without any worries, and I can't say that it has affected my libido. I Love it!