Mirena and cramps

extreme mood swings, depression, inflammation, irritation while having sex, infection too frequently, bad acne, weight gain, cramps, water retention, missed menstrual period for one year, hair loss and did I say cranky with deadly intolerable mood swings.

I had my baby in April 2009 and after my six weeks I was already back down to my desired weight a week later I got the mirena and started to gain it all back I asked the doctor at my 3mth follow up and he said weight gain was not a side effect I have just continued to gain weight to where everyone says are you pregnant it seems to just be in my abdominal area. Also I believe that I am losing a lot of hair from this medication, when I take a shower my drain gets clogged and when I brush my hair I have to clean it every time because I have lost so much. I don't know if memory loss is a symptom but I have a lot of that and I am tired all the time I feel so lazy.I have severe back pain that shoots through my back to the front of my abdomen. I have experienced pain during sex.
I've had is the massive mood swings I go from 0 to 10 in .01 seconds and cannot control it. My life is a wreck I am on a roller coaster with my boyfriend of 8 yrs. We have gotten along really well and ever since I have been on the Mirena I have acted so crazy. I never want to leave my house I flip oy on him for things that have no validity. I can't go in the store shopping for anything groceries cloths nothing I have anxiety like no other I start sweating and feel like I need to get out of there I feel like I have been there for hours and have to go fast.

About 3 weeks ago I reached my breaking point. I was cramping really bad and I never have had cramps then I went to bed the next day I woke up and could not move I felt as if I had the most severe flu like symptoms ever. I had 104 temp chills low blood pressure. I was freezing cold but sweating like no other. I tried to stick it out took some aleve and theraflu they did not help. I was shaking like I was in a freezer but my body was burning up. My head felt like it was going to explode. I was vomiting but I could not eat so I had nothing to throw up. So the next morning I woke up after not really getting any sleep I felt miserable I had my boyfriend take me to the emergency room I felt so bad I could not even get myself dressed my boyfriend had to even put my shoes and socks on. At the emergency room they took my vitals my blood pressure was 54/92 and even got lower than that. My pulse was 140 my temp was 103.9 ..basically they said if I had not come in I would be dead. They took some urine and blood and there was an infection in my urine so they started me on antibiotics then they told me something was abnormal in my liver, I do not drink but maybe once a month if that usually just on occasions so I did not understand what was wrong with my liver they said I had to be admitted for 2 days to do some blood tests and keep an eye on my liver issues. After 30 tubes of blood they said I had bacteria in my blood which most likely inflamed my liver, they think the bacteria was from a uti I had developed.All the tests came back negative for the liver problems it was just inflammed. So my fever stayed and my blood pressure had gotten as low as 54/86 my blood sugar was 161 they even had to give me insulin.I ended up being in the hospital for SIX days. I am a ver7y healthy person I have never even been sick a day in my life beside the morning sickness from being pregnant with my first child, so I knew something was out of the normal. Then when I got out I researched the side effects of Mirena and I feel like I have been under advised there are so many more side effects than I was informed of. While the whole reason for me sharing my life-threatening hospital stay was because one of the side effects is Sepsis this is a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria.Which symptoms are Chills
Confusion or delirium
Decreased urine output
Fever or low body temperature (hypothermia)
Hyperventilation
Lightheadedness
Rapid heart beat
Shaking
Skin rash
Warm skin
Sepsis is caused by a bacterial infection that can begin anywhere in the body. Common places where an infection might start include:

The bowel (usually seen with peritonitis)
The kidneys (upper urinary tract infection)
The LIVER or the gall bladder
The lungs (bacterial pneumonia)
The skin (cellulitis)
The infection is often confirmed by a blood test. But, a blood test may not reveal infection in people who have been receiving antibiotics.

In sepsis, blood pressure drops, resulting in shock. Major organs and systems, including the kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system, stop functioning normally.
The death rate can be as high as 60% for people with underlying medical problems. The death rate is somewhat lower in those without other medical problems.

These are all the symptoms I was having and I did have bacteria in my blood I believe the mirena did this to me.
So I dont know if anyone else has experienced this but THIS IS NOT WORTH MY LIFE I have an appointment Dec 3 to get the Mirena removed but I would like to take legal action because this is unexceptable and I BELIEVE MIRENA ALMOST TOOK MY LIFE.

I have had the mirena about 6 months and it is the worst type of birth control that you could go on. It will cramp you to death, sometimes it cramps me worse that I ever cramped while on my period. I would not advise anyone to have it inserted. It affects people in different ways but it is very painful. I have had some really serious depression and headaches since this has been done.

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

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

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

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

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

I've had my Mirena since April of 2009. Since, I've gotten severe cramps, irregular bleeding, loss of sex drive and motivation, lack of energy, severe mood swings, and MAJOR hair loss. My hair loss probably started around August. When I went to 2 doctors neither one of them thought it was from that. They are still testing me for possibilities. I'm thinking that maybe it's time to have it removed.

MIRENA SHOULD BE PULLED FROM THE SHELVES!!!!!!! THIS IMPLANT IS THE DEVIL............. In August when I had the Mirena put in, my hair was my best feature. I am 33 years old and all my life people have commented on it. I had a full head of thick blond hair. Now I have an appointment next week with a dermatologist to see if there's anything I can possibly do to get some of it back. I lost enough in the shower over the past 2 months that I could have made someone a week and that I had to call a plumber. What I should do is carry my tail to see a a LAWYER. My mood swings have run rampant, I've gained weight eating like a bird, I have the cramps from hell, and the littlest thing ticks me off. I told my doctors office that I knew it was the Mirena and they said "Oh you've had a baby, this happens." Hello? My daughter is a year old. And I don't think I should be going bald after giving birth anyway. I think they just want to keep their pockets lined and that's the politics of medicine. Ladies thinking of getting one..........DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep your hair!!!!!!!

I got my Mirena IUD (5yr) inserted on 30September2009 and it was very painful. Probably because im only 19 and my husband and i have no kids. Its not 21November2009 and im still having heavy bleeding. I did notice that i had an increase in hair loss, my hair sheds like crazy but until Mirena it is coming out in very small clumps. I also noticed that my face has broke out more with acne. Around 01November2009 i had HORRIBLE HORRIBLE cramps, i ended up going to my doctors asap and they found a cyst. I dont know if it was a cyst caused my the Mirena or if it was only noticeable until the Mirena. I had my doctor go in and check for my strings and she couldn't find them, so i got an xray to find out the my Mirena has shifted a bit and my strings are now up in my Cervix. My husband is in the Army and is Deployed so i dont know how sex it. Everyone's information has helped me out a lot. and i hope that my long crazy journey has helped someone as well. :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

my insertion was so bad i literally almost kicked the doctor as an instant reaction and yelled a cuss word... i had a c section delivery so pain full doesn't even describe that pain it was unbearable.. but the cramping starting the moment after insertion to about a month ago was i think worse then the c section pain id be at work almost on the floor in a ball crying in pain and the doctor said take Tylenol it will go away and nevvvvver did... i still get random cramps and sharp pains

i never had bv until i was pregnant during the pregnancy i had it one time and thought it was gone... after i got the mirena put in ive have 4 cases of bv this is November., and 3 uti's.. i got the mirena in march i believe... that is not good for my body to be on antibiotics like that ... lately ive been having terrrrrible pain when i pee like above my pubic bone.. my first thought was a uti ... went to er hoping to get an antibiotic once again... blood urine ctscan everything was normal... er doctor said its probably my mirena and i should get it taken out... i called my obgyn and she insisted i keep it in and thats not the mirena giving me those pains!!! why are these doctors so against taking it out i mean i'll get on the pill i don't care i thought the mirena would be handy u know not worrying about missing a pilll!!! wellllll i wish would have never decided to get it in ive had painful sex , very emotional, pain in general, it terrible...

alssssso my boyfriend and i obviously do not use condoms bc the birth control... now we have to use them bc hes been having a burning sensation when he pees like so bad and painful to where his legs almost buckle ... he was talking to his best friend about it and he said hes experiencing the sammmmme thing and his girl is on mirena ... they've come to the conclusion theyyyy are having a reaction to the hormone released from the mirena and it makes complete sense i don't care condom or no condom it doesn't bother me... but its the fact ... he said he felt it at one point which the doctor said your boyfriend shouldn't feel a thing... sorry if thats tmi but while having sex i feel it bad and it ruins the mood for sex with me at least...

i didn't have a pd for roughly 3 months now its heavy and clotty... then the next day nothing then the next clotty again im soooooo sick of it thank god i stumbled across this sight in search if the reaction my man was having... but now i don't feel alone for all my problems ive been having!!!!

Wow, I'm speechless I came across this website! I just had to share my experience! I had my Mirena removed yesterday. I'm 29 years old, I had it put in 5 years ago under General Anaesthetic whilst having a laporoscopy for Endomentriosis, I was advised by my doctor to give Mirena a go - at that stage I was desperate for a bit of relief from such heavy bleeding and cramps. Reading everyone elses side effects, has made me realize, I have suffered a bit over the last 5 years! I gained 25kgs, and could never understand how I could not shift the weight, I'm really active, play a lot of sport, and eat healthy, I was diagnosed with depression also, and have been taking anti-depressants for 4 of the the last 5 years, I've at times been very short fused, angry, and anxious. Now I've had the Mirena removed, I can't wait to see if I can shift my extra weight with ease! Having it removed was absolutely horrific! The pain was so bad, all I can describe it like, is someone giving your cervix a Chinese burn! OUCH!! I have been bleeding quite heavily, but have been told this is normal????? Is it??? My husband and I hope to start a family soon, so fingers crossed all goes well! I know for some woman out there, the Mirena is great! But for those of us who suffered... I feel your pain... literally!

I am amazed to see so many woman going through the same things I am. I really do feel like I have been going crazy with my doctors. Since I have been on the Mirena I have experienced, weight gain, depression, nausea, excessive tiredness, cramps in my uterus and breast tenderness. I also have a hard time sexually. I cant seem to get wet either. Although my sex drive is there I still can get wet. I also have lost hair on my head and have started getting hair on my face. YUK!!!!!!Since I have been on thr Mirena for the past 2 years I have maintained my weight but have lost nothing. I am going to get it taken out really soon, since my husband was nice enough to get a vasectomy. Hopefully these mood swings and tiredness will go away.

i have been on mirena for 2 yrs and along with everyone else have all the symptoms from hair loss to very serious cramping in the top of my thighs. i know this is a side affect because as soon as i had it put in i have them since and telling the doctor he said child birth could have caused my pains he calls cramps. it almost felt like a hot needle in my thigh and lasted for a little over two weeks. well let me tell you something this is no ordinary cramp it is a burning sensation and does come and go like cramps but it last anywhere from 1 hour to 10 hrs or even longer. these pains are sharp and burn almost like someone is setting your legs on fire. i can't wait till i get to see the doctor again cause this is coming out one way or another.

I'm so glad I'm not alone. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in July 2008, so I was placed on really strong medication the cut the effect of my current BC to 50%. So I decided to have the Mirena placed. It was placed Jan. 2009. A few weeks later, I experienced tenderness and swelling in both my breast. I went to see my GYN and she said it was normal and it should subside soon, but she sent me for an UltraSound to make sure. The results showed that my milk ducts were dilated. (And I was not Pregnant) A few months later I was experiencing severe depression, mood swings,bloating, facial acne, cramps, but the worst one of them all was the itching in my breast. Not to mention the 25 lb weight gain and my breast doubled in size. I would eat at any given time and had cravings. I felt like I was pregnant all the time. When I mentioned the itching to my doctor, she said I needed to see a dermatologist. I saw one the same day, and he also said he thinks it's the hormones in the Mirena. So I had it removed today. I hope everything goes back to normal.....

I am happy that I have come across this website. My son was born in July 2nd, 2009 and I had the Mirena IUD inserted on August 24th, 2009. The insertion wasn't all that painful, but the cramps that followed were. It lasted for approximately 2 weeks following and I had some spotting here and there. I have had serious cramping on my right side and after sexual intercourse, I always bleed and cramp on my right side. I have complained about my right wrist hurting bad and my thumb seemingly being dislocated. After reading these post I see that I could possibly have joint pain as a side effect. I can honestly say that the joint pain didn't start until after the Mirena insertion but I never associated it with that.

I thought that I'd love the Mirena because I wouldn't have to worry with pills or having to remember to take birth control, but the side effects are not worth it. I have also had some weight gain. Serious mood swings. Depressed moods and very emotional. Ive been short tempered about just minor things and I haven't been motivated to do much of anything around the house.

I'm debating on whether or not I should have the Mirena removed. I'd hate for any of my symptoms to get worse.

Mirena the BANE of our existence! I had mine put in January 2009 and then taken out this week. I thought maybe I should ride it out for awhile, see if some of the problems went away with time... and to be honest some of them did. The acne subsided, the cramps lessened and the periods became virtually non-existent. However, the headaches, the mood swings, the tiredness and depression and not to mention 20lbs along with boobs that went from C to DD, I couldn't handle them anymore. Removal was uncomfortable but 1/8 of the pain of insertion. I had some clotting but it only lasted a couple hours. I have been experiencing a crash in emotions but nothing worse than a "bad" day with Mirena. The only real problem I have run into was the PA that removed it. Please learn from this experience and don't become discouraged by ignorant and book smart doctors...
My doctor had the audacity to tell me that all of these "symptoms" were probably my body returning to it's natural state, that is to the way it was before I ever went on birth control. I was on Ortho for 8 years before I decided to give myself a break and insert. So what this woman was telling me was that there were no documented side effects to legitimize my issues. She was saying in no certain terms that from the ages of 13-18 before BC, I was fat, moody, irrational, with acne, craps and gigantic breasts. I was offended to say the least and tensely asked her to take it out and put me back on the pill. Now I am just praying I don't experience another catastrophe with whatever this "woman" has decided to prescribe me. You can be sure I will be doing my research before putting anything else into my system. Thank you ladies for your honesty and thank you medications.com.

I got my Mirena in about 20 months ago and almost immediately my life started going downhill. I got moody, depressed, started gaining weight, my skin broke out in TERRIBLE cystic acne. Then I started having trouble sleeping at night, and was waking up EXHAUSTED every morning. etc etc. At first I blamed job stress. Then poor eating habits. Then poor skincare products, my new apartment...everything but the IUD.

I have Type 1 Diabetes, so I see an endocrinologist regularly and when I went in yesterday to show him this new BALD SPOT on the top of my head, and talk about my random weight gain, despite joining weight watchers and exercising every single day, he started asking me questions and determined that that IUD needed to come OUT. He said if the hormones were affecting my body enough to cause acne, and increase my insulin dose (I went from 10 units a day to 20...a HUGE increase!) then it was most certainly affecting my hormones enough to cause weight gain, hair loss, etc. It even explained why I suddenly needed to get waxed every three weeks instead of every six.

Unfortunately all the literature indicates that removal comes with terrible bleeding, clots, and cramps. I'm going on vacation in less than one month and I'm super bummed that I have to keep it in until I get back from vacation but I'm not going to the most civilized region so I don't want to risk the kinds of horror stories I've been reading while abroad.

I have had my Mirena out for almost three months now and couldn't be happier with the results that I have had. I do not get the horrible daily headaches anymore and my skin has cleared up. I was having gallbladder attacks due to the rapid weight gain that I had with stained. Now that I have started to lose the weight, I no longer have issues with my gallbladder. The weight is coming off really fast, I have lost 20 pounds in two months. Finally, I feel that I am returning to my old self. I am much happier and know for a fact that it has to do with having the Mirena taken out. I think that if anyone is suffering with any side effects from the Mirena, they should have it removed.

cramps, tired ALL the time, no energy, sinus type headaches, sever bleeding, periods lasting 2-3 weeks with only a week in between, no sex drive, moody, on edge, gained 20lbs in last few months despite diet and exercise. can't wait to get it taken out!!

I had the Mirena put in 2 yrs 9 months ago. I had continual spotting for about 6 weeks after insertion, which was really annoying but they did tell me to expect that. For 2 years I noticed a couple of side effects...some cramping and the belly flutters (which is so weird to hear of other people having them because I thought I was just crazy!!!) And the acne..oh, the acne! Also I haven't been able to lose weight very easily, even with dieting. All these things were ok side effects to me. But now after 2 and a half years the side effects have gotten a lot worse. I kept telling my husband that I was sorry, I just couldn't' understand why I can't get motivated to do anything besides sit around. I am bloated all the time and crampy. Not just cramps but I'll have sharp pains in my uterine area. I went in for my annual exam and they said the strings were where they belonged. Prior to that exam, I was having light 2 day periods regularly. Since then, I have been bleeding (some heavily, some light) for SIX WEEKS straight along with having cramps and fatigue and the missing motivation has gotten even worse. It is coming out tomorrow morning. This is not worth it at ALL!

I am soo glad I am not crazy. I am almost in tears, because I can not believe that so may women are experiencing this. I have had it for almost two years now and in the beginning I just had heavy cramps and a lot of bleeding. I was told every woman's body is different and this will take some time. I went back within 4 weeks to get it out and my doctor encouraged me it would get better. It did and I loved it. Never had a problem. Until recently, I went to the doctor thinking I was pregnant, I had ever symptom that a pregnant woman experiences and I they told me it was in my head. I am constantly tired, bloating, sick, dizziness, headaches (which they told me contributed to my sinus - then I started seeing an Allergist who kept me on Antibiotics. It got really bad they did an CAT scan on me and still nothing). I thought I was going to lose it, I had mood swings, memory loss, attention span, worst than my 5 year old and the list goes on. I am so hurt now, because I am no good with the pill (2 pregnancies from the missed pill) and loved the convenience of the Mirena, but my life is worth more than convenience.
Thank you ladies for sharing your story! But remember please go with your gut feeling. Now that I recall I went twice to get this removed, the doctors will tell you anything. They are new to this product also!!!

I just had a mirena put in on Thursday, after the recommendation of the obgyn (she said she had one).
When I was asking my questions I was concerned about the acne, since I never really had it in my life and the possible headaches. BUT reading the above postings is not very encouraging: low libido, weight gain, mood swings. I will surely be back to post the results after a month.
Note: I have not had children, but since I was prone to severe pain/length of periods that is how mirena was suggested.
INSERTION was excruciating! "3 small cramps" was in fact pain that left me quivering and in shock. Doctor's need to be more transparent about the insertion process (especially if you have not had kids).
I will be back after my 4 week check up with the latest report. (and if need be, I will be assertive in the removal demand.)
Thank you so much, ladies.

I had mine removed this week - thank the lord above!!! However, it has been rough and be forewarned that I experienced horrific cramping and HEAVY bleeding for nearly five days. I also had terrible back pains and some pain down my legs as well as some mental fogginess. I only had it in about one month and had gained 3 pounds and outgrown my bras! So now, two boxes of tampons later, I finally stopped bleeding altogether about 24 hours ago and the cramping has subsided. I feel mentally clearer and, believe it or not, have some semblance of libido - my husband is thrilled!

I am exploring other options for managing hormonal changes in perimenopause - including evening primrose oil and am still doing lots of yoga (even during the pain periods I did lots of yoga to help me manage)...Mainly, I feel so betrayed by the doctors (two women half my age) who insisted my symptoms were "all in my head" - to those of you planning for removal I encourage you to tell the medical professionals you work with that you are NOT crazy and NOT the only one experiencing these side effects. I personally believe that many women get too much progestin in the Mirena (which is not Progesterone, either) and this, in addition to overloading our estrogen, is enough to make us completely insane and miserable. I say let nature work its course as regards my own perimenopause and to those out there using Mirena for birth control I managed to avoid pregnancy with little concern using natural/rhythm methods and condoms as well as a diaphragm, conceiving my two beautiful (now teenage) sons without any intervention from hormones except my own. I am going to do peri and menopause the same way here on out. !!!!

Would love to hear how long it took for weight and stomach fat to go away after the removal from anyone who has been there - I eat very healthfully and exercise daily so I knew the pregnant look I got after that month with the Mirena was not due to one too many cookies )as my doctor seemed to infer !

i'm so glad i found this site. i cant sleep without meds. my headache is constant. the cramps for no reason. the nausea every time i eat. i cant lose weight and my breast are always sore. i'm getting this thing out of me asap.

well im so glad i found your site. i thought it was just me. the headache every single day. the strange cramps for no reason. the joint pain. the unexplained mood swings. im getting this thing out of me asap

Hi again
After reading thru some more posts I will add that I have also had cramps so severe that I fell to the floor. I would curl up in a ball trying not to cry until it finally passed.
I don't care what the doctors say, these are more than a passing, rare side effect. There are to many of us complaining about the same issues.
I have to many things going on that I am still probably forgetting some of them.
There is absolutely no need for all of us women to be suffering.
If I had know about these side effects I would have NEVER had the IUD put in.

I am on my 2nd mirena. the first one expired and was changed after being in for 4 years...not 5. with the first one, the only side effect was the acne. ive had the 2nd one in now for just over a year and im really considering having it removed because the past 8 weeks have been hell. while i have virtually no period, i also have no sex drive, and my cramps are horrendous. headaches, nauseousness, etc. 8 weeks ago, i had all of the symptoms of pregnancy witch came back negative thru a hpt and a blood test. also had symptoms of UTI, couldn't urinate and when i did it was very little, even had the pain in my lower back which led me to believe the UTI was bad. turns out after 3 cultures, i had no UTI, ive had a cat scan, mri and a scope up into my bladder, everything came back clear. symptoms disappeared, or so i thought. here i am again with all the same symptoms and its right around the normal time i would get my period. could this be a mirena side effect? lower back pain (not intolerable, more of a nucience *sp* ) my back feels like i rubbed BenGay or Icy hot on it. has anyone had these symptoms??? im going insane!!!!!

I've had mirena for about 6 months now. I had it put in due to very heavy periods, and i must say for that reason the mirena is GREAT. My sister has had the mirena for 2 1/2 years now and a few times she had cramps/severe pain so bad she couldn't even get to a phone, one time she actually fainted. Well i experienced my first "cramp attack" (as we call it) and it was bad, but my second experience was last night, and it was crazy. It hurt so bad i fell to floor in pain. It felt like a constant contraction that wouldn't go away for about 20 mins. My sister has been to the doctor several times for it and the scary part is they don't know what it is. We know its from the mirena though because we both have it. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have to say I am SHOCKED over this site but had to read every bit of it. I am a TRUE believer in the Mirena and until I came across this site while searching for sites to send a friend to encourage the Mirena I never knew how many horrible things could happen for someone on the Mirena. HOWEVER, I guess this is proof when with any type of birth control including Mirena it is said it's not for everyone. I happen to LOVE mine. I'm actually on my 2nd insertion. My first one went very well, after a crampy insertion and 2 days of horrible cramps controlled by ibuprofin I was left to enjoy 5 years of birth control w/out problems. I can't take the pill as no matter the dose I spend the 1st to weeks nauseated and vomiting in the morning, I tried the Depo Shot (personally that is the EVIL OF ALL EVIL birth control methods, gained 68 pounds in 11mnts never going over 105 pounds except for pregnancy in my life, have battled to control my weight since therefore I believe it destroyed my metabolism forever, major depression to the point of medication and medical leave from work & the world). And after an accident pregnancy no way was condoms going to be enough for me. My Dr. recommended Mirena and I gave it a try. I was not lucky enough to go period free my first insertion I did have a max of 3 days of period with little or no cramping. My second not as good, I now have about 5 days of spotting only if sex promotes it and occasionally after using the bathroom a little blood on the toilet paper, never needing to actually use any feminine products. I use to get ovarian cysts all the time, small enough surgery was only needed once but I knew when one was there and I knew one they "popped" as my doctor would call it. I haven't had that problem since I started with Mirena, I'm told its due to the small amount of hormones (hence the reason my Dr suggested Mirena versus a non hormone IUD). My sex drive has not been affected one bit...in fact like one of the positive posts I just read...my husband and I have discussed more then once prior to coming across this site how much more of a sex drive I do have, although we contributed it to not being pulled down in the dark world of depression from the Depo shot...and the freedom of placed once & forget for 5 years type birth control. I have 8 friends and coworkers that have the Mirena...One person had a problem, hers "fell out" in the toilet and she had been cramping and in abdominal pain for a few days prior not connecting it to her Mirena...but after 2 months of other methods she had another one placed and has had no problem since...that was 2 years ago. It stinks to hear how horrible this "wonder bc method" is for others...(are you seeing how terrible the other methods were for me first for me to feel this is the wonder of all wonders) and of course I'm concerned with the fact that most of you that had a problem had SEVERE problems..not just a small one here or there. But I'm going to bet that on the flip side the methods that caused me hell might work for one of you. I have 2 more years left on this 2nd cycle...I pray I never have the problems you do if I chose a 3rd insertion...however, with science today we can only hope your complaints are taken seriously and the makers of Mirena continue to improve so that less and less people run into these side effects. I'm not sure I would have another option...SCARY!

Okay...this is amazing, cause I thought I was crazy but now I know all of us are!!!hahah...I had the Mirena put in in early October. I am perimenopausal and my hubby has a vasectomy. The docs encouraged it to help with my menopausal symptoms, primarily irregular cycles and cramping due to not bleeding - they said that was due to low progesterone and the Mirena would work wonders. I had it put in (very very painful - and this from a woman who gave birth, at home, two separate times with nothing but a midwife and some gentle massaging during the birthings!) and never stopped bleeding. Not once! I have gone through two boxes of tampons and three of pads. I have cramping all the time, and low back ache. I noticed that my bras felt really sore and enlarged (so did hubby) and they grew overnight. I gained three pounds and started crying at the time. The final insult: no sex drive. zippo. none at all. I also have terrible vagina odor which is, I know gross to admit, but a very new thing. I think that there are many women who simply cannot tolerate these hormones. Our bodies know what to do and I am going to brave the change without intervention. I went to see doctor today and, of course, she tried to talk me out of removal. She even had the nerve to say that it was good to have in, to protect my uterus, for eventual Hormone replacement therapy -as if I had ever mentioned that as an option? I looked at her and said, "take it out". Now I don' t know if this is imagination, but I swear the cramps have abated in the past several hours. I am still bleeding but feel hope for its ending. I would not recommend this to anyone and to those out there being told its value in managing menopausal symptoms, move on. It is not worth it - the change is change enough!

This is my Mirena story. I got it inserted just over 4 months ago. Other birth controls were not working very well for me, as I had irregular bleeding with them often. So my doctor recommended Mirena. Insertino was awful. It hurt terribly. I almost passed out in the office from the pain (and I am not a wuss when it comes to pain). On the drive home I had to pull over to throw up - I was so nauseous from the pain. The extreme pain (which, to me, was worse than when I was in labor) lasted for a few days then subsided.

I bled for 30 days straight after insertion, which was awful. I also have experienced hair loss, acne, irritability and weight gain (without changing my diet and exercise levels). Over the past four months I have also had awful back pain and extreme cramps that seem to come randomly. My periods come and last 10 days.

Recently, I decided that I'd had it with the Mirena. I went to the doctor today and had it removed. After talking with her about my side effects, she was very supportive in my decision to have it removed. She believes I may be overly sensitive to the progestin in it. Removal was super-quick and easy and virtually painless. I'm looking forward to life without this thing!

My name is Amanda, I'm 21 yrs old, engaged and having some problems:
I had mirena put in December, 2008 and had a horrible first night. My cramps were terrible for at least 5 hrs. After that I had no problems other than really odd cycles (on for 10 days, off for 3 months, on for 4 days, etc)
I hadn't thought my other problems were due to this iud but now think otherwise and am seriously wanting it removed. I've been very irritable, bloated, exhausted, can't sleep at all at night until 6 am then finally sleep till 1 pm... I have absolutely NO SEX DRIVE (odd because my fiancé were very happy with our sex lives , now it's maybe once if that).
My fiancé says this is a very good form of B.C. Because we never have sex... Hahaha. I don't have any cramps but do get unusual headaches (right temple, extremely sharp pain) ...
If i knew for sure that these symptoms weren't from mirena, I'd keep it... But now am going to get it removed and get back on the shot...
Let me know if anyone has anything to help me out with the sex drive thing!!!

Does it hurt to get mirena removed?

Will my sex drive return?????
I'm only 21 and am getting married in sept 2010 (hopefully ... Haha) ...
Thanks, A.

OMG i cant believe that its been the MIRENA all this time i thought i was going nuts my hubby thought i didn't love him with the mood swings i was getting the cramps and no sex drive what so ever the depression was really bad felt life wasn't worth living any more i have decided to get it out and have a normal life again with my hubby and family wouldn't advise anyone to get it in.

Mirena inserted December 07, 6 mo. after my son was born. Was not even dressed after procedure when a severe wave of pain took over. Asked nurse, said "discomfort" was common. Thought to myself, I've had 2 kids, this isn't discomfort. She gave me a "super" Advil. No clue what it was, took it because I felt like passing out from the pain, Called husband on way back to work, in tears, thought I was going to vomit from pain. Got much worse, had to pull car over -- afraid I was going to black out. Mustered up strength, got to work. Took additional 3 hours for cramps to subside. Completely exhausted. Next night, out of nowhere, horrible, horrible pain -- never had ovary issues, but it was to one side, thought my ovary was exploding. Went to urgent care cetner -- didn't know what else to do. They took Xray (no ultrasound available), nothing out of the ordinary. Called dr. -- she was perplexed -- never heard of this before. Next 6 months a blur. Every single month, at completely random times, horrible pains would hit again - nothing I could do. So bad, thought I would wreck my car when driving, felt like throwing up from pain, had to lay completely still, take 4 ibuprofen and WAIT for it to go away--up to 3 hours each time. This left me exhausted and extremely scared for the next month. Waited the standard 3 months -- up to 6 months. Finally gave up, asked dr. to remove it. She did. Have not had a SINGLE episode like this again. IMy body doesn't react like this to new things, so I was shocked when my I didn't adjust. I have no other way to explain this, but I am interested why the side effects were so unheard of by my ob-gyn. She reported them to the FDA and pharm. manufacturer. WEIRD.

I am 29 and had the Mirena put in 6 weeks after having baby #2. I thought it was a great idea and my OB said "NO SIDE EFFECTS". I have been bleeding heavily since it was inserted, cramps, sharp pains in my uterus area, bloating and headaches at night. I don't know if this is their form of birth control, but if your bleeding everyday you can't have sex! I run 3 miles five times a week and was losing weight steadily, until I had the Mirena put in. I watch what I eat obsessively and I am gaining weight! I am emotional all the time and find myself losing my patience with my kids and my husband all the time. I am getting it taken out today! I'll update how it went and the side effects going away. I would rather deal with another pregnancy than go through this. Follow your gut feelings - the Mirena won't work for everyone and obviously there are quite a few of us!

I got mirena inserted in feb 2009, I bled off and on every month up until this last month. I have had drastic mood swings with my deployed fiance. One minute we are okay and for some weird reason I would just get so angry for something very minute. I have been experiencing discharge with a foul odor.
I have had increase episodes of migraines, insomnia, cramps, and throbbing pain in my vaginal walls. I have experience vaginal dryness and having to use lubrication more than often.
I have no desire for sex. My fiance is 24 and I am 28. He is always ready to go like 5 times a day sometimes if we don't have the kids at home with us. I feel really awful putting him through this, especially being he in Kuwait, he doesn't deserve my attitude. The problem is I can never remember to take the pill. The MIRENA is more convenient and a safer method to prevent pregnancy, My fiance does not want us to have any kids right now. I am nervous if I take out the MIRENA we will slip somewhere and get pregnant again. Pregnancy right now with really cause a strain in our relationship related to him not wanting us to get pregnant right now.
I feel so trapped because I don't know what to do at this time.
By C. W.

I am not sure if anyone has experienced severe pains specifically after exercising. I seem to have many of the symptoms expressed on this site from mood swings, depression, extremely tired, headaches (which I never had a problem in the past) and cramps that come sporadically. I have been lucky to not get my period but I do get periodic discharges that are not consistent in the least. However, my biggest concern are the pains I get when I exercise. They have gotten bad enough that I feel that I may pass out and/or throw up. They don't occur when I am actually exercising, just immediately following and it lasts to various degrees for many hours.

I'm 42 & have three children ages, 8, 10 an 16. I started my period when i was 12 & i've suffered with horrible cramps and bloating ever since. I've been on & off different birth control pills to relieve the pain (didn't start pill until i was 15) & to control the pain. After my kids, i started back on the pill. Some worked better than others but the ones that onced worked, eventually stopped. The last 3 years have been worse. One problem i had was that i'd forget to take the pill. That made the pain worse. Tried the Nuva Ring for 2 months & had constant yeast infections. 3 of my girlfriends have Mirena & recommended it to me. BTW my husband is fixed, lol...so i dont have to worry about getting pregnant, just needed the pain & bloating to go away. After much consideration, pelvic ultrasounds & blood tests to rule out anything serious, i had the mirena put in 8/09. a little painful but nothing like childbirth! i didnt have bleeding, did get my period the next month, not bad. as of now i feel great. i could stand to loose 10-15 lbs. & i finally feel good enough to get on the treadmill & the weight is coming off. BUT i just told my husband this week that i noticed my face breaking out. more like little bumps, skin isnt smooth anymore and occasionally i get a nasty pimple like the kind a teenager would get. So i searched the web for mirena and acne and found this sight. I have an appt for dermo in a few weeks but from what i've read it sounds like i'm in trouble. As long as it doesnt get any worse & no other side effects, the Mirena (so far) has done wonders for my pain. YEAH!

hi im 23 years old and i just got my mirena taken out this morning after having side effects that i couldn't take anymore. i had nausea, stomach pains, bad mood swings, and lots of depression. cried cuz of the stomach pain. and now that i got it out i still feel the bad stomach pain. don't know if i should go to the emergency room.i hope to god these side effects don't stay with me now that i got it removed. i also have crohns disease which makes my stomach hurt just not as bad as i have now. i still feel emotional, cramps and moodiness. there should be a lawsuit out for this. i never felt so much pain.

I am getting my Mirena removed tomorrow. I'm tired of waking up and having cramps be the first thing I am aware of and the over-riding feeling of pain and tiredness all day. I have no sex drive (didn't realize it could be the IUD till I read these complaints) and am tired all the time (figured that was from fighting the cramps all day. Thank you for this site and the information about this IUD.

Hi, I had Mirena inserted in Nov ,2007. At first , after the insertion, everything was great. Felt as though for once they had invented a new way of not getting prego! As time past completely stopped having my period for almost all of 2008. Concerned I went to my doctor and asked if this was normal. My doctor stated it was one of the side effects. Moved on to believe it was all so GREAT... Starting 2009 problems began appearing, such as, extreme back pain, cramps that would make me almost faint at work. My co-workers were always making sure i felt ok. Began to have acne in which i've never had in my life not only in my face, but also in my buttchecks. Went to dermatologist and got all sorts of prescription drugs for it.... asking myself if acne in my rear end was something common and again i never has this before, my hair was very thick and now i spend almost every other Saturday unclogging my tub due to my hair loss and im only 23 yrs old. Since the birth of my daughter , i have gained 45lbs . I got a gym member ship and began to workout 4 to 5 days a week, and began to change my eating habits since feb 2009. So far i've only lost 5lbs. And talk about depression and anxiety attacks. CRAZY, i fell so alone some days and extremely nervous almost every day. Went to two months ago to my doctor and ask to take it out, she asked me why i wanted to do such a thing? After explaining all my systems, she stated i have a early stage of menopause, i said, Menopause at age 23 ? No way.... I reschedule an appt with another doctor to have it removed.... Hopefully it all goes away! I fell bad recommending it to my friends just to find out one of them currently has cysts because of this.

hello my name is T. i just got the mirena in January 09 after having my first child. at first i didn't notice any side effects until i went to my doctors and i gained well over 30 pounds. felt sad all the time felt like i wasn't myself. yesterday after going to the emergency room due to bad cramps and severe pain in my pelvic area. after doing tests and everything and finally finding that i have two ovarian cysts from the mirena im getting it taken out immediately

Like most everyone else on this site, I wish I had read this first.
I had Mirena inserted in February 2009. At first I thought it was te best thing I had ever done. It was for the first 5 months. But then it started. Headaches, BAD acne (never had any before, now I have huge cyst type things in my ear lobes and all over my face), bad cramps, gained 30lbs right off the bat and now have been on Weight Watchers since June and have only lost 5 pounds. No matter what I do. I was going to stick it out and just see. But, thank you to those who have posted to this site. I guess the side effects don't just go away like I have hoped over the last few months. Sounds like they get worse. Thanks for helping me make my decision to get it removed. Oh and I'm one of those people who NEVER experience the bad side effects. I use to brag about that. I never even read the Mirena side effects because that's not something I ever had to worry about before.

i had the Mirena IUD put a few months ago. It was extremely painful to have it put it, especially since i don't have any children. But my experience is a pretty positive one. The main thing i was concerned about before i got Mirena was weight gain, but to my surprise ive actually lost weight. i do have some negative such as, i notice my hair sheds a bit more but my hair is naturally pretty thick, ive notice breaking out on my back, and i get random cramps that last less then 5 minutes. My periods are another concern as if right now.. there very very light but they last so far about 10 days. Even though i have some minor side effects, I LOVE MIRENA, and i have/having a very positive experience. :)

It has been 7 weeks since the removal of my Mirena. I don't have any side effects except for the week before and the week of my period. Moodiness (my poor husband), dizziness, extreme fatigue, cramps, the eczema on my hands flares up... Can anyone turn on the light at the end of my dark tunnel and tell me that they no longer suffer from symptoms the same or similar to mine, post Mirena? I know everyone is different, I just feel discouraged and need to hear a success story! Thanks and God Bless.

honestly, the only problem i have had from Mirena is the odor =( i just had it put in about 2 weeks ago. the procedure to get it in was uncomfortable. luckily, i sat around talking to the doctor about my daughter when i felt like i was going to throw up. i got really fast suddenly and starting vomiting. bullets of sweat kept dripping down my forehead, then after crying from the cramping and squeezing the daylights out of my boyfriends hand, i felt fine. stood up and got dizzy again. had to rest for about 10 minutes. i

now, i get very few cramps, which i never had before. but the odor coming from the below the belt line is awful! any suggestions? i shower 2 times a day now and use summers eve and other vaginal odor killers. i feel disgusting. i have not lost my sex drive do the the mirena itself, but the smell is embarrassing and don't want my boyfriend around any of that. can someone help me out?

******