Mirena and fear

Well just like most of you, this thing is giving me so much trouble! I got Mirena in February of 2007 and have had problems ever since. At the insertion, I thought I was having a child it was soo painful! Cramps instantly and bleeding like crazy! Now, over a year later, I'm still cramping everyday and I've bled pretty much the entire time on and off and it's never predictable. I have no desire to do anything, I'm tired and irritable (my poor boyfriend always catches the bad end of it, both sexually and mentally) and I'm always uncomfortable (something just doesn't feel "right" down there). I've gained about 15 pounds, and HATE IT. I'm only 20 years old, I shouldn't feel as bad as I do. My biggest fear is that it will end up ruining my body and I won't be able to ever have children. I mean, just because I didn't want them while I'm still in college doesn't mean I won't want them in the future. I made an appointment to get mine out on the 17th of September and CANNOT wait, of course they weren't happy at the doc's office but o'well, they "couldn't get me in" for 3 weeks. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has felt like this was a bad idea.

I have had the Mirena for almost 4 years, my health has gone down hill ever since. I never ever thought that it could be the IUD causing all of these issues that I have been having, discharge, tired all of the time, no sex drive, lower back pain and whole lot more. Over the last couple of weeks I have been experiencing really bad headaches with dizziness and nausea and don't let me forget the bad cramping, even though I had my period 2 weeks earlier. I went to my PCP and he said to me " I have no idea what is wrong with you" I finally decided to look up MIRENA and it's side effects, since it's the only thing left that I have not investigated as a possible cause to all of my aches and pains. When I found this site, I realized what is causing all of my problems, needless to say I am making an appointment in the morning to have this GOD AWFUL thing removed. My only wish is that I can live a normal life again.

Well ladies and even gents, who may be concerned about your loved ones. I am an African-American/Puerto-rican woman of age 23 with no kids. I had Mirena placed in about 3 months ago and to be honest- I love it and I hate it.

I've cramped tremendously, have had prolonged periods, and a dry/flaky scalp but it's much better than my ultimate hypothetical fear. I've been a little be nerved lately but I can control myself but it feels as if my nasal passages have become smaller. At first I thought it came from allergies which I don't have and then since I've moved back to Germany it could only lead to one thing-this anchor I have inserted in me.

I know the first day I had it inserted I was totally delirious.I immediately laid back down on the doctors chair and cramped for appr 10 min. I couldn't even drive home; in which i happened to puke outside while I was waiting for a stop light.

But to counter the negatives I haven't gained any weight. My face is clear-thanks to Clarins, and I'm assured that I will not get pregnant. I couldn't be any happier.

To be honest, since I haven't had an children I'm thinking about taking it out; side effects are totally relative and one day when I do want to have children I might be sterile. Additionally, the relativity of all our side effects are not even worth the exposure-esp. if it's for a bloke.

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

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

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

Hi everyone, I need help. I got Mirena inserted about 2 months ago and I feel really bad. I cannot sleep at night, I get panic attacks, numbness, fear of dying, tired all the time, headaches, crying I feel like I'm going to DIE. I cannot stand it anymore and I wasn't aware if it was from MIrena because I have felt panic attacks before but very seldom and ever since MIrena it is everyday. I want this thing out but my doctor will not have an appt for about a month. Can I remove it myself? I want it out... HELPPPPPPPP

I got Mirena put in on July 5, 07...never had a child but Dr. said since I was 36 and not planning on having children, Mirena was a good alternative to the pill which I had been on since I was 19. On the pill I had very light 2-3 day periods and with diet and exercise, could lose weight. Now, almost a year on Mirena...the only good think that has gone away from when I was on the pill is the migrane headaches that I was starting to get on a monthly basis...but, in their place...I have gained weight, tired, have acne, cramps erratically throughout month, never know when my period will show up...some months it does not, some months it lasts 4 days (like last month), and I always feel bloated - esp. in the abdomen. I've even wondered on occasion...am I pregnant?? why do I feel so bloated?? One other weird thing, since I started running this year, I get this weird sensation that I have to go empty my bladder...this also occurs while doing intense stomach crunches...but it is not incontenance..nope never have bladder problems...it is just this funky feeling - sometimes almost a burning feeling around my uterous. Have not seen anyone post this - but it did not happen before Mirena when I ran or did sit ups...now it does - doubt this is coincidence.

Some of these symptoms truely could just be simply the result of ovulating again - that is what my Dr. told me...that on the pill I never released an egg...so now my body was getting used to ovulating again. Well...if that is the case, I just can not stand it anymore...I get it removed June 26th - next week so hopefully I'll be able to post back that these symptoms are gone or have removed. Going to go on the pill again...which has its own side effects...but I sure did not have as many when I was on it. Husband has offered to go under the knife to take care of him...but I'll see how the pill does again. Hoping to reclaim my life and actually lose weight as I've been dieting and exercising while on Mirena to no avail!

I have had the Mirena for four months. I am 45 years old and finished having children. I cannot take the birth control pill because I'm a smoker. I talked with my physician about a tubal ligation versus Mirena. She actually recommended the tubal ligation but I was afraid of the general anesthesia. However, after the side effects I have experienced, I will be calling my physician soon to schedule a tubal ligation and have the Mirena removed. I have always been fortunate to have three, light days of a period each month. After the insertion of Mirena, I have 20 days or more a month of spotting which necessitates the wearing of a mini pad daily. I would rather have three days of light bleeding every 25-28 days than 20 days of pesky light spotting. Also, my knees are killing me. I feel like I'm 95 years old. I can hardly walk up and down steps without pain. This was not an issue prior to the insertion of Mirena. Within the last couple weeks, I've noticed an increase in acne. I have NEVER had acne problems so the three or four zits on my face now is very unusual and I can only attribute that to Mirena. I guess I need to overcome my fear of general anesthesia and get those tubes tied and end my birth control woes!

Had my coil fitted in Nov 2005 and have only now just realised my many symptoms started around that time.
My lack of sex drive, I am now on anti depressants, I sweat so much my face and down my back. I have put on weight and my mood swings come and go I often end up in tears at the slightest thing. I constantly have a watery discharge which means having to wear panty liners. My memory is terrible I find I have to write everything down at work as soon as it is said or I forget.
But the worst thing is the sweating my underarms stay dry its my face & it runs down my back it is really getting me down I am always looking flushed and hot I did think it was the menopause as I am 45 this year but I have tried various herbal remedies with no effect any one have any suggestions.
My GP is not keen on me having the coil removed as my periods were so heavy I often could not leave the house for fear of the blood flow showing through the pads.
Karen

My experience and a question...

Hello all,
I had mine placed 6 days ago. First 2 days were a little painful. But I was able to go to school and work (in my final year of college and am having a hard enough time in Calculus without missing a day). I have been on many different kinds of birth control (patch, pill, and shot). My problem is I suffer from severe migraines. At the worst point in my life, they were 3-5 times a week. The patch worked the best for me. I lost weight, periods didn't change at all, migraines went to 2-4 a month and I (still to this day) have never really experienced cramps. However, because of the cost and my financial situation at the time, I couldn't afford it. The shot was the worst. Gained 10 pounds every 3 months, very emotional and depressed all the time, and the migraines slowly became more frequent. Changed to the pill (Kariva) and took it so that I only had a period every 3 months. My migraines almost went away completely but I had a lot of lower abdomen pain. Had every test under the sun and they found nothing wrong. My doctor suggested changing my birth control so here I am. My question is are there any signs of complications from the placement of Mirena? About once a day or more I get a sharp pain in my lower left side. Not sure if this is just the same pains I had from the pill (didn't take anything for birth control for 2 months and all the pain stopped. didn't start up again till placement) or if others have experienced this when something was wrong. I am scared they may be something wrong but being a broke college student, don't really have $100 to spend at the doctor to have the usually *shrug*. Thanks! email ******

I had Mirena inserted 3 1/2 weeks ago. I noticed right away bloating, and hot flashes and immediately started to gain weight. I feel more anxious and depressed than normal, and I started having negative thoughts about myself. Because I was having these symptoms I googled 'mirena/depression' to see if this was normal and I found this site. Now I am scared to stay on this road that many of you have struggled on, for fear that it will continue or get worse.

I'm a 21 year old mother of one 4-year old. I recently got my Mirena put in on March 11, 2008. Insertion was painful but the cramps went away pretty quick when i left the doctors office I tried to feel for the string but i never felt it so i assumed that my fingers were to small to reach so i just forgot about it. My boyfriend and i had sex the next week and it felt much much different. It felt as if his penis had doubled in size or something. I just know that it HURT a little more but it was still somewhat enjoyable. Since then I got my period last monday March, 26th and I'm still bleeding 9 days later! It's very frustrating. My head is spinning all of the time, I black out, and i twitch like something is wrong. I've gained weight, I have intense migraines, and i'm scared!!!!! Today is the 4th of April and i want it removed so badly. I just left the doctors office for my follow up, so that he could make sure my Mirena is in place. GUESS WHAT.... HE COULDN'T FIND THE STRING to the Mirena....so now i've got an ultrasound appointment on Tuesday. I'm terrified that this thing is floating around somewhere in my body doing damage. My significant other is devestated because he is in fear that we can't have children together and he has already made himself distant. It's a very stressful situation. I'll keep you updated....

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.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

Hi everyone - I had Mirena inserted 5 months ago & my body is now showing signs the thing is finally working. Acne everywhere - yes, sweating - yes, bad headaches - yes, heart palpitations - yes, nausea - yes, losing my cool - bad, hair loss - yes, lower back pain - yes, right ovary pain - yes, sore left leg, vision fading, chest pain, my speech is getting all muddled. Now I have a body which is prone to a stroke & that was a fear of mine before getting Mirena inserted. I was assured that this would not happen as it contains different ingredients to the contraceptive pill. This thing is going to cause a clot somewhere in my body which means seeing a doctor quick. - I don't recommend it for anyone - Mine is coming out as soon as I can talk to my gyno. Ladies If you haven't had the worst of these conditions before, - you need to talk to your doctor & get yours out. Tracy (NZ)

Just a word of encouragment to those contemplating having their Mirena removed. I was a bit frightened by the reports that removal was painful and caused severe bleeding. I had mine removed yesterday, and I must say, IN MY EXPERIENCE, the fear was much worse than reality. In fact, if it wasn't for the nurse saying "ok, honey, its out", I wouldn't have even known it was done and over with. For me, it was no worse than having a pap smear, and I had very little spotting for a few hours afterward and some very mild cramping, nothing like the cramps I have had while having it in. Just knowing it is out is a big relief, just didnt want anyone to delay having it removed for fear of that pain, everyone is different, but in my experience it was a breeze!

Thank you to all of your courageous women who have posted your experiences with Mirena. I'm so glad to know that I'm not alone.
I've had my Mirena IUD since September 2002 (5 years) and it's been a nightmare.
I've experienced extreme mood swings as many of you have mentioned. I don't even like who I am anymore. I didn't gain much weight but I have severe cramping, spotting for weeks at a time and the worst temper tantrums. My sex drive increased (ten fold) but was painful at times due to Mirena. My partner could feel the strings and I had to go back to the doctor to have them cut. Now he only feels them in certain positions. If he even comes close to my cervix - it's the worst pain and brings on cramping (again). I went to my obgyn but was told that as we age our hormone levels drop severely and that's why I have mood swings. She recommended that I take prozac to help me cope. She denied that it had anything to do with the IUD. I thought I was going crazy - I have all of you to thank for helping me understand that it's not in my mind - it's in my cervix.
I'm having it removed later this month but fear for what other options are available to women for birth control.

I have had my Mirena since 6/5/06, three weeks after giving birth to my third child. I only opted for it because a paperwork fiasco at the hospital did not get my authorization for the tubal ligation after delivery in time, then went I went for the pre-surgery consult, the doctor highly recommended the Mirena instead of a tubal and even though I told her that I had horrible problems tolerating the pill, I was told that the hormone level was low, and localized, and not to worry about any side effects.

I didn't have pain or cramping initally like a lot of the other posters, and had very light spotting for the first few months, to the point that I couldn't really tell "Is THIS my period, or am I still just spotting?". I thought that would subside, but here, 15 months later, I still "spot" up to 20 days a month. I have tender/swollen breasts almost every day of the month (to the point where even an accidental brush against them is painful and I have to wear my bra even to bed, something I never did before). FORGET about my husband even wanting to touch them! More on that later....

I go to my PCP tomorrow and am asking to have it removed. To help her, I made a list of my symptoms, and have divided them into Physical and Emotional Categories. I am hoping she does not give me a referral to a mental health specialist when she reads it, cause its quite extensive. I am NOT a hypochondriac by any means, just someone who knows my body and knows these are not normal: bloated stomach (still look 6 mos pregnant), weight gain (I am 7 lbs over my weight when discharged from the hospital after delivery. 7 lbs is not alot, but consider that is on top of a considerable pregnancy weight gain that has not come off, add another 7lbs to it despite a rigorous exercise and diet plan, including Alli (orlistat) that resulted in a 2lb. gain). Headaches, blurry vision, acute insomnia in spite of prescribed sleep aids, fatigue, achey muscles, joint pain esp. in wrists and hands, acne, cramping, night sweats, pain during intercourse (when I'm coaxed into having it), a worsening in my hearing and ringing in ears, sometimes a burning sensation in the top of my right foot.

The worst part is the emotional effects. Depression and dispair beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Wild mood swings. I thought "maybe I'm bi-polar?" but no, I don't have manic episodes, I'd say I have two moods: Despair & Self-Loathing and RAGE. I have destroyed almost every relationship I have. I have lost friends, family members that I have alientated with my wild temper, and last week, my husband walked out on me, saying "I just can't take this anymore, what is WRONG with you, you aren't the woman I married". My rage is 99% of the time directed towards him. It can be over something as simple as he didn't push his chair in after leaving the dinner table. I have anxiety attacks, severe daily crying spells, and the thought or suggestion of sex sends me into severe panic attacks. A sexual encounter, formerly a much enjoyed and daily event, has become a MAYBE twice monthly event that ends with me in tears and my husband frustrated and angry beyond belief.

I just hope and pray I am not met with "It's not the IUD" when I see my doctor (not the doctor that put it in, as we have moved across the state). All I can say is NONE of these symptoms were present before Mirena, it just took my husband walking out on me to sit and think and make the connection that maybe there is a coincidence. I started to see a connection to wild behavior while pregnant and years ago being on the pill and then, duh, light bulbs went off in my head. "This is hormonal". Sorry it took me so long and cost me so much pain to figure it out.