Mirena and hair loss

Since I've gotten my Mirena Implant I've been diagnosed with 2 different STD's and an infection which after the blood tests came back negative! So far I have taken meds for HPV, Herpes, and a UTI. Each time I go in for my pap smear and check up to make sure the IUD is still in place I inform the doctors (have visited 6: 3 for the first pap, 3 for the second opinion) that one of the biggest side effects of the implant is abnormal pap smears, even hand them the same pamphlet that the inserting doctor gave me when I first got it (which clearly states abnormal pap smears as a side effect) however I still end up with some horrible disease/infection!

So far, in the one year I have had this thing in me, I have taken 20 different meds for these STD's that I NEVER HAD!!!! These meds have made me horribly sick and the UTI meds almost killed me.

Also, like many women on here, I have bad hair loss, headaches, horrible back pains, and crippling stomach pains. Constantly attempting to get my doctor to give me an ultra sound to make sure that the impant didnt tear me but she refuses! Go to the hospital to ask them for the same and they refuse also "Thats not likely with the implant."

This is my one year check up coming up, I want this thing out! If they do not take it out I'm threatening with a lawsuit. This is NOT a life saving device and they should have NO say in whether or not this stays in!

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

As of last night, I was so excited about my choice to use Mirena. The informational piece of art they gave me sounded wonderful. No period. No Cramps. No babies for 5 years at MY CHOICE. As a 19 year old woman, having the ability to decide when I'M READY and not become a statistic, I was SOLD.
Well, I had Mirena inserted this morning! It was the worst pain I have ever felt. I have never given birth, so they alerted me that they were going to give me 4 shots to numb my cervix... first the nurse practitioner who promised me she would be doing the procedure.. DIDN'T. She let the " doctor" do it. Who i had assumed would be knowledgable and would have years of experience. Not kidding here ladies, she sat there and said " did I do it right?" " did I give her enough numbing medication?" " should I cut the strings more?" I was ASTONISHED. but when your laying on the table, feet in the air and your cervix dilated, you just want the whole thing to be over.. but I sarcastically said " have you ever done this before" and i got " of course, I'm so sorry it was more painful than we had described." I wanted to burst into tears. I got extremely hot and felt dizzy, I told the nurse, and she started to fan me down. Afterwards I sat up, and saw the surgical tools, I wanted to vomit. Once they left the room, I stood up and blood just gushed. As they told me to come in on my period at my heaviest peak of flow, it was just 3x worse.
Apparently I didn't do enough research, I read all of these ladies opinions and concerns and I'm starting to question if it's the best choice for me. My aunt, and cousin had them NO PROBLEMS. And my soon to be mother- in - had hers surgically removed in the 70's for perforating her uterus. I figured it was new technology and Mirena would be better.
And now I'm just worried sick. 20 lbs in months... I'm 5'4 and weigh 107 pounds, 20 lbs would be OBESITY. Acne? Hair Loss, dry itchy scalp?? A FOREIGN OBJECT GETTING LOST INSIDE MY BODY?
The thing is, my OBGYN cant even take in appointments when I have an emergency UTI, yeast infection or need to make my annual pap.. but they " squeezed me in" for the following day to insert something that is causing so much pain for other women. I asked the valid questions, I did my research by reading allllll of the information. I asked about weight, they said it wouldn't affect me. Acne- they said " if it does cause acne, use this topical" and prescribed me cream. I asked about the expulsion, and they said " it never happens, we do this all day, everyday. We highly recommend it, we use it ourselves and have no problems" I also asked about discomfort that it would cause for my fiance... " he wont feel a thaaang, don't worry about it sweetie, those strings will wear down as your body's natural acids break them down, they'll become soft and he wont notice it unless you tell him." I'm just wondering, If some many women have these problems over the last several years, why isn't anything being done, and why is it so silent. Problems with Mirena seemed impossible to the doctors, in fact when I asked the doctor about acne, she seemed shocked and said " well, I have had some acne on my back, but I dont believe it's cause by Mirena" almost as if she hadn't done any research herself.
Well, this site has officially freaked me out. I don't need any more acne than I already have. Nor do i need to have any problems in my relationship.
The only thing I have noticed so far, besides the MAJOR pain during placement, is mild to heavy cramps throughout the day, which I have used 2 Vicodins to ease. I felt tingliness in my feet and ankles, but wasn't sure if it could have been caused by other random things. I've always had SOME joint pain, and I believe it's too early to see any new changes. I will keep posting.
*Also, have any of you women that have had problems been smokers" I occasionally smoke and wonder if this could cause any EXTRA problems?

I have had my IUC for 10 days and I want it out already. After only 10 days I am so bloated and my breasts are huge. I have a metallic taste in my mouth, dizziness, and anxiety. I only have it so I can use estrogen for menopause. Forget it! Is there anyone out there that can tell me these things get better with time? Why do the doctors push Mirena? Why?

I'm almost 25 years old and just had my 2nd child in February. I'm diabetic and also have heart problems and my doctor HIGHLY recommended Mirena. I got it in April 2008. For awhile, I didn't realize how tired and moody I was. Then my husband started commenting on how I never get up in the middle of the night anymore when the baby wakes up, and it's always him doing it. I told him that I was always completely exhausted, and thought maybe it was from all the bleeding I was experiencing. Since I had it put it, I bled for over 2 months. I also started experiencing migraine headaches, severe cramping, and hair loss. I could shower and wash my hair and look at my hands and see large amounts of hair tangled around my fingers. I called my doctor about the excessive bleeding, and they said it's "normal" and will get better. I kept telling myself that... "this can only get better". I also haven't been able to lose a single pound since I started the Mirena. I stay at a consistent 167 pounds (LITERALLY). No matter what I did, or how I ate, I wouldn't gain or lose weight! So, I'd finally had enough with the headaches, the extreme fatigue, and inability to lose weight. I went to my primary care physician and they did blood work to check my thyroid, my liver, kidneys, blood sugars, everything that would typically cause these symptoms. Everything came back normal. So my doctor said it could be that my pituitary gland is enlarged. So I had to do a CT scan and a sinus scan. They told me that I have a sinus infection and gave me amoxicillin. Well, obviously that didn't make most of my problems go away. I'd also been getting into a lot of fights with my husband over the stupidest things, and I didn't even know why! So I decided to take the Mirena out. When I called my dr's office to request to have it removed, my nurse's exact words were "I speak from experience..it gets better" I told her I don't care, I want it out. And that was that. The SAME night after I had it removed my husband commented on my behavior...that I seemed happier and more energetic. And today is even better! I feel like a whole new person! Ladies... if you are experiencing these effects, get it out. It's not worth changing your life around. Good luck to everyone.

i had the mirena placed in me after i had my last child 2005.i had the mirena inserted in me when he was about 2 1/2 months old.when he was 2 months old i started to notice that my hair was shedding like crazy.i had long beautiful full hair to mention.well it's about 2 years and 10 months later and my hair is still falling out.dry brittle,and unhealthy.i went to me primary care physician and she tested me for all kinds of things...every thing came back negative.i have smelly discharge everyday no matter how much i bath. i can't keep the weight off even though i constantly work out and eat healthy.i am so sick of this in me,i haven't enjoyed it since i had it....but then again,not one birth control method ever worked for me with severe side effects.i didn't even know that mirena had hormones in it.

I have been reading everyone's side effects. I know everyone is different. I have not experienced hair loss, bad acne, or horrible mood swings. I HAVE, however, gained about 40 pounds since having Mirena inserted in February 2007. My periods stopped after about 4 months; I would have the brownish discharge everyone else has spoken about, plus feeling like I didn't smell good. It did help with my migraines, but here in the last 3 months, I have been getting a migraine once a month, with severe pain and vomiting AND I have started to try and have a period again. This past week I actually did bleed enough to be a nuisance to me. I have had so many problems with birth control I am at my wits end. I am 34, have one child and 2 stepchildren; my fiance and I don't plan on having any more children, so I am seriously considering getting this thing taken out and having my tubes tied. I enjoy the fact that I don't have to think about birth control, but the weight gain among other things is just too much.

I wrote a couple days ago. My gyno finally called me back. She admitted that hair loss, fatigue, etc. are symptoms of Mirena and I should get it removed and try something else. I am definitely getting it out Monday. Hope everything works out for the rest of you .

I got my mirena in April 2008 and loved it at first. Before getting mirena i tried the depo shot and had my period for the 3 months i was on it and became anemic so i was really happy when my period finally stopped after getting mirena. The insertion was extremely painful even though i was given pills the day before to dilate me. I vomited during the insertion and almost passed out but is probably just because i had never had a kid before so they had to dilate me a lot. I had severe cramping for the rest of the day and minor cramping for about a week after. After about two weeks i started getting some of the normal symptoms listed in the mirena information.. bloating, mood swings, depression. None of them were severe so it wasn't that big of a deal but i've also had a major lack of sex drive, some hair loss, and periods that last about 3 weeks. About 2 months ago i started having extreme pain during sex. Even if my boyfriend stops immediately i can't stand up straight for a couple days after and have to walk kind of hunched over and even that is terribly painful. I thinks it's time i look into getting it removed.

I can't believe I came across this. I have been having the weirdest things going on with me and had no idea they were attributed to my IUD: Mirena. I have had Mirena for a little over a year and actually love it. I stopped having periods all together on it after only having it for 2 months. Never had any cramps, bloating or spotting. I also didn't gain any weight on it. In fact, I lost a lot of weight. However, all my other symptoms are the same as every one else on here. I have an extreme amount of hair loss. I am terrified of the amount of hair I have been losing. I have extremely irritable with my husband and think just don't feel like anything matters anymore. I just feel depressed. Having a two year old doesn't help. :) I also have zero sex drive. I have chronic headaches anyway, but I have had an increase in my headaches. I have had weird low back pain and joint aches in my knees and feet. I have also had a lot congestion and sinusitis, which I read can be a side effect. I have also had some eye and vision problems. Not to mention fatigue, acne, flaky skin, numb fingers and just basically, for the past year, I haven't felt like myself. I am having it removed on Monday and hope that I start to feel like myself again. I am so happy that I started to do some research and discovered this, otherwise I might still be miserable, wondering why. If anyone knows anything about a lawsuit let me know.

Everyone's story sounds like mine in a way. I really thought I was going crazy. I had the Mirena but in 2 months after I had my son (April 2008). At that point I had lost 20 pounds of the weight I had gained from pregnancy. As soon as I got it in I started gaining weight slowly and 30 pounds later here I am. I worked out like crazy and cut my eating and still nothing and the crazy thing is that people kept telling me to cut my portions (if I cut it any more I would have stopped eating all together). I talked to my doctor at my 6 month check up and at my 12 month check up and she assured me that it was nothing and that the Mirena could not cost that and off course I should eat less.
I have had every symptom in the book and have just thought I was crazy. Hair loss, depression (it was so bad I had to see a therapist and didn’t trust myself around my kids), longer periods (went from 4-5 days to 10-14 days), discharge between periods, cramps, back pain, and today I started passing clots so big your would have thought I was having a baby and oh yea, acne like I am 14 again.
All I can say is I am done and cant wait till this mess is out of me. I rather be pregnant than deal with this.

I had my Mirena device inserted in June 2008. It is now September (3 months later) & I am experiencing a few of the side effects as other users here have indicated.

Insertion was extremely painful & I had to rest in the doctor's office for about 45 min before I could go home. Really painful periods. Month 1 lasted over 2 weeks. I had to get pain pills from doctor because the cramps were so bad & were waking me up at night. The headaches started about a month or so ago, thought it was allergies but now I'm not so sure. My throat has been tightening with the headaches & no one has mentioned this particular side effect. One person mentioned dry throat. I feel as if I cannot swallow.

I definitely have stomach bloating, but no hair loss or decreased sex drive. I do have discharge everyday, not much but it is smelly & embarrassing. Sometimes I wear tampons a few days after my period has disappeared because I can smell myself. The guy I am dating won't go down on me, because we both know something is up. I was never this way before. Now the headaches are scaring me & so is this site.

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.

I had my Mirena placed in Jan. 11, 2008. I had my son Sept. 20, 2007. Since I had it placed I gained over 15 pounds, after losing most of my baby weight. I had continuous bleeding for about 4-5 months and than really bad odor started that medication didn't cure. I have very dry skin and unusual amount of acne, I've always had pretty clear skin. I've had a noticeable amount of hair loss and regular headaches. I've also had really low energy and different forms of depression and irritability. Also the biggest thing that really bothers me is I have very low to almost non-existent sex drive.

I just called my doctor tonight to schedule an appointment after doing some research on my symptoms. I will never get an IUD again.

I had my Mirena put in 1/07 and I had it removed 08/08 because my hair would not stop falling out. At first I thought that it was from just having the
baby but after 20 months it just wasn't that. The doctors tried telling me that hair loss is not a side effect from mirena but i beg to differ. My hair has stopped falling out and I am glad I had the Mirena removed before I went completely bald. Now I am taking Yaz which seems to be ok.

I have had this thing in for 6 months and feel the side effects have gotten worse. I spoke to my doctor about the hair loss, fatigue, weight gain and general feeling that nothing makes me happy, she suggested I check my thyroid levels. My results came back as in the normal range, she said maybe I should check with my primary care to discuss other possibilities. She said the hormone in the Mirena is a really low dose and shouldn't be causing these side effects.
I still made an appointment to have this taken out because after doing a little more research I am completely freaked out by this thing. I have an appointment in 2 weeks and will let you know if I go through with it and if it does make a difference.

Well I had my mirena inserted in 5/08 and I went to doctor today for my yearly exam and to get it removed because of depression, hair loss, tiredness, joint ach and headaches all of that stuff. So while when he went to do my pap he was looking for the strings and he couldn't find them and he couldn't feel them either so he asked me if it fell out and I said not that I know of so now I have a lost mirena somewhere. So he said he would start the process to have it removed and I told he had to find it first. It was all I could do not to cry but I just have to laugh cause crying is bad I will see what happens

OMG- I wish I had read this before I had this thing put in. Its been in about 4 months, I bled for 6 weeks after having it put in (which was painful), my cramps during that time felt like someone was stabbing me (worse then labor pains) I lost so much of my hair, which is coming back ( I thought the hair loss was from the after pregnancy) that I still have a receding hairline. The bottoms of my feet always hurt, my stomach always looks bloated and I cant loose the extra 10 pounds (which I gained after having it put in) I have absolute NO DRIVE, feel depressed all the time, feel no pleasure in anything that I cant even enjoy my infant son. My boyfriend calls me crazy and unstable because I am so moody. WOW, I am calling to make an appointment to have this taken out ASAP

so i posted on here a week ago to see if i was going crazy. turns out i wasn't. i have had this horrible mirena for a month now and the side effects are not getting better so i called the doctor today and said i wanted it out. the girl that answered the phone put me on hold went to talk to the doctor and said the doctor was going to call me and she scheduled me a day to get it out. the doctor called me this evening asked me what was going on and i told her that i was feeling really depressed, having a hard time sleeping, horrible back pain that my kidneys hurt and that i was sick of this bc and want it out. she told me that the mirena should not be causing these side effects that that it had to be something else. i told her that i have never had these issues before getting the mirena. i don't see why all these doctors think we are the ones that are going nuts. what is the big deal in wanting it taken out if its not right for you? she finally agreed to take it so i have an apt thurs so we shall see if i go back to being NORMAL after its removed. i will keep you posted.

also does anyone know of any other bc that does not have a risk for blood clots? that was the whole reason for me being put on mirena cause there was no risk for that. i have had them in the past from and IV and no doctor will put me back on normal bc.

I hate mirena. I had mirena for a year and a half. I had bleeding with intercourse, headaches, cramping, hair loss, depression, and swollen lymph nodes. I overall just didn't feel good. The strings migrated upward into my uterus. The doctor tried to "fish" the strings out, but had no luck and had to schedule a d&c to remove it. It ended up costing me about 4-5 grand for a small piece of plastic that has gave me nothing but trouble. I still have not had a period and can't get pregnant and it has been 5 months post mirena. My lymph nodes have gone back to normal now..just no period and no baby.

Did anybody have horrible hair loss? I only had mine in for 6 weeks and i got it removed yesterday!!I have a 4 month old and i am following weight watchers and going to curves fitness centres 4 times a week . When my daughter was 2 and a half months old i had lost all my baby weight plus 17lbs..since Mirena i have continued my program and gained 7lbs!! in 6 weeks!! my joints are screwed up it hurts to stand up my knees are so bad..Nausea..depressed..but the worst would have the be the hair loss!!! my hair line had receded over an inch in the last 6 weeks..unbelievable..why are doctors so quick to say it's not the Mirena..I live in Canada and the dam brochure did nto even mention hair loss..i am a Pharmacy Tech and my CPS which is a reference the doctor's use does not mention it either...so horrible iam now 25 and balding..i have post phoned my wedding scheduled for mar 2009 indefinalty until i get my hair back..i can't believe how much this product has ruined my life in 6 weeks...

I had my Mirena removed just this past Wednesday after suffering for 2 1/2 years with every single one of the symptoms all of you have complained of. Major weight gain and inability to lose any; acne; constant flu-like muscle aches; extreme irritablity; bloated; leg, face, hands & ankle edema; random nausea & dizziness; forgetfulness; cold intolerance; eczema on my hands; elevated blood pressure; hair loss ... I felt like a 90 year old 36 year old.

After endless complaining to a very dear friend (who is 42 and was researching BC because her doctor took her off of the pill) she had come across this forum as well as the few others like this and sent me the links. It never dawned on me that it could be the Mirena, so I made an appointment to have it removed.

So, I had it removed this past Wednesday ... just a slight twinge and it was out...nothing at all like having it inserted ... and feel better already. I started my period pretty much as soon as I got home from the doctor (hadn't had one in 1 1/2 years), although I've read some women take a few days/weeks to start up again ... and for the last couple of evenings I've had some pretty intense cramps (never had them before) ... but at least the bloat this time feels NORMAL for me for being on my period.

My doctor said it'll take probably 2-3 months to get back to normal as far as everything else is concerned, but she wasn't surprised at all of all of the symptoms I had being Mirena-related, especially when I'd told her that my periods stopped completely. It's my own guess that the 20% who stop bleeding altogether are the ones most sensitive to the hormone and will more than likely have the most problems from it. I figured for me, anyway, if something is too good to be true, it's because it is. *lol*

I'm just thankful my darling husband has been so supportive and has had no problem weathering out my storm, so to speak.

Good luck to all of you that are having problems ... and listen to your bodies. This might be the perfect alternative for some women, but everyone's body is different.

After reading everyone's posting on August 10th, I finally came to decision to remove my Mirena.Well ladies, I had it removed on August 12th, and I immediately started having my period the next day. I must say I feel so much better. I no longer have the foggy feeling in my head, no dizziness,my acne is clearing up from my face and back, not as tire,my vision is better, my arms are not weak,neck pain went away, etc....All these symptoms started when I had my Mirena inserted in on January 2008. Luckily to have found this wonderful forum and to realize that I am not alone out there. I wish everyone the best of luck! For the ladies who step forward like me to remove it, lets celebrate life again!! Yeah, no more living in the fog!!! P.S I heard there is another form of birth control call Paragard, it is similar method except it does not have hormone release. Does anyone know anything about it? Thanks!

OMG! I thought I was losing it. Have had the Mirena since April and have gained weight (an entire dress size) for NO REASON, been foggy, moody, no sex drive, joint pains, cramps, etc.I thought I was alone, Did I mention EXHAUSTED all the time and acne on my face and back-sever enough to get antibiotics from the dermatologist?
I also suffer with PCOS--does anyoen else on the Mirena suffer with PCOS? Would be interested to see how it has affected you. Tried BC pills and after awhile they stopped working then switched to the YAZ--DO NOT GO THERE--the worst Pill ever--so not many options for those of us with PCOS. Just can't wait to go to the DR and get this thing out.

i got mirena 3 years ago. i have felt bad every day since. never thought it could be linked to this device. i have had every symptom but hair loss and flakey skin. its been awful. i found this website last night. and it all clicked. the moodiness, fatigue, heartburn and palpitations, joint pain, headaches, nasal problems. hands going numb, i thought there was something really bad wrong with me. but since reading these blog. i know that i should start feeling better soon. I had it removed today. My husband and I want another baby. i had no idea this device mirena , is what caused all my problems. i even got so weak that i didn't feel like moving. had to force myself to get out of bed. so thanks everyone for this website.

amber

I had Mirena inserted May 1st and had it removed July 30th. Ask me why I waited so long? Because my Ob/Gyn told me the SEVERE NAUSEA I felt could not possibly be from the Mirena because the level of the hormone it released was so low. My doctor suggested that I speak with my Family Practitioner regarding the nausea indicating I may have some type of stomach or GI issue occurring. In addition to the nausea, my hair is so thin, you can see my scalp along my hair line. Upon combing or brushing, I could literally roll my hair up into a ball after pulling it out of the comb or brush because so much of it had fallen out. Did I mention the acne? Oh yes, the acne is good and terrible. My husband went out and purchased ProActive Solution for me. I am hoping that will help.

Since it has only been 4 days since I have had it removed, I feel better but not 100%. I will post again after giving this crap more time to get out of my system!!!

Let me just start out by saying that I am so glad that I found this website!!!

I am 22 years old and have a 3 year old daughter. After giving birth to my daughter, I opted for the Mirena as my choice of birth control because of how convenient it was. I have never been good with remembering to take a pill everyday, so this seemed like the perfect option for me.

When I went in to get the IUD inserted it hurt like hell.The months to follow were not very pretty either. I experienced cramping, general pain in the abdomen and irregular bleeding. My doctor assured me that many women experience the same side effects the first few months, and that the pain and bleeding would eventually get better. It did...but the other side effects didn't.

For the past three years, I have attributed the following side effects to the changing lifestyle of becoming a mommy and a very hectic and stressful career. I have experienced severe lethargy and fatigue(even after getting a good night's sleep and sometimes a nap), decreased lebido(again, I am only 22 years old!), nausea after intercourse, feelings of being constantly bloated, 20 lb weight gain(after the baby was born!), irritability, feelings of being angry for no reason at all, measurable hair loss, extremely dry skin, facial and all over body acne(I have NEVER had a problem with acne until the past year). Honestly for the the past 3 years and especially int he past year, I just feel like crap. Almost like I felt when I was pregnant! I can't tell you how much money I have wasted on pregnancy tests in the last 3 years, because I have not had a period and I know that at 22 years old I should not feel like I am 60!

My husband told me not to have the IUD inserted, and he has been begging me to have it removed ever since then. After reading the blogs on this website I realize that my husband is right(darn!).
I am making an appointment immediately to have this thing removed. I am hoping that I will soon be feeling like my old self again. Good luck to everyone who has had this damn thing inserted. It is definitely not for everybody!!

I posted prior to having my Mirena removed. It's been gone for a week now, and although I am not 100% back to my "normal" self, I feel so much better. I am feeling more refreshed when waking in the morning, not so tired all day long like I was previously. I envy those of you who were smart enough to have it removed after just a few months, rather than waiting a couple of years like I did. I also found myself thinking about my husband in a sexual manner, which I haven't done for 2 years. It is amazing to me that having a tiny piece of plastic removed could make me feel that much better. I hope those of you who do not have bad side effects never do, and those of you who do have these side effects- GET RID OF IT! My hair loss has not yet stopped, but I think it's slowing down. The acne has disappeared- in a week it all cleared up. I have lost 2 pounds. Have not had a headache since it was removed. No strange pelvic pains, (had random pain previously). Good luck to those of you keeping it, and to those of you getting rid of it.

Hi - I am stunned at all the awful experiences that users of the Mirena are describing on this and other websites!
I had mine removed 5 days ago - principally because my hair was falling out in worringly large amounts. I wasn't sure it was the Mirena, but decided to get it taken out anyway as I had experienced pretty constant bleeding since having it fitted in March. It was only after having it removed that I checked the internet, and have realized since that I have been suffering from other symptoms that I had not realized could be related to the Mirena. Apart from the hair loss, I have experienced a terrible foggy and tired feeling, dizziness, sore and swollen eyelids, strange spots around my hairline, one sore breast (!), a feeling that I couldn't be bothered with things - including my children, dry skin patches on my face and grumpiness. However, as a working mum of 2, with a husband who is away quite a lot, I had just put this down to a busy life where I don't have time for myself always. Now I think it was the Mirena!
Having had it removed, I can feel the fog lifting, though not the tiredness. I have experienced heavy bleeding and blood clots - now subsiding, but feel more cheerful. My hair loss, however, is seemingly getting worse...has anyone else had a similar experience please? Any advice on how to deal with this and how long it might take to stop would be greatly appreciated!

This has been a real eye opener for me. I had my IUD inserted in March or April of 08. My husband is the one who approached me tonight to tell me to get the Mirena IUD taken out. He's been complaining that I've not been the same for awhile now. Mostly due to the fact that I have no libido at all. I honestly did notice that there was a problem. I guess it's because I'm not missing it at all! I just assumed it was due to the fact that I've got two kids and a highly stressful job. But now that I'm reading all these posts I'm beginning to wonder. I notice some things I'm having in common with other women: hair loss, irritability, moodiness, pelvic pains, spotting, etc. Again, most of these I thought would just improve with time or were caused by other things, but now I'm thinking maybe my husband might be right and that it's related to the IUD. Darn! I hate admitting when my husbands right! =)

Hi all, I have had the Mirena since May of 08. I had twins in Feb of this year and was given the little plastic ring for birth control. That gave me TERRIBLE migraines. i hardly ever even have headaches let alone migraines. It was impossible to take care of twin infants along w/migraine pain. I really shouldn't be on estrogen anyway because of a clotting problem in my family. So my doctor recommended the Mirena. I wanted it anyway because I can't remember to take pills now, (I'm a little busy.) Since I had it put in I have been losing my hair in unbelievable amounts which my doctor attributed to my just having twins. My depression and anxiety meds are NOT working anymore. My fourth and fifth toes on my right foot are completely numb and stiff, almost like I have arthritis or something. I have NO interest in having sex w/my husband. But after taking care of twins, who does?? Just kidding. I am not very happy with this IUD, but have decided the alternative (being pregnant) is not a better option at this time. So, for now I will continue to be a bitchy, balding, arthritic, celbate mother of two. Good luck to everyone else

Hi, I just got the Mirena back in April and I have had nothing but problems from the get go. First they had trouble inserting the Mirena so instead of 5 minutes it took more like 20 minutes....by the time they got finished I started sweating really bad. I went to stand up and almost passed out. They laid me on a bed, put an ice pack behind my neck and gave me water. They checked my blood pressure and it was VERY low. 15 minutes later my blood pressure still wasn't coming back up so I was not allowed to leave. They started telling me that some people's bodies go into a form of shock and that was probably what happened and they were worried about my blood pressure not coming back up and possibly having to take me over to the emergency in order to get my blood pressure back up. Well about ten minutes later they finally get my blood pressure back up to normal so they finally let me leave their office. I get out to my vehicle and all of a sudden I feel like I am fixing to pass out again. I laid down and called a friend to come and pick me up. I kept an ice pack on the back of my neck for another 30 minutes while resting before I finally felt better again. A couple hours later came the pain. Very bad pain that lasted for the next two weeks and I am usually a person that can take pain. Finally the pain eased up after that and now I only get pain once in a while but here I am 3 months later and I am still bleeding. I feel tired all the time, I've had a lot of migraines, it is painful during sex sometimes, my sex drive has almost totally vanished and my energy level is almost at 0. I have also been experiencing stomach problems and a bloated feeling. I am EXTREMELY tired all the time. I never feel like I get a good nights sleep. I have also been experiencing hair loss but I didn't know if that was from the Mirena or not until I started reading posts on here. Now my bleeding is slowly getting worse the past few weeks. Not only am I bleeding still but now it is coming out in little clots too. Now I am getting worried so I have made an appointment to go back in. I came on here hoping I can find someone that has had the same problem so I wouldn't have to worry until the appointment. Its really disgusting and I am so sick of having this mirena in already.

Good luck to those of you that haven't already experienced these same side effects already......

I've had Mirena for about 3 months now - 6 weeks after I had my second child. My son is breastfed and right around the time I got mirena inserted, be broke out with what seems to be baby eczema. I have a few of the same side effects as many other women - hair loss, NO sex drive, fatigue - but I am wondering if anyone has seen side effects in their breastfed babies. I'm taking him off of the breast for a couple of days to see if he improves and will post again with the results.

I posted on here a few weeks ago complaining about my excessive hair loss to the point of seeing through my hair. I went to my obgyn after reading this forum. He said he is not surprised....that anything containing progestin causes hair loss. Also any traumatic experience....to expect hair loss to start from 3-6 months post trauma....I had a baby, a mirena, marital separation, and 2 d&c, along with a bad delivery and severe blood loss, ALL in a matter of 4 weeks. So, it could be all or one....either way he was not scoffing at my claim of the mirena being the culprit of the hair loss. We agreed to give it a few weeks and see if the loss slowed, if not I will return to have it removed......I also put on a quick 10+ ponds which I am not happy about, but my appetite is raging. I am still breastfeeding too, so I don't know which one is the cause. I also lost hair and gained weight last baby....so who knows. I will keep everyone posted.

Staci from SC

Hi - just to say firstly, I have my mirena in for almost a year and a half and am hoping to have it out next week, before I kill someone!! So I am in no way 'pro' mirena.
just wanted to comment on your hair loss posts- after my first daughter, this happened to me too, without mirena. I actually had bald patches and was super paranoid. My hairdresser told me that this is very common in the few months after giving birth - the hormones are trying to rebalace and this unfortunately is a side effect. My doctor confirmed that it was not alopaecia as I was self-diagnosing. I used to cry in the shower seeing all my hair in the drain - but now, 3 years, another daughter and mirena later, my hair is beautifully healthy again.
But on the other mirena symptoms I have. My poor husband has not had any affection in the bedroom for almost 2 months now, which is scary as we enjoyed a healthy 4-5 times a week sex life until a few months ago. My first year with Mirena was fantastic, I recommended it to friends, but the past 3-4 months have been hell. Who is this psychotic person that has taken over me???? My husband is almost afraid to talk to me some days, because I go from sweet and cheerful to a screaming, raving lunatic in seconds, without warning. The weight gain has been huge - about 45lbs in 16 months and then the days where I don't feel depressed, I look in the mirror and it makes me depressed with the huge gut I now have. I've always been a curvy lady, but I never had a big stomach and it seems that all of this 45lbs is just sitting around my tummy.
Now I have to decided to have it out, and I'm left with the dilemma of birth control. My 2 daughters are 18 months apart, the oldest just turned 3, so I don't want another baby just now. However I would like another one in the future. Pills don't work for me - I took them religiously and got pregnant with both my daughters whilst on the pill. Do I choose condoms? Would I actually stop a spontaneous moment of passion to go to the drawer to get one, lol? I'm kinda not really sure what to do. All I know is that I need to get this out next week, and pray that I find another form of birth control. But in saying that, another baby in the house couldn't be as bad as what this thing is doing to my mental health.
I'll post again after I have this out

I had my Mirena removed 6-25-08. I only got it in March. I have had one problem after another. I had a weird bulge under my breasts that stuck out further than them when I decided it has to go. That bulge disappeared the day after having it removed. I also had MAJOR hair loss, fingers twitching, joint pain, migraines, my face looked greasy an hour after washing, and visual disturbances where I actually felt like I was seeing through drunk eyes, especially at work. This thing should be off the market. I feel 99.9% better than I did a week ago. Oh, I'm also not a turbo bitch to everyone anymore either. I am actually pleasant to be around. It was the best decision ever made to get this beast out of me. What a waste of money though!! Good luck to everyone else.

I am 29 yrs. of age. My experience with Mirena has been mostly bad. With any medication I usually try to see how it works for me and my body before reading into any web site. I don't want to pre-determine my side effects before they even happen! So, I didn't look up anything on this until I started having side effects of my own. And here's my story...
I got this thing put in right after the birth of my son in Feb. (MY 2ND BABY)My dr. told me it would be the best time to do it since everything was still fairly loosened up down there. I have to say that it really didn't hurt me to have it put in. I barely felt it. I went home with some minor bleeding and started cramping a bit. The next day I cramped a lot. Nothing that a menstrual cramp medication couldn't handle though. Next, I started gaining some weight. I checked on-line immediately to find out if weight gain was an issue. I found that many if not most of the women had some weight gain. Little did I know that weight gain was minor compared to my other symptoms.... I have had HAIR LOSS!!! I think I'm going bald. Ok I am over exaggerating, but seriously I lose handfuls of hair with each shower. I have gotten to the point where I just towel dry my hair and spray it with hair spray (kind of the messy look) I don't want to comb it and lose more hair. I have been very itchy in the vaginal area, and have had discharge also ( kind of wet and watery looking). Is my water breaking again??? lol I have read some of the stories about the mirena and decided that some are far fetched, but I really have to say that having these side effects for myself I realize what my "normal" is. My body is not agreeing with this at all. Even if it would level out after a few more months I don't even think it's worth the wonder! I have tried to stick it out just thinking I must be crazy and that these side effects are not from the birth control, but now I am realizing that I am crazy to leave this Evil thing in! I will be getting it taken out ASAP!

I can't believe I've stumbled on this website. Until now my symptoms did not make sense to me.
I had my Mirena in 2005 after the birth of my son. My life has changed dramatically since then & I didn't put it together until now. I was plagued by nasty vaginal discharge from the start. Though my period stopped completely what replaced it was a terrible vaginal odor that no amount of washing, deodorant spray, etc will cure. It's a bacterial infection that will not leave me alone. I almost always have it. Before the Mirena I never heard of it. My sex drive & sensation is virtually none. I even went as far as having a female piercing as I read it increases sensitivity. This is upsetting as I've never had problems with odor, loss of sensitivity or inability to achieve orgasm. Along with this I've experienced a large weight gain, abdominal bloating, migraines, aching joints, decrease in vision, back pain, dizziness, exhaustion, increase in body hair growth yet limp thinning hair, & fibroids.

I have an appointment in July to get this thing out & wish I had been more informed of the side effects.

Hi all,
I have spent the last 2 days on the Internet reading about Mirena; as a matter of fact, I had mine removed 2 days ago. For the last 10 months, my life has been horrible. I had the Mirena inserted in November of 2007, I was also coming out of a divorce, so I (and my doctor) was attributing my extreme depression, anxiety attacks to it. I started noticing that my hair was falling out and it just kept getting worse and worse. I went to see my doctor again and she said I had anemia (I was having very heavy periods and bleeding through my periods). Doctor said anemia causes hair loss. I went through different tests, saw a dermatologist, I always mentioned I had the Mirena, but no one seem to relate that to anything. I actually went on the Mirena site a couple of times, but the side effects listed there were very mild so I discarded the thought that the Mirena was causing my depression and my hair loss. There is no mention whatsoever about hair loss. Months went by, I kept seeing different doctors since my hair loss was getting worse and worse, my once beautiful, thick hair had become extremely thin, I have two holes on my scalp. I continued to bleed heavy and my ob/gyn said to give it some more time. My life was a complete mess, going to work was a struggle, dealing with my kids was a struggle, some days I would just lay in bed and cried for hours, I started to believe that my life had no purpose or reason. I was truly in agony, I am sure those of you who have gone through this know exactly what I mean. Anyway, I can't believe in all this months it never occurred to me to google mirena and hair loss....or mirena and suicidal thoughts, etc., etc. I thank you all for sharing your stories and I hope we can figure out a way to let all of those mirena users out there suffering that the answer to their agony is simply to have the Mirena removed. I look forward to my new life, new hair. It has been 2 days and I don't know if it is a state of mind, but I feel so much better already.
Thx
Jessica M.

It's been one month since I have had the Mirena removed. My life has changed dramatically! The mood swings are gone, depression gone, Anxiety gone! The back pain is almost gone, joint pain gone with the exception of my left foot. The left foot still hurts occasionally at the end of the day. My blood pressure is coming down and so is my weight (very slowly). I feel like I WANT to live my life again. I don't mind going to work or doing laundry or gardening. I don't even mind going to the gym! For the last 2yrs going to the gym increased the joint pain that I was feeling.
This week I noticed that I had new hair growth. I have normally very thick hair and did not notice hair loss-now I can actually see new hair coming in around the hairline around my face. My acne is clearing up and the yellow/brown spots (age spots) are fading.
All in All, I feel so much better! so hang in there girls life gets better!!!!!

Today I got the results back from my yearly pap. While there were no abnormal cells found, there were also no "transformation" cells found either. I guess these cells protect the cervix from cancer. Now, I'm 37, never had any health problems to really complain about and this is the first time encountering anything like this.Some background on me: I have always had horrible periods, missed periods, and weight issues. We found that I might be polycystic, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't get pregnant.I've had two children, 2003 and 2006. Shortly after the birth of my 2nd child, I had the mirena inserted about in early 2007. At first I was great with it, periods got lighter, no spotting, and very regular. I'd get some weird sharp cramps every once in awhile, but nothing really to complain about. But over the last few months, the hair loss, the weird acne around my hairline, the hairiness everywhere else besides my scalp, the mood swings, the memory loss, scrambled thoughts, no sex drive whatsoever, and moodiness have gotten worse. I kept thinking, ah, must be stress, work related, recent pregnancy, this that and everything else but the Mirena. Well I'm getting it out. I have to go in anyway to do another exam and more testing just to make sure I'm ok, but I'm not risking my life over not getting pregnant. Its nice to know I'm not at all alone in this. I've got two young children and I'd like to be around, and remain married for as long as possible. I'll post again once its removed. Hoping some of these weird symptoms start to vanish.

Well to let everyone know who is reading this site, if you have a Mirena GET IT OUT ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!! Just three weeks ago I had the mirena in for a year and a half and about three month after having it put in I began to lose weight rapidly over a 6-7 month period I had lost over 40 pounds was having diarrhea, hair loss, hands trembling, pulse rate above 120 at resting and night sweats. I had been to over 5 doctors including my GYN and none of them thought that it was related to the Mirena. I had started having excruciating pain in my right lower pelvic area and had been to see my GYN over 5 times in a month and a half and he just kept saying it was cysts on my ovary. I finally came to the point of despair. I could not stand the pain anymore and called the GYN office and saw a nurse practitioner who took out my Mirena and did an ultrasound and come to find out I was 7-8 weeks pregnant with my fallopian tube about to rupture and I was about to bleed to death I was taken to surgery within 2 hours and I had to have my right fallopian tube removed. I hope NO one has to get to this point. If you have the Mirena and you are experiencing any unusual side effects have it removed. YOU know your body better than anyone! SO PLEASE DO NOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, I decided that I would write as this site has been really helpful to me. I too have had most of the side effects as a lot of you have listed. I had my mirena in for almost 3 years and I have experienced weight gain about 15 to 20 lbs, hair loss, definite lost of sex drive, bloated stomach (and I never had a stomach before), joint pains, very bad acne on face and back, constant bladder and yeast infections, I read where someone else had rough skin on feet and I also experienced that and never had it before, palpitations,chest pain, bad back pain, dizzy a lot, and tired a lot. Well I had mine removed 2 days ago and it hurt really bad. The doctor could not find the strings at first and had to probe around for a while and eventually used clamps to find it and pull it out and I was in severe pain but the doctor did find it and got it out.When I left the doctor, I was feeling pain down there but I could deal with it and started cramping right away in office. yesterday I was cramping bad in the morning and early afternoon and then it stopped. I also felt like I was about to get a migraine for the last 2 days. I have not had any bleeding yet and at first, like the day of removal I felt "funny" in my body but now I feel okay. I think if I would have left it in longer that I would have had to get an operation to get it out. The side effects just got worse and worse.Also I posted here a few months ago maybe around 6 months ago and at that time I was having a lot of these symptoms too but didn't think it could be the mirena but the bad acne and bloated stomach and weight gain =, I knew that was from the mirena. I too, like a lot of you have been to the doctor countess times for other problems just for them to say all tests are normal. I know that my problems came from the mirena, Well good luck everybody, I will post again later after its been out for a while for an update. God Bless

I've had my Mirena out for a week now and I'm very irritable and tired! I do feel relieved to have it out thought b/c all the bleeding, cramping, cysts and weight gain had been enough! I was wondering if anyone else has had the Mirena out and if you could email me and tell me what to expect for the next couple of weeks that would be great!! ******
Good luck to everyone!

Just an update about the class action suit discussed previously, and Aamaya had provided us with the Florida attorney, Justin Wikin: I got a letter in the mail yesterday stating that they would not be pursuing suit against them. They said that they deal mainly with wrongful death cases and it does not mean that the case does not have merit, just that it is not their specialty. I will be doing some research here locally in Ohio to see if I can locate a practice to pursue this. If anyone comes up with something, please let us all know.

Me again...another update...and another question.

So I am now 10 days post-removal. Still no weight loss and still have the acne. My skin appeared to have been clearing up a few days back...then I'm right back where I started. My moodiness seemed to improve...then I woke up this morning just as emotional as ever. I continue to work out like crazy...and on top of 6 evening workouts every week, I also try to get up early and have added in additional morning workouts 2-3 times per week. And still not 1 pound lost. I still look 6 months pregnant. My legs still get swollen in the evenings, but not as severe as they had. And I still feel like I was hit by a bus: I just ache all over, all the time. I had the one period which started on day 2 and ended on day 5...nothing since. So I contacted the previous caregivers I had seen, my midwives, and explained to them what has been going on since last year. (This is the group that first put me in touch with my current OBGYN due to some irregular paps I had several years ago.) So the nurse listens and agrees that my concerns are valid but, as they are a "sister-site" with the jerk GYN, she recommended to call a completely different practice for a 2nd opinion consult. So now I have an appointment with another GYN...but not until the middle of June.

My question is that in reading these posts, it seems like most of you who have this removed are noticing drastic improvement and results within days and weeks. I know this may take time to improve totally over the next few months, but I feel like I should have at least seen something get better by 10 days after! Is anyone else out there having no relief even after removal? I'm almost getting paranoid to the point of wondering if he even took it out of me!

Sorry to vent...thanks for all your support.

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.

Hi, thought I'd share my positive story about having Mirena removed. Having it removed was no doubt the best decision even though two doctors told me that it was not necessary and the loss of hair, graying and loss of libido could not be due to Mirena since it releases minute amounts of hormones locally. Not only have I seen a return to my libido but the hair loss has stopped. this cannot be placebo effect. Even my husband has noticed the difference (no more clogged drains). Thank God! I felt like I was aging at the rate of knots. I now feel so much happier, healthier and more attractive. For all out there who are wondering if it's the Mirena causing hair loss etc, I sincerely believe it is probably very much the case, despite what the medics will tell you. Best wishes.

I had my first Mirena coil fitted about 10 years ago and though it had been fantastic. No worries about getting pregnant and no periods. I had take the pill before and had ovarian cysts removed so I couldn't use the pill. However, my second Mirena only lasted 31/2 years before I notice problems. I had a new one fitted and it had been ok for 3 years. Or so I thought. 18 months ago I became very ill with chronic fatigue, sickness, severe depression for which I was prescribed Prozac and then I developed Irritable bowel syndrome. I felt like I was going nuts. Nobdy believed how I felt. My job is at risk. I had a new mirena fitted a few months ago and the problems had eased although I feel that they are now getting worse again. I am considering having it removed. I hadn't made the link between the Mirena coil and my illness until recently. I have also gained a considerable amount of weight but I also had this when I was on the pill. Has any one had problems after using the Mirena for a number of years? as most people seem to have trouble straight away.

I had my Mirena for 18 months (12/07-4/3/08). My Doctor urged me to keep it in and when I finally went to get it removed, I had retained the strings and the pain when he dilated my cervix was so painful I had to get anesthesia to get it removed.

After about 6 months of the iud, I started experiencing heart palpitations and shortness of breath. And for the last few months and even two weeks post removal I am experiencing shortness of breath at rest. And tightness in my chest. It's very scary. ALSO, I only have heart palpitations mid-cycle (ovulation) and during my period. And my shortness of breath gets worse during that time also. It is painful to exercise bc I can't breathe, I actually got a bronchial inhaler from my doctor and it's helped SO much during exercise. I would be yawning and have so much extra saliva and after 50 running paces I'd have to stop to rest because my chest would be so tight and burning. I was tested for asthma and do not have asthma. That isn't to say I don't have exercise induced asthma. I never ever had problems before this Mirena.

I haven't had any hair loss or trouble sleeping that I can pinpoint either. Mostly I looked 3 months pregnant and haven't been able to drop 5 lbs. I'm ideal weight for my height and have cut out most sugar and limited carbs and nothing has changed even with exercise. I DO notice that I was soooo nasty and couldn't control my temper. I can't positively contribute that to the Mirena but I'll see as time goes on and this wears away.

I wouldn't advise the Mirena to anyone. Not with all these women and myself having the same effects. The Dr tried to tell me that it couldn't be the Mirena causing heart palpitations but I'm 28 years old and entirely healthy.

I also felt when I was ovulating that I was having contractions. My Dr kept telling me it's not supposed to help cramping but won't make it worse and I must have said 100 times that I NEVER HAD CRAMPS before in my life. My ovulation/periods were always very uneventful and painless. And the pain I had during ovulation and my period wasn't traditional cramping. It was a wave of extreme sharp shooting pain that would shoot down my thigh and I'd actually do careful, controlled breathing during that pain. The pain would be so intense I'd stop in my tracks and grip whatever was nearest to me while standing perfectly still and doing breathing exercises.

Also, I should note I have never been pregnant before and my midwife that I go to now was saying that my body could have been trying to expel the iud bc I had never had anything pass through or in my cervix before and that the pain during ovulation and period could actually have been my uterus contracting because it was trying to get the iud out!

I hope that the chest tightness and shortness of breath go away. It's very alarming.