Mirena and hair loss

SIX HOURS POST REMOVAL- I had my mirena removed today after 3 years and nearly 3 months. My side effects included headaches, sore breasts, weight gain, nausea, severe hair loss, depression, severe pitting edema of my right foot, cramping, hip pain, exhaustion, severe mood swings, and acne. During the first six months I had constant bleeding, which I had been told to expect. I took regular pills everyday and the bleeding stopped. Then the hair loss started. My hair came out in clumps and was EVERYWHERE. I lost about 15 inches of my hair in spots. I went to the salon and got a fantastic hair cut, I attributed my hair loss to stress. Now I'm not too sure. I also didn't feel like I was myself with the odor that I developed. No matter how many times I showered I felt not regular. Slowly but surely over the past three years I have gained 30 lbs. I worked out to try to get the weight off, I lost nothing and in fact gained weight! The pitting edema of my left foot started in July of 08. I have been tested for everything including diabetes, heart problems, clotting disorders, pregnancy, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and the list goes on to the tune of $6,000. I went to my OB back in the spring and was told if they could find nothing else then they would remove the IUD. In the interim I lost my job and subsequently my insurance. I luckily was able to get coverage again and immediately set an appointment for the removal. Insertion hurt like nothing I have ever experience, removal was quick and almost painless. I also ended up with BV (bacterial vaginosis). I feel and look as though I am about 6 or 7 months pregnant. My belly is actually the same size as it was when my son was born. I weight about 15 lbs more. My breasts were extremely swollen and sore.

I instantly felt better after removal. My hip immediately stopped tingling. I have no back pain. It felt almost like a lifting if that makes sense. I am curious to see what the next few weeks will bring and I will definitely keep you all posted.

Hi everyone ~ I am so glad I have found all of you. I have an appt today to have the Mirena placed. I highly considering canceling the appt now. I have read probably 98% bad and only 2% good. can anyone help me decide what I should do? I was having it placed for my heavy, painful menses, the birth control is/was a bonus feature. really? I shouldn't do this eh? someone please respond.

I am supposed to get it tomorrow...I have issues with mood and anxiety already as well as hair loss due to a thyroid disorder. I am re-thinking it now...

All I can say is OHMYGOD! I had no idea about all these side effects. I had my son April 4th, 09 and had the Mirena placed October 21st. Since then, I have been constantly spotting, I have headaches, and no motivation to exercise. I have been moody and felt overall like blah. I have noticed some joint stiffness and discomfort in my hands as well as muscle tenderness in my legs. I have not experienced any weight gain or loss at this moment, nor have I noticed a change in hair loss...but will definitely be aware of the possibilities. Well I have a appt. for my follow up, I am going to inform my doctor of my side effects as well as yours, and see if this really is the best option for me. The last thing I want is for this to inconvenience my life when I got it just for the opposite...Good luck ladies!

I got my Mirena inserted in Oct 2007 and since then I've had hair loss, horrible acne, PMDD, sore joints, etc. I've had several blood tests done, been on meds for the acne and wondered if I was going crazy. The device is coming out next week and I can't wait to get my life back to normal.

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.

Hi everyone. I am so glad i found this website. I am 26 years old and i got my mirena put in October of 2007. A few months after getting it put in i noticed my hair was starting to fall out, i was real moody, hot flashes. So i went to my obgyn and he said it was my hormones so put me on birth control on top of the mirena, don't know what point of that was. But me and my husband were debating whether or not to get it taken out, because i am really bad at taking the pill but after reading everyone's stories on here yall have made up my mind for me. I'd rather get it taken out and see if my symptoms stop. The hair loss has bothered me the most. I went from having a head full of thick hair to having real thin hair, my husband was amazed at how much hair i have lost. When i wash my hair at night it just falls out like nothing, i have a big ball of hair in the tub. I even went and seen a dermatologist and he didn't know what was wrong! Calling my doctor tomorrow to make an appt. to get this taken out!

I'm partial to Mirena. I had it for all 5 years, but still debate as to whether my weight gain, hair loss and joint pain were related. I got it shortly before my boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me, starting drinking a bit more and was in general stressed out. So stress & alcohol equals weight gain. Weight gain (30 lbs in a year) equals joint pain. The hair loss is another story. It might be stress, but I went long periods afterward without stress and I could pull out rat size clumps of hair once every few weeks from my shower drain. I had it removed on October 6th 2009. I immediately started NuvaRing. 3 weeks later, I'm DONE with that. That's another story. Overall, though, I don't think the majority of the side effects were caused by Mirena and the 5 years I had it in were good. I won't get another one, just because I'm still skeptical. I think I'm going to take some time off birth control with hormones. We'll see how it goes. I can't say I'd recommend Mirena due to all of the horror stories I've read. Maybe in a year, if all my symptoms go away, I won't be so wishy washy.

I have had Mirena for over a year now. I have been battling hair loss thinking it was from stress. My Dr. put me on Prozac and recommended that I even use Rogaine. Never once did they lead me to believe it could be from the Mirena!! I felt like I was losing my mind. Bouts of rage, constant hair loss, acne, weight gain. I am meeting with my OBGYN on the 11th to discuss removal. I am hoping these side effects subside rather quickly. I just don't know if the hair will return

I have had Mirena for a little over a year now. I thought the hair loss was just from stress in my life so I have been on Prozac and using Rogaine to help with the hair loss - with no luck. Now after reading all of these posts, it makes sense that it is from the Mirena. I have had to horrific mood swings and bouts of rage, hair loss, weight gain and acne. I am scheduled to see my OBGYN for removal on the 11th. I am hoping that the hair loss will at least stop. My stress is from worrying about my hair loss, so I might even be able to come off the prozac and live a normal life. Please post if you have had your removed and the side effects subsided. Thanks!

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!

Horrible device in my opinion! I'm on day 17 with Mirena and the cramping, bloating, pancreas pain, sharp pain all over my body, diarrhea on and off, mood swings, headaches, flu like symptoms, major hair loss, extremely tired all the time, sleepy, can't sit in a certain position, can't walk without pain on my sides (stomach) or shooting pain through my legs and the list goes on!

I am going in ASAP this week to have it removed. I am aware of the possible side effects warnings, but many side effects I am experiencing are not in my brochure given to me by my doctor. I believe my body is rejecting the device and anyone experiencing similar or same symptoms as me should run to the doctor and have it removed. Unless of course you like torture and are willing to torture your family members along with you. :(

I hated the thought of putting a hormone in my body but my husband and I really do not want more children (right now). I was having HEAVY periods and thought the mirena would be helpful.
Honestly it was helpful for the periods, but I was having more herpes breakouts and in areas I have never had, (I have had herpes for 21 years yuck), i was willing to deal with the mirena until I found this link and related my heart palpitations (sometime 8 in an hour) to the mirena. I started the heart palpitations about 3 months after it was put in. I have called to schedule to take the IUD out. I will post my outcome. Thank you ladies for all the posts. We may be saving lives from torment here.
Be Well.

I CAN'T WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK TO HAVE THIS HORRIBLE THING REMOVED!!! I had MIRENA inserted on August of 2009, during A DNC procedure. I have since felt severe cramping with horrible nausea and vomiting. Some mornings it was impossible to get out of bed. I also have bad headaches, and am tired ALL THE TIME!!! I thought I was going crazy but now I know I am making the right decision. I have been to the ER 4 times since, every time they say have it removed. I also have had extreme hair loss, would pull 2 hand fulls of hair out everyday. My bath tub has clogged up so much, and now I know why. The pain is horrible the mood swings are horrible and my family deserve to have me back, being like this and raising 3 small kids has been a nightmare, and my poor husband!!! I want my life back and they should stop pushing this horrible thing on unsuspecting woman who just want some help.....

I had Mirena inserted 6 weeks after having a baby. I have been feeling bloated (my stomach seems larger now than it did when I had Mirena inserted! ) I have gained weight 8-10 lbs even though I am watching what I am eating. Today, I experienced dizziness when I woke up and all through out the morning. I had significant hair loss up until about three weeks ago. I know hair loss is common after having a child, but this is my third baby and the loss of hair was alarming! I am not sure if all of this is the Mirena but with all of the posts from everyone, I am convinced it is. Since having this foreign object in me, I have not been myself. I am going to have it removed.

HELLO EVERYONE!
I HAVE HAD MIRENA FOR A YEAR NOW. I HAVE NOT HAD A PERIOD SINCE MAY AND I HAVE BEEN GETTING THE WORST MIGRAINES EVER FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS. I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH ME UNTIL I SAW THESE STORES AND IT EXPLAINS SO MUCH!! MY HAIR IS FALLING OUT LEFT AND RIGHT! I CRY SOMETIMES BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHATS WORSE, THE HEADACHES OR MY HAIR LOSS I GAINED TONS OF WEIGHT OUT OF THE BLUE AND I DON'T EAT MUCH. I GUESS I NEED TO TAKE IT OUT ASAP!!! THANK YOU LADIES FOR YOUR STORIES!!

well i had the mirena inserted 8 weeks after i had my 2nd baby,which was was may 14th 2009,i felt fine tell about 6 weeks ago,i started having pain in the center of my chest rite below my breasts,went to the doctor he said it was inflammation,he gave me naproxen,which didn't help at all,went back to the doctor,still couldn't find anything wrong,the pain has spread to the left side rite below my breasts,now im having anxiety attacks every day,tired all the time,headaches,backaches,nausea,weight gain,hair loss,the doctor said i have bacteria vagionous,gave me flagyl ive been taking for 5 days now,i told my doctor at my last doctors visit i thought all this was from mirena and i wanted it removed,he told me to wait a few days to see if the flagyl worked,it hasn't so far,i have a doctors appt. tomorrow and im gona tell him to remove the mirena.i feel the mirena is causing all of this,i guess i will see.i just want to be myself again!

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.

I just want say that this site has helped me out a lot. I am frustrated with the people that post things such as, "gaining weight? it's called we need to watch what we eat as we get older" (not when you work out and are age 20!) and "Mirena listed all of these side effects on their site" (actually they did NOT list several of the effects over a year ago on their site that are on there currently) or "I have had no such problems with hair loss." (as if those ladies that are suffering from it were making it up). This site is to share with those that DO have side effects from this form of BC. That is super if you don't suffer from any of them. I don't know why some women who are successful with it are getting so defensive. We are just trying to let each other know that we are going through the same effects and helping each other and giving each other tips on what we did/are doing. If you don't have any negative effects, then WHY are you even posting on this site????? Sorry just tired of seeing posts like that. If those women were suffering from the same effects, you'd better believe they would be right on here with their story.

Hi I am having the same side effects that I have read from others! My Mirena was inserted in 6/08. Slowly but surely all the side effects have appeared. Mood swings, oily skin, acne, weight gain, and the worse of all, the hair loss. I have always had thick long hair! My thyroid has always been a problem and my family doctor said my constant thyroid fluctuations may be the reason for my hair loss! It is now 1yr and 4mos. since I've had the Mirena inserted and I have lost over 50% of my hair! Balding diffusely, but majority on the crown of my head. It is to the point of severe depression I do not even want to go out anywhere, because of the embarrassment. I am scheduled to have the Mirena removed this coming Monday! I am worried that if this is the reason for my hair loss that it may not regrow! I've read that once the hair follicles die they do not rejuvenate. Has anyone gone through this same process, did your hair regrow? I'm am literally having anxiety attacks thinking about my outcome! Can't sleep, crying constantly, totally preoccupied with the thought! Driving my family nuts with constant lack of enthusiasm for life!

Hello everyone,
I have my Mirena put in 6 weeks after my baby was born, around the last of Sept 2008. I had very light periods for a few months then just some spotting here and there. I keep a yeast infection all the time. I have also had hair loss,weight gain,mood swings,acne,facial hair, the list goes on and on. I went the the doctor to see if anything could be done other then removing it, i have 4 kids and don't want to get pregnant any time soon. The DR checked me and could not find the strings. I then had a vaginal ultrasound that reviled that I have a softball size mass of some sort surrounding the Mirena.The Dr is hoping that it is just some built up fluid and has but me on provera to make me have a period. He wants to see if this mass "come out on its own" before we do anything else.I go back in 3 weeks, i'll post back and let you know what is going on. I wish I had NEVER had this thing put in

everyone has their own opinion about mirena but i am here to assure you all that your not crazy. Im currently 19 years old and had mirena inserted October of 2008. Its been about a year and im going nuts. For a long time i had no answers to all of the crazy side effects. I didn't want to believe it was this wonderful easy convenient birth control. Im a college student and i just didn't want any unplanned babies. well its made my life worse. I smoke cigarettes so my doctor told me this was the best option and so i was all for it. Slowly but surely i started losing hair i didn't notice for awhile because my hair was thick in full well i can wrap a standard pony tail four frekin times around my pony. Its about half of my usual hair now. NOT ONLY is it falling out but its very dry and splitting all it does is tangle. Im very healthy young and i take vitamins daily to try and slow this process but it does no good. Since February of 2008 ive been having these terrible episodes were i get worked up for no reason. Ill be sitting in class and all of a sudden i feel like ive run a marathon. My heart races my palms sweat and a tremble. I get so freked out i have to leave class because i fell like im going to die. The worst anxiety attacks and i have to control my breathing or they just last longer. My face is so oily and so is my hair. I usually only washed my hair every other day so i don't strip the natural oils out but now its become a everyday thing which just contributes to more hair lose. I use to break out only around my period now i don't go a day without acne. Im even getting it in my scalp and back. If I don't eat on a schedule i feel like im going to pass out i get severely hungry and weak. I have pains in my uterus and ovaries sometimes and though they don't last long they are painful. I never feel like i want to have sex ever and if i do theres no telling when its going to hurt. Im very dissatisfied with mirena i loved it at first but not enough to go bald. ITS MADE MY LIFE SO STRESSFUL I FEEL BALD AND UGLY AND THAT LEADS TO DEPRESSION.

LOWER BACK PAIN
STOMACH PAIN
NO SEX DRIVE
ACNE AND OILY SKIN
DAMN NEAR BALD
PAIN IN UTERUS/DURING SEX/ANYTIME
EXTREME ANXIETY
DEPRESSION

I have had Mirena for 18 months now. I love it. I have had no side effects that you all are describing. I have 4 friends that switched and all love it and only one had to have a follow up to have the strings shortened.

As far as the weight gain, ladies, let’s be honest. We are not 18 anymore and as we get older it is only going to become more difficult to keep weight off. Blaming it on a B/C....lets think about that last chocolate bar we ate because we were busy carting the kids off to a sports practice HMMM....
With any drug comes side effects, headaches, nausea, and some other terribly worse, but lets again be honest, all of these were pointed out in the literature available.

I just thought I would take the time to write my support as this does work and work well for some women, just not all, same as any other form of B/C.

I had a mirena put in November 2004 and just had a replacement put in two weeks ago since my 5 years would soon be up...I noticed the last 2 years that I've gained 20 lbs for no apparent reason, even when exercising, I have lower back pain that keeps me up during the night and I feel bloated all the time - I also have had extreme mood swings that I cannot explain and I'm depressed for no reason at all - my 2nd mirena has been in 2 weeks now and my breasts are so sore - I've had a headache too - the hair loss has not been extreme, but my hair has thinned. I'm contemplating having it removed since I don't feel myself at all...

Hi...I had my the Mirena place in 8/08. I have noticed an increased amount of hair loss over the last 6 months( patchy areas). I have always had healthy hair and never experienced hair loss such as this. I thought maybe it was related to stress and pregnancy. My hair dresser recommends taking vitamins and eating healthy and that it is normal to shed hair daily...but not like this! After reading the posted reviews, I am now convinced that it must be the Mirena. My thyroid hormone level was normal in 6/09. Has anyone had the Mirena removed and noticed any change in the loss of hair?

Thanks...worried!

I had Mirena inserted July 2009 and I have been spotting off and on ever since, which my doctor told me would happen for about 6 months or so. The insertion itself was painless, I barely noticed that my doctor did it. I don't know if I just have a high tolerance for pain or if I just have a great doctor, because my experience sounds nothing like some of the other women.

As far as other symptoms, I think so far everything is going good and I am very pleased with it. My periods are lighter, but the spotting off and on is getting a little annoying. I think so many people are quick to blame something on their health problems,and not look at the big picture.

Mirena== good choice for me!

cannot believe how many stories I have read about mirena and hair loss etc..etc.. etc.. I have experienced many of the side effects that everyone is mentioning.. I actually feel I could live with most of them if it weren't for the hair loss. I have had ( copying from other post.. ridiculous right?)Tired all the time ~ Depression ~ Hungry all the time ~ leg cramps ~ HAIR LOSS TO THE POINT OF BALDING IN SEVERAL AREAS ~ oily skin and bad breakouts ~ Mood swings (huge...yelling fits at my husband and the kids) ~ fluttering in uterus~Sore breasts.. I have medium thick hair that is about 10 inches. I noticed a bald spot in June and now have discovered 4-5 others starting. I just had the iud removed today and my OB pretty much tried to convince me that there is no way that the IUD is causing my issues. I have never had any of these issues before. I got the Mirena on 4/30 of 08 and noticed slowly but surely all of the side effects mentioned. My OB told me that the progesterone could not be causing my issues because it is such a small dosage that it would be comparable to spitting in the ocean as far as the amount that is in my blood stream. She said because I am black and 35 that I may have an autoimmune disorder and that I should stop reading blogs. I told her that all of my research wasn't from a blog and that ALOPECIA is a side effect just not mentioned in my pamphlet that I can find. I understand what she is saying and that she is the one that is the dr. but nobody knows my body better than I do.. I am in it!! I have !never had any problems and have been healthy my entire life. There is no history of autoimmune disease in my family. I am going to my primary care doctor.. to have some blood tests done. I think that the mirena has caused an autoimmune response in my body.. it may not necessarily be the progesterone..although I don't rule it out no matter what she says . the progesterone is synthetic and has an androgynous like activity that is similar to testosterone the main thing that causes male pattern baldness. also Mirena is made out of Silicone.. perhaps those of us that are having hair loss are having it due to our body trying to fight off the foreign invader of the IUD itself. I was going to go and have the Paragard inserted.. because i was thinking it may just be the progesterone.. nope... I read that many women are complaining of ACNE and HAIRLOSS even with that because its made out of copper. So with that being said.. not sure what to do.. may have to go back on Yasmin.. didn't seem to have any problems with that.. I really just don't want to risk putting another hormone in my body.. We all need to get together and look into a class action suit because I am tired of being made to feel crazy by doctors.. sometimes what seems to not be possible is .. especially when there are so many women having the same problem. Feel free to e-mail me re: a class action suit.. if they took depo off Mirena needs to come of too. It seems like it has really screwed a lot of peoples system up.. Hopefully I won't find out I know have a thyroid problem etc.. etc..

I had a baby in May.I had the mirena inserted in the beginning of August. I began having night sweats and noticing a lot of hair loss at the beginning of Sept. I went to my Ob/gyn who said it couldn't be the mirena causing the symptoms. So I thought that maybe I had a thyroid issue.(After my last pregnancy I had post-partum thyroiditis, which caused my hair to fall out and night sweats). I had my levels checked, and sure enough my t4 levels were high. So, now I am waiting for my t4 levels to go back to normal and hope that's what was causing my symptoms, not the mirena. I have also read that the mirena can cause thyroid problems, so who knows what is REALLY causing my symptoms. My most recent symptom is numbness and pain in my wrist/hand. I'm thinking it is possibly carpal tunnel syndrome which can be caused by hypothyroidism. If you just had a baby and are having the night sweats, hair loss, heart palpitations, weight gain etc.... I would recommend getting your thyroid checked.

Wow, what a relief. Thank you all for your stories and experiences with Mirena. I had Mirena placed in May 2009 and like others was not warned about the "discomfort" of the placement. I am 45 and have never had a child and my cervix was understandably angry at the unwanted visitor. I am an athlete and I like to think my pain thresh hold is high, and I almost came off the table with the pain and cramping. I bled for almost a month straight, sometimes heavy. I was told this would subside and it did.

Now three months in I was talking with a nursing buddy of mine (yes I am a nurse, cardiac) and she was telling me of her experience with Mirena and hair loss and blurred vision and weight gain. I am beginning to understand my last few months. Allow me to share. I have gained 10lbs in the last two months and have severe hunger symptoms if I go over 5 hrs without food. My typically flat stomach is now round and I feel bloated all the time. (I have even taken some of my girlfriends diuretics) I have night sweats and a few weeks ago I almost ripped my husbands head off for just a small disagreement. I remember planning our divorce in my mind!! My nipples get so sensitive to touch at times it hurts to wear a bra. I could go on and on but I am convinces this little uterine invader is coming out this week. If my obgyn won't do it, I will find another.

Thank you ladies for sharing, this is how we learn. I will keep you updated

oh yea to add on to my other post I have also had
low grade fever, cant sleep, very weak, acne, hair loss, chills, hot flashes, I am only 25. it is possible that the mirena caused an infection, I have all the symptoms of a infection not sure what kind yet though.

oh yea to add on to my other post I have also had
low grade fever, cant sleep, very weak, acne, hair loss, it is possible that the mirena caused an infection, I have all the symptoms of a infection not sure what kind yet though.

cannot believe how many stories I have read about mirena and hair loss etc..etc.. etc.. I have experienced many of the side effects that everyone is mentioning.. I actually feel I could live with most of them if it weren't for the hair loss. I have had ( copying from other post.. ridiculous right?)Tired all the time
~ Depression
~ Hungry all the time
~ leg cramps
~ HAIR LOSS TO THE POINT OF BALDING IN SEVERAL AREAS
~ oily skin and bad breakouts
~ Mood swings (huge...yelling fits at my husband and the kids)
~ fluttering in uterus
~Sore breasts..

I have medium thick hair that is about 10 inches. I noticed a bald spot in June and now have discovered 4-5 others starting. I just had the iud removed today and my OB pretty much tried to convince me that there is no way that the IUD is causing my issues. I have never had any of these issues before. I got the Mirena on 4/30 of 08 and noticed slowly but surely all of the side effects mentioned. My OB told me that the progesterone could not be causing my issues because it is such a small dosage that it would be comparable to spitting in the ocean as far as the amount that is in my blood stream. She said because I am black and 35 that I may have an autoimmune disorder and that I should stop reading blogs. I told her that all of my research wasn't from a blog and that ALOPECIA is a side effect just not mentioned in my pamphlet that I can find. I understand what she is saying and that she is the one that is the doctor, but nobody knows my body better than I do.. I am in it!! I have never had any problems and have been healthy my entire life. There is no history of autoimmune disease in my family. I am going to my primary care doctor.. to have some blood tests done. I think that the mirena has caused an autoimmune response in my body.. it may not necessarily be the progesterone..although I don't rule it out no matter what she says . the progesterone is synthetic and has an androgynous like activity that is similar to testosterone the main thing that causes male pattern baldness. also Mirena is made out of Silicone.. perhaps those of us that are having hair loss are having it due to our body trying to fight off the foreign invader of the IUD itself. I was going to go and have the Paragard inserted.. because i was thinking it may just be the progesterone.. nope... I read that many women are complaining of ACNE and HAIRLOSS even with that because its made out of copper. So with that being said.. not sure what to do.. may have to go back on Yasmin.. didn't seem to have any problems with that.. I really just don't want to risk putting another hormone in my body.. We all need to get together and look into a class action suit because I am tired of being made to feel crazy by doctors.. sometimes what seems to not be possible is .. especially when there are so many women having the same problem. Feel free to e-mail me re: a class action suit.. if they took depo off Mirena needs to come of too. It seems like it has really screwed a lot of peoples system up.. Hopefully I won't find out I know have a thyroid problem etc.. etc.. ******e-mail me with Mirena in the subject line!!

Severe mood swings, hair loss, cramping that does not go away. Bleeding for months. This is horrible!!!!

I have mirena for about three years. My biggest complaint is my period sometimes i will have one for about two weeks and then it will skip a couple months. Lately it seems its getting to be longer. Im starting to feel nausea when im on. Other than that i have no complaints i loss about 51 pounds this year just eating right. My sex drive hasn't changed a bit its always been high. Im not sure if i will get another one after my five years is up.

I am 25, I had my daughter last October 2008 and had Mirena inserted December 2008 at my 8 week postpartum appt. Everything was fine for about 6 months... It is now September 2009 and since July I have been having EXTREME hair loss (I already have gone through the post preggo hair loss 3 months after giving birth), anxiety feeling in the chest, crazy discharge, erratic periods, no sex drive, moody, ACNE on face chest and back (and I NEVER have acne). So my annual physical was yesterday, so I tell my doc about all these symptoms and he thinks "thyroid" so they pull 4 viles of blood. Then, I get home and I googled "Mirena and hair loss" and here's this site! SO, I called my OBGYN this afternoon and tell her Im losing my hair plus the other symptoms I listed above and she says "Yep its the Mirena, the same thing happened when I had it too and it stopped when I took it out" So she told me to come in and they will remove it and try PARAGUARD - a NO hormone IUD that will bring me back to my "base" and I will start having one period a month (like your body is supposed to in my eyes) and no crazy side effects. I can not tell you how much better I feel that she said right away it was the Mirena. I have really not been feeling myself the past 2 months AND everyone in my household has noticed my hair ALL OVER THE PLACE and has asked me to ask the Doctor... so glad I did.

I had mirena put in in Oct 08. My symptoms are: dizziness, sweating, nausea, (these symptoms can be mild and brief (seconds); or last a few minutes. I had severe dizziness in May and June of 2009. I also get acne on my shoulders, neck, face, and my T zone is very oily (especially my forehead). I am using good acne products to try to combat this problem, but I continue to have a problem. Some of my acne is like welts and I even have this going on on my scalp. I wrecked my car in December 2008. At that time I was very foggy headed. I blamed the foggy headedness on being stressed and overworked. I am 40 years old. My children are 10 and 13, therefore I know my symptoms are not post pregnancy. Today, I questioned if I wasn't going through early menopause. My doctor said this mirena would be wonderful and that after six months I would not have a period anymore. I have a period every two weeks. My periods are very light, but I still have them every two weeks, and they last for two weeks. I have been wondering if my body will adjust, and if I will eventually get to this heavenly place of now periods and bliss?

I haven't gotten the Mirena put in yet but am terrified! I heard such bad things & then I found this site & I just want to get my tubes tied now. I am 24 and my fience is 30. We are trying to be responsible and not get pregnant until we feel we are ready and in the right place in our careers to support a child the way we never were. I did wonderful on Depo (no weight gain, hair loss, skin problems, nothing) but was taken off it due to the potential of lowered bone density after being on it for 10 years. I tried Ortho & Ortho-lo and both of them made me have bad mood swings, headaches, and I gained 17lbs. I tried Seasonique but that made me have migraines and the worst cycles of my life. I just got switched to a Progestin only pill that is supposed to be similar to the Depo but I can't take the every day same time pill thing. I can never find a good time to work with. The MIRENA has been on my mind for a year now and I just want the real honest straight up facts...not the doctor version. Please help me!

I've had my mirena for almost 3 years. I decided to get one when my last child was 6 months old, in Oct. of 2006. My CNM assured me that it was a good choice for me, even though I was breastfeeding. For the past year, I have not been able to find the strings. I read that sometimes they can soften up and curl around the cervix, but they are NOT there. I imagine they must have moved up into my cervix or uterus. This scares me a lot. Along with that, I have had many side effects, and I've noticed they have gotten worse as of late....

-Hair loss, oily hair, dandruff, weight gain, oily skin/break outs (I stopped having breakouts once I hit my early 20's and I am 29 years old with pimples again). Terrible mood swings, nausea (as of late), fluttering/spasms in my uterus (as of late), heavy breasts (as of late). I'm actually thinking about taking a preg. test tomorrow to make sure I'm not preggo, that is how bad my symptoms are right now. I have not had a period in so long, I'm not even sure when the last time was.

I'm going in a few days to see about having the mirena removed. I'm very nervous because I don't even know if it's still where it should be. As far as BC is concerned, it's great, because I can't remember to take a pill, but it isn't worth all the other things that come with this IUD. It's mindless BC but it's also worrisome for my own health BC! At this point, I'm thinking about getting rid of hormonal BC all together and using a diaphragm and practicing Fertility Awareness. I'd rather take my chances with something that is not going to make me crazy, sick, or put me at the possibility of major surgery/loss of my womanly parts.

I got mirena birth control in June of 08 after I had my first daughter and I bled and bled and bled for over a year. I have had headaches, weight gain, that I can't lose for some reason. I'm overly tired all the time. I hardly have any energy. I have major mood swings. I'm depressed sometimes for no specific reason. It's uncomfortable to have sex. Most of the time i don't even want to have sex because my sex drive is very very low. I have had excessive amounts of white sometimes with a yellowish tint vaginal discharge. Abdominal pain, I've had some hair loss. But mostly just a lot of discharge. I haven't had any itching or anything with the discharge to indicate an infection except for very little yellowish tint to the excessive amount of discharge. But I have never bled so much or had so much discharge until I got the mirena birth control. I went to see my gyn ant the bleeding and he tried to give me bc piles to regulate my bleeding but my bleeding was regular my period came and went when it was suppose to but in between that time of he month I was still bleeding. I have finally stopped bleeding and it is now aug. 09 but I still have all the side effects above. I don't Know ether I should get it removed or not. And I'm only 18. I shouldn't be having these kinds of problems.

I felt it was extremely important that I make a post regarding my experience with Mirena so that it might help other women in a similar situation. I had Mirena inserted for the first time in the spring of 2007. The first few months I had some pretty intense periods, but this declined and then my periods disappeared completely. I was so happy with the Mirena, couldn't say enough good things about it, and was shocked by the numerous posts by women reporting nightmarish side effects. I had the Mirena removed just under two years later because my husband and I decided to try to get pregnant. That route didn't work for us so I had the Mirena replaced in the beginning of July 2009. The MOST IMPORTANT part of this post is that I had numerous nightmarish side effects the second time around with Mirena even though I had no adverse side effects the first time. I had morning sickness like symptoms complete with vomiting during my periods, migraines, hair loss, and severe mood swings - to the point of being suicidal or homicidal at times. I had to stop listening to the radio while driving for fear that a love song might come on and I might start to cry so hard that I wouldn't be able to see the road. I started to obsess about killing myself - triggered by the littlest of things or nothing at all. It took me what seemed like forever to make the connection to the Mirena - especially since I had no adverse reactions the first time. I called my doctor to make an appointment to have it removed only to be told it would be weeks before I could get in. I called my local urgent care who told me they couldn't help me - no one there could remove it for me. I was so desperate once I realized that the Mirena was the only aspect of my life that had changed during the time I decided I wanted to set fire to myself that I wanted it out immediately. I researched self-removal online and was substantially reassured by the results of that research that it was possible so I decided to remove it myself. I pulled gently, slowly and it came out without incident. I had no spotting afterward and only minor cramping. I woke up the morning after already feeling more optimistic. A string of things went wrong that morning and I never once thought of hanging myself from the attic rafters. There was a gigantic and immediate improvement. That was two days ago. I am still having horrible migraines and my breasts are still extremely sore, but I have not had a single suicidal impulse since. I even think my sex drive, which had disappeared completely is starting to return. Last weekend I told my husband that I wanted a divorce and needed to move out of the house immediately. This weekend we are going out on a date and I can't stop trying to cuddle with him:) I'm almost certain that making the decision to remove the Mirena saved my marriage and quite likely, my life. Bottom line, EVERY woman will react differently to Mirena and EVIDENTLY each time you have Mirena placed the side effects can vary - greatly. I hope this helps someone.

i got the mirena in since April 2009....i have had so many problems....HEAVY BLEEDING....REALLY BAD HEADACHES.....I FEEL REALLY LIGHT HEADED....WEIGHT LOSS....CRAMPING....VOMITING...NAUSEA FEELING ALL THE TIME...I AM SO TIRED EVERY DAY I JUST DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING....HAIR LOSS....I FEEL DEPRESSED.....i cant feel like this any more...im so glad i found this web site... i thought i was the only one.....

I am so happy to have found that many others are experiencing the same things...I have gone CRAZY!!!! I almost started anti-depressants and was scheduled to see a psychiatrist next week because I have totally changed emotionally and sexually. I had a great sex drive and was always happy go lucky....after some thought I starting researching this Mirena...and I think this may be the root of my unhappiness. Plus all these other side effects!....

~Tired all the time
~ Depression
~ Hungry all the time
~ leg cramps
~ hair loss
~ oily skin and bad breakouts
~ No period ..ever
~ Mood swings (huge...yelling fits at my husband and the kids)
~ light stomach & back cramps for weeks at a time

Best of Luck to all of you~I am getting this thing taken out ASAP!

I got off Mirena almost 2 months ago due to MASSIVE hair loss. It started when I started Mirena, but never stopped after I had the Mirena removed. Does anyone know how long it takes to stop hairloss? I am still losing in excess of 200 strands a day. Yes, I have begun counting.

Wow - I can't believe I didn't stumble across this website when I was researching Mirena. I got mine in April 09 and have had a lot of random things going on that I never put it all together that it could be the Mirena. Today, I took TWO pregnancy tests - tender breasts, swollen vag, face breaking out, achy stomach and back, specific stomach weight gain - it HAD to be pregnancy!

My girlfriend told me she was going insane w/ the same thoughts until she started reading stories of other peoples issues. Now, I'm reading all of your stories and just shaking in disbelief...

Weight gain - check.
Sore back/lower abs - check.
Slight odor - check
Terrible PMS symptoms but NO period - check
Zero sex drive - check.
Hair loss - check.
Wild mood swings - check.

The list goes on and on, it's madness! Since day one it has felt "weird" when I go to the bathroom, I just chalked it up to me thinking too much about it being in there.

I'm 32 with one young child and would prefer not to have another. I'm calling my Dr. tomorrow to discuss my options. Thank you ladies for sharing your experiences.

Hi everyone im a 22 year old mother of two. In April of 2008 i had mirena inserted and like all of you have had all of the side effects associated with it..... hair loss, anxiety, weight gain, lower back and ab pain, ovary pain, acne, depression, mood swings and so on.. after finding this site and reading many posts i made an appointment to have this thing removed... For me the benefits did not out weight the side effects... so i had it removed 1 week ago... spotting there after and a full blown period that has not gotten any lighter (again, has been a week) .. usually i do expect to be on my period for a week with the second and third day being the ones with the most flow but i have not gotten any lighter and i am menstruating blood clots!!! does anyone know if this is normal??? I mean big clots,,, i have never had this happen before... i did call the doctor office where i had it removed and from what i understood its normal but it just doesn't feel right.... im starting to think i was pregnant and am having a miscarriage except i have no pain... ( first day of last period was July 9, 2009) went in to have mirena removed 8-18-09.... did this happen to anyone else??? oh one more thing,,, i do have a bit of lower back pains... i appreciate any replays thank you

This website is a joke! After I had my Mirena inserted 4 months ago I started reading on the internet about possible side effects. I was furious with myself that I hadn't Read up on this before the appointment. There were so many horrible reviews involving hair loss, weight gain, acne, and mood swings! I was so scared and actually thought about removing the Mirena that week. I then found multiple reviews on websites not owned and operated by other drug companies that are trying to scare people in order to prevent the sale and use of the Mirena and the side effects listed here were a 180 degree difference. I have not experienced any weight gain, in fact, I recently was able to shed 5 pounds from picking up running again (so it is possible to LOSE weight on the Mirena as well). I have had zero hair loss, have not had a pimple anywhere or any random hair growth. My live in boyfriend and I have discussed if we've noticed any mood swings or changes and my mood which is usually optimistic and positive has been the same since I had the Mirena inserted. My periods are much lighter and although they can last an extra day or two more than what I was used to, they are light and I have not had any cramping. I'm writing this review not because I absolutely love the Mirena, I think it's a fine form of BC but who LOVES their BC, isn't it all kind of a pain. The Mirena is by far the most convenient form of birth control and I don't worry at all about missing a day and the chance of getting pregnant. I'm writing this review because I encourage everyone to talk more with their doctors about the side effects and look around on the internet for REAL websites.

OMG! I can't believe this! I told my husband last night that I was going to do more research on the Mirena, because I thought it was making my sex drive non-existent. He said he didn't think it was supposed to have that side effect. I am so glad I read this site. I had my Mirena put in January 2008, after my last child. I thought it would be great: no periods, no worrying about taking the pill, etc. After that, I gained 20 pounds and can't get the weight off, no matter what. I too had to get thyroid tests that came out fine. Got on anti-depressants for my tiredness, soreness every morning, and overall depression. Really moody, too. I thought it was the end of the world. I don't like to take pills to be happy, when my life is great. I am calling my doctor to have this removed immediately. Can anyone recommend a good birth control pill/method other than this that won't cause weight gain?

Hey, I had Mirena implanted at the end of April, I was taking Marvelon BC pills back to back prior to getting on Mirena, after a few days of minor spotting my period stopped completely, I have not noticed any weight gain, my boobs are not any bigger, actually they seem smaller now than before, it has not been a full 4 months yet but I am noticing a lot of hair loss on my head in the last 2-3 weeks, but the rest of the hair on my body is growing like crazy, within less than 6 hours it's already popping out again on my legs and under my arms! And I've never had acne on my back or my chest in my life until now, I use to have the occasional break out on my face but now it's like there is always something going on with my skin, plus I'm shiny all the time thanks to how oily my skin has become. Sex drive just noticed that start too go about 3 weeks ago too, plus like some of the other women have mentioned there is a smell situation down there ever since I got this thing. I am also on Wellbutrin, however, I was on that long before Mirena, and I am feeling the depression that some others are talking about and despite being on Wellbutrin I don't feel it is getting better. I'm calling my doc tomorrow to see what my other options are, I don't want to have my period but it's not worth having these other side effects, at least when I was taking my pill back to back I didn't have to deal with these things! Thank you to all who are contributing to this forum, I thought I was a freak going through all these things alone.

My hair is thinning. I can't lose wait, but I have not gained either. The periods are light after 5 months, almost nothing. I don't even wear a pad.
The sex drive is fine and pain free. I do feel the stomach flutters every now and again. No mood swings. Tender breast sometimes. The side effects mentioned are scary. Not sure if I want to wait for them to show up. But I don't want to be bald either.

I had the Mirena inserted in November 2007 after having my third child. The first 6 months I had bleeding everyday. The insertion was painless. For the last year I have been trying to figure out what is wrong with me. I really didn't pay much attention to it until about 4 months ago when I started having anxiety attacks. I figured it was due to stress of a new job. I have been so tired that I can barely function. I have no interest in even leaving the house. It is even hard to come to work everyday because I am exhausted. I don't sleep well. I wake up soaking wet from sweat. I have a lot of joint pay in my legs, arms, and hands. My arms stay numb most of the time. I too experience the moodiness and I can sit and cry over nothing. I have experienced hair loss since having the Mirena. As far as sex drive it is nonexistent, even if it was there I would be too tired to even do anything. I have blurry vision sometimes. I have gained so much weight it isn't funny. I thought maybe my thyroid was out of wack so I went to the doctor for blood work. My blood work came back great. After researching some more I found this site and apparently Mirena is the cause of my problems also. I go to my GYN doctor tomorrow for my annual exam and I am going to request that the Mirena be removed. I have three children 15,10, and 22 months so I can not live my life like this. I am glad that I found this website and I plan to pass it along for those women that are having problems that they may be blaming other things for. If you have the Mirena you definitely need to read this site. I'll keep everyone posted once the Mirena is removed.