Mirena and heart palpitations

I have been on Mirena since about March of 08 after I had our son. My Husband was overseas and we wanted something before he got home in June. We hate condoms and I can't ever remember to take the pill, so I decided to get this. Well since I have been on it I have been VERY moody and everyone can notice it. Hubby was the first to say it is probably the Mirena but I was like how can it give me mood swings? I still kind of don't understand how it has, but anyways, I called the doctor to get it taken out and tomorrow I am going to get this dang thing out of me. I am so tired of being moody, sweating all the time, i have cramps during my periods and I used to never have any kind of symptoms during my periods. You could never tell when I was on my period, now you do. I was having terrible back pain a few weeks ago and I never thought it could of been because of the Mirena but after reading some of the posts, a lot of other people have had back pain also.

I can't believe they will put something like this into you and advertise it as much as they do. I believe they should take it off the market. I hate being moody and tired all the time.

I AM SO HAPPY I AM GETTING MIRENA OUT OF ME TOMORROW.

OOOO and I also forgot to mention that I also have been getting headaches and I never got headaches before. I never thought it was because of it...how can this thing cause so much????

I had mine inserted the first week of July. Yes, it was freaking uncomfortable getting it done and I had cramping the rest of the day, but my OB warned me of that and I made the decision to go ahead. I'm not in a position to complain about it now.
I bled/spot for 2-3 weeks after insertion. Only heavy enough to require a tampon for the first week, but I had it inserted when I was supposed to be starting my period anyway. Again my OB suggested this and warned me about the possibility of bleeding for up to 6 months. Again my decision to go forward!
Since then I have had cramping once a month like I'm going to start my period and never do. Within the last few weeks I've started getting the acne and an oily scalp. It's all over my back and not poppable. I'm hoping it will eventually subside when my body gets used to the new hormone level I'm giving it. If you think about it, it's the same thing in puberty (ie change in hormones) that kicks off the acne so it doesn't surprise me that this is a side effect. If it doesn't subside I'll make a decision then whether or not to have it out.
I have not had any of the other side effects. In fact I had terrible headaches and neck pain before I got this and those have gotten much better.

I was on the pill for 15 years before getting mirena and I had much worse side effects with that (extreme moodiness, loss of sexual desire, bad cramps, long periods, etc). I tried multiple brands of pills and never found one I was 100% happy with. But I dealt with it because I made the decision to go on B/C.
I'll take the acne over those any day! (not to mention I got pregnant on the pill!!!)

I understand that these side effects suck, but you act like it's the company's fault. They specifically list the common side effects and the majority of the ones you're complaining about are listed in plain site Taken directly from their website:
Menstrual changes
Lower abdominal pain (cramps)
Acne or other skin problems
Back pain
Breast tenderness
Headache
Mood changes
Nausea
Ovarian cysts have been diagnosed in about 12% of Mirena® users. In most cases, the enlarged follicles disappeared spontaneously during two to three months of observation.

Did you think that's just for show? Did you ever stop to consider (before getting the product) you might actually get those side effects and what you would do if you did? It is your body... YOU are the only one responsible for what goes inside it. No one held you down and forced you to do this. Mirena didn't hide anything from you or trick you into it. Take some responsibility for your actions! Quit blaming others. This is a great example of what is wrong with our society today!

Take responsibility! Do your research! Make your own decisions and deal with the consequences of them without blaming others!

If you look at the mirena website it gives you the FDA number to call to report side effects. If you're having major ones call the FDA and report it so that more than just people that stumble upon this forum know about it!

Im so glad to read that all you ladies who are having problems have found out it is caused by Mirena and you are getting it removed,you will be so glad you did,removal is painless and afterwards you might get a bit of spotting or your period, every body is different,I had spotting on the day but never got my period for two weeks,it was VERY heavy though.
I want to wish you all the best,I had mine removed 105 Days ago, Im starting to feel better,my breasts are not painful anymore,my heart palpitations are happening a lot less I haven't lost much weight yet but Im working on it.
I know it might take a long time to get back to normal but each day its getting better.
I wish you all a speedy recovery.

I had the Mirena inserted 8 days ago..I cannot wait to get this thing out...I fainted when it was put in it was soo painful..I am a healthy active woman..now I am constantly nauseous,non stop cramps,backaches, and heart palpitations..what is up with that?? I had been on the pill for 20 years and never had this kind of stuff..I am done..Tubal Ligation here I come. I now know why all my friends begged me not to use an IUD.

So I made an appointment to have my mirena removed on Monday. However, i am scared now that my post symptoms are going to be far more worse than they are now but, it needs to be done. So, if you have had it removed can you please reply to this posting so i can have some idea as to what i could be facing?

I had the mirena put in in june after my third child. I did feel a bit dizzy when it was first put in but did not cramp at all. I was still spoting then from giving birth, so it just continued for about 3 more weeks the stopped altogether. I have not had a period since, woooooooohooooooooooo!!!!!!!! I don't feel bad about that at all. I did have a day when I woke up cramping and thought I was going to start but never did. My doctors nurse told me everything I needed to know about the mirena long before i had it put in. I actually made the appointment to discuss it with her. Everyone should have been smart enough to ask questions before it was done, not the day it is. You cant think straight when someone is getting ready to put a device in you. I have to say I love my mirena and would not trade it for a pill, a shot, or any other birth control method. Ladies know your gyn very well before trusting them. I think most of you just think it is your doctors fault. It is not it is yours for not researching it more. And come on what women is not moody a day in her life, not many. How many headaches did you get before the mirena? How were your sinuses before mirena? Probably the same. Some womens health simply changes after having a baby. I also advise against you removing these mirenas yourselves. It is not smart, you could get a bad infection from not being in a sterile environment.

I am 28 years old and have an 8 year old child I have had mirena for about 7 months....I really thought this was going to be the best thing ever. It all sounded so good those doctors can be really good sales people. My biggest problem is PANIC ATTACKS never had them before and i don't wish them on anyone you feel like you have no control over what your body is doing, My first panic attack started last Firday and i am still not recovered from it. I am having heart palpitations like crazy, headaches, foggy vision, night sweats and the Acne has been out of control for a while...I can't wait to get mine removed tomorrow. I don't think most people know that little thing called mirena can really mess with your body bad.. If i could turn back time I wouldn't of gotten it but i didn't know about all these side effects... Don't Get Mirena it's not with the trouble.

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

I am so relieved to have found this site. I suffer from PCOS (Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome). I am also morbidly obese, but I have been on a diet for 3 years and I enjoy the diet, sounds funny, but it is true. I lost 30 pounds the first year. Now, I have gained it all back, I can't do anything, I am in so much pain. I have back pain, knee pain, I have swelling in my legs they are so huge (the calves) They have grown three inches in circumference since I started the progesterone therapies. I have pitting edema in both my legs and my hands swell all the time. The only way to reduce the swelling in my hands is to hold my arms over my head for about 15 minutes and that seems to help enough to get my rings off. Mirena was supposed to NOT cause any side effects. Well let me tell you I got them all. The same way I did with the pill form. Only Mirena took longer to enter into my system. I am waiting for my Doctor to get back from vacation and I will be insisting on its removal.

Here is my list:

Pitting Edema in arms and legs
Headaches
Severe abdominal pain
Severe backache
Heart palpitations
Constipation
Lack of appetite
SEVERE WEIGHT GAIN (how can this be, I have been a diet for three years...and I am sticking to it) MY PANTS won't fit anymore.
NO energy
Fatigue
Nightmares
Nausea
Dizziness
Unable to concentrate
Slight double vision (right eye only)
Anger
PIMPLES ( I am 38 for Pete's sake, I didn't have pimples as a teen!)

My Doctor lied. Plain and simple. He told me there would be no systemic side effects. Either Bayer (Mirena) is lying to him, or he is lying to me....either way...I see a class action lawsuit coming if they don't remove this thing. I will kill me if it stays in any longer. I just know it! For those it works for good. I am pleased. For those of us who is don't, I truly feel your pain!

I am so relieved to have found this site. I suffer from PCOS (Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome). I am also morbidly obeses, but I have been on a diet for 3 years and I enjoy the diet, sounds funny, but it is true. I lost 30 pounds the first year. Now, I have gained it all back, I can't do anything, I am in so much pain. I have back pain, knee pain, I have swelling in my legs they are so huge (the calves) They have grown three inches in circumference since I started the progesterone therapies. I have pitting edema in both my legs and my hands swell all the time. The only way to reduce the swelling in my hands is to hold my arms over my head for about 15 minutes and that seems to help enough to get my rings off. Mirena was supposed to NOT cause any side effects. Well let me tell you I got them all. The same way I did with the pill form. Only Mirena took longer to enter into my system. I am waiting for my Doctor to get back from vacation and I will be insisting on its removal.

Here is my list:

Pitting Edema in arms and legs
Headaches
Severe abdominal pain
Severe backache
Heart palpitations
Constipation
Lack of appetite
SEVERE WEIGHT GAIN (how can this be, I have been a diet for three years...and I am sticking to it) MY PANTS won't fit anymore.
NO energy
Fatigue
Nightmares
Nausea
Dizziness
Unable to concentrate
Slight double vision (right eye only)
Anger

My Doctor lied. Plain and simple. He told me there would be no systemic side effects. Either Bayer (Mirena) is lying to him, or he is lying to me....either way...I see a class action lawsuit coming if they don't remove this thing. I will kill me if it stays in any longer. I just know it! For those it works for good. I am pleased. For those of us who is don't, I truly feel your pain!

Hi, I had mirena placed two months ago after giving birth to my 3rd child. I wish I would've seen this site before I make my decision of using Mirena. My first symptom was chest pain and it was followed by heart palpitations, lower back pain, dizziness, heart burn, etc...... I asked my obgyn and he said "IS NOT MIRENA" the cause of your symptoms. I had to see a Cardiologist because I felt that I was going to die in any minute from a heart attack. My Cardiologist said you are to young to have heart problems. I had an ekg, blood work, echo, and stress test done. nothing seems to be wrong with me "Medical terms" you are fine. But I knew something was wrong, I got my own diagnosis "MIRENA" was the cause of all my symptoms. I have it removed about two weeks ago and I finally feel normal again. No more side effects. Please ladies do your own research really good before using this or any other medication that your doctor gives you and please DON'T trust your Dr. 100%, they are not always right. Good luck to all of you.

I'm the mom of two boys and have a history of bc pill use. It wasn't until my second son was born that I made the choice to have Mirena put in. I was looking for a less restrictive product and my Dr. suggeste the big M.

Well it's been 31/2 years and I;m fed up. I didn't think that this could be causing my weight gain. I didn't think this could be the cause of the acne (by the way I've never experience acne until now, in my late 30s). I didn't think this could be the cause of my heart palpitations or irregular random heart beats or the numbness and tingling in my left arm and hands, or the insatiable appetite, sharp, jaw dropping pain over both ovaries, cramping, terrible breast pain (my husband could not touch them the week before my cycle), bloating, enlarged breast, hair growth in places I wasn't especting there to be hair, and so on. I can't even begin to tell you when my cylce is going to start or end, everything has been so irregular, the spotting is awful and unexpected also to the point that now I'm chained to panty liners (huge drag). Well guess what - Mirena is the culprit.

I don't know what to do now. I'm not that good with the pill because I keep forgetting it somewhere down the line. I've tried the injections and they were just a nightmare. I stayed sick all the time but I lost weight :-). The patch was a joke. My 6 year old is the product of the patch and my 12 year old is the product of the pill and getting my tubes tied is out of the question.

First things first, the IUD must go. I've had my burial ceremony and the last rights have been read. Now on to better things. Hopefully there is something out there for someone like me who just wants reliable birth control without all the junk attached.

Good luck ladies. Let me be the first to congratulate you on your fight - ytou tried. Good luck moving ahead and I wish you all the best.

I've had my Mirena in for about a month now, and honestly, it hasn't given me any problems. Of course I had cramps in the first week, and spotting for the first 3 months or whatever...but I can truly say that I love this birth control, and I hope not to get the negative side effects like most of these women. If you are considering the Mirena for birth control, talk with your doctor. If you have problems, talk with your doctor...if you're pissed off because you feel like you wasted your money, maybe you should take a second to think about it...neither you nor your doctor can look into a crystal ball to find out how something will effect you. But please, if you are considering the Mirena, don't decide against it because what a bunch of middle-aged women (with less than healthy reproductive systems) said. I'm 20 years old, and this IUD is a blessing.

I am 26 years old and I thought I was having a heart attack last night. I seriously thought I was going to die. At work my feet and hands started to swell up really bad, but that went away pretty quickly. Then I started getting dizzy and feeling nauseated. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of it's chest and all I could do was think about it! I went and had my blood pressure checked at Walgreen's and they said it wasn't high enough for me to go to the ER, but I was scared. I was told I was having a panic attack to take deep breathes and try to take my mind off of it! Well that is hard to do when you are convinced that you are having a heart attack. Now I am experiencing pain in my lower back and having sharp stabbing pains near my left ovary and in my left shoulder down to my elbow.......when will this end? I just want my body back again!

three months after getting Mirena Iud I started getting heart palpitations, I had a ECG and a Holter Moniter, I mentioned it Mirena too my family doctorr and he said he thought about it as being the cause,then said no he didn't think so Instead he sent me too a Heart Specialist, only for them too tell me they didn't think I had a heart condition!!! Go on!!!! I told my family doctor and the Specialist that I had a Mirena IUD and did they think that it may be causing me too have these palpitations? Both said NO... I have suffered and had dizzy spells, symptoms of morning sickness, and haven't been able to feel rested since getting it... Today I made an appointment to get it removed. I like what is has done for me otherwise, but I don't feel like the palpations are a worthy side effect.

Thank God I found this site. My doctor thinks I'm mad, she has a Mirena herself and thinks it's wonderful. I had the Mirena put in because of severe blood loss anemia two years ago. I've had a headache on the left side of my head for 18 months. Heart palpitations right before my unpredictable periods, chest pain, serious stomach upsets, numbness and tingling that made me think I had MS or a brain tumor, and countless other frightening symptoms. I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma when I was 23 which was successfully treated, this Mirena has had me concerned daily that I had relapsed and that it just wasn't being picked up. I've been so frightened of what's been happening to me, but now I will INSIST that the thing is removed right away. Thank you so much for you honesty about your symptoms, I no longer feel alone.

I JUST GOT MIRENA INSERTED LAST WEEK. I HAD SOME CRAMPING AT FIRST, BUT THAT WENT AWAY IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. SINCE THEN, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HEART PALPITATIONS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, FOLLOWED BY DIZZINESS. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY I WOULD BE HAVING THESE ISSUES. MIRENA IS THE ONLY EXPLANATION, SINCE IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED RECENTLY. IS SOMEONE GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. IT SOUNDS VERY DANGEROUS! I'M GONNA CALL MY DOCTOR AND HAVE IT REMOVED!

Hello ladies. I have had the Mirena removed now for about 2 months and i feel a lot better. I am not sure if i posted here or another forum but i have experienced terrible side effects from this thing being in my body. my side effects included

painful joints( i felt like a 80 something year old)
lower back pain
Chest pain ( which i still experience on and off now)
numbness on my fingers and toes ( which i still have to some degree)
sharp abdominal pains
extreme anxiety
tired all the time
spasms in my hands and legs especially my left side
headaches and the list can go on and on.

My doctor did not believe the mirena was causing all of this even though i had been a very healthy person with no medical complaints at all before the mirena was inserted.

Did i read somewhere about a class action lawsuit? Because i will definitely look into it for all the suffering this thing has put me through.
Thanks everyone for posting. Information is power!

I've posted previously about my experiences with the Mirena....had it removed Feb 7 after only 5 months due to acne, bloating, low libido, dizziness, heart palpitations, mental fogginess. In the 5 months that I had the Mirena, I had two periods, one that started Dec. 24, 07 and one that started Jan. 17, 08. After the removal, I had 2 days of a light period/spotting and that's it. Multiple negative pregnancy tests but still no period. So I called up my Dr's office and he wanted to run some labs, test my FSH and Estradiol. They said it would be a week to a week and a half....but the nurse called me back this morning! She starts off with "Are you somewhere where you can talk?".....she tells me that an FSH of 34 or higher is considered menopausal...and mine is 107!!! I am 43! So the Dr wants to repeat the test in 6 weeks and then I have a consultation with him a week later. I had been having periods prior to the Mirena, even though they would occasionally come a few days early or a few days late. I am absolutely stunned. I have been having hot flashes at night...not sweats but waking up hot....and I guess that's why the Dr decided to do some labs. I wonder (as I'm sure he is) if this Mirena, and the lack of ovulation, is the reason for this or if I am really menopausal at this point. My Mother did not experience menopause until 49 although I know that does not necessarily mean that it will be the same for me. I am just stunned.

So glad I found this website!!! I have Mirena for 1year and four months. My period stopped like six months ago. I have experienced increased anxienty and for three months already almost panick attacks, heart palpitations, nausea like morning sickness, and developed high blood pressure related to the anxiety. Never thought the Mirena has anything to do with it but I will call my doctor tomorrow to have it removed as soon as possible. I had never been on hormonal contraceptives so did'nt know what side effects i could develop.

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.

Hi I had the Mirena inserted a month ago and The insertion was slightly painful but manageable...that night I had severe cramps sorta like cramps after I had my daughter 8 months ago..
I have not gained any weight...but I have not stopped bleeding in a month staight and not spotting HEAVY bleeding... I alreayd have back problems so I dont see a differance but when I went to the bathroom I notices something on the tissue so I looked and it was a little piece of the string (looks like fishing string) anyways I dont know if thats safe....
My husband is returning froma 15month deployment in Afghanistan and Im still bleeding!! AHH and it has all the period symptoms I feel like I can smell blood all the time@! Grose! Also I am having hot flashes too and I am 22...I also have shakes and my heart beats extremely FAST like Im having a panic attack just happened last nite... After I got on the MIrena I was told I have sebboreha on my face below my nose.. I am a esthetician so this is bad for me ...noone else can see it but I know its there and Ive had perfect skin...

I'm 32 years old and have three young children (5, 2 1/2, and 1). I had the Mirena inserted October 30, 2007. I've experienced heart palpitations, moodiness, anger, anxiety and panic attacks. I've also experienced periods of dizziness and feeling off-balance. When I started having palpitations I immediately called my gyno and asked if it could be the Mirena and he said flat-out "NO" and to call my family doctor to find out the cause. I even went to the ER and thought I was having a stroke or something (dizziness, blurred vision, numbness in face) and they told my it sounded like anxiety and prescribed Atavan. I've never experienced anxiety before and figured it was just because I was at home with my kids or was nervous about returning to work in a few months. After reading the other stories posted here, I know I'm not alone. I'm not crazy after all. My instincts told me - right from the start - that it is the Mirena. But I listened to my doctors instead. I'm calling my gyno today to see when I can get this thing taken out. Hopefully, my feelings of anxiety, worry and panic disappear and I get back to normal.

Hi, I'm 27 and had Mirena inserted in Oct. 2006, six weeks after I had my little boy. I have been experiencing extensive hair loss, fatigue, lack of sex drive, heart palpitations, intolerance to cold, and inexplicable mood swings (especially including anger or depression). I haven't gained much weight; however, I have been incapable of reclaiming my pre-baby weight regardless of diet and exercise. I wrote off most of these symptoms during the first year, since I thought they were just the result of my hormones getting back to normal after child birth. But now that my son is almost 19 months old, I've really started to get worried. Not only are these problems NOT dissipating, they are getting WORSE.

I've recently been doing some research, and it appears that these symptoms are indicative of hypothyroidism. I was planning on undergoing treatment for that affliction. However, I don't know what I should do now that I've discovered that so many other women on Mirena are having the same problems as I am having. Perhaps it would be better to switch to a different birth control. It would be stupid to take one drug in order to counter-act the side effects of another, wouldn't it? It may be less convenient, but I know for a fact that I never had problems like this when I used Nuva Ring.

hello all,
I had my Mirena put in on October of 07. due to heavy bleeding which caused severe Enemia. I have since had problems with very Low potassium, re-occurring yeast and bacterial infections and some heart palpitations. The latest symptom I have been experiencing is numbness in my left leg and foot. sometimes totally numb. My dr. told me that it could be a pinched nerve in my back but I have not done anything to strain or stress it. after reading this website i am convinced that these symptoms are caused by my IUD.
I am going to call my OBGYN tomorrow and have this IUD removed!!!!!

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

: Hey, I'm 32, got mirena 1 1/2 months ago. Have had palpitation during this time.
I just had it removed yesterday. I would rather have bad periods.
No previous heart problems, I'm sure its the hormones, Doctor would not confirm this. I've done some research on the net, and this is happening to women with mirena.

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

I had my Mirena inserted in April 2007, I was really hoping for the best. The procedure really wasn't that bad, I had some pain in my cervix afterwards but that went away. I started noticing a few months ago that I seemed to be gaining weight around my abdomen, usually when I gain weight it's around my hips and butt! I thought this was strange and wondered if it could be Mirena that was causing it. I had a few instances of pretty intense pain in my lower abdomen, I knew this had to be Mirena because I had never had pain like that before. Now, this past 2 weeks I've been experiencing heart palpitations and shortness of breath. I didn't know what was causing it, I thought maybe I was having panic attacks after getting involved in a child abuse prevention group, so I left the group. I went to the doctor and she said that it sounded like anxiety. The heart palpitations came back, and last night at bedtime it was so bad, I felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I had already made an appointment to get my Mirena removed after my last abdominal pain episode, I had it removed today. I feel so relieved to have it out. I don't know for sure if it was causing the heart palpitations or not, but I haven't had one since I got it removed this afternoon. It would be really interesting to find out if it was causing it. After reading all of these posts, I'm sure that the reason for my weight gain was Mirena. I guess it's back to condoms and natural family planning for me until my husband finally gets fixed. ☺

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

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

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

I had the Mirena inserted in October 07 because of very heavy menstruation problems. I have never tolerated the pill so I was nervous about the possible hormonal side effects of the Mirena, My GP and Gyno both played the side effects down and maintained that the dose of hormones was so small and only released "locally", whatever that means. The first month was ok, I spotted daily and did not experience any other serious side effects, just the occasional cramping. The first day of my Mirena period I had a massive vertigo attack, spinning out of control for a couple of hours. I was due to catch a plane that day and had to cancel my weekend away with my husband. My GP maintained it had nothing to do with the Mirena and that I had an inner ear infection. From that day on I experienced chronic dizziness, and increasing symptoms of heart palpitations, nausea and anxiety. By the end of the second month, I felt I was loosing my mind, becoming extremely irritable and very anxious for no apparent reason. My body felt like it was in a constant state of alert. I decided to have the Mirena removed and experienced almost instant relief form the dizziness and chronic anxiety. I "crashed" 9 days later for about 4 days when all my symptoms came back with a vengeance and it felt pretty scary. 6 weeks post Mirena I feel chronically fatigued and have achy and weak legs. I have consulted a naturopath who has given me a cocktail of vitamins, minerals and instructed me to be alcohol free, caffeine free, wheat free and cow's milk free. I try to walk my dog once a day and eat extremely healthy food and sleep. I have had to stop work for a month.The Mirena experience has been a disaster for me and I am still waiting to get back to my normal self. Reading this site does give me support in knowing that others have experienced similar debilitating symptoms. I have felt very let down by the lack of medical support and understanding of what Mirena can do to you.

I have had Mirena since July. I went through a lot of life stress this past fall (moving to a new city after 10 years, being separated from my bf during this time for two months, etc) but I really think Mirena is not right for me.

I am bloated all the time, my periods are erratic, I am more moody than usual and I have NO sex drive. Worst of all, I think I'm pregnant ALL THE TIME. I just don't trust this thing and I literally drive my man nuts worrying about being pregnant. I also have developed some pimples (like on my back, upper arms, etc) that I never had a problem with before! I have gained a few pounds as well.

I feel like a putz spending all this money but I really want it out. I feel like I should "give it more time" but really, what is the point?

Hi Danielle here, I have posted in the past, I was wondering if any of you that suffered from anxiety, and nausea post Mirena, when did you see an improvement, was it after a couple cycles? Are any of you on an anti- anxiety meds? They say that when the anxiety goes that the rest follows, is there truth to this? I am 4 weeks post removal and I still wake up with the feeling of dread, I take Lorazepam to help, but I am sick of taking a med I just want to feel like "me" again, what an uphill battle, while I do notice an improvement these pat 2 weeks to the 1st two weeks I am still very concerned about the anxiety and nausea, I went to the mall yesterday for 3 hours, and came home a wreck! crying, dread, I hate it, can anyone please tell me when I should expect to see an improvement? I know it is different for all but any information would be appreciated.

I had my Mirena removed on December 9, 2007. I inserted that damn thing on July 26, 2007 and that was the first night i tossed in bed for 4 hours. One week later my physician prescribed Ambien CR for insomnia. It's gotten so bad since then that not even two Ambiens put me to sleep. well, fast forward 4 months, and two $200.00 visits to a hypnotist, and absolutely crazy depression(from not sleeping for nights) I finally associated the two. I removed this thing that's been destroying me, my marriage and my two kids. It's only been two days and i still couldn't sleep. but I am giving my body a chance to detox. Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get rid of these side effects? I can't wait.

I am getting mine removed FRIDAY!! And Friday can't come soon enough. I am kinda bummed tho for having to go back on the pill but I can't hack this ANY LONGER!!! One of my friends works for a GP and I went to him because of some of my side effects. The flu like symptoms minus having the flu (had it for at least 2 to 3 mos now) NO sex drive (causing trouble with my marriage. Hubby is taking it WAY to personal), swelling in my hands, feet, legs, and face. (my face will feel flush and BAM I'm swollen!!) VERY BAD MOOD SWINGS!!! Very Bad isn't the word for it!! There are no words to explain my moods!! ANYHOW..... I sent this to my friend to read and she pulled it up at work. Well the GP said that this isn't a reliable place to go for information on the side effects. "There are NO positive side effects to anything." Which is true BUT he seems to think going to Web MD or some sight like that is more reliable than here. And that this sight shouldn't scare me and he wouldn't urge me to have it removed after reading this. (OH YEAH I forgot to mention joint pain, I have HORRIBLE joint pain in my hands, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and feet. The worst of it is in my wrists and elbows) Back to what I was saying. To that (this sight not being reliable) I say go to Web MD and post there too! I pray that I can get back to me after this comes out!! I hope it don't take too long either! I MISS the old me and HATE the new me!! But FRIDAY HURRY UP AND GET HERE. And for anyone who has had it removed........ anything I should be repaired for??? Thanks for your time!

I had my Mirena IUD put in May 1st of 2007 and all the side effects that came along with it......the constant spotting, acne, itching breasts (which I thought was due to new bras that I had just purchased), nausea, depression (which I had to go back to taking Wellbutrin), no energy; tired all the time. My biggest side effect which I have not found any others to have is Allergies. I know it sounds crazy, but I have never had problems with allergies until a month and half after getting the IUD, extreme allergy symptoms, swollen glands, neck pain, very shortness of breath; to the point that I was down for a whole day here and there, I am having to take Allegra; had to get a steroid shot. Now that it is cold, I thought I would be getting break from the allergies, nope. I joined a gym hoping that it would help in giving me energy, nope.........I have talked to my Dr and the nurses that work with my gyno and they act as if I am making this stuff up. It is very frustrating when you know that your body has done a complete 360 in the wrong direction and everyone seems to think your crazy.

Well I am having my IUD taken out as soon as I can!

I have had Mirena for about 5 weeks now and have had constant medium flow bleeding every single day. I also have tingling and swelling in my hands and feet. My head feels kinda cloudy and dizzy a bit. Is anyone out there having these problems too. Will these side effects go away with time??

I got the Mirena fitted 2 weeks ago and find it was the worst thing I ever did in my life, I feel I am not the same person anymore,whats worse is it was made to sound like the best contraception out there I was so unaware of the side effects and feel so angry for not being warned, I just want to have it removed and maybe I can feel more like myself again like I did before I got the thing in first place, please can anyone get back to me and tell me there stories of how you felt when it was taken out,just so I have some hope that I will feel better.my side effects are depression, weight loss, anxiety, shakes, heart palpitations, insomnia, and this is on a daily basis too I am just not dealing with this thing at all, please be sure to look into this nasty coil before you decide its for you because I really wish I had of done my home work but its to late for me, I just hope I can save at least one person from going through what I am right now. Mandy

I just had Mirena inserted sept 12 ( 2 weeks ago)-had major cramping and discomfort-but basically went well. Since then i've had the "normal" cramping, pain, and nonstop bleeding. I've had major mood swings and irritability (not the norm for me!)-- and more pressing heart palpitations, arm numbness, insomnia (although im extremely tired--2 month old come on!) The scariest thing is yesterday morning i was lying in bed and my head began spinning--and i was extremely nauseous--and vomiting all day-im still extremely dizzy and can barely get out of bed still!!!!! All this within such a short amount of time....I called my ob/gyn--and am waiting for the callback..i even took a pregnancy test bc I felt as awful as i did when first pregnant! Man im glad my hubby found this site (he was searching to see if mirena causes such symptoms) at least i see other women are experiencing such crazy and similar symptoms as well...ive got to get this thing out-and im not takin no for an answer! -i feel soooo awful ...this dizziness is crazy....comments anyone??

I am calling my doctor and having this thing removed ASAP. I've had it in for three months, and at first everything was fine. But lately, I almost feel as though I'm going crazy. Insomnia. Terrible mood swings and anger. Getting beyond mad and upset at simple things. My heart feels like its beating ridiculously fast - like I'm having heart palpitations or an anxiety attack. I feel like I'm in a pressure-cooker. I get unreasonably mad at my dear husband and children, which leaves me feeling so awful and terrible to be acting this way. My hair falls out in gobs, and I have a puffy tummy that is soooo not normal. I haven't had a good sex drive in years, but now the thought of sex makes me almost want to throw-up. I feel like I'm going crazy. Any problems in my life seem amplified, and I feel completly overwhelmed - and I really shouldn't feel this bad. Kids wear you out, and messes around the house are tiresome, but the commotion shouldn't make me feel this NUTS!

Oh yes, I also forgot:

lack of sex drive (non-existent), had very healthy sex drive before
2 episodes of heart palpitations (not sure if related)
breast tenderness for 2 weeks out of every month
increase in cramping and PMS symptoms (never had cramping before)

One week after IUD removal, acne is already clearing up.

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

Heart Palpitations