Mirena and liver

I had the Mirena put in almost a year ago now .. At the time my doctor whom I trust very much .. and myself felt it was the best thing for me at the time because I was having on and off times of very heavy bleeding that wouldn't want to stop .. so to try and reverse that we went with trying putting this in .. It was a little difficult getting it put in ..but nothing all that bad .. as Im reading this site .. I have called my doctor and asked for her to call me ... Because .. I have recently had blood work done .. I have lupus so its taken often anyway in June my liver readings where high in the 70's so we waited one month and had them rechecked .. I was just told on fri I need to have a ultra sound done on my liver because in one month them readings went from the 70's to now being 125/135 and no one seems to know whats causing it .. soo i am grasping and looking into anything I can think that could cause it .. now im wondering if I didn't go from one problem right into another by getting this .. I hope im wrong and I hope for all of you having problems you feel better and get on the right track soon ..
God Bless .. V.

I had the Mirena put in July 3rd 08 at my 6 week check up after I had my second child. I did not have much pain during insertion. However now (about a year later) is a different story. I am glad that I found this page, and I am not alone. I have the common side effects that others list on here like weight gain, mood swings, irregular periods that are different consistency (clots, stringing, heavy flow, light flow), extreme fatigue but unable to sleep, lack of interest in normal activities, and breast tenderness. I know I expected the mood swings, weight gain (but did not think it would be the 18lbs i gained while i was eating healthy and working out) and cramping for a few months after insertion. However the past 2 months I have had a lot of pain in my pelvis. Cramping is not the right word for it, it feels like pressure on my pelvis. Like someone is standing on what feels like my ovary. This is also with the occasional flutter in my stomach that feels like a baby kicking. I have gotten what I believe is my period and took a pregnancy test that was negative. The pain is mainly on the right side which goes around to my hip and sometimes up to my shoulder. It has now turned into a stabbing pain in my lower middle abdomen (this is all with no other bleeding other than my 3 day period). I am calling to doctor tomorrow to get myself checked out. I feel the strings in the same place I always have but the pain is something I can no longer take. I am not sure that this is worth it anymore, I think its time to talk to the husband about a vasectomy!

Hello
I don't know if it is Mirena or not. It was placed almost 3 years ago... and about a year ago... ovarian cysts were driving me crazy...so my doctor placed me on birth control pills to stop ovulation... I had never had ovarian cysts before... But now, i don't know what to think...my primary doc and i have been spending about a month on all of my symptoms... IBS, really bad back and right side abdomen pain, all over low abdomen pain, I went for an ultrasound and found that my portal vein in my liver is distended, I am constantly exhausted and have an elevated ced rate. My primary doc is sending me to a GI specialist, but i am also going to see my ob. Could this entire thing be the IUD. I have had it for almost three years before these awful symptoms came around.

About three and a half years ago, I was having extremely heavy periods that were causing anemia. My truly wonderful, trustworthy, kind GYN suggested the Mirena because it would lessen/delete my periods. I had 3 days of severe cramping after insertion, but within a month - no periods! At all! For just over three years! This was fabulous, I thought.

Over time, I began to wonder if my weight gain was related, but could find nothing online and the doc said absolutely not. I weighed 156 back then, weigh 173 now no matter what I do. Hmmm.

Then, about 4 months ago, I got my first period sort of thing. Mostly, it was 16 days of sticky, gunky brown smudges on light pads. Very odd. Next period included huge "flakes" of gummy brown stuff - still no reed or pink blood. Really unsettling. It lasted 12 days. Made GYN appt. A week later, my "period" began again - erratic - had 7 days of brown gunk. Asked GYN to remove the Mirena.

That was 10 days ago. I have three children - I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I have passed dozens of blood clots, and put together they'd EASILY weigh as much as a placenta and a half!!! Some look like cow's liver and are just as big, others are like huge night crawler worms or the size of fried eggs! I can't go out in public because they are so heavy, they fall out of the pad and slide down my leg! (Although I can hold the larger ones in until I get to the toilet now - not a skill I wanted to learn!) The bleeding is intense - a 100% soaked pad every 2-3 hours except when sleeping, when it slows a bit.

Called the nurse today and she said, "It just sounds like your period." Uh, no, it doesn't. It sounds like I've lost a gallon of blood. I've been dizzy and tired - got myself started on Burdock Root from the healthfood store and I'm slowly stabilizing my iron levels - but the blood loss and the huge clots (8-10 per day!) are really freaking me out. I was a BIG fan of the Mirena IUD until I got this one taken out. Just freaky, scary, odd. What the heck was it doing in there? Holding all that old blood inside me? Blood clots take time to form. What are these clots? Self-aborting would-be babies? If the IUD works by agitating the uterine wall, how in the world did all these huge clots get stuck in me? Why weren't they reabsorbed or "agitated" right out? They are not water soluble - I can hold one under running water and it doesn't dissolve or leak red. They have significant weight and mass. It's the most unsettling thing I've ever experienced - I really suspect this is blood/tissue my body couldn't remove while I was using the Mirena, or else partially formed embryos. Really creepy whatever they are. IF they are damaged embryos, then I've technically been pregnant many times in the last 3 yrs. IUDs don't prevent pregnancy, they prevent impregnated embryos from embedding in the uterine wall. That's why I suspect that's what these all are.

I wish there was more research than the pamphlet they gave me on "Choosing the Mirena" before insertion.

I had my Mirena removed yesterday due to complications since i had it replaced in May 08. (little to no complications with the first one) The GYN said I now have an infection in my uterus (Endometritis). My symptoms are: lower back ache, headaches, abdominal pain, bloated, nausea, irritability, breast tenderness, fatigue. I got a shot while in the office and am on Doxycyclin Hyc for 10 days. My primary Dr called today with results from a CT Scan done last week due to these symptoms and I have lesions on my liver. I now have an ultra sound scheduled for tomorrow. Listen to your body. If you have the Mirena and do not feel well, please do not put off having it removed. I hope my symptoms will subside soon. I faught to keep this 2nd mirena for 8 months now. I hope I haven't waited to late, and more damage is yet to show up.

hi all / im new to this site. i have had the mirena nerly two years never had any prob unti recently.went to my gp and have severe thrush and have a horrid taste in my mouth and ach all over. i feel so depressed cant be a normal wife and mum to my two little girls. i asked my gp if there is a link to the coil she said no but she still can not explain why im feeling so unwell.please help spred light on this subject i want my life back
many thanks shell71

Ok i have read some of the post and now i am a bit scared about what i have done to myself. I had this put in Sept 23 2008 so i have only had it for about a week. I have two children 18 months old and 2 months old i am 22 years old and cant afford to have any children let alone any more children. So i chose mirena since i got pregnant with my children on the pill and the patches pill with my last one and the patch with the first one.

I paid 878.38 to have it put in and so far i have noticed that i have some poking and sometimes stabbing pain in that area and i have really bad gas and i am afraid to push to have a bm scared that i might push it out since the cervix is still dialiated. so far i don't want to have it removed but wanted to know.

Has anyone had it fall out?
and also what about weight gain, face compelxion,

Im not so worried about sex drive i didn't have one with my boyfriend before i had it put in. I lost my sex drive after i had my daughter who is 2 months old i actually lost it before i had her so thats not a major concern of mine that i think has a lot to do with bi polor anyways and the meds i take. And i haven't noticed any changes in depression maybe because i already take 3 different meds for manic bi polar syndrome.

I have notice some pimples popped up on my chest in the last few days but i thought that could be due to the heat and i was out side for a few days doing a yard sale.

Does anyone have any advice.

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

I am so mad right now. I blindly trusted my doctor and had mirena inserted one year ago, just realized reading the posts that the mess I am in right now, started with this thing. I have gone thru a very bad year of depression, weight gain, aches and pains and no energy. I put on 40 pounds and lay in bed countless days and was also prescribed wellbutriun and lexapro, for severe depression, with suicidal thoughts, no sex drive, mood swings and just feeling I could not move out bed and totally helpless. What is the most scary part is that I was put on these thinking that it was all my brain's fault.
After all, my marriage had not been in so good shape, I got pregnant at 41 and had an abortion due to many complications. Also I had lost my job and when I decided to work for my best friend and got hurt on the job, requiring 3 months of treatment, I discovered I did not have a best friend after all. I finally start therapy and after several months of ups and downs, even with meds and counseling, I feel I have not made much progress at all. Today when I decided to go online to check on my meds side effects and getting terrified with it, I decided to check on mirena. I can tell you that, having this put inside of me put me in soo much risk for depression which in turn led me to the meds that also can course weight gain, confusion,dizziness, liver demage and a bunch of other things. DO NOT EVER TAKE YOUR DOCTOR S WORDS AS THE GOSPEL.

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

Finding this web site has been a big eye opener me, I knew that what was going on with my body couldn't be normal, but didn't want to admit it. I am a 27 yr old mother of 2 that can't use BC due to liver issues. I worked in an OB/Gyn office for 5 years and never heard any horror stories about either one of the IUDs. My doctor/coworker suggested the COPPER IUD which was placed in 2000 after the birth of my 2nd son. After doing so, I dealt with 2 years of extremely heavy bleeding, cramping, migraines..... So, my doctor then decided to replace the copper with the Mirena. I had the copper taken out and the Mirena put in last March (07). 2 months after that, I was taken to the hospital with excruciating pelvic pain. To find out I had a ruptured cyst. This had NEVER happened to me before and after the surgery my health has gone down hill. I now have breakouts all over my body, nausea, swollen hands and feet, 20 lbs extra, fatigued, increased perspiration, moody, I have moments of rage, tired ALL the time, emotional, and constant pelvic pain. Not bad enough to go the dr, but enough to notice it the entire day. I have moments when all I do is sleep and others when I can't sleep at all.
The GREAT upside to the Mirena has been that I no longer get migraine headaches and I don't get periods at all. It sounds great, but the negative side effects are taking their toll on me. I have to take it out in hopes to regain myself. I don't recognize myself anymore. Physically or emotionally. Good luck to all the women that are on it or considering it. I hope that this brings insight to anyone that has questions.
I have made an appt at the end of this month to have it removed.

Wow ladies!! First off, thank you, all of you, for taking the time to share your stories.

I had my Mirena inserted mid March 2008. It is April 3rd today, and so far I'm not a fan.

Insertion was easy. I barely felt anything. Minor cramping afterwards, some spotting. The worst part was the black gritty sand like discharge. (previous poster compared it to coffee grounds) Every time I sat down or stood up I could feel the grit rubbing inside me. It was the most AWFUL feeling in the world.

I have been spotting every single day since insertion. I did have a full period (started a few days before Easter) and it lasted about a week and a half. It was moderate to heavy. I did have more than usual cramping for me. And with every cramp I felt a sharp stab in my uterus. I imagined it was my uterus pressing down on the IUD. It was very uncomfortable. Now my "period" is over and I am still spotting! Its strange though. My discharge is clear, but with streaks of purpleish/brown blood. Its not typical spotting. But i've ruined one too many pairs of good underwear so its starting to get on my nerves!!!! I thought this was supposed to STOP bleeding. I've bleed every day in some shape or form.

My one month checkup is on the 10th. I am going to express my concerns with my doctor, but I know she'll blow me off like everyone else. I am getting a lot of pressure from my husband to keep it, despite the side effects. We already have 4 children, and dont want any more for a few more years.

Other side effects I am experiencing that I can only assume are from the Mirena (they might not be, but I cant explain them any other way):

- I feel stupid! Im spacey, i cant think straight. Very forgetful. Simple jokes go over my head.
- my vision is wacky. I feel like im staring through a haze. I have a hard time focusing on objects or fine print. I have never had a vision problem before!
- i feel weak and woozy occasionally.
- extra crampy. and often feel pings and pangs in my uterus.
- increased thirst
- slight paranoia. I actually feel like all my friends are mad at me, when i know they arent.
- I sweat at night.
- moody.
- my nails are all dry and splitting. I normally have very healthy nails
- a general feeling of laziness. It takes a ton of motivation to get up sometimes. I have 4 kids and I work full time...I'm not a lazy person! I cant be! So this feeling is very frustrating!
- I'd rather sleep than have sex. which for me is abnormal. I am more of a hornball than my husband usually. hahaha

wow this list is longer than I thought!!

I'm going to give this thing more time. But so far I am not a fan. I know it works for some women....but these things were not in the little pamphlet they pass out! I guess if they were no one would get this thing!

Thanks for listening!

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

I barely got off the pill Microgestin, because of the weight gain and water retention, to have Mirena inserted the beginning of July. It has been nrealy 3 months, and I am still experiencing back pain, water retention, and my chin breaks out with acne every once in a while. I also have been experiencing moderate cramping and a constant slight feeling of being bloated. I was told when this was put in that weight gain was not one of the side effects, weight gain being the main reason for getting off the pill. I have not lost the weight, and it could be a combo of the pill slowly dissipating, or the Mirena does cause weight gain. Anyone else have the weight gain or slight increase in tendency towards water retention??

I have had Mirena since April 2005 and after 3-4 months of spotting I have not had a period. I love it. I don't have to worry about getting pregnant. (I have a 2.5 year old and an 11 month old) It' also ideal for me because birth control pills are not very effective due to the fact that my liver is busy with my anti-seizure medicines. Having the horomones delivered directly to my cervix makes the Mirena 99.9% effective. I haven't had any weight gain, I can breast feed without any worries, and I can't say that it has affected my libido. I Love it!