Mirena and pills

I HAD MY IUD IN 2007 AFTER MY BABY BOY AND IN 2008 I GAINED WEIGHT LIKE CRAZY I GAINED ALMOST 30 PONDS EXTRA AND IM GETTING CRAZY WITH THESE SIDE EFFECTS AND THAN I THOUGHT Y NOT USE A MULTI VIETAMINS 1 A DAY WICH IS GUD FOR WOMENS IT GIVES ENERGY SO I DONT GET HEADECHES BUT DO HAVE PROBLEM WITH WEIGHT IM JUS NOT LOOSING IT EVEN THOUGH I DONT EAT FAT FOOD ALOT I JUS SUDDENLY GAINED I HAVE DOUBLE CHIN LOL I LOOK LIKE A FAT COW 157 POUNDS B4 I WAS 130 POUNDS SO U CAN SEE NOW BUT IM THANKFULL TO MULTI VIATAMINS PILLS I FEEL MUCH BETTER I DONT GET THOSE HORRIBLE PAINS IN MY BACK HEAD AND LEGS ...CHEST PAIN BUT IM THINKING TO TAKE THIS SHIT OUT OF ME BECUZ ITS NOT GUD BECUZ IT CAN DAMAGE THE UTRES I THINK AND IM ALREADY HORRIFIED WITH THIS I CALLED MY DOC AS SOON AS I GET HER IM TAKING IT OUT WHEN LAST TIME I TOLD MY DOC SHE SAID ITS NOT MIRENA CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN BULLL SHITTT THEY JUS LIE I THINK THE DOCTORS I DONT BELIVE THAT I CAN GAINED WEIGHT SOO QUICK SO IM GEETING IT REMOVED ..MY ADVISE TO ALL LADIES PLZZ NEVER CHOOSE MIRENA ITS BETTER THAT OUR MENS SHUD USE STUFF NOT USS I HATE PILLS TOO .. SO I DONT CARE I WILL NEVER HAVE TO PUT UP WHITH SHIT AGAIN GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL

I have a 17 and 9 year old and I'm 37. I figured this would work better for me than the pills. I had it "installed" in May...at least that's what it felt like!!! It was HORRIBLE for me to have it inserted. I swear they actually put it in my tonsils and not my uterus. I had severe cramping for a week and I almost went to the ER. After that, I have had an occasional quick cramp here and there and a day of what makes me think of "old period". Light enough for just a liner, not a pad.

I have had NO side effects with the Mirena, THANK GOD! It was a great choice for me. Other than the horribly painful insertion, everything else has been great!

I have had this Mirena for two years and not my husband says he can feel it. In addition to that I have horrible headaches, cramps. I have bled for as much as two months. My "old" doctor gave me pills to stop the bleeding. I am hating this. I am getting it out next month. All my "old" doctor says is it does not sound like the Mirena to me. Any body had problems similiar to this one. Feel free to email me at Fuller4500@yahoo.com if you have any thoughts.

This site has been a god send. I had mine placed 2 weeks ago and its been horrible. I've been telling myself that everything is going to be fine, but its hard to believe that. Getting it put in put me in tremendous pain. I could barely walk and i had to work a 10 hour shift an hour later. After 2 days the pain went away but i started to notice random bouts of depression. Ive been a totally different person, Im happy and laughing one minute and the next im in tears over nothing! What made things worse was I was starting to feel nervous and shaky on top of wanting to cry all the time. I figured it had to do with Mirena because ive felt this way once before and that was when i tried the depo shot. Within the last few days ive noticed an unusual discharge and itching. Ive been thinking it might be a yeast infection but i have never had one. Its just one more thing im contributing to Mirena. I dont want to get it removed because its nice not worrying about pills or condoms but at the same time I think Mirena is making me crazy. Reading these posts really helped me regain some of my sanity. Ive also heard from many people who used to have an IUD that as soon as they had theirs removed they got pregnant. I know to use condoms but i dont trust them, accidents happen.

I had surgery to have an errant IUD removed from my abdomen on 8/6. Now, I still feel extreme fatigue but better. I want to start BC pills to maybe help my body. Has anyone done this?

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

Hi I am 35 and had the Mirena put in after I had my first baby and it was in for 1 year.....But I had the Mirena taken out about a month ago (there is no pain at all in taking it out)....within days my mood was better, I had numbness in hands and feet and that is almost completely gone....the pain in my side is gone....a month before I had it out I was told after my yearly I had Yeast Infection, Abnormal cells so I would need a biopsy and because of the pain in my side (and having the Mirena in a year) she did an ultrasound. I had a cyst....so I just went back for a recheck...cyst is gone, abnormal cells after biopsy are not abnormal....I did get another yeast infection (prior to Mirena I have never had a yeast infection) and I had 2 vaginal infections when it was in...and have one now....I will be honest it feels like I have toxins coming out of my system...I have had diarrhea once a day for a week and I start sweating even when sitting still...I do not regret for one second having it out....I already feel less bloated...also I had been going to the gym, eating well and gaining weight with the Mirena...I already feel like I have lost some....I will keep you posted....My friend had it in 4 years and she just had it out also....she had cysts, pain, bloating, weight gain, all the same symptoms.....the day before she had it out she was rushed to the ER for severe back and side pain and looking like she was 8 months pregnant....she has gone through all sorts of testing and everything came back normal....so I hate to say...but the Mirena may have a class action suit some day.....If it had worked it would have been great....but when something is too good to be true....there is probably a reason! Hope this helps you and I will post it out on the board for others!!!! Take Care Ladies! Michelle

Hi I'm 26 years old and I got the Mirena in November 07. I have been bleeding since then, Also I have some sharp pains in my stomach it gets worse when my husband and I have intercourse. I have been to the doctor a few times now and they give me these pills to take for 14 days and i have done this two times now and its not working. I have another appt Aug 5 to try a different kind of pill. But I'm not even sure I really won"t this in me anymore. If anyone have experienced this please let me know and what did you do? Also I'm scared to get it out because it hurt so bad putting it in. Does it hurt taking it out??

THANKS SO MUCH
Amanda

I am 42 yo, and was diagnosed with Adenomyosi- extremely painful, and 6 months of continuous heavy bleeding ( 4+ maxi pads per day). My gyno recommends Mirena, after I have been on 7 different bc pills. I am now scared to have this plastic device inserted in uterus, and will continue to take BCP, and wait for menopause. If we were talking about a prostate or a testicle,(And not a uterus) I am certain the Medical Researchers would have developed an effective pill. I am surprised at the number of women living with painful and heavy bleeding and dealing with so much pain, while their doctors "brush them off." Any ideas?

Why do I think I landed here, I have been having very bad mood swings mostly relating to anger and dissatisfaction in everything and everybody. Put the mirena in April 2008, braved it out for 4 months with the
1. spotting and all the time kept thinking that my
2. fatigue and no interest in everything was due the stress of having 2 kids, work and the pregnancy weight that I have to shed.
3. I am hungry always (maybe since I am breast feeding the baby)
I had a copper IUD between my first and second son,
4. I don't remember how that was ( am I in a mental fog?). must have been better than this one. I never wanted anything hormonal. I don't want pills. Dont even know why I went with this then. I know the doctor convinced me saying it has very little hormonal effects

Yesterday, I just lost myself over a silly issue, now I feel I am going to lose my wonderful relationships with people. My 3 yr old asks me If I am not angry any more uh!!!. Why cant I call the doctor to get it removed when I doubt it could be the IUD.
5.I am lazy( another symptom).

Do I have to wait a little longer or take it out and maybe get my self back.?
(What a question to an obvious answer)
Confused!!! lazy!!

I'm back.. I posted back in June when I've had my Mirena for a few weeks... I go to my GYN on july 29 for my check up.
I can actually be one in a million to say I'm very happy I had this IUD inserted. I have never been able to take the pills. I tried the shot once and had a period for 6 months straight... and that was only ONE injection....
The first couple of weeks I did feel like I had a yeast infection... it burned when I pee'd... It hurt to shower... I started to get frustrated..
I didi wait it out.... I told myself that I would tough it out until my check up appointment and IF I didn't feel better I woudll discuss removal ASAP !!!
but I'm fine ... I did cramp for a couple days after insertion. That is now gone .... I was moody for a few days ..... moodiness is gone.... I still get tired but I notice that is getting back to normal also....
I FOR ONE AM GLAD I HAD MIUD INSERTED !!!!
I say good luck to the rest of you...

I had mine inserted 5mo ago. I have all the same symptoms (no sex drive, severe moodiness, possible depression, high irritability making it difficult to deal with my 3you). I was hypo-thyroid before, and unfortunately for me - my new GP lowered my thyroid dose at nearly the exact same time I quit my mini-pill to get the IUD. I do feel better for that day, when I take my higher dose pill, but I don't know if it'd be sustainable over time (as my doc won't prescribe me out of normal lab ranges).

The only thing I haven't gleaned from the posts attached, is were folks on versions of the pill before Mirena? I believe my mood swings/depression/(not sure of low libido) are probably my normal state. I had had pills switched on me, with drastic mood changes. My mother has drastic mood swings/depression. I had been on the piill for the last 17 years, minus my two pregnancies. My OB did tell me that Mirena wouldn't fix my "moodiness" problems, if I had them w/o the pill - but I wanted to try it and see.

Reading these posts makes me realize, this is my real problem - I need a regular dose of BC pills to feel normal, have my whole life - not my thyroid. I guess I'll stop getting so concerned that I cannot get in to see an endocrinologist for another month - hopefully my 5 min appt to get this thing out will happen next week!

Thanks to all and good luck to you!

I had Mirena put in two weeks ago because I was told this will not affect my heart or give me major side effects like the pill or Depo does. HA! I have not stopped bleeding since, I've had cramps, been extremely angry (more than usual), and now I want to eat all the time too. I had been doing Weight Watchers to try to lose weight and had lost down to my pre-pregnancy weight and then had Mirena put in. Now that I want to eat all the time, I don't have any desire to try to lose weight. I just want to eat. I can't even have sex with my hubby because of the bleeding, and does anyone else still feel the strings? I looked up the Mirena website and it says of the two threads, one is made of some sort of poly-substance and the other is made of iron oxide. Um, that's a metal and I'm allergic to metals. I feel the threads ALL THE TIME. It feels like a burning sensation to a ripping sensation on occasions. Believe me, I even feel it when walking, which makes it difficult to want to exercise. Because I can feel the strings, I don't want to have sex because I'm afraid it will hurt my hubby. I'm calling my doc today to have mine removed. I'll just have to use condoms from now on because Depo destroyed my body last time I was on it and the pills mess with my heart and make me crazy.

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

This site has made me realize that I am not crazy. Well, now I am... But not for long, I have had my Mirena since 2/2005 after the birth of my daughter. Yes, there was a lot of cramping at first and the insertion was awful. The Dr. reassured me that I would begin to feel better and gave me time frames as to when cramping and bleeding should stop and may even stop completely. Wow, this is great! I thought... I nursed my first year and at the 6 month mark my production slowed. I've heard this was normal. I was proud that I had gotten down to the pre-baby weight. No credit to Mirena. This was strictly due to nursing and some exercise. At the year mark I became more and more irritable, per my husband. I was Forgetful or should I say had difficulty holding conversations due to forgetting simple words... I was depressed and just plain mean... He was right. I didn't notice until he said it, I was angry all of the time. I was reluctant to go on any pills; I feared I would be labeled as crazy. So, instead of meds we ended up needing to see a marriage counselor. Yep, after 5 months of babbling about my childhood and bringing about a normal conversation with my husband again, I end up taking medication. I had been convinced this was simply a little postpartum and everybody is depressed after a baby so I was put on some generic version of Prozac (temporarily). Had some dizzy spells at work (very embarrassing). In the summer of 2006 I started have pain during sex. I could tell it was coming from the ovary. It was on my left side. Of course, my husband had to deal to with the constant feeling of rejection. I was thinking I'm just constipated and the added pressure is well... you get the idea... Hurting everything else. After a few months of this I made an appointment with my OB doctor. I had a 5 cm cyst! I was told this could burst or possibly twist. Then I am restricted to no sex and light exercise. Within 3 months that cyst burst it sent a burning sensation through my abdomen to my upper thighs. I have a lot of abdominal pain and bloating. I went in several times later but was never diagnosed with having anything wrong. Suggested to see an Oncologist (never went). Now to the current year of the Mirena... I mentioned earlier that I had lost all of my weight back to 114 pounds (I'm petite). Within the last 4 months I have put on 17pound and still climbing. I am having some horrible pains on the right side now which I know is the return of another one of those cysts. It must be a dozy, this one really hurts. And having acne breakouts of a teenager. So let’s review... From this post I have experienced the depression, cyst, weight gain, acne, forgetfulness, dizziness, stomach pains, bloating. I want it out I had scheduled to get it done on 7/17. My husband freaked and now has scheduled to get a vasectomy. He has asked me to wait until his procedure has been done before I go through with it. So, I am waiting but am interested to hear how soon we become normal again when all foreign objects and medications has been removed.

Hi everyone! I posted on June 27th about the Mother Goose looking doctor and not having sex a week prior to getting your Evil Thing (ET) removed. Well, I just wanted to post once more to say that I did get it out the following Monday, which was almost a week ago. I'll spare you all the details about the incompetencies of my doctor's office not having my appointment on the books and my doctor yet again going off to deliver another baby and the amount of time I had to wait for her to return. The point is that she did come and she did take it out. The other thing I'd like to mention is that unlike Mother Goose, my doc said that of course the ET was causing my cramps and they should certainly go away as soon as it was removed. She then said that as far as my other symptoms were concerned the best she could figure (after she bluntly asked if I was depressed) was that because I had been on the pill so long that I had not had any real PMS symptoms and now I was having them and just didn't recognize that. Ok, again I'm 31 and yes I do look a bit younger than that, but I promise you I'm actually a bit wiser than that. Although that was not the craziest thing I had heard during this ordeal, (please see my Mother Goose post) it was a bit on the ridiculous side because I did in fact have a whole lotta PMS while I was on pills and I certainly know what PMS is and how to recognize it! Also, who has PMS everyday, which is essentially what my doc saying although I doubt if she realized it. I said nothing, but just waited for her to be done with her defense of this piece of crap she recommended I put in my body. She also had no explanation for my bladder issues and offered no concern or way to fix it nor did she address my discomfort and at times pain during sex. She just stood after she was done dismissing the list of symptoms I had written down for her and accusingly told me that she warned me that women who had not given birth often had problems with the Evil Thing. Actually, what she told me was that I was a great candidate for the Evil Thing and that women who had not given birth only experience more pain/discomfort with insertion. I remember this very clearly. Again, I do not care--just get on with it and get it out!! She did and now I have to say I am finally me again. The next day even I could tell a difference--that little black cloud wasn't following me around anymore. Each day that passes I feel a little less like I might impulsively quit my job or beat the crap out of some innocent bystander for no apparent reason. I've even had sex--because I wanted to--and it felt like it used to, not at all uncomfortable or painful. I no longer have any cramps at all--that was an immediate relief and overall I can tell it's just not there anymore, just no longer present in my body. My face is still full of acne, but fewer new breakouts. You can put food in front of me and I eat like a normal person and not like some starved refugee. I still have some bladder issues, but again as time passes I can tell that it is improving. I think with a little more time I'll be back to 100% and I'll just look back on this as a little hitch--a mistake I made when I started going to a new doctor's office. BTW, I don't plan on going back there at all. I've been to that office 5 times and seen 4 different doctors in a four month span. I've also decided that the next time someone asks me if I want a foreign object placed in my body, I think I'll just say No Thanks! Take care everyone and best of luck with your Evil Thing.

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

Ok ladies, I'm not even sure where to start today. I posted earlier this month (June 8th) and finally got in for an appointment to get this thing removed 2 days ago. I refuse to refer to it by its name on this website anymore since whenever you do it is put in bold as if it is special so, from here on out I choose to call it that Evil Thing or ET. I have been so depressed since my appointment that I haven't felt like talking to anyone about anything much less about this, but I'm starting to come out of it today so, here goes. Things did not go well from the start since my doctor wasn't available for my appointment as she had been called away to the hospital to deliver a baby. Well, I'm a pretty flexible gal and I understand that although I don't want kids other people do so, I can share my doctor. I was OK with seeing someone else as long as they would remove this ET. Initially, it sounded like it would be no problem from what the nurse was saying, but then in walks this Mother Goose looking lady who starts in on me about how I haven't had it very long (3 months) and why would I want it out. So, I start to tell her all the problems I'm having. (Small recap: extreme daily cramps, increased appetite, decreased energy, significant mood changes, decrease interest in sex as well as uncomfortable/painful sex, acne, plus others) She proceeds to tell me how strange that it is that I'm having problems with cramps since this ET is supposed to make you have fewer cramps. So, I'm all well that's nice, but I never ever had cramps when I took pills (for 14 years) and I have literally had cramps every single day for the past 3 months. Based on that one thing alone I wanted the ET gone. Despite her skepticism she was agreeable to removing it, but then she asked me the question. The question I couldn't answer and the question that turned me upside down. Maybe I should have known this before going, but I didn't and certainly no one bothered to tell me. She asked when was the last time I'd had sex because it was very important that it had been more than a week ago due to the possibility of getting pregnant. Well despite my complete lack of interest in sex, at some point last week I threw my poor husband a bone and we had sex. Since I can no longer concentrate or focus or remember anything that goes on in my life because I have this ET in my body I couldn't remember exactly when that was. I even called my husband as sat there naked from the waist down and in a complete panic desperately hoping he could remember, but men don't remember ANYTHING!!!! Mother Goose said she thought I would be OK based on the time frame I had it narrowed down to, but tells me she had removed one before and a lady got pregnant who had had sex 3 days prior to removal. (I did know I was past 3 days, but the story did its job and scared me.) I asked her if she could give me a 100% certainty that I would not get pregnant if she removed it and she couldn't. Well, needless to say I still have the damn thing because I just can't take that risk. I have already had one accidental pregnancy while taking the pill and I just can't go through that again. I broke down. I had a complete meltdown in the office because it was supposed to be over. That day was supposed to be it. I was supposed to be rid of this ET and start to get on with my life and I felt like it was my fault because I couldn't remember, but NO it's not my fault because if it wasn't for the ET I would be able to remember things! Anyway, that's how my thoughts were going round and round. So, I start to explain more to Mother Goose about how this is a perfect example of how the ET has affected my moods. Well, once she sees this display she gets all concerned and starts asking me more questions and over and over again "so, this JUST started 3 months ago?" As if I was making it all up. As if I'm really depressed and have probably been so for some time and I'm using the ET as an excuse. WHATEVER!!! So, at this point I'm not sobbing anymore and I've flipped to really angry b****h mode because she was seriously pissing me off. She goes on and on with these depressive symptom questions and asking how stressed I am and finally I'm just like, look I'm a normal person with normal problems who knows how to deal with things, but I can't now because of this ET!!! She didn't say the word out loud, but I know she was on the verge of prescribing me an anti-depressant. She did say she had NEVER heard of the ET causing this (or any of the symptoms I listed for her) to happen but I could be her first. I was so worn out at this point I didn't even have the energy to educate her even though I felt like it was my job to do so for the sake of other women who might cross her path. She finally quit grilling me and then my absolute favorite part of the whole visit came when she leaned forward, patted my knee and said, "now, you know you're going to have to keep your sweetie off you for awhile." I'm 31 for goodness sake and married--I think my "sweetie" and I can abstain for a few more days. Plus, did you not just witness the meltdown I had when you told me you couldn't remove it today because we DID have sex--do I look like a moron to you? Good grief!!! Mother Goose lady had no idea how much danger she was in at that point, but I did well and restrained myself--mostly because I was just beat, I had nothing left. I go back for Take 2 on Monday. That appointment is again with my doctor--I hope she is actually available this time. Thanks for letting me vent--I needed it. Most importantly, if you are getting your IUD removed do not have sex a week prior to removal. Mother Goose says most doctors are good with no sex 5 days prior, but she feels safer with 7 days, personally I think they are all idiots! Take care everyone.

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

I have had mirena for about three months... I noticed a difference in my left leg the first week I had it.. it feel weird and sometimes as if its numb.
I also have experienced very bad acne out of nowhere... now I am 20 and I have not had acne like this,..... I am sitting here right now with severe acne cream all over my face back and shoulders... I am thinking about leaving it on over night... I am just glad that its worse on my back so people don't stare at my face. anyhow besides that I have had a light period since two days after it being in. and maybe went one week all together with out one.
well I would love to have my mirena removed but there is another thing.
I had put in 8 weeks after giving birth because I started bleeding very dangerously . I was giving a an iv to stop the bleeding the first time it happened it worked for a week with the pills I had been giving to take at home also. then I started bleeding again and I went back they gave me the iv and the pills well i stopped and a few days later I had mirena put in and started bleeding but very light. I was just happy that i was not bleeding to where i thought I was going to die again. so now I am suffering from really bad scne and mood swings pain in my leg and I feel like I have no energy.
yes I said no energy I just hope I feel 20 again soon,.... I am going to have it removed and see what happens .

This website has been a blessing for me - a person who seemed to feel crazy for all the symptoms I was having. I had mirena put in place in March 2008 after the birth of my second child in December. I was so excited that I didn't have to worry about birth control - I could focus on taking care of my family and work, etc. I couldn't have been more wrong about it. All was fine at first until April of 08 (two months later). I started to notice a red, bumpy rash on the trunk of my body. It progressively got worse with each passing day. It began to look like hives on my legs (behind my knees) and then on the inside of my arms. It has gone all over my back and finally to my face last night. I looked at the mirena website and it said to call your doctor if you had a rash with hives. So I did and they assured me that mirena WAS NOT systemic and couldn't be the problem. They maintained that it was probably an outside source. Instead they offered an anti-depressant. I needed something to help with what I was going through, so I started on Lexapro. That has been the only positive thing that has kept me from falling apart. What's the use in calling them if they don't listen to you? I have finally decided to have the mirena taken out in two days. I am so ready to get back to feeling normal. I was wondering if there was anyone else out there with similar side effects with the rash. If someone would have told me that this was a possibility, I would never have signed up for this!!!!!!
I will post again once I have it out and give an update!!

I had Mirena inserted after my first child was born on April 28, 2008. It has been approximately a month and I have complaints. Some of which are cramps all day everyday which has me resorting to taking 1600mg of Ibuprofen a day, low sex drive, crying at anything and everything, and bleeding non-stop, heavy to spotting. To say the least, my relationship is suffering, because rather than having sex four times a week, it is barely once a week. I contacted my GYN today as to discuss the aforementioned side effects as to determine if this is normal. I admit to not doing my research prior to inserting Mirena as I assumed that it was the most effective and safe form of contraceptive. See, I have tried several different pills and it was not effective and the side effects were more then I could bare. I decided today to research Mirena and realized I might have made a big mistake...Will write again when or if I have the Mirena removed after consulting with my GYN.

I had had Mirena for 2 1/2 years now. I was enjoying the freedom or not having to worry about pills or condoms, but i realized my sexual appetite was becoming nonexistent. Finally I decided to just get back into it, more for my husband's sake, and now every time we have sex I bleed. It's not dark or thicker like a period would be, but instead it is bright red, like if i were to slice my finger. I don't know what to do about this problem. Doctor's all seem to think Mirena is great, but as I sit here in pain soaking my third pad of the day, I want this thing out of me!!!

My story:
First of all, thank you all so much for your postings. I, as well, am sitting here in tears finally realizing that I'm not the only one going through this. I am 32 with 3 kids (13, 11, 7) and with the exception of my pregnancies always used Depo-provera for my bc method. I was lucky in that I never experienced the terrible weight gain and side effects that many women using Depo often did. After my divorce 5 years ago, I finally decided to stop the birth control. I was not sexually active and it seemed like more of a hassle just to not have a period any longer. The two years I had no bc in me...I felt fantastic. Normal, balanced, happy. Then I met Matt. I decided to try bc pills again, but as historically is normal for me...had severe breakthrough bleeding. (14 day periods..even on Yaz)

So I went back to the depo this past September. I had a little weight gain, and some mild acne. Not severe, but enough to make me talk to the doctor about it at my three month check. So he tells me about Mirena! The same hormone base as depo, but since it sits intra-uterine, the hormones are not quite as systemic, and my symptoms should decrease significantly.

SHOULD! but DIDN"T!

Periods: Since I had already been on depo, I simply did not have periods. I did have some mild spotting right after insertion...and did notice a slight brownish tinge occasionally, especially after intercourse, but nothing significant. It wasn't until the end of February (2 months after insertion) that I noticed a "period." It was nothing more than spotting and only lasted 3 days. But then I had another one 2 weeks later, and again 2 weeks after that.

Weight: My starting weight, late August 2007, was 145 pounds. My last doctor visit on April 7 weighed me in at 175. From September to December on depo...I gained about 10 pounds. From December through now...I'm up another 25 pounds. Please keep in mind that I used to work out anywhere form 2-4 times per week. Around mid-February, I increased to 4-5 times per week...and for the last month have been working out 5-7 times per week. (I'm not any kind of health freak...and am irritated because I don't feel like I have a life anymore. My life consists of working, kids, and my flipping treadmill!) Over the last month, I have also decreased my caloric intake to 1200-1500 calories per day. I'm still gaining.

Acne: Plus the acne went from mild to severe. To the point that I ended up going to a dermatologist in early March and am now on my second course of treatment with no luck. The next course is Accutane...which if you don't know about...simply google it. I have no intention of putting that in my body!

Depression: So I call my doctor and of course they say it couldn't be the Mirena. Now I'm feeling really crazy and Matt's wondering what he's gotten himself into being with this girl who cries at Hallmark commercials, and is moody, and always in a bad mood, and now is getting worse because she can't fit into anything in her closet, and is dreading summer not only for the fear of getting into a bathing suit...but if I go swimming I'm absolutely dreadful of people seeing what my face and skin looks like with no make-up due to the acne.

Pain: Shortly after the first of the year, I noticed pain in my lower back...I figured it was due to shoveling the drive and whatnot...just everyday things. Then the pain in my shoulders started; the right one especially. (I'm a healthy 32 year old. I cut down a tree in my yard by myself two summers ago.) Joint pain is not an option and rather new territory for me. So I go to the doc who wants me in PT 3 times a week...anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections...the works. (I settled with anti-inflammatories.) I had never even heard of this as a possible side effect until I read it on these postings.

I looked at my medicine cabinet this weekend. I feel like I could run a pharmacy out of my home. Medications for acne, joint pain, depression, anxiety. Plus the cost of co-pays and deductibles. And it hit me. With the exception of my Claritin for seasonal allergies...every medication I am now taking is simply to combat the side effects of this T-shaped hormonal vehicle snuggled in my womb! The I saw the Special K commercial: "Who's going to win? The bathing suit? or you?"

Well guess what! I decided it's going to be ME!

I finally decided I've had it and have an appointment on May 6th to have it removed. Matt can wrap it or snip it...but I can't keep doing this to myself. I've made a decision to use no form of hormonal birth control. I'm thinking about trying the FemCap which is basically a silicone cervical cap. It needs to be used with spermicide, but no hormones!

The idea of feeling like I did last year again is the only thing keeping me going right now. To be happy, and confident, and just feel balanced and whole again...I'll post more later after it's removed. In the meantime...if anyone has heard of any class action lawsuits with Mirena, I'd be interested to know about it.

Good luck to all of us!

i have had my mirena out for 2 weeks now. i was bleeding heavily for 2 weeks and then it stopped out of the blue. my acne is better and i am slowly loosing wieght with little effort. my sex drive is coming back and i am enjoying a sex life with my hubby unlike before where i dreaded going to bed to only turn him down again. my night sweats are gone along with my cyst issues. my heartburn has lessened and my insomnia has disappeared. i am slowly going back to my normal self.

as for my new form of b/c; we are using condoms with spermicide, along with a lot of prayers. there is no way another form of hormones is going into my body again.

my yeast culture also came back today and it was shocking to the nurse. now i am on a double dose of pills to get the yeast down. i NEVER had a yeast infection before and can't wait for this to go away and me to be back to normal.

I had the copper IUD before and planned on getting it again after my son was born. I had very heavy periods with the copper, but loved the convenience. I love my doctor and she told me the Mirena was better (as did several friends). I told her I can't handle the hormones of bc pills, and she said not to worry because the hormones will not affect me. Within 2 days I began feeling ill but was told it wasn't likely to be the Mirena.

I had my Mirena put in in early January and have had the same symptoms as so many of you. I have been on Paxil for anxiety for many years, but it has worked great. I recently had my first panic attack in 5 years after the Mirena was inserted. I attributed it to stress, which it still could be, but I used to be able to handle stress much better. I am tired, weak, anxious, FOGGY (am having trouble articulating my thoughts and usually write well) and I'm snippy. My skin is very dry, but I have been breaking out. I used to bounce out of bed, now I am lethargic every morning. I have an 8 month old who still wakes up to eat, so I thought that could be it, but I just knew something was off immediately.

I wish I didn't have to wait until Monday to call my doctor. How could they not tell me this could happen?

Ok, I am glad I found this site! I have been having constant breast pain. on only my right side on top of my breast and on the side near my arm pit. It is only the right breast/right side. I think it is my Mirena too, but I have had the thing over a year. I am so afraid of having/getting Breast Cancer. I am a 26 yr old mommy of two little boys 5 and 1, plus a 12 yr old stepson who lives with me and my hubby. I called the Dr. today to make an appointment to have my breast checked.

I didn't read every single post, but **Is anyone else having breast pain like I explained? Mine started about two months ago...(right after my last pap/physical). I am so nervous. I have gained so much weight. I am bigger now than right after I delivered my 17 month old. Its all in my stomach. I have no sex drive and my BOOB hurts!!!!!

please let me know if any one else is experiencing this.
thanks!!!

Hello everyone i'm kharma..I've had my mirena IUD for alittle over a year, insertion was February 07. here's my experince...Insertion was very painful and contiually had contractions for several weeks.My first period was about three weeks after insertion,it was extreemly heavy,lasted 7 days ,had huge clots as well.For the first six months I spoted lightly on a dailly basis,also had side effects such as anixity,moodswings acne on back(never had it there before),insommia,major bloating,and some headaches..No weight gain though! Around the six month mark...everything seemed to adjusted,thank God. I now have very light 2-3 days of spotting once a month, acne seemed to be clearing up as well,bloating has stopped my side effects are no longer a problem.As for my labido..sense mirena..its better than it ever was, when I was on b/c pills I had no labito..so thats been a plus..Now right around my year mark ,I've had weight loss vs gain..I've loss 27 pds..yeah...I guess everyone's boby is different,my heart goes out to everyone who's having problems..i too was scared and wanted mine removed during first six months.But I'm now grateful i waited and my body adjusted to the mirena.Hope this gives some hope...kharma...

well I am still on Mirena and I am scared to get off of it. I have 2 kids and i was on depo&pills with both kids... and the Mirena is the only thing that helps but its very painful with all of the side effects.. my body feels like i always have the flu,i get sharp sharp stomach pains all day every day...its hard to tack my 3 yr old outside to play and lift my 1 yr old ........the only reasons i got on Mirena is i cant have another kid is already hard being 20 yrs old wit 2 kids...well what I am saying is what should i do ..what other birth controls could i use that is effective like Mirena but without all the side effects .........a.k.a JADAKISS

i just got my Mirena and I'm 18 i have never had kids b4 and don't want any yet so i got the 5 year plan i thought in five years ill be 23 and that should be fine i tried all different bc pills THAT DID NOT WORK AT ALL i was sick and tired all the time so i did the Mirena 3 days ago and already i feel better but wow did it hurt when they put it in but that could be cause i have no kids but what i don't like is some pgs say all the good things about the Mirena and others are all the bad stuff its so hard to no what is really side affects of the Mirena or are they from other things like stress, work problems, or even the flu i read on a pg that some girls feet turned green now really DO U THINK THAT IS FROM THE MIRENA wow why does finding a bc so hard and everyone nos appsadents IS NOT FUN

I had my Mirena put in on the 21st January 08. I am constantly feeling nauseous! So I don't eat as much, maybe 2 meals a day and I am usually sick if I have any form or food and drink after 8pm. Despite this I have not necessarily gained weight (1lbs) but I have gained so much fat. I have never been this big. I don't fit my fat jeans I wore 3 years ago. I cant wear the jeans I wore 2 years ago. And all the pairs I lived in from last January (07) or even august do not fit. At all. Constantly bloated. I have itchy legs. Keep getting upset. (I rarely cry). Got a few spots, nothing terrible, but I never get spots. And I cannot sleep. My doctor has prescribed sleep meds for 6 days but thats it. I keep getting cramps, dull cramps... I had one hideous one once put in, then it was normal dull cramps. My body hair has got on darker... Problem is I forget pills, and depo hasn't works (also bad reaction to hormones (no implant, don't want it) I have got pains in my legs, but its not all the IUD

Hi, I wish I would have found this site a long time ago! I had Mirena put in in Dec 2005 after the birth of my son. I was nursing and was told that the birth control that I could take and would not interfere with my milk was "not as forgiving" as regular pills (and, I definitely did not want to get pregnant again at that time) So, I went with the Mirena. It seemed great in the beginning. I had the strings trimmed a little after my husband felt them and got freaked out and then everything seemed great.
It's funny how this has worked out for so many of us because after having a baby, your life is so changed and your body is so out of whack that it's hard to say what could be causing it. I ended up becoming extremely hypothyroid after having my son (I wonder if Mirena may have had anything to do with it!??!?!) Even though I take thyroid medication now and seem to have it very under control, I still have no sex drive, have tremendous mood swings even though I am on antidepressants, my acne is worse than it was when I was a teenager, and what I consider to be worst of all, tremendous eczema! Last summer I became so covered in eczema, my face, neck, chest and arms, that my mother said I looked like a burn victim. I was insanely uncomfortable and extremely self-conscious. After going to all kinds of doctors who only kept prescribing topical creams and steroid pills, I started going to an awesome alternative medicine nutritionist and realized that there was something internal going on causing my skin to react like this. After seeing him for months, we came to see a pattern between my eczema flare-ups and my period. I always seemed to start getting really itchy around the time of ovulation and we also discovered that during that same time I would be gluten-sensitive. I had all the tests done and I do not have Celiac disease.
I can't believe that I am only reading about all of this now. Thank you all so much for confirming my hunch that it might be the Mirena. I am going to call my Gyno today and have it removed.

I had mine inserted close to a month ago-- i bled heavily for the first two to two 1/2 weeks with spotting for the following week or so. I'm now on my third day with out bleeding. However i couldn't be moodier!!! it's like i become a monster ... I'm not sure what to do for birth control.

i have tried numerous b/c pills, the ring and rhythm method... aka pull and prey. i do use condoms when not in a monog relationship, but i also have a mild latex allergy.

Any suggestions???? please :)

I had my Mirena inserted after a misscarriage in December it was inserted Dec 31/07 anyway since then it has been non stop bleeding heavy with clots, I have headaches and dizzy. The doctor says oh this is normal...whatever. They prescribed me some estrogen pills to stop the bleeding and of course its still on heavy course.

Anyway going to see the GP today asking to get it out, I only had the thing put in because my husband who doesn't want any kids with me because of what his ex did to him wanted it. He will not get a vasectomy and due to malignant hypothermia tubal for me is not a first option.

I had a question though when the Mirena comes out how long do you bleed for I am soo tired of this bleeding, and yeah the lack of sex as my sex drive is quite high and we are both getting frustrated by this bleeding mess.

I had my Mirena out today (see previous notes on side effects). I am out of options as I have tried a lot of pills, but they make my libido zero. The MD today gave me the NuvaRing to try and before I put it in I was wondering if anyone having trouble with the Mirena has tried the ring? Thanks!

I've had my Mirena for about 15 and a half months and I am having it removed today at 2 o'clock. At first I had sharp pains when I would sit down and I felt like the cords were poking me and irritating me. My OB/GYN requires patients to come back one month after having it put in so he can check it and make sure it is still in place. At this visit he also trimmed the cords although he acted like he didn't believe me when I told him that I could feel them poking me when I sat down and that it hurt. At first I didn't notice any bad side effects, but I did have one good one: my periods stopped, but I still had occasional and sporadic spotting. I didn't think to look for any bad side effects because I got the device under the impression that it had no bad side effects. I thought it only had a rare complication of perforating the uterus, but since mine was in place at the one month check, I didn't think about anymore until I started thinking about having another baby recently. I went online to see if I had to have a doctor remove the Mirena or if I could do it myself, and I found out that it's best done by a professional because bad things can happen and then you'd have to go to the doctor anyway. Plus, I didn't want to hurt my chances of having another baby. While online I discovered this whole world of message boards where women were having a lot of the same problems I'd been having in recent months and they all blamed their Mirenas. Some claimed that their problems had gone away since having it removed. I never thought to link my circumstances to the Mirena, but when I saw how many women are having the exact same problems as me I knew that I needed to go ahead and get mine out ASAP. Here is a list of my side effects, and I've found other women have had them as well with Mirena: weight gain, bloated stomach, depression, short temper with husband and daughter, acne, low sex drive, spotting, cramps, constipation, and back pain. There may be more, but I can't remember them all right now. Some of them may not even be related to the device, but I've read of so many women with Mirena who are having or have had the same issues, so I suspect a link between my problems and Mirena. I hope this helps someone out there looking for answers. God Bless!

I have had Mirena for 6 months and things seem to be getting worse. I am now bloated (yesterday was bad), and my period lasts for almost 10 days now and counting even though it is light. I am also moody and tired. I have not been able to lose one single pound from pregnancy since it was inserted. Now I am wondering if my eye problems could be related -I have had dry eye and blurry eyes and my eye doc thought Mirena could have something to do with it since the timing is similar? Anyone had eye/contact problems?
I thought this birth control was so great until recently!! and I hate the pill, and I've tried almost everything else (patch, ring, different pills) what else is there??

I had a lot of anxiety problems as well as a whole lot of other side effects due to Mirena. My GP said it couldn't be the Mirena and two weeks before I had Mirena taken out by another GP, he had put me on anti depressants.
I was reluctant to take them but as you all know the anxiety is terrible, so I started taking them. I didn't take a look at the list of side effects that comes with the pills, because I didn't want to start IMAGINING them. But I had terrible heartburn and pain, and belching. Yesterday, I read the list of side effects: turns out there's a whole list of stuff you can get from the anti depressants that very much resembles those you get from Mirena! Including the heartburn, milk flow from the breasts, the weak nerves, etc. So to all of you out there who are taking the
anti depressants too: check the list! Or you may think you are not healing while you ARE healing from the Mirena, but are staying sick because of the anti-depressants!

Claudia

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??