Mirena and severe anxiety

When my son was 6mos old I had the Mirena placed. I had spotting for about 6 weeks (which I was informed would probably happen so I wasn't too upset about that.) The 4th month of having the Mirena I started getting severe anxiety, mood swings and bloating. I also have an itchy, flaky scalp that started around 3 or 4 months after placement. I never made the connection that all of this could be caused from the Mirena until today when I had it removed because my husband and I want to have another child. After I had it removed I went home and took a nap. Literally, 2 or 3 hours after it was removed I felt like myself again. I was on the verge of an emotional break down and didn't know why...and I just thought I had better pick myself up and quit whining. It felt like my life was spiraling out of control but nothing external was happening to make me feel so panicked all of the time. I thought it was an odd coincidence that I felt better all a sudden. That's what prompted me to check online to see if anyone else had experienced this. Anyway, after I read a lot of the entries I felt relieved and hopeful to continue to feel like myself again.

I had Mirena put in 03/08 and since then I have experienced extreme fatigue, back pain, a weird lump on my sternum, cramping, and severe anxiety and depression like i feel like I am losing my mind sometimes! I had my very first anxiety attack a week ago when I cut my finger (I am an OR nurse folks i have seen people cut open). It really scared me i started sweating got dizzy blacked out and then when I came too i felt sick (all this over a little cut!). Needless to say this behavior is really unusual for me. I used to be very calm and happy now I am a freaking basket case! I am glad I found this site the Mirena is coming out!

Here is my Mirena Story.

I was 6 weeks post partum....I had mirena inserted...it was very painful and I was not warned about that.
About a week later I noticed yellowing in the whites of my eyes which I thought could be coming from a iron def. since I just gave birth. So I made sure I was eating well and taking vitamins. I also had severe itching at night especially on my ankles and legs. Oh and sex drive was gone. It was fine the 6 weeks after birth but as soon as mirena was in it was gone!!! I went to the doctor about a month after insertion and asked to have it removed, of course my doc said it couldn't be iud causing my problems...come back in a month...So I did....within this month I started having severe anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks, to the point were I actually thought I was loosing my mind. Of course again the doc told me that it wasn't iud and prescribed me an antidepressant which I reluctantly excepted. I'm not depressed...my life was perfect before mirena!!! I finally went back for the third time and decided I wasn't leaving until somebody took this thing out of me!

Here is a list of other side effects that I had/still have!!

acne
migraines
extreme lower back pain
numbness and tingling in hands and feet
vision problems
fogginess
An ADHD type feeling
inability to focus or concentrate
extreme fatigue
feeling of throat closing up
heart racing and palpitations
night sweats
sinusitus
dizziness and light headiness
headache

The problem here is that the doctors don't even know how extreme these side effects can be and they keep telling us that it's not the mirena. PLEASE trust your instinct.....I wanted to trust my doctor but I knew in my heart what was causing my problems...I am only 1 week post mirena and I am still having a lot of my problems but I can tell a difference. DON'T LET IT GET OUT OF HAND....TAKE IT OUT!!!!

DON'T GET MIRENA...IT MAY WORK WELL FOR SOME...BUT IN MY OPINION IT IS NOT WORTH THE CHANCE THAT THESE HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS COULD HAPPEN.....HAD I BEEN INFORMED PROPERLY I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD MIRENA INSERTED!!

Good Luck Ladies!!

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.

Hallelujah, its OUT!

I got mine out today!!! I made sure to take ibuprofen before I went in and thank heavens the removal was NOTHING like the insertion! Quick, easy and pretty painless!
I sure wish I could go "au naturel' at this point but my husband and I just can not risk pregnancy right now. I am grudgingly going to start on a low hormone pill on Sunday...

I will post in the future to share what changes happen now that the thing is gone!

Good luck to all you ladies!

This site is the absolute life saver. I have had my mirena in for two years and am getting it out as sson as I post this I will call my GP. I ahve been sent for every test for every disease under the sun and have only now come to the conclustion that it is all the mirena. Numbness down my left side (I had tests for ms and other serious neurological disorders), abdominal pain, swelling, headaches blurry vision acne like I never had before not efven in my teens. The good thing was it stopped my period all together but now I now haow unatural that is. Thank goodness for all your posts. If I wan;t in Australia, I would be joining in the class action. I have lost two years to this thing with constant doctors and worry about more serious implications. I have had stress leave off owrk and all the time my GP has said it would not be the Mirena.

I had mirena put in 15 months ago. This was 3 months after my son was born and before I had a period. Haven't had a period since. I thought this was great and a constant form of birth control. I have a SEVERELY decreased sex drive that has ruined my relationship. I have SEVERE anxiety and depression I never had before. I am now starting to get abdomenal pains. I just realized TODAY that this might be Mirena, and started doing research. My doctor told me next to no side affects, and what was weight gain and acne (didn't get either). After reading this site I AM getting it out in an emergency appointment tomarrow, because I am freaked out that this thing is causing all these problems! I was worried something was seriously wrong with me and my head! You do not know how much of a relief it is to know it's this THING inside me, even though it's so incredibly creepy. Back to Alesse for me!