Mirena and sex drive

I have also had rectal bleeding, moodiness,gained 28 lbs.,no sex drive, and my blood pressure is 140/80! It is normally around 100\70. How am I suppose to get all of this weight off?

I am 28, have a 15 month old son and had Mirena put in at my 6 week check up, a little over a year ago. My periods are light and manageable, some what regular. I do have a little spotting here and there throughout the month. All my symptoms are manageable, but all together they do suck.

I have gained weight since stopping breastfeeding about 4 months ago. I am bloated ALL the time, which is not normal. I hate having a balloon belly! I eat well, exercise and have never had a weight problem. I have sporadic cramps, constant lower back pain, some joint pain, pain during sex and no sex drive.

As for the headaches, mood swings, depression and anxiety, I struggled with all of these before Mirena, while on the pill, but still have them now. I dont know if they are worse or better. Mainly the weight gain, bloating, back pain and weird cramping (which makes me worry that I have a cyst or something else freaky) are my concerns.

Probably Mirena is still on the market because these symptoms are not lethal...and when they are, they must be within acceptable ratios. Pharmaceutical companies dont care...they just want money.

I do think its really weird how so few OBs will admit that these symptoms can be caused by Mirena. Also, they must have to fill out a brief question are why women have it removed...maybe they get "docked' if there are symptoms attached as the reason.

I have had the Mirena in for 5 years and just had it replaced this past June, I myself have a lot of the same side effects, feeling like I could pee my pants at times. I am 48 yrs old. When I had a new one put it, the Dr. had a really hard time due to my uterus/cervix being tilted (which I was not aware of). Has anyone ever had pain in their rectum after a bowel movement, or like right now I have the pain there, very painful. Not sure if it is due to my uterus/cervix tilted, Mirena? I feel tired a lot, moodiness, I thought that was part of the perimenopausal, but reading the other side effects from younger women, it is the same.

I am 19 years old and have had Mirena since May 2008. I really struggled with the cramps and continuous bleeding for the first two months. My menstrual periods became less and less until I hit my year mark of having it. NOW, if I'm around a girl friend for more than a few days, I automatically get my menstrual period the same day she will and it will last for 8 to 10 days. I thought I wasn't supposed to get my period after a year of having Mirena?!! I've really enjoyed not having to worry about taking a pill every day or putting a new patch on every week and hope it stays on.... BUT, a year and a half of constant acne, the freshman 15, the anxiety, the decreased sex drive, the abdominal cramps are really starting to take a toll on my mental health!
I recently have developed new symptoms of excessive sweating in my armpits, loss of interest in doing things I used to love, joint pain, thin peeling nails, dry skin, cold intolerance. I mentioned these things to my mother the other day on the phone and she reminded me that thyroid problems are very congenital in our family. I have a doctor appt in 2 days for a blood test. If all goes well, I may just have to say goodbye to Mirena. Its been 100% effective for me in the past year and a half, but I can't handle the excess fine-print bullshit that comes with it!!!

I have had Mirena for about more than a year now. I can relate to many of these symptoms. I have 2 girls and with my first daughter I've never had any problems until i got the IUD inserted in me. Worst side effects are constant back pain everyday, weight loss, the WORST bladder problem which i've never had before (just found out yesterday I have a Cyst on my ovary) , the worst mood swings ever. I've been to the emergency room time for feeling so weak and being so pale because of stomach pains (not knowing if its from the IUD, but was really scary for me) NO Sex Drive at all since the IUD. I am 21 and married, I believe i should have enough to want to be with my husband. To please him.. Right?? And when i do it is so painful.

I went to the Dr. yesterday to remove it and the Dr. told me in these words" I am not going to remove it for you, I respect you and your decision but i would not remove it, You will HAVE to go to another Dr." and then he gave me my money back (i dont have insurance) But I thought that was really strange. It's my decision to want to remove it. Isn't that crazy. It's my choice. So since my Dr. doesn't want to remove it, i am now going to choose another Dr. to remove it from me. I just think their are so many problems with the Mirena IUD and knowing if you are having plenty of symptoms you should remove it, dont take any chance!! I know I'm not

I had my 1st child in March of 09! Before I had my 1st child I had been on Birth Control for 8yrs and it worked great. After have my baby I decided to use Mirena so I wouldn't have to remember to take a pill everyday and now that I am chasing a baby I can't remember anything when it comes to myself. I thought that I was just going crazy or just creating these side effects in my mind but after doing some research and finding this website it has confirmed what I have thought all along the Mirena is causing A LOT of problems for me. I have acne that never goes away, blurred vision(before I got Mirena I wore glasses just to see things far away when I drove or when I was reading really small print and now I can not even see with my glasses), I feel sick to my stomach all the time through out the day and I even get sick sometimes a couple times a week, I have constant abdominal pain, lower back pain, joint and muscle pain, I have constant infections that will not go away with meds, my breasts are tender, I have dizzy spells several times a week, I have really bad mood swings its like I hate the world and I use to not be like that, I am totally exhausted to the point where it feels like pregnancy exhaustion and for all women who have had children you know there is nothing like pregnancy exhaustion. Also I have pain during and after sex. I haven't lost my sex drive and I haven't gain a bunch of weight but I haven't been able to lose all of my baby weight either and I have tried like HELL to lose my baby weight.

I had my son Oct 2008 and had Mirena inserted at my 6 week postnatal checkup. At that point I had lost about 15 lbs of baby weight and was feeling pretty darn good for just having a baby.

Since then I have gained back the 15 lbs plus 15 more despite exercising and dieting and NURSING for 11 months! I have had blurry vision, no sex drive, migraines, acne on my face and arms?!?!, and just been all around grumpy. I have also been diagnosed as hypothyroid since being on this - I don't know for sure if it is related to Mirena, but I do know that I was tested for it before becoming pregnant with my miracle baby because my husband and I were declared infertile!

I have spotted almost the entire time despite not having a "real" period since before my son was born. I do not want any more children (12 year old girl and 1 year old boy keep me pretty darn busy), but decided to take out the mirena after reading this site and seeing that other women have had the same issues. Removed on Tuesday (Nov 10) and guess what - I already feel better! There was no pain getting it removed and no cramping, unlike the insertion process.

I am looking forward to seeing the other side effects disappear. I wish that my OB would have focused more on possible side effects instead of how simple it would be. The past year has been a personal hell for me when it should have been one of the happiest times of my life! I hope that the rest of you find this helpful:) Good luck!

I had been on Depo for basically 14 years, I came off of it, got pregnant 3 months later and after the birth went back on it. I had gained a lot of weight with it and had all the side effects plus so when I saw mirena I thought finally something better for me. I had it inserted in aug 2008. Other than painful insertion, like labor delivery contractions the rest of that day and some the next everything was fine. I didn't get my periods back, the only thing I liked about depo, and my weight was coming off and I was actually wanting and enjoying sex again. . A year later, and 15 lbs less, thought I was still doing good. Well I thought maybe my teenage daughter had jinxed me because I was bragging about still not having a period and I started, well a week later I am still having some sort of a period. It's very light and spotty, just when you think it's gone away, well there it is again. I have been noticing vision issues, I figured it was from where I had lasic done several years ago was starting to go but after reading everyone else's posts I think that's not it now. Everything I was experiencing, the back pain, blurry eyes, feeling sad, lower abdominal pain, I made an excuse for until now. I have recently started to loose my sex drive again. I hadn't had any, or so I thought, problems until several weeks ago. My problem is I can't take the pill, I don't want the depo back because of the side effects, the patch won't work for me so I am not sure what is left for me to take, I saved up for this and put so much money into it and now after reading everyone else's post realize that this BC is not for me either.

I have had Mirena since November 2006.(3 years) It was SOOO painful to have it put in, but I know it has to do a bit with the fact that I've never had a kid. I immediately had HORRIBLE cramps for hours and bled for about 4 weeks. Since then I have not had a period at all :) Now, I am 27 yrs old and have NO sex drive, ZERO! I hope that it is because of the Mirena, lol. I don't take any other meds at all. In 3 years I've probably packed on 15 pounds, but I can't say its because of Mirena. Me and my husband are ready for kids, so I'm gonna have it taken out in January. We'll see if it helps with the sex drive :) I haven't had any other side effects really.. overall, I would use it again, just be sure to take some pain meds before you have it put in, cuz that pain is like child birth said my OBGYN.

Some of this may be TMI for some, but I believe in not pulling the punches:

I had mine inserted 12/07 when my youngest was 8 weeks old. I had the para-guard (no hormone) previously and loved it, I didn't take into account how poorly I have done with hormonal BC in the past (2 pregnancy's on the pill, 30lbs weight gain in 6 weeks of the patch, constant 'morning sickness' with the shot, etc) all I heard was no more periods....

After doing the HGC diet (as a last resort) I am finally down to the weight I was 2 days before my dd was born. At my peak I was 20lbs more. I want to get pregnant again next spring, but I have at least 35 lbs to loose before even considering it.

I bleed 2-3 weeks out of the month- too light for even the lightest tampons, but still no fun. I have actually developed raw spots from wearing a pad ALL THE TIME since I never know when the bleeding will start.

And, best of all, I hate sex. I have always had a great sex drive (I'm 29 with four kids) but now if my husband even looks like he's thinking about it I snap at him. When I finally give in (maybe once a month!) it hurts horribly for days- two main types: even with copious amounts of lube I am still dry enough that I feel swollen and bruised. On top of that I cramp for a full day - Feels like I've been punched in the stomach repeatedly. And then the bleeding starts.

Also some (relatively mild) acne, constant, but manageable (never a problem before). Including some in the groin area that end up as boils when on a stretch mark. I had never attributed it to my IUD until reading these posts, but had never had them previously.

The only reason I've had it this long is we lost our insurance shortly after the baby was born (DH laid off after 10 years in construction) I am calling my doctor on Monday to find out how much it will cost to have it removed!

I would ( and have) recommend IUD's to all my friends, but if any have ever had a problem with any hormones- para guard it is!!

my insertion was so bad i literally almost kicked the doctor as an instant reaction and yelled a cuss word... i had a c section delivery so pain full doesn't even describe that pain it was unbearable.. but the cramping starting the moment after insertion to about a month ago was i think worse then the c section pain id be at work almost on the floor in a ball crying in pain and the doctor said take Tylenol it will go away and nevvvvver did... i still get random cramps and sharp pains

i never had bv until i was pregnant during the pregnancy i had it one time and thought it was gone... after i got the mirena put in ive have 4 cases of bv this is November., and 3 uti's.. i got the mirena in march i believe... that is not good for my body to be on antibiotics like that ... lately ive been having terrrrrible pain when i pee like above my pubic bone.. my first thought was a uti ... went to er hoping to get an antibiotic once again... blood urine ctscan everything was normal... er doctor said its probably my mirena and i should get it taken out... i called my obgyn and she insisted i keep it in and thats not the mirena giving me those pains!!! why are these doctors so against taking it out i mean i'll get on the pill i don't care i thought the mirena would be handy u know not worrying about missing a pilll!!! wellllll i wish would have never decided to get it in ive had painful sex , very emotional, pain in general, it terrible...

alssssso my boyfriend and i obviously do not use condoms bc the birth control... now we have to use them bc hes been having a burning sensation when he pees like so bad and painful to where his legs almost buckle ... he was talking to his best friend about it and he said hes experiencing the sammmmme thing and his girl is on mirena ... they've come to the conclusion theyyyy are having a reaction to the hormone released from the mirena and it makes complete sense i don't care condom or no condom it doesn't bother me... but its the fact ... he said he felt it at one point which the doctor said your boyfriend shouldn't feel a thing... sorry if thats tmi but while having sex i feel it bad and it ruins the mood for sex with me at least...

i didn't have a pd for roughly 3 months now its heavy and clotty... then the next day nothing then the next clotty again im soooooo sick of it thank god i stumbled across this sight in search if the reaction my man was having... but now i don't feel alone for all my problems ive been having!!!!

I had the Mirena put in November 2008. And this is the WORST birth control I have EVER had. I have uterin contractions, hot flashes (im 19 yrs old) No sex drive, bitchy, and no period for over 6 months. and nothing is getting better. So I got the depo shot which is 99.7% effective. And no side effects. I wouldn't ever recommend this birth control.

C

I had Mirena placed in August 2009. I was so excited when I first heard about it; shorter, lighter periods, decrease of cramping, no taking a pill daily, birth control for up to 5 years... Well I am so ready to have it taken out! My face broke out worse than a hormonal teenager and I have NO sex drive since it's been inserted, none. Also I have to wear a panty liner every day and night due to spotting. I didn't experience any weight gain but would rather take a few pounds versus all the side effects I do experience. I would not recommend Mirena to anyone and am scheduling an appointment to have it taken out asap.

I had the Mirena put in October of 06 and had it removed in October of 08. During the time that I had it, I didn't get a period, which I expected but I was really hormonal. It was like I would get angry or upset for no apparent reason. It was ruining my relationship, and I would also get terrible headaches, no sex drive, and I started getting cysts in the groin area. The doctor told me it had nothing to do with the Mirena, but I believe it did. Since I had it removed I don't get so bent out of shape so easily, no more headaches, but I do still get the cysts, but just prior to my period every month. Also, we have been trying to get pregnant again and it just isn't happening. I never had a problem with my first two kids, and now I just cant seem to make it happen. I would not recommend that horrible IUD for anyone. It caused nothing but problems for me.

I've had the mirena for only about two months now and about two weeks after it was placed my stomach ballooned to over twice the size it was before and I've gained about seven pounds that are unexplainable. I have not had a regular period which is understandable but I cant deal with the weight gain and bloating. I just had a baby four months and am trying so hard to loose the remainder of the baby weight,and I was doing extremely well until I got the mirena, and nothing drastic has changed about my diet or exercise routine.Does anybody have any idea how long this is suppose to last or what I can do to combat the bloating/weight gain besides getting it removed?

hi i had my mirena in for a year and a half and jus recently took it out...i loved mine i never had a problem with it no mood swings still had sex drive...and i actually lost 20 pounds i guess its just different for everyone...im trying to have another baby right now but i would definitely put mirena right back in after that..sorry to hear about all the side affects i mean it scares me a little but i guess it all depends on ur body and how it reacts to it...good luck ladies

I had my daughter in December 2006 and my doctor tried me on numerous types of birth control pills. Finally I agreed to try Mirena. Since then I too have been moody and gained weight which has never been a problem. I have always weighed no more than 120 now i weigh 150 and can't lose it no matter what I do. The worst part of Mirena is my sex drive is gone and I bleed for at least 2 weeks out of the month usually 3. I am only 23 years old!! There has got to be something else but my doctor has prolonged taking the Mirena out. She keeps telling me that it is the best method of birth control available.

I am amazed to see so many woman going through the same things I am. I really do feel like I have been going crazy with my doctors. Since I have been on the Mirena I have experienced, weight gain, depression, nausea, excessive tiredness, cramps in my uterus and breast tenderness. I also have a hard time sexually. I cant seem to get wet either. Although my sex drive is there I still can get wet. I also have lost hair on my head and have started getting hair on my face. YUK!!!!!!Since I have been on thr Mirena for the past 2 years I have maintained my weight but have lost nothing. I am going to get it taken out really soon, since my husband was nice enough to get a vasectomy. Hopefully these mood swings and tiredness will go away.

Migraines, weight gain, dizziness, depression, no sex drive, some what of an odor and discharge, spotting, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, nausea, mood swings, tired a lot.

I had the Mirena for the full five years and loved it once I got through the first couple of months of side effects. I actually lost about 15 pounds and maintained the weight loss the whole time. My sex drive improved over what it was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen and its generic. Now I'm struggling since having the Mirena removed at its expiration. I tried Seasonale for one pack, but it made me loss sex drive and gain weight. Now I'm trying NuvaRing, but having terrible headaches and nausea. I would have another Mirena, but I really expect I will try to have a child in the next year or so, so I don't want to spend the money for a short usage. My sister also uses Mirena and she likes it as well as I did. The best part was light or no periods for the around four years!

I am on the same boat with all of you!! I had my daughter at the end of July and had my Mirena placed September 21st. At first I thought this was going to be so great and I wont have to worry about a pill every day! WRONG!! I feel pregnant again.I'm swollen, my skin is WHACK, I have never had a breakout so bad, and I have been bleeding ever since it was placed. Sometimes its super heavy and other times its just a gushy brown discharge. So gross. My doctor says "Oh, this may happen" but this is just insane. I have NO sex drive, I'm moody and after reading all of your posts, I know it is from this MONSTER MIRENA! I am calling on Monday to have this removed. Thank you all for sharing!

Hi, I am on the mirena and I have been on ther for almost 2years. At first everything was fine. I don't have a cycle but that didn't bother me cause all the BC I've been on is like that. But know no sleep it's like I sleep but I am not sleep. I have to take Tylenol PM. My sex drive is horrible I can't even get into it or can't get wet either. And especially the weight gain that I experience I'm a person that hardly ever gain weight. I talk with my physician and said that it could be my thyroids I went through all the test everything seems to be fine. I was also thinking about going to a urology doctor.I scared to get the mirena out I have 2 kids and been with my significant other for 9 years. I want to get off but I don't know what else to get on. I have been on everything you can think of and I am not trying to have anymore kids. THIS IS HORRIBLE I MA TO YOUNG FOR THIS

Hello, Everyone!
I have read a few of the posts and have finally realized that the Mirena that I have has caused some issues for me. I have had the Mirena for about 3 1/2 years now. I just thought it was me, but I have been experiencing painful intercourse with abdomen pain, no sex drive, mood swings and depression. I have an appointment with the OB/GYN in a couple weeks to get the Mirena removed. I pray that I will be back to my old self again. Take care!

Well hi all. I see we have some new ladies on here since I was here last. I had my Mirena removed on Feb 14, 2009 after it nearly ruined my life and my marriage over a nearly 3 year period. Feel free to read my old postings. My Mirena symptoms have been gone for months now. My chronic pain has been diagnosed as Enthesopathy. It may or may not be related to the Mirena, but I'm getting treatment from an internist, not a moment too soon! I was at the point where I couldn't go on another day. The interesting thing is, Enthesopathy is a disease of the ligaments and tendons. I couldn't figure out why I had little to no pain whatsoever when I was on my period, and my pain and mood and depression got progressively worse as my period approached. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mirena is involved in this. Anyways, I recently did some research and discovered that during our period, we release a hormone called relaxing, which relaxes our ligaments and tendons (among other things). So it's nice to finally put things together and make some sense of it all.
Since the removal of the Mirena I have energy again, I used to be so sluggish I would cry, sex drive is back, I'm not crying all day and am very happy, not angry at my hubby, no more insomnia, and my hair is still growing back. I didn't realize how much I had lost until it started growing back and see all this 1-6" -long hair.

cramps, tired ALL the time, no energy, sinus type headaches, sever bleeding, periods lasting 2-3 weeks with only a week in between, no sex drive, moody, on edge, gained 20lbs in last few months despite diet and exercise. can't wait to get it taken out!!

The first time I got on Mirena was in October of 06 after I had my first son. I don't remember it being painful to get. But I do remember getting a head ache every single day. And I would bleed for weeks at a time. I was moody and unhappy. I had to have it removed because my husband (now eX) cheated on me. So once I had all of that cleared up I decided to get another one. So 4 months ago I went in. Since my uterus had closed all of the way they had to open it back up, I screamed because it hurt so bad and tears were just flowing. I have not had a period in about 4 months and that part is great. But I have gained an extreme amount of weight. I would say 20 lbs with the first one and another 20 since I had the second one put in. I relate ot those of you that say you breakout like a teenager. Its awful. Not only am I fat again but I cant get my skin under control. I am afraid to take it out due to pregnancy, but I don't know what else to do at this point...any of you that have had yours taken out, were you able to loose the weight that it forced you to gain? And did your skin clear up???

I think I know how Mirena works now.. You don't get pregnant because you never want to have sex!!.lol.. At least that is my experience. I had it put in about 4 months ago, and have completely lost my sex drive. I have tingling in my arms and hands all the time now, my whole body aches, and I feel flutters in my stomach as if I were pregnant (even though I'm not).My breasts also hurt like heck! I feel confident in its effectiveness but don't want these side effects anymore!! I also was told that using Mirena is like always having an abortion.. does anybody know if that is true?? I wasn't informed this when I had it put in... I was just told that the hormones stop you from getting pregnant, If any of you ladies have any answers to my questions that would be great!!

I have posted before and have been on the mirena going on three years. My symptoms started about April of this year; severe anxiety with all the symptoms: chills, panic attacks, even in my sleep, insomnia, depression, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, shortness of breath, chest pain, the works... My doctor put me on celexa and my psychiatrist put me on klonopin to sleep. Note: I had never needed these types of medication or any kind of mental specialist ever, in my life. I have one daughter she is 2 and a half, and a very happy home.
My anxiety has gotten so much better since I have been on the meds. but the paranoia kept me from taking them for at least a month.
I can't say the mirena caused it but my doctor says that it is possible. A hormonal imbalance can be caused by your bc, The longer you take it the greater the risk.(for some women)
I have horrible mood swings still... and my sex drive is ok, but not what is used to be, but she did warn me of this before-hand. The acne and weight are my biggest problems now. I cannot stop eating, and I am not depressed, just so very very hungry even an hour after a big meal. My doctor said this is because of the hormones. Your body thinks its pregnant and will react as such, so as we all know; all of our bodies react differently to a pregnancy, morning sickness, swelling, sex drive, these things are all different for different women. It has not been a picnic for me and for others I know that it may be an ideal bc. I will have mine removed this coming week and will update if I see a change.
Thanks for reading.
emg1223

23th
2009
10:36 PM
MIRENA is the worst thing EVER!!!!!!
I got Mirena as my husband and I were lacking in the sexual side of our relationship because we both HATE using condoms.I have a 31/2 year old son and we have decided that for now we are happy and would like if we didn't have anymore children right now so I talked to my doctor about Mirena.
Let me start by saying that my labor 6 hours with NO pain meds was nothing compared to the pain I had when they put it in. Then the bleeding started right away I was bleeding for 8 weeks then had 1 week free and now have been bleeding for about 8 weeks. I had 2 ultrasounds to make sure it was in proper and everything was "fine" my doctor says everyone's body reacts different.
The symptoms I have are Occasional Cramping,
Sever bleeding,
headaches,
irritation in my legs (same symptoms as RLS),
Depression,
no sex drive,
back pain
Weight Gain (17lbs in 2 weeks)
and the weirdest symptom is hard to explain but its the same feeling in my body as if you were to touch a 9volt battery to your tongue! Every now and then I have little shocks and its so annoying. I have had mine in for 17 weeks and I have an appointment in 8 days to have it removed...Back to condoms it is

I am on my 2nd mirena. the first one expired and was changed after being in for 4 years...not 5. with the first one, the only side effect was the acne. ive had the 2nd one in now for just over a year and im really considering having it removed because the past 8 weeks have been hell. while i have virtually no period, i also have no sex drive, and my cramps are horrendous. headaches, nauseousness, etc. 8 weeks ago, i had all of the symptoms of pregnancy witch came back negative thru a hpt and a blood test. also had symptoms of UTI, couldn't urinate and when i did it was very little, even had the pain in my lower back which led me to believe the UTI was bad. turns out after 3 cultures, i had no UTI, ive had a cat scan, mri and a scope up into my bladder, everything came back clear. symptoms disappeared, or so i thought. here i am again with all the same symptoms and its right around the normal time i would get my period. could this be a mirena side effect? lower back pain (not intolerable, more of a nucience *sp* ) my back feels like i rubbed BenGay or Icy hot on it. has anyone had these symptoms??? im going insane!!!!!

I've had my Mirena out for nearly 2 weeks now, after 15 months of living with the side effects. I've posted before about fatigue, crankiness & irritability, low-grade depression, weight gain, poor sleep, headaches, etc -- same old story as everyone else -- that came on gradually over the months. I'm still SO grateful to this website for making it clear to me that this wasn't just typical exhaustion due to having 2 little kids (now 3yrs & 16mos) or post-natal depression. Anyway, getting the Mirena removed turned out to be an ordeal in itself -- the strings disappeared and the doctor couldn't see anything with a speculum, so I had to wait 3 weeks to get an ultrasound and it turned out to be in the right place (phew!). Then I had to wait nearly 2 months to have a hysteroscopy -- they dilate your cervix and poke a camera up inside your uterus so they can see where the coil is, then they can pull it out. The poking and prodding was a huge drag, uncomfortable but not excruciating. When they actually pulled it out it barely hurt at all. I was a bit sore for a day or two, like mild period pains but nothing serious.

So, here's the update so far: My sex drive came back the very next day after being completely gone for ages! That was such a nice feeling again, to actually want to be with my husband instead of just going along for the sake of the marriage! I haven't felt sick or achey in my joints since it came out either, and the headaches are pretty much gone after being a constant in my life. I'm sleeping easier, and generally feel healthy again -- such a relief! My energy levels are still really really low though; I sure hope they start to come back soon. I think it's going to take awhile since I'd pretty much stopped exercising due to feeling so ill and tired all the time. I'll have to build myself back up through eating better and getting back to the gym, so unfortunately I think the weight-gain and fatigue are going to take longer to 'cure'. But still, I'm so glad to have it out and know that whatever happens to my health now, at least it's not being caused by hormones that just don't belong there.

Hang in there everyone; and don't be afraid of the pain in having it removed.

I have to say I am SHOCKED over this site but had to read every bit of it. I am a TRUE believer in the Mirena and until I came across this site while searching for sites to send a friend to encourage the Mirena I never knew how many horrible things could happen for someone on the Mirena. HOWEVER, I guess this is proof when with any type of birth control including Mirena it is said it's not for everyone. I happen to LOVE mine. I'm actually on my 2nd insertion. My first one went very well, after a crampy insertion and 2 days of horrible cramps controlled by ibuprofin I was left to enjoy 5 years of birth control w/out problems. I can't take the pill as no matter the dose I spend the 1st to weeks nauseated and vomiting in the morning, I tried the Depo Shot (personally that is the EVIL OF ALL EVIL birth control methods, gained 68 pounds in 11mnts never going over 105 pounds except for pregnancy in my life, have battled to control my weight since therefore I believe it destroyed my metabolism forever, major depression to the point of medication and medical leave from work & the world). And after an accident pregnancy no way was condoms going to be enough for me. My Dr. recommended Mirena and I gave it a try. I was not lucky enough to go period free my first insertion I did have a max of 3 days of period with little or no cramping. My second not as good, I now have about 5 days of spotting only if sex promotes it and occasionally after using the bathroom a little blood on the toilet paper, never needing to actually use any feminine products. I use to get ovarian cysts all the time, small enough surgery was only needed once but I knew when one was there and I knew one they "popped" as my doctor would call it. I haven't had that problem since I started with Mirena, I'm told its due to the small amount of hormones (hence the reason my Dr suggested Mirena versus a non hormone IUD). My sex drive has not been affected one bit...in fact like one of the positive posts I just read...my husband and I have discussed more then once prior to coming across this site how much more of a sex drive I do have, although we contributed it to not being pulled down in the dark world of depression from the Depo shot...and the freedom of placed once & forget for 5 years type birth control. I have 8 friends and coworkers that have the Mirena...One person had a problem, hers "fell out" in the toilet and she had been cramping and in abdominal pain for a few days prior not connecting it to her Mirena...but after 2 months of other methods she had another one placed and has had no problem since...that was 2 years ago. It stinks to hear how horrible this "wonder bc method" is for others...(are you seeing how terrible the other methods were for me first for me to feel this is the wonder of all wonders) and of course I'm concerned with the fact that most of you that had a problem had SEVERE problems..not just a small one here or there. But I'm going to bet that on the flip side the methods that caused me hell might work for one of you. I have 2 more years left on this 2nd cycle...I pray I never have the problems you do if I chose a 3rd insertion...however, with science today we can only hope your complaints are taken seriously and the makers of Mirena continue to improve so that less and less people run into these side effects. I'm not sure I would have another option...SCARY!

Mirena has helped my sex drive, I know women are different, but I seem to just get turned on for no apparent reason since about 2 weeks into the Mirena. My cramping is different than without the Mirena but definitely manageable. My periods lasted 10 days before the Mirena, with the first 5 days being extremely heavy and after having 1 period with the Mirena, I've noticed positive changes. My period was still 10 days but it was much more even, and I only used Light flow tampons the WHOLE period.
My breasts were barely an A cup before Mirena, and i had significant swelling and tenderness before my period, and after my period the swelling went down almost all the way and the tenderness was gone, but I've got a definite A cup now, plus this month's swelling is closer to a B cup. I'm hoping each month's swelling will bring me back to my before having children B cup.
I'm doing great with the Mirena. I'm sorry to see so many who it isn't working for.

Okay...this is amazing, cause I thought I was crazy but now I know all of us are!!!hahah...I had the Mirena put in in early October. I am perimenopausal and my hubby has a vasectomy. The docs encouraged it to help with my menopausal symptoms, primarily irregular cycles and cramping due to not bleeding - they said that was due to low progesterone and the Mirena would work wonders. I had it put in (very very painful - and this from a woman who gave birth, at home, two separate times with nothing but a midwife and some gentle massaging during the birthings!) and never stopped bleeding. Not once! I have gone through two boxes of tampons and three of pads. I have cramping all the time, and low back ache. I noticed that my bras felt really sore and enlarged (so did hubby) and they grew overnight. I gained three pounds and started crying at the time. The final insult: no sex drive. zippo. none at all. I also have terrible vagina odor which is, I know gross to admit, but a very new thing. I think that there are many women who simply cannot tolerate these hormones. Our bodies know what to do and I am going to brave the change without intervention. I went to see doctor today and, of course, she tried to talk me out of removal. She even had the nerve to say that it was good to have in, to protect my uterus, for eventual Hormone replacement therapy -as if I had ever mentioned that as an option? I looked at her and said, "take it out". Now I don' t know if this is imagination, but I swear the cramps have abated in the past several hours. I am still bleeding but feel hope for its ending. I would not recommend this to anyone and to those out there being told its value in managing menopausal symptoms, move on. It is not worth it - the change is change enough!

I had the symptoms for a week of a UTI after having my IUD for four months, I have no children. I had noticed a lack in my sex drive, but thought I could just get through that. Then I started with this awful burning feeling, not being able to urinate, and lower back pain. Oh of course my new relationship and I'm getting a UTI. Well the test came back negative. Well what else could be wrong because I know I'm not crazy and I should listen to my body. So I got on this site and read some of the responses by other women to the IUD. I read them, and went to my Dr. telling her that I need this out, tomorrow. She told me my symptoms weren't related to the IUD, and I probably had bladder issues, and how I also wouldn't regain my sex drive. I didn't think these reactions and symptoms would just start after four months I thought I was totally in the clear. I know the "everyone is different" phrase is applicable to every medication but I know that the words that I read on this page made me realize I had too much in common with other peoples feelings about my symptoms for it to be anything other than the IUD. I got it removed this morning, and already feel a weight lifted.

I was almost at four months before I realized something was wrong. I am in a new relationship and thought wow, maybe my new sex life is giving me a UTI, so I went and got tested because something wasn't right. Burning at the end of urination, lower back soreness, frequency to go and getting nothing. Totally uncomfortable. I couldn't believe after a week that I wasn't getting a positive result on the UTI test. There was also a lost sex drive almost right away. I thought I could just "power through that" as we women sometimes do. After finding this site yesterday afternoon I was identifying with too many of the symptoms posted here. I went this morning to have it removed. When I talked to my doctor about it she read as if from a script. Telling me none of my symptoms have been related to Mirena. She even went so far as to say maybe I did have bladder issues that were being masked by the shot. Ten years on the shot, and no issues. Four months on Mirena and I couldn't take it anymore.

What a relief to get it out, and thanks for sharing on here. I was surprised it developed after four months, but "everyone is different". I don't have any children and thought this was a good method for me. It wasn't, and that's ok.

Well, I just had my mirena IUD taken out last week. I had wanted to take it out pretty much since I got it in a year and a half ago. It was the second one that I had. The first I got put in when I was 17 due to a heavy period, and I could not use birth control because I suffered with depression on it. At that time I did not associate changes in myself with the IUD because they happened gradually. I lost all sexual appetite which I had believed was because I was ending a relationship at the time and I was uninterested. I began getting acne, which worsened in the colder months, so I did not associate it with the IUD. I had mood swings and was tired a lot. I associated this with stress from being a teenager and in being in school. Two and half years into having my first IUD I met my husband. My sex drive had come back, my my acne continued, and the pimple would get really inflamed and tender. My psoriasis never seemed to fully clear up either. My tiredness and moods continued, and I also became extremely emotional often. I just thought that this is who I was because I had got the IUD so young!
SO when the 5 years on the old IUD was up I thought I should get another one. With the new one my acne persisted, I lost my sex drive again and I now would be dry all the time, whether I was turned on or not. I just couldn't stop but thinking that it was the IUD. So i got in taken out finally after we got married. I didn't want to be a pregnant bride. It has been a few weeks, and my acne has pretty much cleared up, I am wet all the time, and I want to have sex. My psoriasis is also much much much better. I still feel tired sometimes, but I hope that will ease as well.
If it doesn't feel right to you, get it taken out. What is the point of being in a birth control if you don't want to have sex anyways!!! good luck everyone.

My name is Amanda, I'm 21 yrs old, engaged and having some problems:
I had mirena put in December, 2008 and had a horrible first night. My cramps were terrible for at least 5 hrs. After that I had no problems other than really odd cycles (on for 10 days, off for 3 months, on for 4 days, etc)
I hadn't thought my other problems were due to this iud but now think otherwise and am seriously wanting it removed. I've been very irritable, bloated, exhausted, can't sleep at all at night until 6 am then finally sleep till 1 pm... I have absolutely NO SEX DRIVE (odd because my fiancé were very happy with our sex lives , now it's maybe once if that).
My fiancé says this is a very good form of B.C. Because we never have sex... Hahaha. I don't have any cramps but do get unusual headaches (right temple, extremely sharp pain) ...
If i knew for sure that these symptoms weren't from mirena, I'd keep it... But now am going to get it removed and get back on the shot...
Let me know if anyone has anything to help me out with the sex drive thing!!!

Does it hurt to get mirena removed?

Will my sex drive return?????
I'm only 21 and am getting married in sept 2010 (hopefully ... Haha) ...
Thanks, A.

SEVERE ACNE, FACIAL HAIR, WEIGHT GAIN, DECREASED SEX DRIVE

OMG i cant believe that its been the MIRENA all this time i thought i was going nuts my hubby thought i didn't love him with the mood swings i was getting the cramps and no sex drive what so ever the depression was really bad felt life wasn't worth living any more i have decided to get it out and have a normal life again with my hubby and family wouldn't advise anyone to get it in.

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

I am getting my Mirena removed tomorrow. I'm tired of waking up and having cramps be the first thing I am aware of and the over-riding feeling of pain and tiredness all day. I have no sex drive (didn't realize it could be the IUD till I read these complaints) and am tired all the time (figured that was from fighting the cramps all day. Thank you for this site and the information about this IUD.

I am so glad that I am not alone in this!! I have had Mirena for 2 1/2 years. The insertion was not that bad and I thought it was going to be wonderful!! Well....I was wrong!! I have always had migraines with aura, but I have had more frequently, terrible weight gain, ZERO sex drive, fatigue and terrible mood swings. I have had ENOUGH!!. I was told, like most of you, that Mirena can't cause side effects like this, but YES it can!! I am having it removed on Thursday, although, I do like the idea of just taking it out myself. (Save me $40) I have friends who have it and love it, but as for me, I would think long and hard before getting one!!

I chose to have the Mirena inserted in August of 2009. I found this site because I have been bleeding for three weeks straight, and the doctors were unavailable to advise me (holiday weekend). I see now that my experience is a side-effect of the IUD. I have also seen a diminished sex drive, fatigue, loss of energy, and constant cramping.

I was very hopeful for the Mirena. Five years without having to worry about birth control, wow! My first complaint is the pain involved with insertion. I was told to eat a big breakfast or early lunch before the procedure, and to take a few advils prior to the appointment. I did - however, I was still not prepared for the process. First, they measure your uterus to make sure that it is the right size, with an instrument similar to the IUD. I was in tears the entire time. I wished someone had told me to bring a friend or my partner with me to hold my hand. It hurt so much! The nurse was as understanding as she could be, but said that once the package has been opened, I would be charged the full amount. I went ahead with the procedure, wondering how I would reschedule during a period and with a busy work week. I was in pain the rest of the day, and felt extremely uncomfortable for a few days after. The pain and bleeding still did not go away, and after a week I made an appointment to check on the IUD's position, if there was any preforation of the uterus; etc. The strings were there, and they just told me that the cramping and spotting is normal. To me, it felt like the doctors tell you the best case scenario, and as you approach more and more of the side-effects, they confirm those as a possibility.

Before the Mirena, I have used DepoProvera, the NuvaRing, and Ortho-Tri Ciclen. I didn't like the weight gain from the Depo, the NuvaRing is somewhat expensive through my insurance, and the traditional birth control bills, like Ortho, are a hassle if you happen to miss a day. I thought that the Mirena was the best solution to my situation.

Be aware. I have been through childbirth, and this was a painful experience for me! I wish I would have read the comments on this site before opting for the Mirena... at least I would have been a more informed & educated consumer.

I was fitted with the Mirena in January 2009 as I have PCOS and I had bled constantly throughout 2008. They thought that the Mirena would be the best course of action as BCP just never agree with me.

I was ok until around March, when the coil REALLY kicked in. I had mood swings, lethargy, a real 'whatever' attitude and worst of all - my extremely healthy sex drive just got up and left. It has affected my relationship with my fiance as we only got together in December 2008 so the Mirena has dogged our entire relationship.

I finally got it removed in August, and for the first two weeks things were great, then they just went back to how they were March-August. I am going to my GP tomorrow as I want advice - the medical profession put me here, they can help me out. I want my notes to be updated with how the Mirena has affected me.

I even had to sit in A&E for hours as it had moved and caused me to bleed heavily!

If you haven't had it fitted - don't!

I had the Mirena inserted when my daughter was 6 weeks old, August 2007. I had no problems (that I THOUGHT were related to it) until end of July this year. I had next to no period up until then and then bled for nearly 3 weeks straight. Went to the doctor who said I had a miscarriage...ok so let's take it out, it obviously doesn't work for me and go back to the pill which I had been on most of my life when I wasn't pregnant with any of my 5 children. After 3 weeks of being on the pill I had it removed on 9/10. No pain at all actually but haven't stopped bleeding since! Went back to the Dr on 9/23, felt my uterus and said seemed fine. No fibroids or polyps that he could feel. Changed my pill Rx and said it should straighten out within the next 2 cycles, if not come back...on 10/5 I went back without an appt and was told by the nurse to double up on my pills to try and stop the bleeding. I scheduled an appt to see the Dr the following am. Had an internal ultrasound done and a biopsy of the lining of my uterus. Results should be back on Tuesday... my Mom & Sister told me to look online about side effects with the Mirena and I found this page. I am comparing many of the things I have been experiencing and now realize perhaps they were ALL related to the IUD. I gained weight (am actually heavier then I was after my daughter was born and I lost all my pregnancy weight within the first month), I had terrible acne, headaches, back & neck pain, constant fatigue, emotional, decreased sex drive. It has been out 4 weeks today and although my acne has improved slightly, I feel like I have been on the brink of the flu since last Saturday, no motivation, pure exhaustion, and emotional roller coaster not to mention the cramping from my biopsy that probably wasn't necessary now I'm thinking and 4 days in a row home from work... I am hoping time will heal the way I feel once the hormones adjust themselves. The pill always helped me more then it ever hurt me. I'm glad I got the Mirena out as soon as I did. Just wish I would have known sooner what it was really doing to me!

I have had Mirena put in Feb 09, so it has been 8 months and for 7months I have had a yeast infection that wont go away. It gets really bad the week before my period and the week after its not too bad. I have used OTC drugs and prescriptions. I have never had a YI before I had the mirena. I do believe it is the reason I have one, so I am going to get it removed. I have also been very tired and foggy feeling and never made that connection until reading all these posts.

my name is Brittany and i have had my mirena since around February 2009 and at first i had some severe pain for a few days and bleeding non-stop for about three months.. but other than that for the first two months I had no problems or complaints! i thought it was the best idea any could have thought of! But i was so wrong..the constant UTI's and Yeast infections are unbearable! I have never had a yeast infection or this many UTI's in my life! I have a feeling it is due to the mirena! I'm completely uncomfortable all the time and can't wait for it to get removed! I would never recommend this to anyone!!! yea i didn't get pregnant, but i'd rather have 20 kids then be in the uncomfort that i am in! Also, I am now on zoloft and an anti-anxiety med! i have never had any of these problems before this and im hoping they will all go away! plus the oily skin and acne!! omg!! i had the most perfect skin and now i can't even walk out of the house without make-up on! Mirena is not for me!

Hello, my name is pam. About 6 weeks after my son was born I had made the choice to get the mirena iud. Well for 7mon after i got it I bleed. Also, new things started happening. I went to my doctor and discovered that I had an awful yeast infection due to the iud not being set right. He gave me one round of meds just for yeast infections. I went back for a check up and it hadn't cleared a bit. Got second round of med. Then about 2wks afterward I got a call from my doctor. He said that they found yeast infection, staff infection, and a strep infection that I am still having problems with after the level 4 anti-biotic that he gave me. I have headaches, body aches, no sex drive what so ever, mood swings that would send anyone away, and I am also on anti-depression meds ever since Ive had the iud.

honestly, the only problem i have had from Mirena is the odor =( i just had it put in about 2 weeks ago. the procedure to get it in was uncomfortable. luckily, i sat around talking to the doctor about my daughter when i felt like i was going to throw up. i got really fast suddenly and starting vomiting. bullets of sweat kept dripping down my forehead, then after crying from the cramping and squeezing the daylights out of my boyfriends hand, i felt fine. stood up and got dizzy again. had to rest for about 10 minutes. i

now, i get very few cramps, which i never had before. but the odor coming from the below the belt line is awful! any suggestions? i shower 2 times a day now and use summers eve and other vaginal odor killers. i feel disgusting. i have not lost my sex drive do the the mirena itself, but the smell is embarrassing and don't want my boyfriend around any of that. can someone help me out?

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