Mirena and stomach

I had Mirena since Sept 2008. All I felt was a slight cramp when it was put in and a minor ache for a few hours afterward. I had some spotting for about 4 days after it and then nothing. Periods got lighter each month but the spotting got longer and longer.

I stumbled across this sight a few days ago when I was wondering if the Mirena could cause weight gain. After reading everyone's experience with it, everything started to come together. I got it 3 months after my daughter was born. I had gained 80 pounds while pregnant and lost 40 within 3 months. I then had that damn IUD put in. I gained it all back. I haven't been able to lose anything after gaining it all back. I have trouble just trying to maintain my weight. This is what I've experienced so far: weight gain, facial hair, cramping, sharp abdominal pains, joint pain, constant exhaustion, mood swings, bloating, tingling sensations, headaches/migraines, 15 days of spotting each month, constant hunger, no sex drive... I've had blood work, tests on my stomach and abdomen, iron infusions... All my doctor was telling me to do is change my diet and exercise when I went about the exhaustion. I've done that and gained 3 more pounds!

It's scheduled to come out December 4th. That day can't come fast enough for me!

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!!

I just had my Mirena placed last week. I felt excited after the procedure. No more kids for at least 5 years? Now that I have read all of these post I am scared. I am 25, married with three children. I had the last baby nine months ago and don't want anymore, right now. The cramping stopped the same day. I took Midol the second day after for bloating and everything was fine. However, I woke up today feeling more tired than usual, irritated, moody, depressed, scared, sleepy. And I have spotting, cramping (both abdominal and lower back)and butterflies in my stomach. I thought that my body was just playing tricks on me and decided to look up possible Mirena side effects that I might have missed and happened upon this site. Now I am really scared. I am scheduled next week for my placement check-up and if these symptoms are not explained or gone I might just have it removed and go back to Trojan. :(

My daughter was born 9-6-08 and had the Mirena inserted a month later. I tried really hard to lose the weight from my pregnancy and at first I thought it was working but then I stopped losing any weight and before I knew it I weigh the same as my when I was pregnant. I feel the fluttering in my stomach and the acne and the sore breasts and even the moodiness. I thought I was pregnant. I took 4 hpt and they all came back negative. Went for a urine test at my doctors but I still wasn't convinced when it came back negative so I asked for a blood test too. That also came back negative. Thank goodness cuz I didn't want another child this soon. It just seemed to be too much stress and too much to worry about. It's not worth it. I'm convinced that I will call my doctor and have it removed because I just cannot handle this. I'm going back on the pill. Not sure which kind but anything is bound to be better than this. Any suggestions? I'm so hoping to lose all this weight and stop getting acne. Not to mention stop snapping at my husband all the time.

I don't have any new side effects; they're the same as everyone has mentioned. I feel so unhappy almost all of the time. I have experienced the fluttering in my stomach, which looks like I'm 5 months pregnant. Diet and exercise aren't working to take away the 20lbs I've gained. And the acne is annoying. Everyday I get a new pimple. I know that Proactive works because I used it prior to my November 2007 insertion of Mirena. After reading the comments listed on this site, I have decided to have it removed. I'm tired of being tired, sad and popping pimples. I also had a vibrating feeling in my right foot for about a week; Mirena related? Don't know for sure. Good Luck ladies! And thanks so much for your posts.

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?

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 had mirena put in feb 08. around June i started having flu like symptoms and stomach issues. doctors couldn't figure that out so i learned to deal with it. no biggie. may 09 i started having palpitations and tightness in my chest. doc #1 said it was a panic attack.(no) doc #2 thought i pulled a muscle (nope) july went to the er. test were ran all negative. pain and palpitations still come and go. until 4 days ago, just walking around i became short of breath, had sharp pain, and bad palpitations that wouldn't go away with rest. the next day i had to go to the er again because my blood pressure went up so high. been at home in bed for 3 days now. still tight chest. still palpitations off and on. i see a cardiologist tomorrow to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong. but reading this, things are making a bit more sense. i have also asked my gyn 2x's and they state that mirena will NOT cause any type of chest issues because of the type of hormones in it. if cardiologist finds nothing along with everyone else, IT'S COMING OUT! i'm so tired of feeling sick!
thanks everyone for your comments. i now know it's not just me!
J.

I've had the Mirena for 4 and a half years with no period. Reading here I realize a lot of my issues are related to the Mirena. Now ironically I am cramping, spotting/bleeding, and breaking out like never in my life. My stomach is always swollen and everything I eat creates pain. I do plan to have it removed ASAP but wondering if that will open the flood gates after so long without a period. I should mention I am in Menopause and some of my friends don't have a period anymore. Could I be that lucky!
It was a struggle to insert the Mirena and wondering if it generally isn't horrific to remove. I'm coming back as a Man!

Hi, I had mirena since feb.2009 and been bleeding all the way to July now i don't see anything since i was very happy until i noticed that i have been having some back pain and also bloating( my weight is the same but my stomach is getting big) what should i do? Can i take anything for it? if not i am going to take it out ASAP......

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!!

Horrible device in my opinion! I'm on day 17 with Mirena and the cramping, bloating, pancreas pain, sharp pain all over my body, diarrhea on and off, mood swings, headaches, flu like symptoms, major hair loss, extremely tired all the time, sleepy, can't sit in a certain position, can't walk without pain on my sides (stomach) or shooting pain through my legs and the list goes on!

I am going in ASAP this week to have it removed. I am aware of the possible side effects warnings, but many side effects I am experiencing are not in my brochure given to me by my doctor. I believe my body is rejecting the device and anyone experiencing similar or same symptoms as me should run to the doctor and have it removed. Unless of course you like torture and are willing to torture your family members along with you. :(

Hello, I can't help but get into the Mirena conversation. Three months after my son was born, I was put on the Mirena IUD. I had a ton of symptoms. My hair was falling out, tired, weak, headaches, stomach cramps, and just all around felt like crap. I went back to the doctors to have the Mirena removed positive that it was the Mirena that was making me feel like crud. The doctor persuaded me to keep it in longer and after much debate and feeling flustered with the doc I agreed for a couple more months. Well symptoms got ten times worse to the point I called and demanded to be seen right away to have it removed. Well after it was removed, I felt better but not completely. I started losing weight, I had periodic migraines which mind you I never had a migraine in my entire life, and felt like a truck ran over my body every morning when I got out of bed. I went to the doctors and they ran a slew of tests and NOTHING! Well about a month after a car ran a stop sign and crashed into me. I hit my head. IT was the best damn thing ever, I got a cat scan and it showed something on my brain. A MRI picked up a right cerebellum hemangioblastoma about 3cms. I had to have brain surgery to have it removed. They decided to do a full scan and I now currently have a kidney hemangioblastoma. Moral of this story. I am 31 years old, I have always been healthy with no migraines, no ailments, nothing. I have the Mirena put in and I feel like shit and they found a brain and kidney tumor. The estimated both my brain and kidney tumor to be about 2 yrs old. THE EXACT TIME I GOT THE MIRENA IN. Hemangioblastomas are either sporadic of VHL. With sporadic, usually you only get 1 and if you get another its later on down the road and my two tumors would not be the same age so it rules that one out. VHL, I had a genetic test done and it came up negative. So anyone of answers for my mishap. I know the Mirena caused this for me. Im just looking for someone with a similar story

I am 42 years old and have the Mirena IUD for almost 4 years, that is until Tuesday, October 6th....yee haw! I finally had it removed. After 14 lbs of gradual weight gain, despite not changing my diet AND increasing my workouts, heart palpitation (sp) and higher blood pressure than normal and a bout of bleeding that I have never experienced in my life, I went to the gyno. In the changing room the nurse asked me if I had a Mirena IUD, I responded yes, in her broken English, she said, lots of weight gain, huh? Side effects, huh? I was mortified. I began doing research and made the decision to have it removed. Let me say, in a week I have lost 5 lbs, my stomach is not bloated, my breasts do not hurt, I have had my regular period, I am back to myself again. It served its purpose for me, but I wish I would have been told the side effects so that I could have made an educated decision.

I had Mirena inserted 6 weeks after having a baby. I have been feeling bloated (my stomach seems larger now than it did when I had Mirena inserted! ) I have gained weight 8-10 lbs even though I am watching what I am eating. Today, I experienced dizziness when I woke up and all through out the morning. I had significant hair loss up until about three weeks ago. I know hair loss is common after having a child, but this is my third baby and the loss of hair was alarming! I am not sure if all of this is the Mirena but with all of the posts from everyone, I am convinced it is. Since having this foreign object in me, I have not been myself. I am going to have it removed.

Not trying to put a damper on your day ladies, but you will find when you get it out, your "side effects" wont all go away. Gaining weight?? No It's called as we get older we have to watch what we eat.. Hair falling out? I have had no such thing like that. Ache yes but thats with all birth control, headaches, stomach aches thats with all birth control! The Mirena was the best decision i could have EVER made!

I just got my Mirena removed today. I am SO excited. I have had it in for 1 year and it has been the worst year of my life. My symptoms were :MIGRAINES!- for which I was admitted to the hospital, they did all kinds of tests, and found nothing-( they even gave me an IV of morphine, and the migraine was so intense, i still felt it with the morphine.), arthritis- (or EXTREME ACHING in all of my joints, especially my hips, knees and lower back area., pain in my chest- like unable to breath, pain in my neck, I was sleeping 9 hrs a day and still exhausted and lately its been severe insomnia, cramping in my lower stomach and bloating really bad. I am 5"3, 21 yrs old, originally 107 pounds, and have two kids. After my daughter I was on Seasonique and although it made me have mood swings it was NOTHING in comparison to this. After my daughter I lost all the baby weight and then some. Even after I had my son in the 6 weeks before I got the Mirena, I lost all of the baby weight and was back down to 107 pounds. Now I weigh 130 pounds- and thats doing the same exercises and eating the same that I have always done. I have also never had ANY UTI's and I have had consistent UTI's since I have had it in, that have NOT gone away with various medications. I have had NO sex drive. Absolutely NONE, and I am 21years old! I felt very fatigued every day and it took all my strength and energy and mostly motivation that I HAVE TO provide for my family, to get up and go to work everyday. I read the brochure for Mirena when I got it inserted, and there were NONE of these side effects. I found some of these side effects on the Canadian website, and found people's horror stories of having Mirena in. I am SO happy to have finally gotten it out and am looking forward to being a normal healthy person again.

I have had Mirena for 18 months now. I love it. I have had no side effects that you all are describing. I have 4 friends that switched and all love it and only one had to have a follow up to have the strings shortened.

As far as the weight gain, ladies, let’s be honest. We are not 18 anymore and as we get older it is only going to become more difficult to keep weight off. Blaming it on a B/C....lets think about that last chocolate bar we ate because we were busy carting the kids off to a sports practice HMMM....
With any drug comes side effects, headaches, nausea, and some other terribly worse, but lets again be honest, all of these were pointed out in the literature available.

I just thought I would take the time to write my support as this does work and work well for some women, just not all, same as any other form of B/C.

I've got to say that Mirena makes my hair very thick, and I have lost weight, not gained it...and I LOVE not having periods.

I have had mood swings, irritability, and stomach issues since having it installed in July'07 but no other problems what so ever, until a few months ago...ever since May'09 I have had nausea, extreme loss of appetite, and breakouts(very out of character for me). My husband had a vasectomy in May, and I plan on getting the Mirena removed next month. The ongoing irritability is definitely the biggest problem for me...it makes me very short tempered with my children.

I don't know why the new symptoms started a few months ago...maybe some kind of hormonal buildup...I am very sensitive to birth control usually, and Mirena has served its purpose well, but now I am ready to move on.

I think Mirena is like any birth control, it works well for some people and not at all well for others. I do not think it is awful, or terrible or anything like that...it just has to be the right fit, and all drugs have side effects. Good luck ladies!!

Hi Everyone!
I too am thankful for having found this site. I had Mirena inserted back in April of this year. Can I tell you the pain was worse than child birth! I have 3 children and had NO drugs during child birth, so my pain threshold is high.It was so painful that after the long insertion time I almost passed out. Two weeks after having it inserted, I was riding in the car with my husband and had such bad cramping that I had to use my breathing from childbirth class! I had bleeding all the time. Not heavy, but annoying. I also felt like someone is up in my uterus pinching me hard it hurts so bad. my breasts are huge, my stomach is bloated (just in time for summer and the bikini...not) I have cramps, I feel depressed, nothing interests me anymore, I cant laugh with my kids,I am moody all the time and generally felt like crap. I made an appt. with gyno to have ultasound done to make sure it was in place correctly. It was. the OB told me I could have all these symptoms for up to a year! No way am I dealing with this for a year. I tried to hold out for a while longer and some of the symptoms have subsided a bit. The bleeding is less often, but I still get very bad pains. I have now also developed very bad back pain. It is located lower back/hips,and will sometimes travel into the front of my thigh. I thought it was due to a car accident, but having gone to a chiropractor and been fixed from the accident, it is still there. I thought it was in my head, but having read all the posts I feel pretty sure it is because of this Mirena IUD.
I made an appt. with my OB and I am having the darn thing removed!! I am glad I read these posts girls, as I was still not sure if I should leave it in for a while longer to see if things improve more. But I had to ask myself a question. Is it worth it? feeling bad physically ALL the time and sad?. the answer was simple. NO. It is coming out and I hope it wont be long before I feel like my old self again!
Best of luck to you all.

I am 22 years old and had a baby last feb in 2008, shortly after that i had a mirena inserted with minor side effects...well now a year later i decided to remove that darn thing after noticing the side effects! i lost most of my pregnancy weight all but around 10 pounds so that was (150) then several months later i noticed my weight shooting up...now i'm almost 170 poun\nds! i dont eat all crazy either and did my fair share of exercising...not too mention the constant bloating and stomach aches...i have also been suffering from acne for the past year which is way out of the ordinary! my vision has worsened in the past year, im very moody, and i'm taking wellbutrin for my depression. i just removed this darn thing last week and have not stopped bleeding, it is very heavy with huge clots! i hope this ends soon, i'm ticked off because i was not told about any of these side effects, and this darn company should be sued! ugh, well i'm glad i did my research because never again will i get this mirena iud! there was also some info on infertility so everyone should read up on that. glad to know i'm not the only one with these problems! good luck everyone!

I have had my Mirena since May of 2007, at first it was wonderful then about 1 year in I started gaining weight, particularly in my mid section. My mood swings were out of control, anxiety, restlessness, joint pain, acne. I spoke to my doctor and told my stomach issues were probably IBS and acne was probably stress or hormones. I was put on lexapro for the mood swings and anxiety. I have been watching what I eat and working out and nothing has helped.Finally last week I decided to do some research on my own and googled "midsection weight" and articles linking this to mirena flooded my screen. I spent the rest of the day reading and called my doctor the next day. I have an appointment tomorrow to have it removed, I will keep you posted. Part of my is angry that these side effects were not listed in the pamphlet I received from the doctor but another part is so relieved to have found an answer to the madness.

I had a mirena fitted twice with no significant problems except weight gain but I now have a 6 month old baby and had my 3rd mirena removed this morning.I had my second one removed in April last year when we decided we would like to try for baby no3 after a 12 year gap.I fell pregnant in the July and had lost 10lbs in the three months after removal without trying.I felt calm,slept better and had loads of energy.I then progressed with my pregnancy and continued to lose weight as was very sick so by the time my daughter was born I had lost 35lbs in total.i then lost a further 10lbs in the six weeks following her birth and felt great,loads of energy,my skin looked fantastic and was really happy.
I decided to have my 3rd mirena inserted just after my six week postnatal check as I hate heavy periods etc,well that was at the beginning of June.As soon as it was inserted my stomach started to bloat and it looked like I was 6 months pregnant,I have experienced extremely heavy prolonged bleeding with clots.I had phoned my doctor 3 times over the last 3 months and they said to give it time,it was the fact I had not long had a baby and give it 6 months.I have also gained 14lbs in the 3 months,my skin has broken out,my hair is thinning and have really bad mood swings,anxiety and restless sleep and I know I don't have post-nantal depression as had that 16 years ago and know the difference.
I am so glad i took the decision to have it removed and feel 100 times better already knowing this thing is no longer inside me.I definitely know this mirena has caused all these side effects now.Why do the doctors not listen to us.

so about one month ago i had my mirena put in but every since then i have noticed the changes in my mood i am emotional i am angry like sometimes i honestly feel like the excercise sorry if i spelled that wrong you all know what i mean, but my fiance tells me your crazy i think your should see a therapist but after reading other side effects i finally have convinced myself maybe its the mirena,but however my obgyn told me that the mirena did not contain any hormones but the iud did so i went with the mirena and im like what would have been the difference ive gained wait in the last week because i been so emotional i feel sick all the time and fatigue so i hope this is whats causing my crazy episodes and sick feeling i see my doc next Monday and i will half to talk to her something is just not write if any one can reply to my story and let me know if im crazy or is it my mirena thanks ladies .....

Hi, I am 51 years old and 10 days ago had a Mirena fitted as I have been having very heavy period bleeding for the 3 months. I was tossing up between an ablation (burning of the uterus lining) or having the Mirena. As my Aunt was thrilled with her Mirena I thought it would be a safe choice and it wouldn't be as traumatic on the body. I have had continual lower back and pelvic pain. I was quite scared last Friday that I rang the Specialist. I spoke to the nurse as the Doctor was away and she arranged a Pelvic Ultrasound. The technician told me that the Mirena was in the right place and everything seemed fine but every time they were scanning my left side I was in terrible pain. I haven't heard from the Specialist yet (will ring them shortly). The back/pelvic pain is so sharp at times that I can't move. I've just rang the Specialist and will see them tomorrow morning, fingers crossed this can be sorted out.

I have been with my boyfriend almost two years. I have had mirena for two and a half years. Keep in mind Im only 20 i have no sex drive, im always tired, i don't want to do anything. I am a emotional person nut lately i cry over everything. And last night me and my bf had sex(normal positions that we have never had issues with) and it was the worst pain ever. We kept switching it up thinking it would go away. WRONG!!! It only got worse to the point of me sobbing, feeling like i was going to get sick, and my bf feeling terrible. So i thought today i'd feel better but i feel even worse. I feel like im being stabbed in my stomach. I have a terrible pain in my butt. When i cough it hurts when i pee it hurts. All this pressure it seems like i cant do anything without pain.if i move to fast the pain is sharp and quick. What should I do?

OK..... looks like this site deleted my links on my previous post on where you can go to view the video on IUD self removal. Actually, you really don't need to watch it... it's so easy. If you can feel your strings, grip them tightly and firmly with your fingers, and just pull gently for a few seconds. I didn't feel any pain at all, just slight pressure. Mine came out in about 10 seconds.
It's been 24 hours since I've removed mine. I cannot tell you how much better I feel. Normally, every morning when I first wake up I start feeling really irritable, I start bawling in the shower and can't stop... I even run late to work because I can't stop crying long enough to put my makeup on. Throughout the day my moods will fluctuate depending on what's going on and how other people around me influence them. Today has been totally different. This was the first morning in months where I woke up and showered without crying. I feel like I've been "cleansed," I don't feel my blood pressure boiling over from the slightest family disturbance... in fact my kids were screaming and chasing each other this morning and this was the first time I didn't jump up and scream at them and send them off to their rooms for an hour! I'm going to call my GP tomorrow and see what he says about coming off of my antidepressant, because I clearly don't need it now that the cause of my depression is gone.
Good luck to everyone out there.... maybe we can all get together and turn this bad into good and file a class action suit against this company. I'm really scared about what it could do to some of these women who have depression before they even get this product.... this is a pretty serious situation here.

I am a 24 yr old mother of two, and my family is incredibly fertile, so I hav to be on BC. I had mirena put in last Friday at my six week postpartum appt. It was highly uncomfortable going in ( I am very sensitive though), and when I sat up I immediately asked the Doc if I was supposed to feel it in there. He said there was no way, and that should go away. I started spotting and continued to do so for two days, until I started bleeding HEAVY on the third day. My lower stomach and back have been killing me ever since. I have even resorted to taking my leftover pain pills from delivery! My sex drive dropped off immediately (very unlike me) and for the first time in my life I was really having "depression" symptoms. I am normally such a happy person. Needless to say I had it removed a week later (yesterday) and my libido returned that day, and I am my happy self again. I am still bleeding very heavy however, my uterus and back still ache and last night the pain was shooting all the way down my legs, so bad I couldn't sleep. I have some kind of nerve sensitivity disorder ( I feel things other people never feel). So I should have known better than to have some foreign object shoved inside my uterus. I couldn't be happier that it is out, and I cannot wait be back to "normal" again. I am happy for all the women it works for, but it sure seems like this is a big pain for a lot of women. I wish I had done my research first! BC pills it is for me!

I just got my second Mirena in May 2009- I had my first one five years ago, after I had my second daughter...I didn't' have any side effects from the first one, but this time is totally different. I have gained about 10 pounds in the last 3 months (not like me at all) and I feel depressed for the first time..and I also just took a pregnancy test because of the weight gain in my stomach- I'm considering having it taken out- does any one have any experience with only having side effects the second time???

I am so happy to have found that many others are experiencing the same things...I have gone CRAZY!!!! I almost started anti-depressants and was scheduled to see a psychiatrist next week because I have totally changed emotionally and sexually. I had a great sex drive and was always happy go lucky....after some thought I starting researching this Mirena...and I think this may be the root of my unhappiness. Plus all these other side effects!....

~Tired all the time
~ Depression
~ Hungry all the time
~ leg cramps
~ hair loss
~ oily skin and bad breakouts
~ No period ..ever
~ Mood swings (huge...yelling fits at my husband and the kids)
~ light stomach & back cramps for weeks at a time

Best of Luck to all of you~I am getting this thing taken out ASAP!

Wow - I can't believe I didn't stumble across this website when I was researching Mirena. I got mine in April 09 and have had a lot of random things going on that I never put it all together that it could be the Mirena. Today, I took TWO pregnancy tests - tender breasts, swollen vag, face breaking out, achy stomach and back, specific stomach weight gain - it HAD to be pregnancy!

My girlfriend told me she was going insane w/ the same thoughts until she started reading stories of other peoples issues. Now, I'm reading all of your stories and just shaking in disbelief...

Weight gain - check.
Sore back/lower abs - check.
Slight odor - check
Terrible PMS symptoms but NO period - check
Zero sex drive - check.
Hair loss - check.
Wild mood swings - check.

The list goes on and on, it's madness! Since day one it has felt "weird" when I go to the bathroom, I just chalked it up to me thinking too much about it being in there.

I'm 32 with one young child and would prefer not to have another. I'm calling my Dr. tomorrow to discuss my options. Thank you ladies for sharing your experiences.

HI,
I had mirena put in during Jan 2008.
I had it taken out on Sunday after presenting to casualty on Friday morning with heart palpitations, shaking and heaviness in left arm. The casualty doctors ran tests but couldn't see what the problem was.
I've experienced increasing heart palpitations to the point where they are every day - and several times per day. I've had my thyroid checked.
I'm 36 years old, not overweight although I've definitely put on weight and not been able to shift it, since having this IUD. I've been moody and incredibly tired. My skin hasn't been great also.
I have four kids and so know my body well and know how quickly I normally bounce back after giving birth. Since Ive had the mirena, my body has felt like it's been pregnant. I've done numerous pregnancy tests.
It's only been a couple of days since Ive had the IUD out but already my mood is better - like it always was before I had the IUD. My stomach doesn't look as bloated but more importantly, the heart palpitations have reduced.
I can't say with any certainty, YET, that any of my symptoms have been caused by the IUD but I will give my body a couple of months to recover and monitor the progress.
The doctors told me mirena couldn't have caused all of the above......time will tell.

How nice to find this site !!!

I am 28 with 2 kids, had the Mirena in for a little over 2 years. I have read through this and so many of the symptoms are ringing true to my experiences ....

~ Tired all the time
~ Depression
~ Heavy discharge w/odor
~ Hungry all the time
~ leg cramps
~ Left side of body cramps
~ No period ..ever
~ Mood swings
~ light stomach & back cramps for weeks at a time

Making an appt with the doctor to have it removed I think ! Wish me luck ~

I've had Mirena for almost a year and I'm wondering if there is anyone who's suffered adverse effects that didn't start until much later. I had the usual severe cramping and excessive bleeding for a few months after I got it, but my period has been pretty regular since then. I do have sharp stabbing pains (I'm guessing they're cramps) off and on. Very occasionally they are just terrible, but normally it's just like a quick shock every now and then. I can tell that there are extra hormones being put into my body because I have experienced all the stereotypical period side-effects (moodiness, cramping, cravings) much more than I ever did before I got Mirena. About two months ago I was sure I was pregnant - I had all the symptoms - but three pregnancy tests all came out negative. I'm not experiencing anything bad enough to get it out. So far it has actually been great. I feel terrible for everyone suffering all these severe side-effects. I guess I'm just wondering if these symptoms show up sooner or if they can start a year or more after Mirena has been in. Please let me know if there's anything I should be watching for. Thanks.

hey ya i have this in a year now, at the start i had pains in my stomach, but now iv pains in both my sides and my stomach bloats its like im 3 months pregnant, which i am not, is this from the mirena??

HI,
I HAD THE MIRENA PUT IN MARCH 08 HURT LIKE HELL, I JUST HAD IT REMOVED ON JULY 27 08. I HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT SUCH AS HAIR LOSS, BLOATING, HEADACHES, BACK PAINS, NAUSEA, DISCHARGE, WEIGHT GAIN, NO SEX DRIVE, AND EVEN A SMELL (VERY EMBARRASSING). I HAVE NOW HAVE IT REMOVED FOR A WEEK AND I FEEL LIKE IM PREGNANT I HAVE GAINED WEIGHT JUST IN MY STOMACH AND I AM A VERY SMALL PERSON, I LOOK PREGNANT, I HAVE NAUSEA EVERY MORNING AND NIGHT EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, I WILL RUN TO THE BATHROOM TO VOMIT BUT ALL I CAN DO IS GAG IT SUCKS, I HAVE STARTED EATING MORE, URINATING MORE THAN USUAL, ALL THE SYMPTOMS THAT YOU WOULD GET AS IF YOU WERE PREGNANT, BUT I HAVE TO LIKE 3 OR 4 PREGNANCY TEST AND ALL SHOW NEGATIVE. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE I WOULD RATHER GET PREGNANT AGAIN AND I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD AND A 11 MONTH OLD.... IM AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS WEBSITE SO I COULD LET ALL THE WOMEN THAT WANTS TO GET THE MIRENA TO NOT GET IT AND IF ANYBODY IS HAVING THE SAME SYMPTOMS THAT I AM AFTER HAVING IT REMOVED PLEASE LET ME KNOW.....****** I NEED TO KNOW IF ITS SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT......

I have had the Mirena in me since August of 08 and the day they put it in I never received even a pamphlet. It took the doctor over 30 minutes to get it in me and he asked me if I still wanted it while he was having trouble putting it in. He was the doctor and he should have known.
I was never told to come back for checkups or anything just that it had to come out in 5 years. He told me of no side effects or anything. So thinking it was the best I had it put in. I cramped for 4 days after. I bled really bad and finally it went away. Well then just the past couple of months since my periods started getting lighter all my symptoms are getting worse.
My symptoms include : fatigue, stomach cramping so severe I can hardly walk, mood swings, depression, weight gain and constipation ,my feet go numb all the time and if I stand for a long time to, also have like a stabbing pain in my chest (rare) and Im beginning to not have any sex drive.

Calling the doctor tom to have it removed because I thought all this was in my head until I have researched it past the website.

I am so glad to see that so many have had a good experiences with the mirena, me... not so much.
I had it inserted roughly 3 years ago (my youngest was 4 at the time and I was and still am in a committed monogamous relationship) and since then I have gained about 30 pounds that I cannot get rid of(despite a very healthy diet from a nutritionist AND working with a personal trainer), very moody, tender and lumpy breasts (it hurts to even sleep on my stomach) mostly around my "period" (as I only have very light spotting, but I can still tell when it is)bad acne, fine peach fuzzy hair over my face, chest, and back along with course dark hairs on and under my chin. But, the biggest issue I have had were/are the ovarian cysts. I have never had them before the mirena, and within the first year had one on each ovary and had to go to the ER. Since I know what they are now (and don't want another $3000.00 hospital bill) when I get them it is debilitating, but I can wait it out with pain killers at home till they rupture or go away.
Even with all this I was hesitant to have it removed, but after reading this site (and a few others) I think it is time. I really wish it would have worked, but apparently my body just doesn't agree with it...

OMG!! This is so scary but I am so relieved. I had my mirena put in 8 months ago after having my second child. I have all of the symptoms. I talked to my doctor and he told me that these were not symptoms of the mirena and gave me lexapro, which I did not have filled because I do not take medicine like that. My mood swings and anxiety are the worst. My sex drive is gone. Even my kids are suffering from this. I made an appointment with another doctor and am having it removed on Thursday. I am so excited. Maybe I can be myself again. I look four months pregnant and I have always been little. i am still little except my stomach. the new doctor told me that he is removing a lot of these from women. We need to get the word out somehow!! thanks for all of your post. This helped me to make my decision and see that I am not alone. I thought I was going crazy and that I was a bad mother and wife. i can not thank everyone enough and wish you all good luck!!!!

I got mirena few weeks ago. Had the normal cramps for first 24 hours.Was ok for few days, then severe pains in lower back and stomach. Read up on mirena and found that this can be normal. Put up with pain and really heavy bleeding for 6 days. The pain was worse than labor. Finally i couldn't take anymore. Knew that this could not be normal. Went to casualty and got it removed. Was told it had moved and that is why i had so much pain. Have never looked back. TALK ABOUT INSTANT RELIEF! Never again!

I had my Mirena inserted March 27, 2009. I have had constant bleeding and exhaustion. I cannot sleep on my stomach or back at night due to the cramping. Though my body is thin, I look like I am pregnant due to the bloating and have actually had people ask me if I am pregnant. My breasts are huge and swollen, size 34dd! I just developed severe vertigo, and am having the Mirena removed tomorrow. I am scared that the symptoms will not improve, and many have noted that the symptoms worsened before improving. I switched to the Mirena from birth control because I had depression and anxiety from the Pill, and now am worried about the post-Mirena crash, depression, and anxiety being worse.

I had the mirena inserted 6 weeks after I delivered my second daughter. I love it. I haven't really had any problems with it at all. I mean yeah i have had headaches and the fluttery belly and hair loss nausea all of that. But people need to understand, there are side effects to every drug. I am also a cosmetologist and most women tend to have excessive hair loss after giving birth its your hormones. when you have extra hormones pumping through your body you are going to have symptoms likes these. good luck to you all.

I had Mirena inserted in June, 2008 after the birth of my second child. I was almost 30. I didn't notice too many side effects until December/January of 2009. My hair was falling out in clumps (worse than it does right after you have your baby), my body ached like I had the flu, I had to desire or energy to take care of my kids, I didn't care what my house looked like or that my laundry wasn't done. The least little incident when send me over the edge - screaming and crying like a crazy person. I felt flutters throughout my stomach (kind of like that of your baby when you first feel it kick) and I would have "lightning strikes" through my heart. All I wanted to do was rest - didn't want to clean, deal with my kids, talk to my husband about my feeling and definitely DID NOT WANT TO HAVE SEX! And in my mind I had already decided that it was depression and so I scheduled an appointment to see my OB/GYN about it. Thank GOD I found this web site before my appointment. I described my symptoms to her and, sure enough, she was concerned that I may be depressed and was probably about to send me on some wild goose chase with drugs and treatment and all of that... Not that there's anything wrong with being depressed - it's a real condition that's easy to find yourself in as a mommy - but it wasn't the case with me. This stinkin' Mirena has made me this way! Instead of opting for her depression treatment, I had the Mirena removed that day. It's been out for about a week now. I've had a couple of days of spotting but OMG do I already feel so much better. The energy level is coming back to normal, I want to be with my kids and it's OK when my husband touches me. For those of you who are considering Mirena as a possible BC method, please reconsider and do your homework. For those of you who have Mirena, please know that you are not crazy, nor have your children/pregnancy made you crazy - you have a foreign object in your body that is screwing up your mental and physical well-being, your family, and your life. I urge you to make a list of all of your systems and talk to your doctor. Don't let them tell you that's it's all in your head or that you're depressed. I'm depressed that more research wasn't done on this "wonder cure" and I'm depressed that I lost a year with my family that I can't get back because Mirena kept me in a FOG! Good luck to all of you...

Well let's see.... any time we have sex he feels the strings. I seriously keep thinking I'm pregnant bc of the fluttering in my stomach and fatigue. And I keep having random "spotting" and now I am starting to get cramps everyday all day and I have never been a cramper! I have depression too, over stuff that never bothered me before! My husband works 10 hrs every night from 4 pm to 230 am and he is the one that has to get up at 730 am to take care of our daughter! My wedding is in 2 months and I cannot afford to gain weight! My cousin has it and she is doing wonderful on it! Already lost a lot of weight and seems happy! Why can't that be us?!

And also to the people that are being cruel and what not...sometimes these symptoms are in your head but I don't think it is a coincidence that 3000 women all have pretty much the same "mental" symptoms.

I am not saying I won't recommend it bc it is really nice to not have to remember to take your pill or change your patch or whatever but just beware of possible side effects.

Ok well I got the mirena almost three months ago.. i am so bloated that i I look 6 months pregnant.i. the weird thing is ,,i cant even suck it in.. i feel like i just ate like it was thanksgiving.. im eating healthy.. and it dosent matter.. and also.. i get so mad I want to rip out random peoples neck with my mouth.. i have this uncontrollable anger that is insane. Ill be getting this thing out soon.. oh yeah.. and the spotting they talk about? I have been bleeding for the whole time going on 3 months now.. non stop!!! Its like a never ending period.. and i was going to try and wait it out to see if the symptoms would go away.. but they are not.. I don't need the mirena.. I am 40 pounds overweight, and i have turned into satans spawn.. I couldn't pay anyone to sleep with me..

I had Mirena put in shortly after terminating an accidental pregnancy. I was told this would be my best option. I have always been a size 6, 135 pounds healthy active person. Shortly after Mirena was put in I began to gain weight so I stepped up my cardio and tightened up my diet, this helped me to stabilize my gaining. Then about a year after Mirena was inserted I could not stop the gradual but steady weight gain. It has now been nearly 4 years since Mirena was inserted I weigh 165 pounds and am busting out of a size 12, I don't consider 30 pounds insignificant weight gain!!!, I am bloated around the middle and look 4 months pregnant. I have tried EVERYTHING to lose weight. 13 hours of cardio (including trail running) a week, weights and 1000-1200 cal diets. I could not lose a single pound, in fact If I didn't do all of the dieting & working out I would gain more weight. I did not make the connection with Mirena until recently because my severe troubles didn't start until a year into it, but that is exactly when I stopped getting my period!!! I have been to doctors to get blood tests for my thyroid, I have had antidepressants shoved at me and been told" Well you know, you ARE getting older...." I don't have insurance so had to pay each of these incompetent & uninformed doctors out of pocket, not one of them even asked if I had an IUD in. I cannot even describe the torture I have been through these last 4 years, I felt so ashamed of my body that I stopped socializing with friends & family, I couldn't stand the sight of my body so never wanted to have sex with my boyfriend, this has put a HUGE strain on our relationship. Plus my sex drive has been zero. I have had heavy discharge 24/7 and an unpleasant odor, hair loss, migraines, mood swings and painful intercourse. As soon as I made the connection (& thanks to this site) I had Mirena removed. I immediately swelled even more and bled for 11 days (awful:dark & clotted, horrid smell) BUT my stomach then went down and I have already lost 3 pounds and its been about 13 days, my appetite has diminished and I feel better!

Wow, thank you all for your postings. I just wished I had found this before I had Mirena put in. I had it placed in Feb 2009, it's been exactly 5 months. I have been extremely tired and agitated. I didn't really associate this with the Mirena until reading the other posts. My hair comes out by the handful (with root attached), I never have solid stools, I have gained about 10 pounds even though I have been trying to lose weight through a diet and exercise program. All the weight is in my stomach and people keep asking me if I'm pregnant. I started to wonder if I could be seeing as I was crying all the time, extremely moody, and that I look at least 4 or 5 months pregnant. All pregnancy tests have come back negative. I got this put in the day before my fiance and I got engaged ( not knowing at the time) and last week we were about to call of the wedding because of my emotional state and constant conflicts. I have to wonder how much of this is caused by the Mirena. I have already made an appointment to talk to my doctor after reading what all these other women have been through. It's just so tough because with any type of birth control their are side effects so I don't want to make it out to be like this is the worst thing ever, it may be exactly what someone is looking for, but just be informed that there are some side effects because I like a lot of other women on this post was lead to believe that there were no side effects or very little side effects.

...I am not taking any birth control, BUT i discovered this website on behalf of my best friend who's had Mirena for a little over 6, maybe 7 months now...Personally i Dont' trust any birth controls - other than condoms :-) why ? Guess i Just don't trust the Industry...it appears to me, that the only extensive Tests done on birth control are the ones done to make sure Ladies don't conceive...AnyWay, my BF's side effects include UTI's, stomach aches & cramps, yeast infections; I'd even say her mood has been effected by Mirena....she tells me & may i add we hide nothing from each other; she's had no issues w/UTI's or yeast infections before the insertion of Mirena...I worry about her. She wants to have another kid & i don't want this birth control messing up her body...just Last Week she told me: Out of noWhere - began to bleed heavily w/no pain w/heavy clotting....I keep telling her its the BC, but in her words, "it's just so convenient." did i spell that right ?....i know this BC is easy and effective & now i see all these harsh side effects it brings...A friend of my sister's complained of an Odor down there....I'll be telling my BF about all of u Ladies experiences w/Mirena...I know the reason why she & other women would get Mirena, but i don't want her or any other woman 2 suffer, or loss hair, or gain weight, or acquire cyts OR any of those things when it can be avoided....and of course your doctor will Tell u how great & safe it is....that's their job, its just unfortunate that their job isn't 2 tell us the truth !

i had mirena put in about 2 months after my daughter was born, first of all just the insertion was excruciating. the cramps were horrible and i could barely drive home and then when i finally got home i had to crawl up the stairs with my daughter. and i never felt right after i had it i was crampy a lot painful urination. my boyfriend also complained about the wires poking him during sex. then about a year after i got the mirena the cramping intensified and i would get sharp shooting pain in my urethra so went to my gyno and she ordered a ultrasound. well in turns out the mirena had moved and was in my cervix so she said she was going to remove it that day and told me it wasn't as painful to take it out. well when she went to take it out all i could do was scream she tried for a couple minutes to get out it was some of the worst pain i have ever felt. she pulled so hard it that the wires snapped out, so she finally stopped and told me that the mirena was embedded in my cervix and i would have to have surgery to get it removed. i thought ok whatever i knew this was a possible risk, i should have known better. well i go in for what should be a quick 30 minute simple operation i wake up 3 1/2 hours later with a searing pain in my stomach. it turns out that the mirena had dislodged somehow from my cervix then travelled through my uterus into my abdomen so they had to go through my belly button to retrieve it and i also have a small incision on my lower left abdomen from a laparoscopy where they searched for the mirena and also filled my stomach up with C02. I definitely think this product needs to be taken off the market and im thinking of sueing.

Hi. I had mirena inserted about 2 months ago. It was pretty painful getting it put in and i had a lot of cramping the next few days, but i didn't take any pain meds before it either. I would highly suggest taking at least 3 ibprofen before you are scheduled to have it inserted. Anyways, I have been having to wear pantyliners every day since. I have brown milky discharge that smells terrible as well. I sometimes get very light stomach aches but that is about it. It is very nice having a birth control that you don't have to think about but, do you want to have discharge for months at a time? It is your decision. I am hoping this will stop soon! Hope this helps.