Mirena and struggle

I've had Mirena for almost 2 years. I am bloated and fatigued. My joints hurt, especially my hips. I've gained 5 pounds and cannot lose it, even working out 7 days a week. I workout regularly but not with the stamina I used to have. I am 39 and in great shape. I can't make it through my classes the way I used. I struggle and it's very depressing. For the past few months my sex drive is zero. I am considering having it removed. Was it extremely painful?

I am 30 years old and have never had any children. I had my Mirena inserted on on 7/18 (during my cycle). I know it has only been a week but I'm feeling a little concerned and confused.

While having it inserted I was SHOCKED by how painful it was. I, like many other stories I've read, felt like I was going to faint.

Sunday I woke up in at 5:30 a.m. in so much pain! It literally hurt so bad that it woke me up. The same thing happened Tuesday. Night time has been a struggle also. I resorted to taking Tylenol PM to knock myself out.

I asked my doctor to test me for all STD's to ensure that I would not have a PID, but I'm still apprehensive. I realize I need to give it time... but gosh it sucks being a girl! I'm glad I haven't had any emotional side effects and hope that I never do!

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

I am going to call my doctor tomorrow to schedule an appointment to get this removed. I got Mirena after the birth of my son in Nov 07. My period came on two weeks later and did not end until mid February. I called my doctor she assured me that this was normal to have "spotting" in the first six months. I went in for an appointment in January and she said that everything was fine. My cycle still continued for another three weeks. Not spotting but a full blown period. The benefits of this birth control made it worth trying to ride it out, so I did. Since then my waist has increased by 1 in, I have been depressed, it has been a struggle for me to loose weight. My sex life is almost non-existent. The reason I decided on this method of birth control is so we can continue with our normal sex-life without having to worry about an unexpected pregnancy. Now all every week or so I hear my husband ask how come I don't want him anymore. This drug is not worth the side effects. It has changed me into a different person and it is ruining my marriage. I was using seasonal before we decided to have a baby. I think I will be going back to that this week.
Don't worry, I've relocated since January and have gotten another GYN. I wish I would have found this site sooner. I see people writing about having a 14 and 18 day period. If I would have read this I would have requested that this be removed months ago. I went 78 days of bleeding.

--By meeshes617

WOW! I am so glad that I found this web site. I have had the Mirena in for almost 3 yrs. I thought I was crazy with the side effects. In the beginning I just kept telling myself to give it time. Well, again three years later I finally have come to terms with the fact the Mirena is just not for me. I did not notice a weight struggle. Depression seems to get worst. Mood signs are unbearable for myself let alone for my kids and hubby. When I told my doc he suggested depression meds! No thanks. Looking forward to removing the Mirena in February.

Having the Mirena IUD put in was the worst thing I have ever done to my body! I am 33yrs old, have 3 kids - 9, 2 1/2, 1 1/2. They told me to come in when I started my period because it would be easier to insert, so that's what I did in early November 2007. (Since then, I have had non-stop bleeding or spotting every day.) I didn't have as much pain as some people have described, but it was more uncomfortable than I expected. The next day I developed a bad, bumpy, itchy rash on both of my legs from my ankles to just above the knee. I thought it was just a fluke, and it starting going away after two days. It was gone within a week. I started having very bad mood swings - angry, short-tempered, irritated, irrational, paranoid, and I wanted to cry over everything. (I normally don't cry over anything - I am not an emotional person.) I got a few deep, itchy pimples on my face, which normally I don't get either, but I figured I just needed to get used to the hormone. Then, my upper back and chest started itching really badly the second week, and I got pimples all over those areas - I have only ever had them at about age 13-14 and not as bad as I do now! I became fatigued, and I have gained 5 pounds. Don't get me wrong - I have been eating everything in sight, but I feel terribly hungry half an hour after I am done eating. So that part is my fault, but I'm not used to be being hungry all the time for no reason. I have religiously gone to the gym 4-5 times a week for an hour and a half a day for the past year and a half. For the past two months I have gone twice a week, and struggle to make it an hour. My endurance is terrible. My muscles - particularly my legs - burn like I've had long strenuous workouts, which I just mentioned is not the case. My sex drive - NONEXISTENT. Luckily for my husband, I know it's a side effect and haven't told him - he would probably take it personally - so I just go along with sex when he wants it. I finally had to get over the fact that I had non-stop spotting, but sex is not enjoyable when you feel self-conscious, and no foreplay because of the spotting if you know what I mean. (Sorry if that's too much information but I'm sure some of you can relate.) My husband was also not thrilled about the strings - I wouldn't be either if I was him. I had a non-stop migraine for 9 days straight - I maybe get two of them a year before Mirena, and they last about 3-4 hours. I normally have 20/15 vision - better than most people - and I found I was struggling to see things I normally could. I have been occasionally nauseous, but that has been minimal. My breasts have been sore. I am sure I am forgetting other effects, but as you can see the picture here is pretty grim. I went back to the doctor three weeks after insertion, and he told me that he couldn't tell me what to do, but that it is not rational to expect to feel perfect after 3 weeks, and that most people adjust just fine after about three months. He further explained that he has personally put in several hundred, and only one person has ever wanted it removed. He said my "side effects" probably had other causes and this was coincidental, and that the few that could come from the Mirena would settle down. Well, for the next month it got worse. Yesterday, after working a 12 hour graveyard shift, I forced myself to stay awake three more hours until the doctor's office opened. I went in with no appointment, and told them I would sit there all day if I had to, until it was removed. They managed to fit me in with the nurse practitioner, and she also asked if I was sure I didn't want to give it one more month to settle down. After reading everyone's stories on this site, I was pretty sure that was pointless. So she removed it as I asked, and at least treated me with respect and didn't try to tell me it was in my head ( like the doctor did.) She said it could take up to 20 days to get the hormone out of my system. (Which is funny, because when you get it inserted they tell you the hormone acts only locally within the uterine area and doesn't get into your "system" - LIES!!!) Well, I went home, went to sleep for 4 1/2 hours before I had to be back to work for another 12 hr shift. But guess what - even after getting little sleep, I felt much better than I had in two months. My headache was gone. While sitting at work, I noticed I could see things at a distance again. I had a pretty stressful night, and not once did I feel emotional. Just a little tired from lack of sleep - but it was worth it!!! I am almost 24 hours from when I had it removed, and see a light at the end of the tunnel. I hate to sound pessimistic, because I wanted really badly for this to work out. If anyone tells you what you are feeling is in your head - or has another cause when you know the symptoms started at the same time you got the Mirena - DON'T BE BULLIED. They will try to make you feel like you are the only one complaining, but you're not. There are many of us. Trust me on this one - you will feel better if you get it removed. If you are reading this and haven't gotten it yet - keep this info in the back of your mind. If you want to try it and it works out for you, great! But if it doesn't, don't stick it out any longer than you have to. I also extend my sympathy to those of you that had it in longer than I did and are taking longer to recover, especially those who have experienced traumatic pregnancies and miscarriages since. I hope you take some comfort in knowing your stories have helped me make a great decision - having it removed. I also had a friend read all of your postings because she was considering this as well - she has since changed her mind.

Hello,

My name is Danielle, I am a 27 year old with 2 boys 6yrs and 8 months, I am happily married and have always been quite happy and relaxed until I had the Mirena IUD put in. I had the IUD placed at the end of October with advice from a friend and my ob of 7 years. Big mistake, here is my story, I hope it help someone.

4 Saturdays ago at work I felt pain in my ovaries, I chalked it up to ovulating, Sunday morning I felt a bit better, I got out of the bath on Sunday night and I felt weak, dizzy, like I was going to pass out, my heart was beating so fast, I placed an emergency call into my ob, she basically told me the IUD was not the cause for these symptoms and to relax and try to get rest...(she basically told me it was in my head) Monday morning I was terrible, nausea, anxiety, nervousness, depression, rapid heart rate... I called my ob and demanded an appointment to get the IUD taken out, as I had never felt that way in my life! I was able to get in that afternoon, however when I got there I was seen by a nurse that I have not seen in the office ever, and I have been with them for 7 years, this I thought was odd but I went with it, she brought me into the room and told me there is no chance that the IUD was causing my symptoms, I was very emotional over the situation, she told me to give it a bit longer and she gave me packets of Lexapro a depression/anxiety med. Me like a fool went along with it, I took a Lexapro when I got home at noon or so and at 7:30pm I thought I was having a heart attack, I came down stairs and my husband immediately knew something was wrong, I was crying, my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest, my arms and fingers on my left side were numb and I was freezing and could not stop moving! I went to th ER and was treated for an anxiety attack and I had the ER DR take the IUD out, from here I was hit with the infamous "Mirena crash" the next two days I was sick but nothing I could not handle, on Thursday I was so sick I could not move off of the couch, I mean sick, nausea to the point it was hard for me to sip water, I had to have a relative come to watch the kids while my husband brought me to the ER once again, I was treated for dehydration and nausea, during all of this I was still depressed and anxious which made it all the worse, my 3rd and final trip to the ER was this past Sunday the 8th, I was so depressed and sick, I made an emergency call into my family physician this time and he told me it sounded like the anxiety was getting the best of me to take a half of Lexapro to calm myself down and to schedule an appointment with him in the morning, I did and 6 hours or so later I was in the ER again, heart palpitations, anxiety, depressed so bad I hated my self and thought I was going crazy, I felt like I could not take care of my own kids, like a terrible wife, and the list goes on, this attack was so bad my hands formed into fist and would not release, at the ER all of my blood work came back fine, EKG fine, chest x-rays fine??? they gave me Loranzapam which has helped quite a bit. it has been about a week since then and I am beginning to feel better, each day seems to get better, I still have some nervousness(kind of feels the I was just told I had to go in for a major surgery) and some nausea through out the day, but overall I feel better. I do not wish what I and many women have been through on my worst enemy. Please all of you that think you are going crazy you are NOT, and believe me I was bad, I was on the internet every 10 minutes looking different things up about depression, anxiety, everything, it makes you go nuts, please remember that even after you get the IUD out that you may still feel yucky, I did and still do somewhat, you have to give your body time to produce it's own hormones and not synthetic ones from the IUD, keep in mind that some times you will feel like everything is ok and other times you will feel crazy again, it is the nasty remnants of the IUD. Good luck to all of you who are going through this now. God Bless you all. Danielle