Mirena High Tsh, Synthetic Progestin, Support Group Meetings, Progesterone Level, Natural Progesterone
Posted over a year ago
Just want to survey everyone and ask for responses for the following 3 questions: 1. how long did you keep your Mirena and if you no longer have it, why did you have it removed? 2. how many of you had your thyroid checked? who's came back ... more »
Just want to survey everyone and ask for responses for the following 3 questions:
1. how long did you keep your Mirena and if you no longer have it, why did you have it removed?
2. how many of you had your thyroid checked? who's came back abnormal? what were the levels?
(I'm a medical student doing research on this one since I believe the levonorgestrel affects our thyroid hormone. My TSH was elevated to 5.2 which is considered "subclinical HYPOthyroidism". This was mid cycle when my natural progesterone AND synthetic progestin were cumulatively high. When I had it rechecked 6 weeks later (around my period when any natural progesterone level is gone) it was normalized at 1.5. So I think that the P+P screws up our thyroid and can throw us into a high TSH and "hypothyroid state". The opposite effect may be true during menstruation and we can become HYPERthyroid for a few days... hence the really bad anxiety?!)
3. where is everyone from? perhaps we can have support group meetings?
Dickens54 - In response to your questions:
1. I had the Mirena for 14 months. It was removed because I had the hysterectomy.
2. I have not had my thyroid checked, but sometimes I have difficulty swallowing. I feel like something is in my throat.
3. I am in Phoenix, az.
I will go to my primary care Dr. after I get the results of my MRI from the neurologist next week.
Chelleleah29 - 1. I've had my mirena in for 3 1/2 years. I'd love to get it removed but can't afford to. No health insurance.
2. I have not had my thyroid checked.
3. I'm originally from Indiana but I'm now in Texas. Where are you from?
Joey69 - hi,
I had Mirena in for around 6 months . Side effects were weight gain (10 Klo), mood swings, depression, severe acne on back, skin rash from scalp to the bottom of my feet which is itchy all the time, spotting after sex, bloating, sweet cravings
I have not had my thryiod checked so dont know the readings
I have had Mirena removed one week ago, so far nothing has changed with my bodyl.. still waiting...
I am in melbourne, Australia
Samemoodyann040 - 1). I only had mines in for one week..... I decided to take it out because after 2 days I noticed massive mood swings.... I snapped my son's teacher up so bad that I was shamed & embarassed. I had strong craving for sweets-- cookies-cakes & chips which is what I crave during PMS....I had also started to have a constant cramp in my stomach... and a dull pain in my back, arms & legs.... . After discovering this website and reading all the horrible experiences of the ladies here... I was not willing to wait it out & see how it would effect me/my body.....
My PMS was bad before I got it but it was WORSE after... post removal, the mood swings are not so bad but the depression is scary and I've had an anxiety attack this weekend..... since friday, I've been isolating myself to avoid conflict with my bf and co-workers....
2.) I have an appt with a holistic doctor next month, at that time I will request blood work to check my horomone, thyroid and other mineral levels for deficiencies. I 've had bad PMS and insomina for about 3-4 yrs.... At one point my T3 & T4 levels where low.....
3. I live in Michigan
I hope the information is helpful... please keep us posting on what you find...
Grace & Peace ANN
Lyndz - I have had my mirena for year and half.
And I am going fri to get thyroid test and I am 23 yrs old+
Sigiq8 - Hi Greetings from sunny Kuwait! I am 45.5 years old and have experienced horrible periods since I was 12 yrs. old. My doctor's had all told me to have a baby and all would be better. Wrong! I had my first child when I was 36 and the next one at 38 and the periods got worse. Finally 3yrs ago I decided to go the Mirena route which has been good and bad. The plus side has been that I have almost no periods except a small amount of spotting monthly. I am generally a happy person so I can't really say that I have experienced any depression, however at times I have an overwhelming urge to scream and shout! I have experienced hair loss and it seems to go in spurts. I also have periods of where I will breakout with pimples along my jaw line only. The sex drive is not always at its full potential but at times it can be very good. I have just started noticing white spots on my legs and arm. Not to happy about this but thinking that it could be coming from this. But I have indulged in the sun my whole life. I have never experienced thyroid problem but since the hair loss I decide to check my TSH level and found it to be at 5.2. I have not made time to see a doctor yet but will make an effort to see a dermatologist real soon. My vision has gotten worse when it comes to reading and I definitely have problems with floaters but I do not feel that is from the mirena. Age does play a factor in this. I must say that this mirena has saved me from having a hysterectomy as I was at a point in my life where I could just not cope with the heavy clots and long periods that I was experiencing. Still not sure what to do!
Life_in_bloom - I recently turned 43 and I have had my Mirena in for 5 months now (inserted Jan 2009) and had not planned on having it removed, but after reading these posts and my own experience, I am having second thoughts.
As for the thyroid, I was diagnosed wtih hypothyroidism 13 years ago and have been on Synthroid the entire time. I had been on a 150 mcg dose for years (7 yrs at least). August 2007 had been my last blood draw. In April 2009, I had lab work done. My blood work showed that I was hypothyroid again with a TSH of 5.56. I have been bumped up to a 175 mcg dose and will be having follow up blood work done next month. Coincidentally, from the time I had my Mirena inserted in January through April, I ballooned up 15 pounds. I also experienced extreme fatigue and low level depression. I was relieved to see that I was hypothyroid because I attributed the problems to needing a dosage change. While I do feel better energy-wise, I still don't feel my best. I managed to lose 5 of those 15 lbs, but those other 10 lbs are stubborn. Prior to Mirena, I was on Yasmin. I never had any breakouts on my face while on Yasmin. In the past month, I have begun really breaking out - like my hormonal breakouts when I was younger and not on any birth control, but in different places. Before, my breakouts would be near the side creases of my nose, the sides of my nose, and on my chin. My breakouts now are along my jawline and along my cheek bone, as well as the usual chin area. My 12 y.o. daughter even asked me tonight why I was breaking out because she thought I was too old to get pimples!!! But now I think that maybe the Mirena is the original cause of my newest hypothyroid state, weight gain, and pimples. I will see what the next blood draw results show. I will have to weigh the pros and cons and decide whether to pull the plug, so to speak!
Kooks - Hello from Montreal Canada. I just removed my Mirena 3 days ago after 8 month. It was the best decicion I took. I guessed it was Mirena after having tried everything to lose weight. I blamed it also on my Hypothyroidism.
My weight gain started with the pill when I was 25 years old (weighed 120 pounds and I am 5foot7). At that time I was underweight and was happy to gain some inches, especially around the breast area. My weight kept rising gradually. Still I had not linked it to the pill. I thought I just over ate. So I went to the gym. The weight kept returning. After my first child (age 29), I lost all 20 pounds I had gained during my pregnancy. I breastfed my daughter for 15 month while taking the pill. I gained then more weight than while pregnant and had crazy sugar cravings. I remember avoiding taken pictures, because I looked puffy and bloated. I thought again it was due to the pregnancy and breastfeeding. Two years later weighing 145 lb I decided to have a second child and stopped the pill. To become fit before baby, I went to the gym religiously for 3 month prior. I lost weight easily and got in shape. I still did not think it was due to having stopped the pill. With my second child I gained more weight then with the first (30lb). I was also diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and had to take the white synthroid pill (0.05 mg). After birth I breastfed for 8 month while taking the birth control pill and the synthroid (which they increased the dosage to the green one 0.088 mg). I kept gaining weight and having bad temper. Then it hit me while looking at photo albums. Every time I was on the pill, I looked bloated and round and every time I was not on it I looked much slimmer. Even without doing much effort. So I decided to stop the pill and try to count the days in order not to get pregnant. Worse decision ever. Thinking I was regular, I thought I was safe. Needless to say, I got pregnant again. We decided to terminate the pregnancy due to financial reasons. So the day of the procedure, they installed Mirena, which the doctor had highly recommended. I was told it is better than the pill and has much less hormones.
What a joke. It is much worse. I have gained so much gained since. I am now 160lb. I know now that you should not play with hormones. I have gone through severe anxiety attacks, low self esteem, marital problem, low libido (which was great before), headaches, bone ache, acne, anger, paranoia, suicidal thoughts and constant weight gain.
I am not sure if my thyroid is linked to the hormones I took. But I know that I will not take any hormones from now on. I will use condoms or my husband will get a vasectomy. Since I had Mirena removed, I feel such a relief. It has been only 3 days, but my tummy feels less bloated. I go now 3 times to the Gym and take Yoga/Pilates classes. I want to get back to being my happy self. I would like to cure my thyroid in a natural way, by eating right, keeping positive and exercise. I beg all women out there not to take any hormones. There are healthier methods out there. Men should use condoms. Why should we damage our bodies!
Aslynnfaye - Hi
I'm really thinking about having my Mirena taken out.
Soon after having it put in I started to feel like SHIT!
My thyroid levels were checked and I am off the chart
Normal level = 3.5 -4
My level = 92!!!!
I have never had an issue with my thyroid. I had it checked during pregnancy and it was also checked about a year and a half ago.
I have no doubt that the mirena is the main cause of my new found killing me issue.
I wonder if my thyroid will go back to normal after removal!?!?!?!
The way I feel now is the most horrible feeling. I feel like I'm not the strong mother I started out to be and it kills me as well. Always anxious for the next nap.
Tigergrrlau - I got the Mirena IUD in January 2009, soon after having my first child. I thought it would be a great form of birth control until we were ready to get pregnant again. Little did I know, that would be one of the worst decisions of my life... I dropped 15lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, had heart palpitations, hot flashes (I'm 28), and was hungry allllll the time. I ate from morning til night, and got dizzy and light-headed if I went more than an hour without eating. This lifestyle was consuming me. I just knew something wasn't right with my body. I went to my PCP and asked her to do bloodwork done to check for any and everything based on the symptoms I was having. Turns out, my thyroid hormone levels were way off. Since then, I have been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease) and am taking anti-thyroid meds to keep my hormone levels stable. They are fine -- but I would like to get pregnant again. I trust very little of what doctors have to say these days when it comes to medications. I have been told that PTU is "safe" during pregnancy , however the warning list includes "harm to fetus" and "severe liver damage and death" (to the mother) as possible side effects. Safe? I think not. I am taking the natural treatment route right now in order to hopefully get my body back in balance. I am convinced this is all directly related to the Mirena IUD. Please ladies, do your research before putting anything in your body -- especially something that alters your hormones.
Tigergrrlau - I forgot to mention that I did have my IUD removed 3 months ago. My thyroid hormone levels HAVE improved slightly since then. Coincidence? I think not!
Tigergrrlau - Get your thyroid checked (if you haven't already). I had your same symptoms (except I LOST weight instead of gained)...the hair loss often is a result of an imbalance in your thyroid hormones. That will stop once the levels are right again. I have been dealing with hyperthyroidism ever since I got the Mirena put in. I didn't realize it right away and needless to say, I've had it removed. Best of luck to you and all the other women out there who are suffering because of poor medical products.
Moualisa04 - 3 years ago, my husband and I were trying to concieve. We tried for about a year, and finally buckled down to seeing an infertility doctor. He ran multiple lab work on me, and concluded that I had hypothyroidsm, hence all the weight I'd gained in the last year. I took a low dose of Levothyroxine for a month and he told me to stop. Shortly after (2 months), I found out I was pregnant! :) When I finished my first trimester, I couldn't keep any weight on. So in October, i was 165, by mid January, I was 119, my initial normal weight. The doctors soon realized that my Thyroid was now hypER whereas it was hyPO. Strange, I continued to maintain that weight, and was instructed to take PTU, which is a form of thyroid meds for pregnant women. I stopped taking it after 2 days because it gave me horrible side affects. I had my baby, and capped out at 129 pounds. Baby was fine and so was I. 4 weeks after delivering, I decided to go ahead with the MIRENA! Right after I had it put in, my thyroid levels are crazy!!! I started taking Levo again, a higher dose now, 88mcg and as of March 29th, 2011, my TSH level was at 28.71!?!?! I gained every single pound back... :( and have been miserable. My Endorinologist can't seem to get a steady reading on my thyroid levels, so I continue to have lab work done EVERY WEEK!!!. :( My husband and I want to try to concieve again, so I had my Mirena taken out last night... We'll see how that goes with my thyroid being all out of whack still! anyhow, to answer your questions: 1) I had my Mirena in for 1 year and 2 weeks, and removed it because I want to have another baby. 2) I've had my Thyroid checked, and the result as of 3/29/2011 my TSH was 28.71. 3) Sacramento, CA.
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