Mirena side effects

oct 28th 2008 I couldnt find the string to my mirena and i was having slight pain shooting pain in my lower abdomen i had it put in oct 24th 2008 .. So i went to my gyno and Well, they couldn't find it. so they said I needed to get an ultrasound. They still couldn't find it so they did an internal ultrasound...still nothing. So my doctor ordered an x-ray. They finally found it back on the right side of my abdomen. Not in my uterus.. I couldn't believe it.then i needed surgery to remove it. They did a laparoscopic surgery... i thought it was nothing untill i had discorved this ...well now almost a month later im waiting for my period and nothing its th 21st today and i was expecting it on the 19th .. My husband and i have been using condoms but im still freaking out.. i just had a baby 3 1/2 months ago and im not wanting to have another at this time ...

I also am glad to see that I am not the only one experiencing side effects. I got Mirena last December. I had no problems or discomfort with the insertion, just a little spotting a few days later. Very light periods for a few months after that, but for the last 3 or 4 months, I have spotting for a few days, then it goes away and a few days later comes back again for a week or two. And the spotting/period (whatver you want to call it) is never on a regular schedule. I have had terrible mood swings, weight gain with a puffed out belly, and am getting acne like I'm going through puberty again. I'm 29, I should be done with that stuff! I have always gotten headaches, but they are as bad as migraines now when I am PMSing. I think the Mirena is great in theory and have had absolutely no problems with the device itself, I can just rest assured now that I am not imagining all these things since I got the Mirena, other people are experiencing them too.

I just got the Mirena placed in Nov. 4, 2008.After 2 unplanned Preganacies I thought this would be the best thing for me. NOT!!!! First it was BROWN SPOTTING. Then a week after having it in I have been BLEEDING like crazy. I hate the feel of blood gushing out of me. So I started back wearing my tampons. After an hour or so I have to change a tampon and a pad. I thought like many others this would be the best birth control ever. Hell I spend enough money on diapers. I don't want to spend more than i have to on pads and tampons!!! I have been miserable since having this. I have gained weight. I even feel like I'm pregnant again sometimes. My baby will be 3 months Dec 3, 2008, and i have lost all desire for sex after having this thing. I did better getting the Depo if i just wanted to gain weight. I gonna make an appointment to get this thing REMOVED!! ASAP!!

I have had mirena for over a year now, and thought things were going well I have not gained any weight although despite effects I have not lost any either. I have been tired but just thought it was stress and because my husband was on third shift so I was alone at night. Now about five months ago I developed a rash, went to the doctor got told it was an allergic reaction, took medicine (did not get rid of rash) went to and allergy doctor could not find anything I am allergic to (still have rash). And for the last month I have had horrible headaches and constant nausea (remindes me of motion sickness or morning sickness when i was pregnant) and had to be put on migraine medicine for my headaches (which does not seem to be helping). I never had headaches before, so then my doctor told me it could be side effects from the mirena. She said that even though they usually occure in the first few months and then tapper off that some people develop them later on. I should have known this because the reason I got the mirena was because i have had bad side effects to every other birth control medicine I have taken. It is only nature to assume I would have negative effects from this one also. But as many people have posted, every women is different not everyone has problem with it and I am not sure that is what is causing mine its just easy to blame them on that then to come up with something else. It could simply all be caused by stress.

I had my mirena inserted in March of 2008, after talking to two different doctors and doing a lot of research about my options. I had been on the pill but was really irregular about taking it (which renders it almost worthless). Next I used Nuvaring--a GODSEND when I was in college! I never had to worry about timing and just sent for another three month supply through the mail. I decided to get Mirena when I knew my insurance would end when I graduated. I and 23, and have been in a monogamous relationship for six years which means my risk of contracting an STD which would lead to PID (which can be very very serious when you have an IUD, and the IUD makes it easier to develop PID) is low. My docs also told me the reason they usually only like to insert Mirena into women who have had children is these women's cervixes aren't as tight and closed as a woman, like myself, who has never had kids. This didn't effect insertion for me--it was a breeze after a few ibuprofen.

I've had my Mirena for over 8 months now, and after the first 3 months or so my cramps (which were in my lower back and were very sharp) and my bleeding (which lasted about a month) were gone. I had periods for a few more months..but I have been COMPLETELY period/cramps/bloating/mood swing free for the past 4 months. I'm very happy about Mirena! A little acne, but NOT a big deal. Please remember these posts are almost all by women who have had bad experiences...What about those of us who have had good experiences? Mirena, like any hormonal contraceptive, effects different women in different ways.

Well I think that I have been the most dramatic person posting on this website.I have had the mirena since May 2007 and overall thought that it was the best thing in the world until I started putting two and two together. I have had bouts of major depression, hair loss with every combing, acne galore (Im 30 years old and have always been complimented on my clear skin), headaches,moodiness, been a recluse, no sex drive, when i did have sex it hurt my ex so bad that we just decided not to, and not to mention the weight.I work out twice a day on my bike, do weight lifting 5 days a week and do stomach exercises twice a day.All of this was done to my dismay because I have not loss a daggone pound. The straw that broke the camels back was when I went to see my doctor and he told me that I had to get a rx filled for bacterial vaginosis. (I don't have sex and haven't had sex in 6 months) so it couldn't have come from new or many sex partners(Im not that type of chick). He said that the hormone that the mirena delivers can make the normal bacteria in your body grow in excess. Well I just about lost it. I was so upset that I asked him to remove it. He told me that in order for them to do it I would have to wait until after the holidays. Well that wasn't good enough for me so I marched out of his office, drove home in a rage, and marched upstairs and snatched it out myself. I thought it was going to be painful but it actually didn't hurt at all. I haven't started bleeding as of yet but am prepared for it. The only good thing that I can say I will miss about the mirena is the absence of my period. I went the whole time without one. The thought of not having a period scared me as well. Regardless, this is my story and I know I went to drastic measures but i was extremely unhappy.

i've had my mirena for almost 2 months now. had it inserted september 29. my ob told me the day it was put in place that it could be either a mildly uncomfortable feeling or it could hurt like hell. luckily it was a mildly uncomfortable feeling. (no worse then the internal exams when i was pregnant...actually less painful then that) i have had the irregular bleeding (he never told me it'd just be spotting. he said it COULD be irregular bleeding and spotting. that was either light and barely there or a flow like a normal period. unfortunately mines been like the normal period....) and the period like cramps. i haven't experienced the weight gain luckily. i've actually been loosing weight. no acne, hot flashes, i do have the moodiness but that could also be from the sleep loss from having twin 3 month old boys who insist on keeping mommy up all day and night. my sex drive....has increased. i mean dramatically increased. my husband isn't complaining.

so for the ladies who are thinking about getting mirena....not every experience is bad. people tend to write about the bad but forget the good.

my ob also said if you never had problems with side affects from previous b/c (which i never did) then the chances are (it's not 100% guaranteed) you'll be fine with the mirena. but you have to remember that the side affects with mirena are the same with a lot of other b/c. besides the constant bleeding from hacing it inserted.

i had Mirena inserted on the 28th of September, i usually check my waist measurement every week since i had my baby- i lost 4 inches after delivery and exercise, i was so shocked this evening to find out i gained 2 inches on my waist in two weeks! i have been asking myself why i am so gassy these days, am always sweating, sleepless nights and i noticed my stomach looks like am pregnant. am so shocked! and the most scary part is that my baby developed skin rashes all over her body, right about the time i had mine inserted. i have tried all kinds of cream, changed her laundry detergent (mine as well), skin care products, but the rashes wont dry up. my baby`s skin was flawless before i had this mirena. i always dress her appropriately, moreover the weather is not hot for her to develop rashes. i feel so guilty that i put her through the discomfort,am getting the mirena removed to confirm my suspicion but i know already that mirena is the cause as there is no other possible reason. its unfortunate that the professionals won`t tell you the truth and i specifically asked if it will affect the baby because i am breast feeding. i am so glad i did this research to validate my sanity, even though the harm has already been done. thank you all for sharing your experience.

I was so amazed to see so many people having the same side effects as I am. I thought I was just stressed out from working full time, being a full tine student in college and a single mother of a 3 year old. I have not had this much acne on my face since I was in high school and I am 28 years old. I have gained so much weight that most of my old clothes don't fit anymore and I don't have the money to buy new clothes. My mirena was inserted in May 2008. After reading these blogs, I think I will get it taken out, but I would hate to get back on the birth control pill and I had a bad experience with Nuvaring too. I read in a magazine that what Mirena does is make the uterus uninhabitable for the fertilized egg to grow, so this means we are pregnant every month and pass the fertilized egg out with our menstrual cycles.

I had Mirena placed in Sept 2007. I have 2 girls, wasn't ready for more at the time, was horrible with taking the pill (both in remembering to do so and with the side effects). Since Mirena is only a "local" hormone, I thought it would be a great choice for me. This past summer I got online to find out why my periods were so odd... brown, clumpy, really short but frequent... and came across this site as well as a few others. I couldn't believe the stories everyone was sharing! I could easily dismiss all of my symptoms away to something else... constant exhaustion (I have 2 kids under 5 and work full time, maybe my thyroid), anxiety and even a few panic attacks (started a new job), no libido (tired and stressed… How funny to spend so much money on birth control and have no desire for sex!!!), irritable (2 kids), hair loss (didn't even think of that one, but it is true), night sweats (maybe I am just dressed to warmly to go to bed?), unable to lose some weight (gained 5 pounds post insertion now that I think about it) even though I had joined a gym, was working out with a personal trainer and really watching my eating (maybe this is my new weight... I am 35 and my metabolism is supposed to slow down), weird pain/bloating in my lower abdomen (gas??? maybe something I am eating???), the described ‘Fog’… how true! I saw my doctor about 1 ½ months ago and we discussed taking it out. I had my thyroid checked first just to see if that may be the problem. It was, but after putting all of these pieces together I just needed to get this thing out!!! I had it removed one week ago. I felt better immediately. I am sure that was psychological, but who cares! Bled for a week and now it has stopped. Feeling some cramps still, but overall really good, especially emotionally. I asked my doctor about the ‘CRASH’ and she hadn’t heard of such a thing. I am kind of on the fence with this one… just waiting… hoping it won’t happen. If anyone is about 1 week out like me, I would love to hear more from you! I am sure Mirena is good for some, but I am sure it is not good for me. I am happy to be out of the fog.

Wow!!! I wish I would have known all this before I had the Mirena inserted 2 1/2 yrs ago. After I had my daughter I was looking for something, that I could use while breastfeeding. My doctor said that the Mirena was good for that, so I got it put in, Know I stay tired all the time, cant seem to get the house cleaned, and my mood has really changed. I thought I was going through depression or something like that. My hair, My hair seems like it wont grow, and that it comes out. My weight lets not talk about that. I have gained so much. I really don't want any more children, and the pill I just forgot sometimes to take it. This is a big decision for me, so were going to talk about it tonight. More than likely the thing is coming out.

I had mirena inserted in Feb 2008. I experienced the whole bleeding for 4 months and then it finally stopped. By stopped i mean no bleeding at all, just strange brownish discharge that would last for maybe two days. I was extremely irritable all of the time, and my sex drive was non-exsistant. I started to develop acne on my chest and back....something i have never experienced in my entire life. I have always had beautiful skin and now i have scars from my acne. I have a 2 year old son that i adore and i was always yelling at him, when normally i was very patient with him. My fiance was almost to the point of leaving me because of how mean i was. He also thought that i was cheating on him because i never wanted to have sex. I just had no desire for it, and when we did have sex it hurt! I also have gained 10 pounds since giving birth to my son. I normally don't gain weight very easily. I have been at the same weight almost my entire adult life and now i'm so much heavier! This was is for me!! Finally i called my doctor and scheduled an appointment to have mirena removed. I just had it removed yesterday, but i already feel so much happier. I will write again in a few weeks after i really feel the effects of having it removed. The removal was so much less painful than the insertion. I have a better attitude just in one day!

Ladies, I have had my Mirena for 2 weeks now. I am so glad I had it done. I was on YAZ for 11 months with horrible Migraines and bloating. Mirena has been a life saver so far I have little bleeding, no pain, and no more migraines. Like all pills each person reacts differently to each thing so it just depends on you.

I got my Mirena inserted in May 2008. I thought this was great since I am horrible at remembering to take the pill. I am 29 and have tried numerous BC. According to my GYN at the time, I was informed I would not experience weight gain and very minimal periods along with occasional cramping. I understand everyone is different. Well, the weight gain was much a lie as I have gained 40 pounds since the Mirena was inserted. My lifestyle has not changed. It took me a year and a half to loose 60 pounds and 6 months to put most of it back on. I encounter two periods a month and they last 7 days. The cramping can be horrendous. I am more tired than I usually would be but being a mother of two I do not have time to think about it. What concerns me the most is after intercourse I experience horrible sharp uterine pains and I begin to bleed. I feel the Mirena poke/stab me during intercourse but try not to let it affect mine and my partners relationship. Don't get me wrong, he is very understanding. The last time we had intercourse (2 days ago) I experienced strange clots which seem to be a bit more than just blood clots and since then I have had a pain around my left ovary area. It has left my lower abdomen area tender. I made an appt. in 2 weeks to have the Mirena removed. Have anyone experienced the after intercourse pain and/or bleeding?

I have had mine in now for 21 days and have have been bleeding for over 17days now each time I think it is going to stop here we go again. I phoned the doctors and spoke to the nurse and she said this was normal and it will get better. The moods are horrendous and I honestly don't know how much more myself an hubby can take

I had the mirena for about 4 months and it turned my world up side down! I am normally a very happy person but there was not one happy day while i had the mirena! During those 4 months it was a nightmare, i was soooo tired i never wanted to get up or even try to look good. I gained 20 lbs, was so bloated, had cramps, was soo irritated, hated my boyfriend for no reason, and was very self conscience(this drove me crazy). i also had bad memory and felt like i was living in a daze! I didn't realize how bad things until i finally broke down at work and bawled in front of everyone! that night i went online and just by chance i found this website! It has been such a blessing! SO i got the evil iud out the next week, although im still having one problem its been about 6 weeks since its been out and im still having the weirdest discharge, its like the texture of an uncooked egg and theres so much? is there any one who has this and is there any way to get rid of it?

The Mirena for me has been a blessing. I only have one child; a four year old daughter and she will be five in April 09. I got the Mirena placed in on June of 2004 at my six week appointment after having my daughter. Although the insertion of the mirena was uncomfortable, It actually just felt like getting a regular paps smear which is uncomfortable by itself. With the exception of the cramping when they are inserting it into place. I haven't had any mishaps going on 5 years. No migraines although I have gained 5 or 6 pounds since having it but it has done wonders for me. My only concern is the bloading that I have experienced. The first time I felt like I was pregnant all over again and it remained that way for like a week or two. I was scared and nervous because I thought I was pregnant. My stomach looked about 4 months and i'm 5'2 and very petite but it came out negative. I'm actually going through it again and although I have been through it once before I keep looking at my stomach and wondering if I could indeed be pregnant because I'm getting closer to the time that I need to insert a new mirena so I'm going to get a pregnancy test.......again.

After I got my IUD removed 2 mos ago, my male obgyn showed no empathy so I changed to a female obgyn and saw her yesterday for an annual checkup. I explained to her what had happened and she gave me the same dumb straight face look - "No, I wasn't aware of weight gain or other side effects from Mirena". I bet you she won't get my co-pay again. Back to the drawing board, searching for someone to believe my misery. Is there anyone out there who has a doctor who believes them????????

I am going today to get this "thing" taken out after having it for 2 years i have realized this is the root to my problems!! I went to my yearly appointment last tues to learn that i have what is called lichen sclerosis (eczema of the butt) haha what the hell?? i though it was a joke, but come to find out it can cause skin cancer if gone with out treatment, and continuous scratching, and all of you who have experienced eczema know that you can't help but to scratch!! i was sure to give everyone a good laugh when i told them the findings so they prescribed a cream that made it worse, aching to find something to cure this incurable itch i made a mixture of oatmeal, honey, cinnamon, and mint yummy huh and put this on my "area". ohhh it helped and very little scratching for about 18 hrs now. i am so grateful for these posts my husband was thinking it was all in my head. on top of all this i was experiencing swollen labia, headaches, WEIGHTGAIN, moodiness,ibs,no periods(about the only thing that they will tell you), and much more. we'll see how it goes. good luck to you all. P.S. IF YOU HAVE MIRENA GET IT OUT NOW!!!!! thanks for your support!!

I had mine inserted in January 2007...it's been almost two years and I still have all of these side effects. My dr has actually even put me on the YAZ pill in addition to my MIRENA to try to control all the extra bleeding. I am normally a very happy person and it seems like now I'm always moody and emotional....sex is uncomfortable and my hair is falling out. I have never put all of these issues together with my IUD. I always just thought I was the odd ball with all the problems. My BF has had hers for 3 yrs and absolutely loves it. It's so relieving to know that I'm not alone and I'm not losing my mind.....this thing is coming out Friday morning.....

Omigosh! I can't believe all that I am reading!!! I have had the Mirena since Dec 7, 2005 almost 3 full years. I have been feeling icky for quite some time now. I have had frequent headaches, backaches, acne, memory loss, weight gain, mood swings, and most of all feeling like I live my life in a fog with severe tiredness. I decided to come online and look for side affects to the Mirena and found all of you having alot of the same issues as I am. I never thought all the things I have been experiencing were related to the IUD. I am in shock sitting here reading all of your stories. I am a 36 year old mom with 4 children and decided on the Mirena because I get pregnant very easy and didn't want to have any more kids but also wasn't ready to have my tubes tied. I thank everyone for this very informative and eye opening forum. I am going to make an appointment and have my Mirena taken out for good! I will take the risk of pregnancy over feeling like I have for so long any day!! God Bless you all and good luck to you all.

I had the Mirena inserted in December 2006. Within the first week I developed Bacterial Vaginosis that lasted until September 2008. I went to several doctors and each time I was given antibiotics or creams that only worked for 2-3 months then that disgusting smell would come back! I was totally depressed about this and wanted to take it out but I was enjoying the comfort of not having to take a birth control pill every night and decided to work at finding a solution. I did independent research and found a study where patients were treated with peroxide (3%) and it worked!

Now my only complaint major with Mirena is the length of my period. Though my period has a very low flow (pantyshields can be used only), it lasts for two weeks each time! I can't stand it!

I'm more emotional now, I cry at the drop of a dime but I can deal with that...I just wish my periods won't last this long! I've also noticed that PMS is more severe now, but I'm not sure if this is as a result of the Mirena or age - I'm 33. At least a week before my period I feel extremely emotional, angry, overwhelmed, exhausted and my thoughts are very chaotic. Wish there was something that I can use that didn't have all of these side effects and offered the comfort of not having to worry about taking a pill every night...

I had Mirena inserted in August 2008. I enjoy the fact that I hardly have any periods at all now, but am not feeling well at all. I am 41 years old and I have always had clear skin. Since Mirena, I have had very bad acne that has abscessed on my chin twice and now I have several painful pimples under my left axilla. I have no energy and feel very fatigued. I do also feel very bloated and have gained weight. I have a history of migraines and have had an increase since I had the Mirena inserted. I have never had children and the whole insertion process was very painful. I called my OB/GYN and
he felt I should see a dermatologist to treat the acne. The heck with that, I
am going to have the Mirena removed. I want to feel better. 4 months of this
torture is too many. I wish I would have found this site before I had the IUC
placed. I don't know what other options I can try, but the Mirena is not for
me.

Ok here goes I have posted on here once before when i first saw this site right after i had mine put in back in aug i think it was aug 23rd i got it in and i posted the next week. well i had stabbing and poking pains where it was and you know how its in there pointed side down so they can pull it back out. Well guess what! I went for my follow up visit to check placement and they couldn't find the strings! I freaked out i thought it fell out so and i had been having sex and thought i was going to end up pregnant again which i don't want or need i already have 2 kids and a soon to be step daughter that aggravates me beyond belief. So they did an x-ray and it was still there thats what the girl that did the x ray told me. So i went back to the room thinking that they could just go and get the strings and put them back where they need to be. WRONG! The dr comes in and says well its still there and then he proceeded to tell me the damn thing is UP SIDE DOWN!!! How in the hell does that happen?! I asked him if it would still work and he said yes cause of the hormones. Then i asked him if since the pointed side is up instead of down like it needs to be if it could rupture through my uterus and he said IT SHOULDN'T! Ok now im thinking well it shouldnt have turned up side down, and now your telling me it shouldn't rupture through. So i preceded to ask so when the time comes to get it out how are you going to get it out? He said "I don't Know" "Maybe it will flip back around to how it needs to be by then"

Ok thats not it. I stay up very late like right now its 3:30 in the morning and i haven't slept yet and when i do sleep i can sleep all day long if my boyfriend doesn't make me get up. I am always tired and i have no energy. After i had my daughter i had a lot of energy i had lost 90 pounds on my check up after having her the scale was 90 pounds less than what it was 4 months before i got pregnant with her, so of course i had lots of energy. Then i got this put in and now im dragging ass so to speak. And now im wishing i would have gotten my tube tied instead.
I have hot flashes, i am always hot even when im out side and its like 30 degrees out there now. I don't wear a coat just because i will start to sweat like i have been working out for hours.
Sex is VERY painful, put me into tears painful. I will take it as long as i can before the pain is unbearable and i start to cry and sometime scream because i cant handle it. That is putting a real big strain on our relationship. Also to top this off i am Rapid Cycling Bi Polar. Im 23 years old my kids are 20 months and 4 months then my boyfriend has a 5 year old daughter and i loose my cool with her a lot. My meds are not even able to control this anymore. (and i take a lot of them) My mood swings are not just aimed at her but towards my boyfriend who i have been with for 5 years and that girls mother and grandmother they get a lot of my anger.
I have very rude out burst like i have terets or something i am not myself anymore by no means. I have turned into a mean person. but my kids i can keep my cool with them for the most part except when my son the oldest one starts throwing his fits that last for ever.
I cant concentrate at all and that is hurting my grades a lot in college.
My house is not staying clean because i don't have the energy to get up and clean it and if i do i cant stay focused long enough to do it all (which that could be related to my bi polar syndrome)
I don't want to have sex at all still.
I don't know if all of this has to do with my bi polar or if its the mirena.
I don't want it out because i don't want anymore kids and i don't have insurance to even go see if its still in my uterus. but i get bad stomach pains and i get really hot then very dizzy and start seeing black and purple spots and feel like i will pass out. My psoriasis has broke out even worse.
I have started noticing joint pain.
Im not suicidal or anything but sometimes i go to bed hoping that i don't wake up in the morning and that could be bi polar getting bad but i really honestly don't know what to do. Because if i get it out i cant afford the pill which i wont remember to take, and i will need to get my tubes tied which i cant afford and don't know if i might want more kids when mine get older. But i AHHH!!! I just don't know what to do anymore. I would like to sue the pants off this stupid company cause of how i feel and they might have to do surgery to get it out which can ruin all chances of me having more babies forever.

HI LADIES I had the mirena for 9 mon. and that was enough, i have every thing bad going for me , i was sad always in a bad mood, i hate life i was very depressed and i blame all to mirena, i removed it 3 weeks ago, and all my god , i feel like myself again. i am back to normal. i love my kids and i enjoy life to the fullest, i am glad i removed it. it could have ruin my life and my marriage. my husband is so happy he sees the change, everything is back to normal. i recommend everyone that that mirena is evil. it is Also BAB IF YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING, IT IS SORT LIKE THE NORPLANT, MADE BY THE SAME PEOPLE. IF YOU BREASTFEED YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO IT, IT HAS SOME STUFF NOT GOOD FOR BABIES, GOOD LUCK.

Well, I first typed in on November 14th with a laundry list of my Mirena problems. I went in on Nov. 15th and had it removed. Within 2 days my bloating was gone. Within 1 day the gas and bowl issues seemed to disappear. My emotions are better but I know that they are not normal yet. I din't have major bleeding the first 2 days (Fri & Sat) but it started and it was pretty heavy yesterday (Sunday) but seems to be tapering down a little today. I am still having nights sweats but I know that these will go away also in time. The one thing that seems contant among the doctors that insert the Mirena is that all of the side effects that we are experiencing could NOT possibly from the Mirena. Are you kidding me? I am starting to wonder if the docs aren't getting some sort of kick back from the company manufacturing the Mirena. My doctor tried to talk me out of removing it but I stuck to my guns and feel so blessed that I did. Now I can enjoy my baby girl before she is a toddler. Hang in there ladies and stay true to yourselves!!!

I have had the Mirena for five months, I have gained weight and seems like I keep gaining and I have tried everything to loose this pouch. I am always tired and moody. I feel sick to my stomach all the time, especially after I eat something. I feel like I am having another baby. I told my doctor and all she did was prescribe me anti depressants and anti anxiety pills( like I need anything else messing with my system ), and she told me to give it time to work, the symptoms that I am having are normal. I feel like crap everyday and didn't feel like this until I got this thing put in me. Don't get me wrong my life was not peaches and cream before the placement but I was able to deal with my days. Now I just feel like i am about to have a nervous breakdown or panic attack. I literally feel crazy. My husband feels neglected and I am going to get a second opinion from a different doctor because I don't know if I can take it any longer.

I haven't read this side effect in anyone's posts yet... my spouse and I have had to deal with painful, chafed skin on our genitals after intercourse. Poor guy, he has weird abrasions, redness, and swelling behind the head of his penis while I have external burning and itching. I actually feel like the pH of my vaginal canal has altered and is eating him alive!! I also have had to cope with extreme moodiness and hair loss the past five months since I had it inserted. Needless to say, I'm glad I looked up these side effects to prove I'm not crazy and that neither of us have an STD. I'm making an appointment tomorrow to remove this horrible thing.

I am a single mom of three kids. I had my little girl 3 yrs ago and on Nov.4th of this yr. I decided/was talked into getting the mirena inserted. It was absolutely horrible getting it in. It hurt so bad. I bled and had nasty stuff coming out of me for the first week then I just bled! it still feels uncomfortable in there and I too am waking up drenched in sweat! I didn't realize that I would continue to bleed for several months! Great birth control when you no longer want sex!!! Does it need to be removed by a nurse or can I pull it out myself? Some ppl have reported dry eyes but mine have been watering all the time and even have like a windburn/chapped feeling where the tears are. Its only been a couple weeks but its a terrible feeling!

My fiance has asked me several times now to have the mirena removed/ He has told me he wants my normal self back. Apparently I am moody, sad or angry/ almost walking around not being my normal self. My sex drive has completely gone away. And the bleeding still has not stopped since I've had it in (oct 30) I'm afraid if I have it removed that I will continue to have side effects and that this has all been for nothing. Although if I keep it in I am afraid that I will not get back to normal any time soon. This is putting a big space between my fiance and me/ the mood swings are not so good. He has also asked me why I would continue to keep something that makes me have a lack or appetite/ feel sick to my stomach everyday/ eyes hurt/ headaches/ and cramping.. I am the type of person who tries to stick through tough times and usually believe the doctors' when they tell me it is just my body adjusting... But how long can I suffer through this?
I am almost certain that birth control has a bad effect on my body.. Does anyone have any advice as to a better method of birth control/ as my fiance and I have one child at the time and are not ready to have another for the time being?

after reading all these comments..im honestly scared of this mirena...i have had it on for 3 months and since then slowly my hay has been falling off...i did not think it was a big deal until about 1 month ago that it got really bad..it had made a crown around the front of my head about 1 inch deep.will it ever grow back???...and if so, how long will it take???...in only 20 years old ...i don't think i could deal with being bald!!!

I have a question for anyone who had the Mirena removed. Did you have issues with your emotions post removal? I had mine removed 3 weeks ago and feel so much better. I am even interested in sex and can actually enjoy it! My only "side effect" of the removal is the floodgates of emotions I have. I seem to cry a lot and when I have a few drinks I just bawl over nothing. Anyone else have this happen? I think it is the readjustment in hormones, since I had virtually no feelings on anything for a while.

Hello all. I too am a new recipient of this "miracle" called Mirena! I just had my third son in late July, and I had weighed my options, and with some STRONG convincing from my OB/GYN, I had decided on the Mirena. I had it placed on September 20, 2008, and no more than two weeks later my hair began falling out! Now when I say "hair falling out", I mean every time I would brush off my shoulders, brush, comb or wash my hair I would get hand fulls! The hair loss got sooooo bad, that I couldn't sit down to a descent meal without finding MY hair in my food or strolled across the table. I'm always bloated. I bleed for weeks on end. My neck, arms, and arm pits, legs, and breasts are soo itchy it's ridiculous. I have had to treat a new yeast infection every five days since placement, and this, from a person who has only had a yeast infection maybe TWO times in my life. I am an emotional wreck. I mean, right now as i'm typing, I'm tearing up because I thought that I was going crazy. My marriage is on the rocks because I'm so temperamental, and heck, my husband and I have been waiting for love making for LONG ENOUGH! My newborn is only 3 1/2 months, and I can honestly say that I've had only about TWO weeks total to delicate to the intimacy of my marriage (now keep in mind ladies, that the last two to three months of pregnancy are not ideal for an emotional "stress ball" to be having sex either, so you do the math). But I am PROUD to say that I WILL BE CALLING MY DOCTOR 9 a.m. MONDAY MORNING TO SCHEDULE MY REMOVAL.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been reading a LOT of posts from all of you here and on other Mirena forums and a lot of you are complaining about most of the same symptoms, however mine is a little different and I haven't really seen anyone talk about it yet.
I got my Mirena inserted on July 23, 2008 and it is now Nov. 15, 2008. I was fine the first 14 days, then I started bleeding vaginally and have not stopped since. Some days are lighter than others but still bloody. After 2 months I went back to the Dr. and she checked the strings and stuff and said everything seems to be in place and just fine and that I'd have irregular bleeding the first few months and maybe give it some more time, I agreed. Now 2 more months later no change and I am getting fed up, not to mention my iron counts are very low, I've been very anemic this whole time due to the constant bleeding from Mirena. I also have no sex drive, blurry vision, vertigo when I'm laying down, fatigued due to the anemia, depression and temperamental as well.
I am now trying to make an appt with my GYN to take this out as well as my whole uterus. Mind you, I am 42 and have 5 children varying in ages and I have had a tubal ligation, I am not using Mirena for BC, I was using it to help with my weird periods and heavy bleeding. HA

Has anyone else had this bleeding problem? If so, did it ever stop? and when?

I have experienced numbness of my hands and feet, severe chest pains, shortness of breath, and fatigued... scary symptoms... everything checked and normal... I'm getting this IUD out!

Hi! I am 23 with two kids. I got pregnant with both of them b/c we were just using condoms and slipped up a couple of times. I chose the Mirena IUC because i didn't want anymore surprises! I have had it for about 14 months, since Aug. of 2007. I had it inserted 7 weeks pp. I was informed by my doc that there would be some cramping that would minimize and probably be gone over time. I knew that there were some serious side effects also, but i was lead to believe that they were very very rare. So, ive had many things going on in my body that, as most of you did, i contributed it to being older and my body changing after having two kids (16m apart!). Some of my symptoms have been, sharp, piercing pains on either side of my pelvic region (i assume thats my ovaries), and also dull, cramping that comes on slowly and intensifies and radiates to my lower back. Almost as bad as labor pains. My stomach is always bloated, i too look like i am about 4 months pregnant. I am extremely fatigued all the time. I can't sleep at night. I wake up with night sweats and even when i do sleep i am still tired. I haven't gained any weight, but i haven't lost any, seeing as how i was only 7 weeks pp when i had it inserted i am still not back to my normal weight. I have gone to the gym every day for months and took up running which i hate, only to see no results! My hair is falling out in the shower and when i brush my hair. I thought this happened because i stopped my prenatal vitamin because it happened with my first son, but i'm still losing hair. I have terrible headaches. I probably get one or two a month. I use to have maybe one or two a year. I am very anxious and nervous all the time. Sometimes more than others. I have always been worried about germs but now i tend to go overboard. I know i'm doing it but i can't help myself. I have really bad mood swings and i realize it when they're coming too but its so overwhelming i just have outbursts! I have very frequent yeast infections and i had never had one before. For a long time i didn't know what was going on. I have a lot of discharge also very irritating! I have absolutely no libido. My poor husband begs me and then i cringe the whole time. I've never been like that before. Anyway, when i came across the website and read all of these posts that were exactly what i was going through i knew it was the Mirena! I called my doc. and i'm having it removed on the 26th! I cannot wait! I am so excited that i can look forward to feeling myself once again after thinking this was the way it was for so long. I am just sad that for 14 months i've lived my life in a fog, and not been as excited about life as i could have been. By the way, i know a lot of you guys are going to be looking for other birth control whenever you get this one taken out, but make sure you read some reviews on it too because i thought about yaz and nuvaring, but they seem to have reviews that are almost as bad. I want to be me! The way i felt when i was 19 before i ever had kids. I want to have fun! I say NO to any extra hormone running through my body. The condom will have to do for me, and my husband and i have vowed to use it the way we were suppose to be the other times we got pregnant. If i do get pregnant, its is what the Lord had planned for me and my family and i'll look at it as a blessing. Besides being pregnant is way better than feeling like this.

Okay WOW! So interestingly enough, I was out w/ a friend last night and when I mentoned to him that I have Mirena-he pleaded with me to google it and find out the troubles that ppl were having. He said He almost lost his wife because of it(and by lost- I mean death) That got my attention. I told him, I thought I didn't have any problems with my Mirena... I don't even have a period ever-its great! I am truly glad he told me to look, and I am glad I read the other problems women were having. I had symptoms, that I didn't even realize I had; basically blaming it on stress or other things. I have Narcolepsy which is a sleeping disorder, and recently I was diagnosed with Fibromaylgia (s/p?) Anyways I have had my Mirena for a lil over a year; I chose it because I absolutely suck at remembering to take the "pill" everyday and I am a single mom, and I told myself I will not be in this position again with another child. (I know- a lot of "ands"...lol) Well Here is my symptoms that I didn't realize could be related. I had a nervous breakdown at Christmas last year.... I called my dad and told him he needed to go get my daughter because I didn't think she was 'safe' with me, I was balling my eyes out... I was so stressed and full of anxiety and the littlest thing would set me off-AND I knew it wasn't my babys fault, I didn't want her anywhere near me! I went to the doctor and got treated for - you guessed it manic depression/anxiety ( I have had a history of it- but NEVER this bad) She came home after a few days. However, I still get easily irritated, more easily then I should- normally I am a very patient person. I sleep all the time....ALL THE TIME, I suffer from eccessive Fatigue, and nothing I take seems to help. weight gain-yep I got that too... I am the heaviest I have ever been in my life! I weigh more now then I did when I was nine months preg. with my daughter. Bloating.... yep I got Bloating, I don't feel comfortable in any of my clothes- I absolutely hate to wear Jeans anymore, and Yes I do suffer the 'gas' problem too. I was completely embarrassed and thought I was all alone on the fear of making it to the bathroom on time... I am a grown woman of 30 (so I am still kinda young to have any problems like that!) Oh yeah...I do have the Hot flashes, people would tease me and tell me I was too young for that-DUH! I want to enjoy my daughter, she will be 4 years old in march, I want energy to do the simple things, to enjoy life again, I want to feel attractive again.... honestly right now I feel kinda hideous.... So I have two major positive I am facing... no pill to take everyday, and no period!!!! If I go have it removed; what will my cycle be like? will I bleed all the time, will it just last a long time at first and then regulate, I guess I would like to have a heads up on what to expect. then there is one more question... If I remove the Mirena and choose a different IUD; will it have the same side effects? I need a B.C. option that doesn't require me taking a pill everyday, and I already tried the depo-shot that was a bad one for me.... that was like one long, on-going period that never stopped(don't want that-lol) So if Anyone out there has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much!

I LOVE MY IUD. For those of you thinking about an IUD, I wanted to post a positive case study. I am sure there are more, but those people don't bother posting. Before I got my IUD, I did extensive research, not just internet or industrial propaganda, but peer reviewed medical journal articles. I decided on the IUD because of efficacy and minimal hormones. The IUD releases a steady amount of progestin that equates to about 20% that of the mini-pill (what breast feeding women take). Even less than 10% of a low dose pill.

I had the Mirena IUD inserted 7 months ago after being on the pill for way too long. I had random cramps for a few months on and off, and had to readjust to being on my OWN cycle vs. the pill. I do get PMS every month, but I attribute that to my own body's cycle, not the IUD. I have not gained a single pound, am on a normal cycle, have minimal bleeding during my period and no spotting in between cycles. My partner and I are thrilled to have this option. Only you know your body, decide for yourself.

I am so glad I happened upon this site. I have been having terrible side effects that I attributed to something else, like I was going insane! I have been having panic attacks and very depressed. even have started to feel aggressive. I am having it removed on the 20th and will try to post a new message after I have it removed. I have had many side effects other than just these and am so glad I am not the only one. I have been spending money on counseling and homeopaths etc. to try to solve my mental issues when it is always coming back to this iud. Thank you for making others aware of your symptoms. K.

Hi, Ive had the Mirena for 2 weeks now and it has been TERRIBLE, I have had terrible sharp pains off and on... I have never had kids but is a contraction like the pain that I am feeling? My doctor suggested that I have it put it since I felt sick with the pill and specially if I am not ready to have a baby yet. I've been married six months now.... I don't know if this will go away and I don't know what to do, the only thing good about this is that my sex drive is much better, lol... but this is terrible what should I do? Should I have it taken out and will it hurt?

I've had my Mirena removed over a week ago and have got really heaving bleeding and very large clots. Easily 5 maxi pads a day. Am on day 8 post-removal and it's not easing up. Is this normal or is something wrong?

On September 9th, 2008, I had the mirena inserted and it was horrible. My right ovary felt like it had exploded and a burst of burning pain radiated down my leg. I broke out into a sweat, felt dizzy, and nauseated. The doctor said they never had that reaction before and had me lay down until I felt better. The doctor wanted to do an ultrasound, right then, but the doctors that did the ultrasounds were not available, so she gave me a Motrin and told me to go to the emergency room if I had severe pain or bleeding. She sent me home. This THING is constantly on my mind since I had it put in. I hate it!! I am tired all the time, headaches, bloating, dry eyes, back pain, hair loss, constant feeling of being in a fog, cramps everyday, and the burning pain I experienced during insertion comes back more and more frequently. My ovary and leg hurt me so bad that I feel like I'm going to pass out. Two weeks after insertion I went in to have the strings trimmed and let the doctor know my symptoms-she looked puzzled and made me feel like I was crazy, but suggested that we have an ultrasound done, so she scheduled me an appointment for it-two weeks later. I had a follow up with the doctor one week after that and she said everything looked fine and to take ibuprofen for the pain. I went back three weeks later to have my strings trimmed-again. She was amazed that they seemed longer than they were the first time she trimmed them. She said that it was either "settling" lower, or it was falling out. She did an internal exam, but did not feel it, so she suggested that I at least give it another month before I consider taking it out. I agreed because I paid a lot of money for it and my options are limited. Since my last visit, I've been researching mirena a bit and was surprised to hear that so many women have been experiencing these side effects. I plan on having the mirena removed, but have been researching tubal ligation as my next step. Then I ran into something called tubal ligation syndrome, which has side effects that I am currently experiencing. I talked to my boyfriend about all of this last night and he has agreed to have a vasectomy. The bad thing about that is I have to wait for him to have it done and wait until his sperm count is at zero. That could take a month or more! The good thing is that I won't have to think or worry about getting pregnant anymore and I won't have some foreign piece of hormonal plastic in my body any longer. I will never recommend the mirena to anyone-ever!

I got Mirena inserted June 07.Since then i have gained 30 pounds.Right after my baby was born i was 130ponds.I weigh myself once a week.Since Jan 08 i have been a whooping 160pounds till now.No addition or subtraction.Before Mirena all i needed to do to loose some weight was walk for about 30 minutes a day,but now,i can walk on the track for 30 minutes,do some crunches,walk on the treadmill for another 20 minutes and am still at 160pounds!!!! For all the people who have had the Mirena removed,did you shed some pounds?
Thanks you.

Ok... thank goodness I read this. I'm sitting here thinking I'm dying... maybe I have colon cancer... I'm on 32. I've scheduled a physical to check everything out... but have been wondering if maybe Mirena would be the simple answer to what's going on with me.

I've had hair loss, but that is pretty normal for me, because I just had a baby, she is 6 months old, and I've lost hair after every one of my pregnancies (she's my 3rd). It has started to grow back, so I don't think that is from Mirena. But, I have had a very decreased interest in sex. I thought it might be because I'm still nursing my daughter, but it has never been this bad before. I'm wondering how long before my husband gets sick of me. I've also been depressed. The most disturbing though is that my bowel movements have changed dramatically. There are times when I feel like I won't make it to the bathroom, to have gas, and a small about come out. Some times there is a lot of mucus on my bowel movements, sometimes a little blood too. I kept thinking these changes correspond with the implanting of Mirena. I will be asking lots of questions about it next week at my physical, and will now call my OB too. 3 children may be enough.. the husband may need to get the snip snip.

I am 48yrs of age- had the mirena coil fitted to help with menopause symptoms, had my 1st one fitted in 2003- have kept it for 5yrs and then had it replaced in jan 2008- well whats the problem then?? shortly after having my 1st mirena coil fitted i had a bit of a nervous breakdown and didn't put 2 and 2 together - that maybe some of my symptoms could have been connected to the coil.... i guess im just saying i plodded on with it- ( quite literally i gained almost 3 stone - since having my 1st coil fitted,. but alas blamed it all on my state of mind at the time...-?, any way in Jan 2008 i went along and had my old one out and a new one put in(all in the same day)i suffered a vaso vagal attack on the insertion of the new one- spasm of the cervix! and thought i was gunna die!- my mind is a bit clearer now and have had my 2nd mirena for 11months... and its coming out on Monday!!! I believe i have given this foreign body a fair crack at the whip !..almost 6yrs! if u want any advice- just didn't do it, (blurred vision, weight gain despite good diet exercise etc,oily skin ,loss of
concentration/memory, poor sleep pattern- night sweats etc and going out to work of a morning unsure sometimes even if ur dressed (dream state). p.s i am a nurse and kept it for so long because.... i was led to believe by ...nurse practitioners, doctors, reps, health care professionals that i was talking a load of crap... they didn't have 1 (or rather 2!) i did... get it out!

Has anyone experienced sun spots on their skin after the IUD? A few months after I had mine inserted i got a huge sun spot on my forehead (HUGE) and few smaller ones on my chicks and chin. Didn't see that as a sure side effect and wonder if anyone else got sun spots? Nothing I did so far made them go away - I am running out of ideas...

I got mine inserted in May of '08. After reading this I can now understand why I have been like this. My hair has fallen out, my face looks like a 13 year old, I bled for almost 5 months straight. I have been nauseous, irritable, tired, and super uncomfortable. Major back pain, abdomen pain, weak, and dizzy. I have a bad history of ovarian cysts and as a result only have about 1/2 of my right ovary. It feels as though my cysts have gotten worse, I can barely move. I called the Dr. and they are doing an ultrasound to see about the placement. I have been a basket case, I swear I was more stable as a pregnant person! I told the nurse that I was thinking of having it removed and she said that this is all normal for the first 2-4 months, hello its been 6!
Not recommending this to anyone, including my worst enemy, I have yet to see a shorter easier cycle and less cramps.

Oops...I meant to say I had Mirena inserted Dec 2006, not 2007!

I had mine put in Dec 2007 shortly after the birth of my second child. I was a little sore after insertion but thought it was great until a few months ago when I realized I was gaining weight and still looked pregnant. The bloating became more severe and I experienced a lot of cramping. Sometimes the bloating would go away but 3 weeks out of the month I looked like I was about 6 months pregnant. The CNP at my ob's office didn't think these were side effects of Mirena especially since I have had it nearly 2 years. She noticed that I had gained abt 13lbs in one year despite diet and exercise (which I NEVER had to do before! With my first child I gained 60lbs and was back in my pregnancy clothes by the time I went back to work 12 weeks later) For the past 5 months I have been running about 3-5Ks A DAY and taking 2-3 one hour exercise classes a week and the weight will NOT come off. I had the IUD taken out after my blood work and pelvic ultrasound all came back negative. It's been about 2 weeks now and I am looking forward to being hormone free for awhile. I am glad I am not alone....

After reading these posts I am connecting some of my experiences that I attributed to other things. Glad to know it could be the IUD and not just me. I'm 46 so things are changing anyway. Thought the dizziness was from my blood pressure medicine... Anyway I got my Mirena in '05 so I've had it for awhile. I got it after my divorce. I like not having periods but I don't like the occasional brown discharge or spotting.

The worst side effect that I've experienced is the total lack of sexual sensation. Many of the other women report loss of libido but I think this might be different. I want to have sex but when I do it's like I have no sexual sensation from vaginal penetration at all. Almost as though it was dead down there. I also don't have the same sensation in my breasts as I used to. I've never been overly sexual but this is really frustrating. I've been seeing the same man for the last 2 years. He's very sexually oriented so it's a good thing we can only see each other every other weekend when he doesn't have his kids. It's really important to him so I indulge. Otherwise the relationship is great. I can orgasm sometimes but not from penetration. I asked the doctor but she kinda blew me off saying there was nothing I could do except teach him how. So I mostly suffer in silence and fake it sometimes.

Been thinking about getting the Mirena removed but I was worried it might not help. Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and if everything goes back to normal when it's removed. I do like not having my period but perhaps it's not worth it. Please let me know!