Mirena and hot flashes

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 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.

I have had Mirena now since August 29th '08. I was one of the people that was lucky enough to not experience any pain what so ever when it was inserted. Not a single bit of discomfort at all!!! I did have my period though so that may have had something to do with it. But ever since I've had Mirena I've gained 12 pounds, my husband and I fight all the time, we have been together for 15 years and haven't fought this much as long as we've been together, I'm always depressed lately which is weird for me at this time of year because until Christmas I love this time of year!! I've had a few anxiety issues, I don't sleep at night, my poor kids I snap over the stupidest things, the fatigue oh my the fatigue. I've had sleeping problems for many years now but I can't even sleep on sleeping pills most nights either and I could before. The last couple of weeks now I've experienced gas (I mean gas very regularly) out of the blue didn't think that had to do with Mirena but then I started reading this site, some days I'm constipated others I don't stop going. It seems I get the "spotting" one week straight done for a few days then here it is again. My husband feels it when we have intercourse. If and when we have intercourse these days it's not enjoyable for me and not him either, he can tell it's not enjoyable for me, let alone he can feel the thing. I have a very clear completion (normally only get acne at that time of the month and only a couple), lately I've broken out along my hair line, getting pimples in spots I didn't know you could get them. And with the weight gain and acne it makes me feel real good about myself. I look like I'm pregnant again some days. And I'm bloated all the time. Oh the one I almost forgot about the hot flashes, I'm 31 years old having hot flashes.
I was thinking that my body just needs to "adjust" to this thing inside me, but after reading this why wait and make it worse with more symptoms I don't have yet?! Like the cysts, I guess as far as I know I don't have them yet.
I just want to feel like myself again. I'm a happy person, normally motivated to clean my house, normally don't feel like I have a grey cloud over my head, I hate feeling like I have a scowl on my face all the time. These are the memory making years for my kids, do I want them to remember the always crabby yelling mommy? No I don't. Well I'm gonna go cry now and call my doctor to have it removed. Thank you for having this site it's made me feel like I'm not going crazy and it's not just me! And you know what I will respond back in a few weeks after having it out and let you know if I've gotten rid of any the "side Effects" the doctors claim have nothing to do with Mirena!

I am getting my mirena removed today, It has been nothing but trouble. I have hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety for no reason, i always had anxiety but this is awful I can't stand it. I started seeing a shrink, now I come on here a couple of weeks ago and OMG its has to be the mirena. Also the facial hair is unbelievable. My husband and I fight constantly, I feel so bad I have been awful. Weight gain is awful, I had a baby boy 11 months ago, these kind of symptoms should be gone already!! I just want to feel myself again!!!! Oh I also have gotten multiple ovaian cysts, that hurt!! It is awful, not worth the trouble!

Had mine removed yesterday. had an interesting conversation with my doctor also. he said, now get this ladies, a lot of people complain about the weight gain and anxiety, etc., but it has nothing to do with the iud. i'm sitting there like, HELLOOOO?? if a lot of people complained about it, wouldn't you think that the iud DOES have something to do with it?? goes to show you that a lot of doctors are book smart, but don't have an ounce of common sense.
i just read the post about facial hair...LOL!! is that y i'm tweezing everyday?? i had whiskers all over the damn place! and lets not mention the hot flashes!

I gained 20 pounds since i got the mirena :-( now i'm 40 pounds in the hole because i started out wanting to lose 20. i'm afraid this weight will not come off and i'll be stuck with it. this is not good for an unmarried, late 30-something, single mom. i wouldn't be able to snag a guy even if i drugged him!

oh yeah, he wanted to discuss birth control options because, as he put it, I could get preg tomorrow. I'm like Yeah ok, you have to have sex to get preg. Who do you think i am? the blessed virgin mary? oh please!!

i wonder if in like 10 years or so we'll be seeing those commercials that go "If you or a loved one suffered from serious side-effects from using the Mirena...." lol

Hi Ladies. Well, I had my mirena removed last week and I can already tell a difference. No more hot flashes or spotting and the mood swings are going away too. I know the mirena works for a lot of people ( i wish it would have for me) but if you are having any unexplained symptoms then they might be side affects and you might want to think about having it removed. It was the best thing I ever did.

Good Luck! :0)

I got my mirena placed in April of 2007. The insertion is one of the worst pain you will ever feel in your life. Remember your contractions just before birth.....The pain is not to far from it. After going home the pain did not get any better. It was about to weeks before the pain was tollerable. It is an constant cramping sensation that you also feel in your legs. DONT do anything that involves you tightning your stomach muscles for about a month. I was a delivery driver and had to do heavy lifting. It was hell. I could not have sex for about a month.When I did try to have sex my husband was hitting the strings or the actual mirna not sure. When I went back for my month check up the doc cut the strings some more saying that might help. It did but when my husband goes in deep in certain positions he can still feel it. The up side to mirena is that you dont forget to take it. I have very light periods. There are some months i only bleed one day!!! Think long and hard before you choose to do this. They only thing that I am fearing now is when they remove it. I wonder what that will feel like. If everything goes well I will know in April of 2012. If anyone can tell me what thats like tell me please.

I've have the Mirena in for about 4 months now. I'm not sure if this is a side affect or not but I've been having horrible hot flashes. They are so bad that I hardly have enough time to get completely ready in the morning. I don't wear make up that much anymore because I'm to hot. My son is 6 months old now so my hormones should be pretty much back to normal. I've had my thyroid checked and it's not that. I've also been having anxiety whick I've NEVER had before. I don't know if that's due to having 3 kids now or the Mirena. Has anyone else experienced these side affects? I also haven't lost much weight since I've had my son which is also very odd.

I had my 2nd child in June '08 and had Mirena placed on 8-8-08 with no discomfort or problems of any kind. I had already heard great things about it from two co-workers who LOVE theirs. This past weekend I finally started poking around on the computer because of my husband's constant complaints of the "whiskers" poking the head of his penis when we have sex. Lo and behold, I find this page and am BLOWN AWAY. I felt so relieved. I have never been one to have headaches, nausea, back pain or low sex drive. I had been attributing those things to a combination of being significantly overweight, having two babies under the age of 19 months and being on Prednisone (for rheumatoid arthritis). I also have been experiencing a lot of fatigue, night sweats/hot flashes, weight gain, swollen breasts, dizziness, swollen hands/feet, and crazy mood swings. I know that all of these symptoms can probably be explained away as being due to the prednisone, my weight, my life right now (two babies and working full-time) and any number of other things, but there are so many women who have Mirena who are reporting the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS. I can't just be a coincidence. So anyway, I went to my doc today to have it removed and he, of course, told me that he doesn't believe that any of my symptoms are due to Mirena. I had it removed anyway, but he did tell me something I didn't know: the tiny amount of hormone is delivered locally, as opposed to oral contraceptives' systemic delivery in a larger amount. Go figure. In any case, I am disappointed and have mixed feelings, but I cannot wait to see if my sex drive returns and my lower back pain subsides. I also want control of my moods, weight and breasts again! We discussed the Essure, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to put something foreign in my body again right now. I don't want anymore kids (I'm 40 and have two already), but the options for 98%+ are limited. Everything seems to have a drawback. Oh well. I'll just be glad to see if the symptoms were related to Mirena. If not, I'll get it put back in.

I have been feeling most of these symptoms for a while but thought it was just in my head or that I was going through early menopause but I am only 38.
Immediately I gained weight in my stomach area which made me mad but I dealt with it. I have have really long periods where I used to have a 3 day period. Now I have anxiety and mood swings where I just feel like being mean. I hate how I am to my husband, mom and kids. I feel like I can't concentrate and I can't remember a conversation that I had 2 days ago. I really feel like I was deceived of all these bad side effects. I just called to have this bitch removed and the nurse said she has never heard of any bad side effects. I guess I am one of the unlucky ones. I also exercise and diet constantly and can't seem to lose the extra weight I put on. It's so frustrating when I try so hard.Now I am a little nervous about getting it taken out. I plan on taking a xanex b.c it hurt so bad when I had it put in! I also am a little nervous about what birth control to use next. I don't want to deal with hormones again. It's not worth it. Also the sex drive is very low for me. I really wish I would have seen this blog ahead of time. I would NEVER of had the mirena inserted and I wouldn't have wasted a year and a half of my life on being miserable!! I'm getting this removed 9am on Friday!!

It's so funny...I completely thought I was crazy. I have an almost 5 month old and I kept thinking my hormones were just screwed up. She is my third child and it is horrible trying to take care of them with these severe side effects. I have had horrible constant headaches..as soon as I take something- Excedrin, Advil, Tylenol- it comes back within an hour. The pain is constant. I have had terrible back pain, depression, weight gain- I have been trying to lose the baby weight and I am only putting on more- abdominal pain, absolutely no patience with my children, frequent aches and pains, massive hot flashes (and I'm only 29), and running to pee all of the time (and I feel like I'm finished but I get up and I'm not!). And don't even get me started on what it did to my period. With the exception of about a week and a half I have had it constantly since it was inserted 3 1/2 months ago. And it goes from non-existent so I think it's over to full on with-sorry to be gross- terrible cramps and clots. I NEVER had a problem with cramping before. I don't even feel like the same person I was before I was on it. I have had no "baby blues" with any of my three children so I know that isn't the reason I feel so off- I can't keep my emotions straight. After I had the baby, I felt really good besides my abdomen being tender and my incision pain from the c section. I can't believe the drastic turn of events since I got this thing put in. Thank you everyone for your experiences- I don't feel like a lunatic anymore. I felt so guilty for my children, husband, family because I feel so bad- sad and sore- and I felt like all I did was complain for no reason.

THE MIRENA HAS RUINED MY LIFE. AFTER 2 YEARS OF HELL, I HAD IT REMOVED, THEN I STARTED YAZ BUT I HAVE NOT HAD MY PERIOD YET SINCE I HAD THE MIRENA REMOVED 3 MONTHS AGO. IM ALWAYS THINKING IM PREGNANT BUT THE TEST ALWAYS COME OUT NEGATIVE. WHEN WILL I GET MY PERIOD? IM TIRED OF THINKING IM PREGNANT WHEN IM NOT. WHATS WRONG WITH ME? BY THE WAY DID I MENTION I GOT OVARIAN CYSTS BECAUSE OF THE MIRENA. I NOW STOPPED TAKING BIRTH CONTROLS SINCE MY HUSBAND IS AWAY WORKING AND I DON'T NEED BIRTH CONTROL. IM STILL WAITING FOR MY PERIOD TO COME. I HOPE I AM NOT GOING THROUGH EARLY MENOPAUSE. IM ONLY 27 YEARS OLD. IVE HEARD ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF IUDS IS EARLY MENOPAUSE.

I just had my Mirena removed today because of some ridiculous side effects (and a couple other reasons). The side effects I had were - fatigue, nausea, headaches, NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL, vaginal dryness, hot flashes...

MY question is - about an hour after I had it removed I began to get tired. I mean REALLY tired - hard to keep my eyelids up kind of tired. Is this normal? Will this extreme fatigue pass soon?

I got it placed in about a month ago and since that time I almost stated immediately with cramps, then headaches, oily skin and acne (like I was 12), instantly mad with hot flashes, started to get a little facial hair and the worst thing of all about week 3 I noticed all my hair was starting to fall out. OMG OMG so I called the GYN and of course everyone said, "oh no it's not the mirena". I am telling you, i was fine before that damn thing was inserted and it was only a month ago. I swear I feel like they just sewed a penis on me and I am slowly turning into an angry man! Oh also the bleeding never stopped during my 1 month deal and it just went from red and heave to brown and smelly and back to red and sorta heavy. very unrealiable periods. The men in our lives can deal with the blood every once in awhile but heck I cant blame by guy, heck i don't even wanna have sex with me! I just got it removed on Friday and I am hoping that I start to grow my hair back (not grow hair on my back - ha) I also hope my headache (both tension and migraine like) stop. I hope to god that my immediate anger level stops (I was NEVER like that). I also asked my dr. to test my testosterone levels to see if that damn thing is messing with our testosterone levels cuz I would swear that I was turning into a man or someone was putting steroids in my kool-aid. Also, my blood pressure is now high so anyway.... long story short is IF you DON'T have to get one of these things don't. I had to get mine because my uterus lining is thick and they wanted to reduce my changes of getting uterine CA - now what they hell am i gonna do. I wish to $#%^ I would known all these side effects. Now I just have to decide what to do now.

Hi. I just had my mirena placed on Sept. 5th, 2008 (5 days ago). I decided to go with this after just giving birth to my 2nd daughter on July 21st, 2008. All my girlfriends have it and recommended it as well as my ob/gyn. I read and watched a dvd about it and then after being told it's only going to cost me my copay of $27, I said oh yeah--for 5 years worth of bc, you bet! Anyhow, the insertion was quick and painless as I had just ended my period that morning, just had a baby 6 weeks prior, and my ob/gyn numbed my cervix. I only bled for about 5 hours after. After my doc placed the mirena he told me if I wanted to that night I could have sex with my husband and nit have to worry about a secondary form of bc. I was not able to that night due to my 2 children (one is 4 and the other is now 7 weeks), but we did get to the next day. I have actually had an increase in my sex drive since having this iud placed and maybe it is just the simple fact that it is a hassle free form of bc that is 99.9% effective. Lately however, in the last couple days I have been feeling irritable, increased anger, depression (which I already take meds for-but don't seem to help-they always had before for 10yrs), crying spells, a lot of anxiety, heart palpations, hard to get to sleep, severe headaches (not quite migraines), hot flashes, lethargic, and now nausea. If some of these symptoms don't go away, I may have to find another bc/iud that would better suit me (perhaps non-hormonal). I don't know that I would recommend mirena to anyone, but I also would not tell anyone it's horrible. Everyone's body reacts differently to medicines. So, if you have one good luck with it and if you're deciding on one, please read all the side effects and testimonials you can-on any that you choose and don't think it can't happen to you-you just never know! Hope this helps someone!

Let your body heal from child birth before you get Mirena, that is my opinion. I didn't get Mirena until my son was over a year old and i haven't had any crazy side effects, at first the bleeding and spotting for about a month and then my period stopped. i love it so far and reading some of these comments i realized the common theme in them is that many of the women have had problems got the Mirena right after having their child. i really think your body needs time to process all the hormone changes and get back to normal before you add birth control to the mix.

I had mirena since 08/08 and I HATE it. I have had nothing but MAJOR mood swings, hot flashes, dizziness, insomnia, depression. I have put my husband and 3 and 2 year old's thru he** just so we don't have any more children right now. It is so not worth it. The pain during insertion was worse than my 35 hours of hard back labor. I had to be dilated 2 times to have it inserted, I was shaking, covered in sweat and sobbing by the time it was over. My poor husband just looked at me and said he was so sorry I went thru that. I am calling my doctor 1st thing in the morning and demanding that it be removed immediately. I am at the point that if I could find the strings I would pull it out myself. Don't get one, it is not worth it. I guess know on from the FDA had to get on inserted!

My son was born March 2007, when he was 8wks old, to much of my surprise I found out that I was pregnant again. Mirena sounded perfect!!!! I had it placed 7 weeks after my 2nd son was born in Jan 2008. I had what I still assume is normal with any type of birth control method, irregular bleeding,cramping,some slight mood swings. That all seems normal to me when you mess with you body like that. Aug 1, 2008 I woke up at4am with awful abdominal pain sooo bad that I turned to my husband and said that I think I have to go to the hospital. I decided that if I could fall back asleep then its probably nothing major. I fell back asleep (or passed out, I don't know) The next morning I was hurting so bad I couldn't lift anything, couldn't stand up straight, felt weak and felt as though I had rocks in my stomach but had an empty feeling at the same time. The pain was all over my abdomen, stabbing, shooting,pinching. I also had pain aroung my belly button and a noticeable discomfort about my pevic bone. Finally I called my husband to come home, went to the hospital, they took blood, cultures, did an exam and did a ctscan. All normal! WHAT!! Aug 11th still having pain and now having MAJOR HOT FLASHES. I find myself getting so hot and irritated that I cant be around the babies because I am afraid I will yell at them. If I get in a little disagreement with my husband it will most likely end with me saying I want a divorce (I noticed another lady with that same problem) Today I had a ultra sound done and it came back what my (new) doctor says is normal. The problem with that is that one of my ovaries is split and is NOW shaped like a horse-shoe. I was pregnant for almost 2yrs straight and had lots of ultrasounds NOT ONE TIME did anyone say anything about a odd ovary. I'm just going to make a educated guess that it wasn't deformed till after the Mirena. Now I am wanting to remove it but feel like I should get every test known to man first to rule out any other possibility. I really don't want to remove it. I am afraid of getting it removed and even more of getting pregnant when I already have two 10 months apart and still in diapers.
My biggest question is wanting to know if hot flashes are related or if I might be having something else going on. Am I the only one with he hot flashes? I have them all day long!!!!!!!!
Also I noticed after reading other post that some other things may be related like, piercing headaches, itchy flaky oily scalp, weight gain, ear drainage, lower back pain, oily skin, increased smoking, in-grown hairs in inner thigh area, joint pain, fatigue, decrease sex drive.

I'm so glad I found this site. I've had my Mirena for only 5 months, but since then I've had horrible depression (very severe), hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, headaches, complete loss of any pleasure in anything, no sex drive AT ALL. I'm making an appointment on Monday to have this removed. I've been seeing a psychiatrist for a few months and being treated with antidepressants and Ativan for anxiety and Prozac for the week before my period for severe PMDD. I never had these issues before. Oh my God. I hope the Mirena is causing it. The idea that I could be 'normal' again is giving me so much hope.

I am calling to make an appointment to have my Mirena removed as I type this post. I've had bleeding off and on - mostly on- since inserting in late June, but my main issue is incredible mood swings. Feelings of being out of control, depression and anxiety. My husband pegged it. He noticed that I had not been so witchy before I got my mirena. To make things worse, once I get upset, I can't control it. It is almost like I am possessed. Just two short months ago, I was nothing like this. It is amazing what a different person I've become and I can't wait to get back to my old self!!!!

I can also be added to the list of those who have had stomach cramps and constant discharge.

Endo Cancer?

It has to be listed and discussed.
All you ladies out there that have had the Mirena removed:
Are your periods lighter than they ever were?
Are they still?
What is the time frame of having the IUD removed & your return to what is a normal period for you?

If you're still experiencing a "light" or "lighter" flow than what is your norm after having the Mirena out, get yourself to the doctor's office (NOT your Gyn), tell them you were using the Mirena & ask for an ultrasound to measure and look at your uterus. Chances are, like me, you'll have an unusually thickened endo lining. Not just thickened, but irregular as opposed to smooth.
What does this mean? Well, you shouldn't have a THICK lining that keeps growing or stays the same.
I was normal before insertion. (u-sounds done 2 weeks prior)
At about 10 days after removal, u-sounds showed an irregular thick lining measuring at 10mm.
At almost 8 weeks after removal, u-sound test showed the lining to be at 13mm.
NOTE: The "C" word starts getting used if you head toward the 15mm range.

Has anyone in your GYN office addressed this side effect with you?
Mine certainly didn't. Not one word. They didn't even tell me what to expect after my insistant demands for removal. (I called them after to report severe bleeding and clots of tissue, to which they responded was "normal".)
Ok....so if I had a heavy bleed, one would assume that the lining would be completely shed. So, why, after two cycles, and only 21 days of actual Mirena usage, is my endo lining growing like a banshee?

I am 21 years old, and i had mirena put in about a year ago. the first three months were really awful for me, i had bleeding and cramping and i called my gyno and i told her about it, and she said its normal, it will go away just wait it out. she claimed she has one too. so i waited and she was right, it did go away. For about four months now i have had cramps that are getting worse. They have recently been so bad i was nearly throwing up, i can't sleep at night...ive had what feels like hot flashes. sex is incredibly painful too. I've felt bloated more and more each week, and ive felt more depressed than i have ever been in my life. (i've never suffered from depression at all) Ive started to have awful thoughts which have not been suicidal but thoughts like my child would be happier without me, i'm not a good mom... i'd catch myself thinking this stuff and just know this is NOT ME!!! i have never felt like this before!!! I've been so tired, absolutely burnt out. I can't find the energy to do anything. Just folding laundry has been hard for me... this isn't normal. this isn't who I am. My patience has worn thin, im constantly pissed off and yelling, aggravated. I'm not happy at all.
i just went to the doctor yesterday and she said i have a bladder infection so just wait it out again. I haven't told her about these side effects because i wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the mirena... but After reading these stories I KNOW IM NOT CRAZY, it IS this stupid IUD!!! I have constantly told myself this is so unnatural it doesn't belong in me, my body hates it. But... I have a two year old, i do NOT want another one anytime soon and i felt like this was the perfect option!! its not worth it, its not perfect and i'd rather use the pill and condoms than deal with this. I;d actually give up sex til i were ready to risk another one than deal with this. I'm calling TODAY to have this removed ASAP. I'm so glad i came online and looked for Mirena horror stories... because this thing has made my past few months a horror story.

I,ve had mirena for 2 1/2 yrs and it has been the worst 2 1/2 yrs ever! I went to the ob 8 months ago to have it removed and my Dr. would not take it out she said that there was no possible way that it could be causing my 6 days in a row migraines that only respond to imitrex nothing else. So for the past couple of days I've been trying to make an appt to have
mirena taken out but the appts are like 2 weeks wait. I removed it myself this morning took a while to find it, hope this doesn't offend anyone I just wanted it out that bad. I really hope I start to feel better and that all the symptoms tat I have been having are not all in my head. My symptoms include no menstrual bleeding but instead a viscous cycle of Pms, cramps, headaches and fatigue that never go away. For the past 10 months I,ve had migraines and have been taking imitrex consistently. I don't ever feel like getting out of bed and my 2 oldest kids don't understand why I'm so ill and my youngest 2 1/2 says mommy has a headache, all day long. I'm curious to know if any one else has had migraines or chronic neck pain? Thanks.

I'm so glad I found this site! I thought I was going crazy! I got my mirena inserted about 2 months ago, and I feel horrible! I cramped severely when they were putting it in, after they put it in, and still now. I have really sharp pains every now and then that almost completely takes me to my knees. I've been moody, my l sex drive is shot, I have no energy, I'm bloated ALL the time, and I can't seem to loose any weight what so ever! I was previously on depo provera and experienced weight gain so that's one of the reasons why my doctor changed me to the mirena. I have not had any children yet. I thought maybe that was why I was experiencing such horrible cramps. I also, can feel it in me. My doctor asks as if I'm crazy too when I've told him what I'm experiencing. I am going this morning to see a new doctor. I know my body and there is something wrong! And the more I read these blogs the more I'm convened that it IS THE MIRENA!!! I'm just so glad that I'm not the only one experiencing these same side effects and that I'm not insane.

Thank god tomorrow at 3:50 this devil device is been removed!!! I've had it since April even then I wanted it taken out I bleed very heavily for about a month I stopped then every 2&3 days I'd spot I hated it, it was like the bleeding was my birth control alone so I made an appt to have it removed by the time my appt came a few days later the bleeding stopped and my discomfort with it went away a I decided to give it a shot for a lil longer I mean who doesn't want 5 year birth control and just 18 don't need anymore lol so it went alright for a month or so then I started feeling bloated but I thought it was just me maybe gaining weight another thing is I always want some kind of snack a little after I ate a meal like if I'm always hungry and I know before I got pregnant I'd be like that sometimes before my period but since I don't get it anymore I don't know why I'm like that and then it's be just a couple days when I'd want to munch on things and I just feel not normal to not get my period and I think that's why most have gained weight with the mirena is because instead of it flushing out of your body every months it stays and builds up causing the bloated feeling. Another thing is last week for about 3 nights straight I couldn't sleep because of "hot flashes"!!!I was like what in the world!! And maybe the next day or 2 was when I woke up with the worst cramps omg they were horrible they literally felt like contractions and they lasted a little more than an hour I had to call in my job. I called the doctors office told them the problem and she said my doc would prescribe me Motrin I was like are u kidding me but anyway she also said last month I called around the same time of month that I was having trouble with it so I guess every month when I should be getting those horrible cramps so I'm not going to wait and see any longer I called a couple days later and me an appt to get it taken out I read so many horror stories the last couple days that the long term birth control is not worth screwing your body over in the end so yea I'm going to try the pill and see how that goes.

I suffered with pre-menopausal symptoms for 2 years before having the Mirena inserted in May 2007. My symptoms included bad menstrual cramping, heaving bleeding, hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness and lack of libido. But since having the Mirena all those symptoms have gone away. My OBGYN is using it for Hormone Replacement because I am too young (34 yrs old) to have menopause. I felt a lot better after about 3 months, I still have some side effects like hand numbness (mostly when I wake up in the morning or at night). Every couple of months I have some mild break through bleeding and I have PMS symptoms before it happens. I would have gone crazy without Mirena. I do have 1 symptom that I haven't heard anyone mention. Increased bladder infections, I don't know if this is caused by the Mirena or maybe its something else. If anyone has had this symptom can you post it?

Just an update from some of my previous posts. As back ground, I had a need for birth control beginning about a year and a half ago. It was time for my annual anyway, so I asked my OB/GYN of over 20 years what my options were. He mentioned that there were two pills for women "of my age" (42 at the time)...Yaz and Loestrin 24FE. He mentioned that he had heard less about libido issues from his patients on the Loestrin, so I opted for that. 5 months into it, I had an episode of I'm not sure what...felt like I was having a stroke...rush of heat, extreme dizziness, headache the next day...went to my GP on Monday and found out that my BP was slight elevated (I'm normally on the low side) but what was alarming was that my cholesterol was way up and my blood sugar was off the charts. Although high cholesterol runs in my family, no one has ever had any blood sugar issues. Stopped taking the pill right away, retested my sugar in two weeks and it was back to normal.

My OB/GYN said NO NO NO, no more pills...let's try an IUD. two months later, went back since I had my next cycle and I got the Mirena. I spotted for like a month and a half straight. Lots of bloating, headaches. As the months progressed, I started having anxiety issues (again, never happened before), had severe cystic acne (always had good skin), bloating to the point that I looked the way I did when I was 5 months pregnant, headaches every single day, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, complete inability to concentrate, mental fog, insomnia and my libido was in the toilet.

Went back for my annual in Feb and had it removed (I had it for 5 months at this point). Dr was wonderful, said that he had been hearing of these side effects more and more from his patients. He said that we'd give my body a break and then consider a Paragard with my next cycle. I feel the fog lift before I get to the parking lot. Next cycle never came. Hot flashes and heart pulps start in March. Gets worse and worse. Have my hormone levels tested...they indicate post-menopausal. Have the blood work repeated first week of June...confirmed post-menopausal at the age of 43. No family history of this. Start on an estrogen patch and within 2 weeks start feeling a lot better, flashes gone. Am taking Prometrium 10 days each month to protect against uterine issues. At day 8 I really start getting dizzy. I am obviously very sensitive to any progesterone although this natural version is more tolerable.

From the time I had the Mirena out, however, ALL my side effects are gone except that my vision is still worse...having my annual eye exam in 2 weeks. The concentration issues, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety...all that GONE. Libido is almost back. Very distinct diminishing of symptoms once the Mirena was removed.

If Mirena works for you, that's great. It's good at least that you are aware of issues others have had so that if it happens to you, you know that it could be the Mirena, contrary to what some doctors say. My doctor has been wonderful and never doubted me. I wish everyone had such a doctor! Just trust your intuition and take care of yourself. No sense jeopardizing your health, relationships, etc just to maintain this type of birth control. I apparently don't need birth control any more....not certain why I blitzed through menopause so fast...could be related to the hormonal assault on my body in the past year between the pill and the Mirena.

Bottom line, take care of yourselves and don't be dismissed if you feel that something is just not right!!

Hi, I just got the Mirena back in April and I have had nothing but problems from the get go. First they had trouble inserting the Mirena so instead of 5 minutes it took more like 20 minutes....by the time they got finished I started sweating really bad. I went to stand up and almost passed out. They laid me on a bed, put an ice pack behind my neck and gave me water. They checked my blood pressure and it was VERY low. 15 minutes later my blood pressure still wasn't coming back up so I was not allowed to leave. They started telling me that some people's bodies go into a form of shock and that was probably what happened and they were worried about my blood pressure not coming back up and possibly having to take me over to the emergency in order to get my blood pressure back up. Well about ten minutes later they finally get my blood pressure back up to normal so they finally let me leave their office. I get out to my vehicle and all of a sudden I feel like I am fixing to pass out again. I laid down and called a friend to come and pick me up. I kept an ice pack on the back of my neck for another 30 minutes while resting before I finally felt better again. A couple hours later came the pain. Very bad pain that lasted for the next two weeks and I am usually a person that can take pain. Finally the pain eased up after that and now I only get pain once in a while but here I am 3 months later and I am still bleeding. I feel tired all the time, I've had a lot of migraines, it is painful during sex sometimes, my sex drive has almost totally vanished and my energy level is almost at 0. I have also been experiencing stomach problems and a bloated feeling. I am EXTREMELY tired all the time. I never feel like I get a good nights sleep. I have also been experiencing hair loss but I didn't know if that was from the Mirena or not until I started reading posts on here. Now my bleeding is slowly getting worse the past few weeks. Not only am I bleeding still but now it is coming out in little clots too. Now I am getting worried so I have made an appointment to go back in. I came on here hoping I can find someone that has had the same problem so I wouldn't have to worry until the appointment. Its really disgusting and I am so sick of having this mirena in already.

Good luck to those of you that haven't already experienced these same side effects already......

I GOT MIRENA IN ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS AGO AND WELL I AM NOW SUFFERING FROM THE SAME SYMPTOMS THAT ALL THESE OTHER WOMEN DESCRIBED. I HAVE PAIN THAT COMES AND GOES IN MY ABDOMINAL AREA, I FEEL TIRED ALL THE TIME, IRRITABLE, DEPRESSED, HEADACHES, BAD CONSTIPATION, WEIGHT GAIN, HAIR FALLING OUT, AND BLOATED SO BAD THAT I LOOK LIKE IM 5 MONTHS PREGO. IT SUCKS I FEEL LIKE I AM GOING INSANE TO THE POINT WHERE I CANT EVEN STAND MYSELF, I DON'T KNOW HOW MY HUSBAND DOES IT. OH AND TO TOP IT OFF 1 MONTH 1/2 INTO HAVING IT I HAD TERRIBLE PELVIC PAIN I COULD NOT EVEN WALK, AND SO I WENT TO DR. AND THEY SAID THAT I MIGHT HAVE A CYST SO NOW I HAVE TO GET AN ULTRA SOUND TO C IF IT IS A CYST OR NOT. UP UNTIL TODAY I DIDN'T CONNECT MY SYMPTOMS WITH THE MIRENA EXCEPT FOR WEIGHT GAIN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CYSTS. THEN I WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND OF MINE THAT WAS CONSIDERING THE MIRENA AS WELL AND SHE MENTIONED IT TO HER AUNT WHO HAD IT AND HER AUNT TOLD HER NOT TO GET IT AND TLD HER HOW THE MIRENA IS THE PORTAL TO HELL. SHE CALLED ME TLD ME ABOUT IT AND WELL THEN I STARTED TO LOOK FOR OTHER WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES AND THAT IS HOW I CAME ONTO THIS PAGE, AND OTHERS ALL WITH NOTHING BUT THE SAME COMPLAINS. MAYBE 1 OR 2 GOOD EXPERIENCES BUT THE REST WERE BAD. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT ON 7-21-08 TO HAVE IT REMOVED AND GET BACK ON THE PILL THAT I WAS TAKING FOR ALMOST 9 YRS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH. I CANT WAIT FOR MONDAY TO COME. I WILL LET U ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL AND HOW MY LIFE CHANGES AFTER I GET IT REMOVED. UNTIL THEN ALL I CAN SAY IS DON'T GET MIRENA ITS THE PORTAL SO HELL!!!

Here is my Mirena Story.

I was 6 weeks post partum....I had mirena inserted...it was very painful and I was not warned about that.
About a week later I noticed yellowing in the whites of my eyes which I thought could be coming from a iron def. since I just gave birth. So I made sure I was eating well and taking vitamins. I also had severe itching at night especially on my ankles and legs. Oh and sex drive was gone. It was fine the 6 weeks after birth but as soon as mirena was in it was gone!!! I went to the doctor about a month after insertion and asked to have it removed, of course my doc said it couldn't be iud causing my problems...come back in a month...So I did....within this month I started having severe anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks, to the point were I actually thought I was loosing my mind. Of course again the doc told me that it wasn't iud and prescribed me an antidepressant which I reluctantly excepted. I'm not depressed...my life was perfect before mirena!!! I finally went back for the third time and decided I wasn't leaving until somebody took this thing out of me!

Here is a list of other side effects that I had/still have!!

acne
migraines
extreme lower back pain
numbness and tingling in hands and feet
vision problems
fogginess
An ADHD type feeling
inability to focus or concentrate
extreme fatigue
feeling of throat closing up
heart racing and palpitations
night sweats
sinusitus
dizziness and light headiness
headache

The problem here is that the doctors don't even know how extreme these side effects can be and they keep telling us that it's not the mirena. PLEASE trust your instinct.....I wanted to trust my doctor but I knew in my heart what was causing my problems...I am only 1 week post mirena and I am still having a lot of my problems but I can tell a difference. DON'T LET IT GET OUT OF HAND....TAKE IT OUT!!!!

DON'T GET MIRENA...IT MAY WORK WELL FOR SOME...BUT IN MY OPINION IT IS NOT WORTH THE CHANCE THAT THESE HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS COULD HAPPEN.....HAD I BEEN INFORMED PROPERLY I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD MIRENA INSERTED!!

Good Luck Ladies!!

Read my symptoms first; at the bottom it will tell you how long I had the IUD and the time line of the symptoms.

constant pelvic discomfort
(sometimes to the point where Advil usage doesn't even help)
("zaps" or "pings" of pain...light lightening bolts)
almost constant bleeding
(sometimes with clots - in differing sizes)
(coloring can be bright red to burgundy and brown)
(odor from the bleeding is very noticeable)
immediate weight gain
(this includes severe abdominal protrusion)
(I belly dance, & the costume I had just worn 2 weeks prior to insertion no longer fit)
severe swelling of the extremities
(hands usually do swell in hot weather, however, I've never had my feet and lower legs swell up like this - I had elephant feet/legs)
immediate acne issues
(my skin is always clear except for a few during my period)
moodiness
brain fog
(I'm a bookkeeper, & I noticed an immediate problem with my making stupid mistakes or taking longer than normal to resolve usual issues in this regard)
clumsiness
(could be attributed to the brain fog)
breast tenderness
(feels like someone's constantly squeezing/poking them)
movement of the IUD
(I could feel that it was out of position; it was more on my right side and caused ALOT of discomfort)

Here's the kicker, ladies. This was all within 1 WEEK of USE.

I demanded removal of this nasty thing & the GYN office refused.
After two more weeks of hell, I insisted, & they finally removed it.

This is what I experienced AFTER the removal:
Immediate relief in my pelvic area, BUT, still having pelvic pain.
INTENSE bleeding & clotting. To the point where I bled through my clothing at work (yes, I was using tampons & heavy pads).
The GYN's office didn't seem concerned; they said this was my body's "normal" reaction. (yeah, right). I finally stopped bleeding a good 5+ days later.
Even more breast tenderness.
Weight gain/bloat has not gone away. (I'm quite active)
Still experiencing brain fog.
Acne is starting to dissipate.

I have a ****** Group set up to shout to the world about this horrid device; look for: mirenajustsayno

Report your experience directly to Mirena; they have a contact # to report an "Adverse Reaction". From there, file a report with the varying health organizations.

On another note, I also had several ultrasounds done at the GYN's office prior to the insertion. The DR stated I had no ovarian cysts, no fibroids, BUT, my uterus was overly large. I sounded at a 10 as opposed to the usual 8. I was told it didn't matter, that I was a good candidate. He also stated that I had "a little endo".
(The reason for my use was to control the heavy bleeding during my period, along with the severe cramps.)

Well, I had some ultrasounds done at the hospital late last week, about 10 days after the removal of the Mirena. This is the result:
irregular complex cyst on my left ovary
unusually thickened uterine wall (no other explanation other than it was thicker than average)
It was noted that the series needs to be repeated.
(I'm assuming they want to look deeper)
Note that I have not resolved whether or not there was any perforation from the IUD moving out of place; the GYN never ran an ultrasound to verify it - they just did a regular exam & told me "it was still in my uterus". (that exam initiated severe bleeding for several days as well)

Good luck and let me know how you're doing!

And, yes, I do have several friends that LOVE their Mirena.

I had Mirena inserted in August 2007. I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure, and the doctor had to take me off of NuvaRing because of the connection of the hormones in birth control and HBP. My Gyno said that Mirena was very low hormone and would not affect my BP. Since I have been on Mirena, my BP has stabilized, but now I get dizzy spells, often, and I constantly have a headache. I also have cramping, sometimes very severe. I have gained ten pounds, and I have bad acne. I work out religiously and eat very healthy. I kept wondering how I gained this weight, and couldn't get it off, until I found this website. Also, I have never had an acne problem, and at 31 years old, I don't think I should have the skin of a sixteen year old, especially because I had perfect skin at 16. I found this website because I was having spotting, again, tonight, so I decided to GOOGLE the phrase "Mirena Side Effects." The spotting is not unusual since I have had the Mirena. It is one of the side effects that I experience regularly, especially after intercourse. Intercourse has been a problem, too. I have been married, happily, for ten years, and our sex life was great until I had the Mirena put in. Now, I don't want my husband to touch me, and I have even told him several times, since having the Mirena implanted, that I want a divorce. I think this has to do with the physical and emotional changes that I have had since getting Mirena. I have thought about having it removed, but I am finally starting my career after staying home with my three children. So I am torn because I don't want to get pregnant. My husband has said several times that he thinks that the Mirena has caused the problems in our marriage, and after seeing what others have to say, I am sure he is right. Although I have been thinking the same thing for months. Just a couple more points to make: Like some of the other woman, I have insomnia. When I had the Mirena inserted, I think I experienced TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) because I had an extreme pain where it was place, followed by immense dizziness, nausea, blurred vision and a rushing sensation in my face and head. When I went to get a checkup, I was told that the Mirena was "lost," and the doctor had to do an ultrasound to locate it. I have lower back pain and strong, period-like cramps. And I have an irregular period with spotting throughout the month. (It is getting expensive having to buy new panties all the time.) I think that I have made my decision to have the Mirena removed.

I decided late 2006 that I was tired of the pill. I'm in my early 30's and I wanted something easier... After what I considered a good deal of research, I discussed it with my doctor and he highly recommended Mirena. We've always had a very good dr-patient relationship, and I've never had reason to not trust his opinion. He warned me the insertion could be painful (I had a LEEP procedure a year earlier), and he said I could have headaches. I've always had headaches, so I could live with that.
The insertion hurt horribly! They had to dilate me manually, and it hurt so much I though I was going to pass out. I had the worst cramps, like post childbirth cramps, even Vicodin did not help. After the cramps went away, I had heavy spotting (more than a pantyliner, but not enough for a tampon or pad). The spotting lasted for 4.5 months! I called the dr and they said it was my body getting used to it, symptoms stop after the first six months, etc. After the 5th month, the spotting stopped and my periods became very light (2-3 days) but this was short-lived. In the 7th month, I started spotting again, and the spotting would last for 5-7 days. It was disgusting, dark brown and sticky. I called the dr again, and they said it is due to the way the lining of my uterus is affected by the IUD, it's not serious. I also asked about acne. I've never had a problem before, but now I have acne (pimples big enough to scar) on my shoulders, back, and scalp. They said Mirena does not cause acne. My headaches had gone from 2 Advil to a painkiller and sleeping pill in the evening. When I mentioned weight gain, which was quickly attributed to quitting smoking. I did not believe the weight gain was due to quitting smoking, as I replaced smoking with working out. I had started working out everyday, for at least 20 minutes. I know it's not a lot, but it's better than nothing, After 2-3 months of weight gain, I added weight training 2-3 times a week. I also changed my diet to eat smaller, more balanced meals every 3 hours rather than 3 larger meals per day. I started a food journal in case I was sneaking in food I hadn't thought about. My sex drive was gone.... the 4 months of spotting started the downward spiral, but the continuing spotting, weight gain, bloating, and acne didn't help. Eventually the idea of sex disgusted me, how very sad! I noticed that I cry very easily now, and I've even had thoughts of suicide... to the point of planning it out. Even my vision has changed. In the 15 months since getting Mirena, I've gained 25 pounds, went from a size 9 (USA) to a size 14, my back and shoulders have acne scars, and I am depressed.
Thank you... From the bottom of my heart, I thank every one of you who have taken the time to detail your experiences. I finally feel vindicated, that I am not crazy, I'm not lazy, and something is truly WRONG. I'm calling my OBGYN Monday and scheduling the removal.

Having now had the mirena out for almost a year I feel like a different person. I think that generally, hormonal contraceptives do not work for some people, causing mood swings and even suicidal thoughts, acne and painful menstruation. Personally I cannot. I don't see why women should be prepared to put up with such side-effects. If it is causing you problems, get it removed! I had mine for about a year and a half and I can't BELIEVE I waited so long to have it taken out. Only thing is, I still suffer from acne. It is not really bad or even very noticeable, but I had never had acne before(I'm 24) and now I have a kind of roughness on my back and chest and a bit on my face. HOWEVER, I do not suffer from depression, mood swings and cramps in the way I did before. My boyfriend just uses condoms now and although at first it was a bit of a pain, its fine now!

it seems to be scents i have had the mirena i now have on going head aches in the right side of my temple and it stays for one to three days at a time i also have hot flashes through out the days and feel really light headed at times my coil is detached and i feel a lot of pain at times in side my virginia and abdominal area my back iis crazy with pain as well at time in the morning its hard for me to move my hands go numb sometimes and the sun hurts my eyes there is a class sign up and the girls on there have some what the same side effects as mine including weight gain im thinking what are the odds of young women all over the U.S. feeling the same symptoms and only thing linking all of us to geather is this mirena and not to mention the nussusness and major mood swings out of no where

Hello, I'm 30 yrs old and I had the mirena for about 5 yrs. The reason I had it for so long is that I have a auto immune disorder and I thought it was coming from that. But now that i'm listening to everyone else, It's starting to make even more sense. I remember before I got it put in; I didn't experience any problems and I had the immune disorder than but it didn't bother me physically. When my 5 yrs. was up I had it removed and I started to feel much better. What was really dumb is that I had it replaced not knowing that it may be the mirena. Now, I have it in for 3 months now and I feel worser than the first insert. I have high blood pressure now and I never had a problem with that before. My hot flashes has begun after the second insert and I'm having more and more panic attacks now and the only thing that I can do is cry feeling alone and that my family did not understand what i am feeling. I cried to my mom and told her what's wrong with me and I told her it's not the auto-immune disorder because those symptoms only give me dry eyes and nose and other salivary gland problems. I'm having hot flashes and not able to sweat and also feeling bloated even more in my waist line and what tops the cake is that I'm getting pre-cancerous cyst on my cervix now, It's has to be check every month. I told my doctor that maybe it is the mirena and he said no because the hormone only stays below my waist and I said well my cervix is below my waist. My mom said it's the mirena. I'm glad I found this website.

I have had my mirena removed 1 week & a day ago....the demon is gone. Oh my God, I can't believe how back to normal I feel. I thought it would take much longer if not forever. My constant bloat has improved, no more sweats & hot flashes, my back acne is gone & my face/malsma has cleared up...w/ help from bleaching cream. There is hope for all feeling desperate. Just get rid of it. it's not in your head...any ? e-mail ***

Me again...another update...and another question.

So I am now 10 days post-removal. Still no weight loss and still have the acne. My skin appeared to have been clearing up a few days back...then I'm right back where I started. My moodiness seemed to improve...then I woke up this morning just as emotional as ever. I continue to work out like crazy...and on top of 6 evening workouts every week, I also try to get up early and have added in additional morning workouts 2-3 times per week. And still not 1 pound lost. I still look 6 months pregnant. My legs still get swollen in the evenings, but not as severe as they had. And I still feel like I was hit by a bus: I just ache all over, all the time. I had the one period which started on day 2 and ended on day 5...nothing since. So I contacted the previous caregivers I had seen, my midwives, and explained to them what has been going on since last year. (This is the group that first put me in touch with my current OBGYN due to some irregular paps I had several years ago.) So the nurse listens and agrees that my concerns are valid but, as they are a "sister-site" with the jerk GYN, she recommended to call a completely different practice for a 2nd opinion consult. So now I have an appointment with another GYN...but not until the middle of June.

My question is that in reading these posts, it seems like most of you who have this removed are noticing drastic improvement and results within days and weeks. I know this may take time to improve totally over the next few months, but I feel like I should have at least seen something get better by 10 days after! Is anyone else out there having no relief even after removal? I'm almost getting paranoid to the point of wondering if he even took it out of me!

Sorry to vent...thanks for all your support.

PLEASE READ THIS:
******
The Mirena causes the level of synthetic hormones in your body to rise to the level of taking TWO mini-pills a DAY!

Claudia

Wow, had I seen this webpage before last year I would have never had my Mirena put in.... that was April 2007. Since then:
1. I have had constant extreme fatigue, sometimes to the point I feel I am in actual 'pain' just to walk from one end of the house to the other.
2. I have noted a serious increase in gray hair all of a sudden, which does not run in my family on either side.
3. I have had a significant weight gain, and I too appear to be several months along due to the bloating.
4. I have inconsistent rashing that flares up on my face. Seems to be triggered by being in direct sunlight, but it is almost always on my chin area and feels as if my skin is on fire when it happens.
5. I cannot seem to get enough sleep.
6. I cry for absolutely no reason, something of which I never did before.
7. I have had, the past few weeks, had severe pain in my lower back area. I've never had pain like this before down there.
8. I've had numbness in my left foot, but I attributed it to a skating injury, something my trainer said had never happened to any of the other girls before... doctor said it should have healed in a month. It didn't.
9. I have never in my life had acne before, and I think in the past year I've had more zits than I've had my entire lifetime.

That's it for me that I can think of. I have an appointment to have it removed in a few months. I'm done with this thing.

I had mine removed today. Thank god. I was sweating all the time, Hot flashes at night,pains when I had sex with my husband and I was diagnosis with being bipolar. This all started 8 weeks after I got it inserted. I am so glad it is out of me.

I had Mirena inserted 3 1/2 weeks ago. I noticed right away bloating, and hot flashes and immediately started to gain weight. I feel more anxious and depressed than normal, and I started having negative thoughts about myself. Because I was having these symptoms I googled 'mirena/depression' to see if this was normal and I found this site. Now I am scared to stay on this road that many of you have struggled on, for fear that it will continue or get worse.

I've posted previously about my experiences with the Mirena....had it removed Feb 7 after only 5 months due to acne, bloating, low libido, dizziness, heart palpitations, mental fogginess. In the 5 months that I had the Mirena, I had two periods, one that started Dec. 24, 07 and one that started Jan. 17, 08. After the removal, I had 2 days of a light period/spotting and that's it. Multiple negative pregnancy tests but still no period. So I called up my Dr's office and he wanted to run some labs, test my FSH and Estradiol. They said it would be a week to a week and a half....but the nurse called me back this morning! She starts off with "Are you somewhere where you can talk?".....she tells me that an FSH of 34 or higher is considered menopausal...and mine is 107!!! I am 43! So the Dr wants to repeat the test in 6 weeks and then I have a consultation with him a week later. I had been having periods prior to the Mirena, even though they would occasionally come a few days early or a few days late. I am absolutely stunned. I have been having hot flashes at night...not sweats but waking up hot....and I guess that's why the Dr decided to do some labs. I wonder (as I'm sure he is) if this Mirena, and the lack of ovulation, is the reason for this or if I am really menopausal at this point. My Mother did not experience menopause until 49 although I know that does not necessarily mean that it will be the same for me. I am just stunned.

Are hot flashes common with Mirena. One minute I am warm the next I am cold. I had Mirena placed about 6 weeks ago.

Hi I had the Mirena inserted a month ago and The insertion was slightly painful but manageable...that night I had severe cramps sorta like cramps after I had my daughter 8 months ago..
I have not gained any weight...but I have not stopped bleeding in a month staight and not spotting HEAVY bleeding... I alreayd have back problems so I dont see a differance but when I went to the bathroom I notices something on the tissue so I looked and it was a little piece of the string (looks like fishing string) anyways I dont know if thats safe....
My husband is returning froma 15month deployment in Afghanistan and Im still bleeding!! AHH and it has all the period symptoms I feel like I can smell blood all the time@! Grose! Also I am having hot flashes too and I am 22...I also have shakes and my heart beats extremely FAST like Im having a panic attack just happened last nite... After I got on the MIrena I was told I have sebboreha on my face below my nose.. I am a esthetician so this is bad for me ...noone else can see it but I know its there and Ive had perfect skin...

hi, i've had the mirena in for about 14 months. The first 8 months i had constant spotting, nausea, vertigo (dizzy spells), bloating, weight gain and pimples. The spotting has settled down. i still get a period every now and again. the last one i had was really heavy with clotting. I often get sharp pains and cramping in my uterus but no bleeding. I have also had thrush for the last 3 months that wont go away. has anyone else had thrush on the mirena? My back pain is really bad. particularly my left hip. i haven't been able to sleep on my left side for over a year now. Don't know what to do!!

Hi everyone. Just got my mirena removed today. I was taken off birth control pills about 8 years ago due to a tumor in my liver from years of taking BCPs; ex-husband had a V, so bc wasn't an issue. I started perimenopausal symptoms around age 38 (I'm now 45), but they weren't severe and I was as regular as clockwork. About two years ago, I started bleeding very heavily with a lot of clotting for about 9 days at a time, and started every third week, which meant I only had 1 clean week/month. Yuck. My doctors agreed that the discomfort of increased bleeding outweighed the risk of the liver business. I started taking a low-dose progesterone pill. I stopped after just two weeks - I felt horrible. My body knows when something's not right. Then I went on the same estrogen-loaded pill I'd taken for 20 some years. It was great the first few months, and then the headaches began...very intense pain about 4 days before my period. It took me months to figure out they were related to the onset of my period. We agreed the pill wasn't for me. My gyn then suggested the mirena, so I had it inserted in October 2007. I went back to having regular periods, but the spotting increased both before and after my 5 day periods (back to 9-day periods, including spotting), but at least the clotting had decreased. Then a couple months later, I started having headaches, backaches, weight gain, and was feeling very blue. I'm at an incredible time in my life...it just doesn't make sense to be feeling down. The last straw was that my hands and feet started to swell up like crazy. Like some others here, I began to feel like an old (really old) lady! And I am heavier than I've ever been...including when I was pregnant! I went to a ladies' boot camp for five weeks in January, ate a healthy diet, and could not lose weight to save my life. In fact, I think I gained weight! I don't like experiencing the normal aging process, hot flashes, moodiness, etc., but at least those things are a natural part of aging. I'm done with all this hormone business for a while. My gyn has now mentioned Novasure (endometrial ablation). I'm too gun-shy to even think about burning my insides permanently for now, so just going natural for a while. I'll check back to let you know if my condition improves. Thanks for posting everyone!

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

i am a 25 year old wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls
i have had my Mirena for 2 years now and i have a list of symptoms that a lot of you have as well:
mood swings
insomnia, yet tired during the day
acne
weight gain
MARJOR vaginal dryness (makes sex unpleasant)
NO SEX DRIVE
headaches daily
hot flashes
heartburn
dizziness
at my 1 year check up i told my doctor that i had a lack of sex drive and he told me it was normal for tired moms. since then i thought it was just me. in the last month i began to search online to see if it could be anything else. while on web md i found that most of my symptoms we matched up with menopause. could this thing make my mind think i am going through menopause?? i have an appointment with my gyno next month. i am printing off this site to prove it is not just me. i really like the positive effects, no pregnancy, no need to remember a pill everyday, and periods.After reading this site i don't know what i am going to do. i hate the side effects, but it has been so good at preventing pregnancy. basically what is going through my mind right now is, "is the Mirena worth it?"

I want this thing out of me! I've had this thing (Mirena) put in about a month ago and been feeling like crap ever since. I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 16 years old and I am now 29. Cause of this condition I have had 4 laparoscopic surgeries. With a little hope and faith I had 2 beautiful kids (girl and boy) and now I am done my family. Cause of the endo I have heavy periods and cramping. I've been trying to convince my doctor's to give me a hysterectomy, but won't cause I am too young and maybe I'm not done my family. I AM DONE MY FAMILY!! I keep on telling them, but they want to try drugs, drugs and more drugs. So they put in this iud (Mirena) and THEN give me the list of side effects. Like, holy shit!! Well since that day I have had nausea, cramping ( like they weren't bad enough before), heartburn, mood swings, hot flashes, dizzy spells, and pain during sex. What the heck is going on?? I guess I wasn't in enough pain before all of this. Well give it a week they say, give a month they say, well I am tired of it. Something will get done once and for all.