Mirena Tingling in Arms and Legs, Sore Stomach, Depression Anxiety, Bladder Infection, Tingling in Arms
Posted over a year ago
I had my Mirena inserted about 4 months ago and I have felt like I'm falling apart ever since. I have experienced the following symptoms: numbness/tingling in arms and legs, EXTREME fatigue, depression, anxiety, acne on back, my hair is thinner, ... more »
I had my Mirena inserted about 4 months ago and I have felt like I'm falling apart ever since. I have experienced the following symptoms: numbness/tingling in arms and legs, EXTREME fatigue, depression, anxiety, acne on back, my hair is thinner, bloating, sore stomach, lower back pain, etc. Most recently, I have had a lot of heartburn and my voice is kind of hoarse. Also, when I went to the doctor, they did a urine test and found that I have a trace of blood in my urine. Along with this I feel like I need to pee all the time, but I seem to have no bladder infection. I am fed up with this device and feeling like total crap all of the time. I have no energy and can't seem to get enough sleep. The only thing good about this thing is that I don't have a period. Of course, my doctor swears all of these symptoms can't possibly be due to the Mirena, but I don't see how it could all be coincidental. Please let me know if anyone else is experiencing these weird symptoms like the bladder issue or the heartburn/hoarseness.
Red1964 - I did not have any bladder symptoms during the 5 months that I had the Mirena but I did have the tingling, fatigue, anxiety, acne and bloating that you describe. I've had lower back pain on and off since I had it removed in Feb....not sure what that is about. No doubt in my mind, and, as you have read, the minds of others on this site, that your side effects are due to the Mirena. Not everyone can tolerate it well....seems that many of us have had some pretty scary side effects.
Rose33 - I am 32 and have had the mirena since end of FEB 2008. The past few months I have spotted at least 14-16 days out of the month with (I guess) a heavier flow for approx. 3-4 days of my period. I suppose this will taper off soon. The side effect that has recently become UNMANAGEABLE is the bloating. I am a former fitness competitor and although I understand that with any form of birth control medication there is the occasional bloat due to the water retention this is UNREAL. I am easily 7-10 lbs bloated full of water! I am small framed at a normal weight of 104 I am approximately 116ish!! I am getting it removed.
1goofball - Hi ALL. Thank God I have read these amazing situations that Mirena has caused for everyone. I seriously thought that I was going insane. Alot of the systems that everyone is having is what I am currently going through. I have deppression, anxiety, headaches, my hands fall asleep at night that wakes me up (if I am lucky enough to get a whole nights sleep). I am tired all the time and can't seem to stay focused. I also have broken out with these insanely itchy blotches on my back, chest, shoulders and now on my neck and scalp. It is keeping me from wanting to get undressed and I am embarrassed to undress in front of my little girl cause she notices it. I have had this stupid mistake put in 2006. I am calling to set up an appointment to have it removed first thing in the morning. Thank you all for this input. I will let you guys know how it turns out. My bet is that it can only go up from here.
Mirena1 - I had the Mirena put in May'08. I've noticed increased acne, cramping in my legs, and spotting. I am also dealing with symptoms of bladder infections, however, there is no infection. My OBGYN says there is no correlation between the Mirena and my bladder problems, however, the urologist said that the Mirena could cause problems to other organs around the uterus (including the bladder). He stated it could be traumatic to our bodies, causing muscles in our pelvic area to tighten, nerve damage, etc. My OB diagnosed me with Interstitial Cystitis, a disease of the bladder lining that is without a cure, but my urologist didn't buy off on this and so now I'm having other tests done to make sure it's not bladder cancer, etc. Again, my urologist believes it's related to the Mirena. All I know is that I didn't have bladder problems until I had the Mirena inserted, which was the most painful experience aside from giving birth to my children! After reading the postings on this website, I'm definitely removing this device from my body ASAP! Good luck to all of you women who have had similar experiences. I pray that our bodies will return to some sense of normalcy.
Susan39 - I also had bladder issues with the Mirena. It was apparent to me that the Mirena was causing a lot of extra anxiety, but within a few weeks I started having bladder issues as well. I felt like I had a UTI, went through 2 courses of antibiotics with no relief. A culture revealed no infection. I have the Mirena removed about a week and a half ago and I am still having bladder issues, though slightly improved. I am hoping that once my hormones even out, the symptoms will disappear. Has anyone else had bladder issues?
Trinny - hi! I am from Eastern Europe, and I'm glad I've found this website. I have bladder issues since inserting Mirena. It was terrible to me as I thought I am going crazy and making up all those symptoms. I had some infections and bacteria in my bladder but after taking antibiotics I did culture it revealed no bacteria! but my bladder is still burning, aching and I feel hard pressure like I need to pee all the time. It doesn't allow me to concentrate and next week I am going to remove it. On the producer's website there is nothing about UTI, however it seems to me that it is a common side effect. a lot of doctors do not realize how nerveracking it can be. it's not really pain, sympoms are similar to IC.
Trinny - oh, and my urologist told me that I should give the Mirena a chance and wait more until my body adjusts to it but I cannot wait any longer as it seems to me that the more time passes the worse it will be to return to previous state. I am not blaming anyone for that, I am just blaming Mirena producers for not including UTI and bladder issues on the list of the side effects. Come on ! it is terrible for us women and they should have included it. I lost time searching for bacteria that do not exist in my bladder. Now I am afraid that after removing it will take 3 months to return to full health. Bladder lining is a very delicate thing and it will take some time- how to work? how to live? In my country Mirena is NOT covered by national health service. Such a pity.
Shelby2 - I haven't had the best experience with Mirena the first few months but things have setteled out. There has been one weird thing that has happened to me. The past 3 months I have been really hoarse. I don't really have symptoms of reflux so I went to and ENT. He scoped my thorat and nose 2 times and each time my larynx was really swollen. I don't drink, smoke and have never done drugs. There were no cysts or anything odd on my thorat to cause concern for cancer. The only thing so far we can come up with is silent indigestion. In my mind the ONLY thing different lately is the insertion of my Mirena about 4 months ago. Does this sound off the wall? I would love to know you all think. My dr. seemed to just blow off that as a possible culprit. I am at a loss. I just don't feel symptoms of reflux and indigestion. I have been on Nexium for a week now and so far nothing has changed. Makes me worry. Grabbing at straws. Anyone have any thoughts?
TIA!
Shelby in Texas
Mdudek86 - Hi Shelby!!!
I just had Mirena implanted yesterday!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me. So far, nothing unusual I guess, some cramping, bleeding, bloating etc. that I hope will go away. Feel sore, and a little nausious. BUT I did notice that my voice was very raspy this morning upon waking up!!!!! I never have a horse voice, I don't drink or smoke and it feels like something is blocking me from swallowing. We'll see what happens. I'll post in a few weeks....
Martha in Arizona
Katarina71 - I was diagnosed with Interstititial Cystitis also, with symptoms that began exactly when I was inserted in Jan 08. The first few months adjusting to the Mirena were rough, but since then,it's been fine other than the IC. Now I am wondering if the Mirena caused the IC and if it will go away when removed? My calves have been throbbing and swollen, so think my body just doesn't work with any hormones at all, and IC can be caused by hormonal changes! All you people who have mysterious UTI's that are hard to diagnose - thik interstitial cystitis. I never would have figured it out except my gyno coincidently happened to be a IC specialist. Easily controlled symptoms if you know what to look for.
Nomirenableck - When I heard and read about Mirena I thought "my dreams have come true! BC I don't have to even think about? Sign me up!" I got it inserted on December 17 2010, and by Dec 21st, I experienced a horrible panic attack, and have had them almost constantly ever since. I've had terrible amounts of weight gain, 20 POUNDS! to be exact, since my son was born, acne has gotten worse, HORRIBLE headaches and migraines, mind fog/disassociation/trouble concentrating, extreme exhaustion (I mean, I can 'sleep' 8 hours and still feel like I haven't slept at all, and it's like that all the time), lower back pain, blurred vision and spots in my eyes, depression and mood swings...and a scary new symptom of numbness in my left lower leg and foot. I can't sleep it's so bad :( It's horrible. I am calling the doctor first thing tomorrow morning and getting this terrible thing removed. My experience sucked, and I hope no one else has to go through the same thing. It's not worth the "anxiety-free" sex, and I hope it doesn't take to long to get this gunk out of my system. I need to find something else, this form of birth control was a nightmare. They need to do more studies on this stuff.
Fee36 - Wow. Reading all of these posts really scare me. I have had the Mirena for 3 1/2 years with no problems. It has been excellent until lately. All of a sudden I have been having tingling and numbness in my feet and half of my hands. My period has been gone for 3 years and I got it two months ago. And my vision has been blurry also. I don't drink or do drugs or anything. This is just weird and out of the blue but after I read some responses I am seeing that people are experiencing numbness also, which is nerve damage. Has anyone else had the nerve damage too?????
Chryseis - My only issue is that it's quite hard to differentiate between symptoms that would have occurred anyway - e.g. a UTI could still be caused by bacteria being introduced to the bladder due to sexual intercourse. Depression and anxiety could be caused by other external factors. Sleeplessness could be attributed to other causes such as stress in work, and ironically, stress due to exhaustion. That being said, I think not enough is known about the interactions of hormones within the body - e.g. the effects on "mental" hormones such as serotonin by introducing an artificial source of hormones. The female body is so complicated, and set at such a delicate balance, that I think contraceptives is really like trying to fill a cup with a firehose.
Emclella - I'm so glad I found this blog. I have wicked anxiety attacks all the time, depression, mood swings, Heavy bleeding all month long with only 3 day windows 2x a month for sex which is extremely frustrating for both hubby and I. We both turned 40 this year and I have started the "change". My Doctor had recommended this to stop my constant bleeding but I was really scared to do it. My hormones are already out of whack, I get UTI's easily, I'm over weight now, can't afford to gain more (at 204lbs and need to lose it!) My acne is not bad but I do have it, maybe 2-3 zits a week, Headaches all the time and I am extremely tired all the time which partially has to do with the fact that I'm anemic, now taking iron pills for that. I don't concentrate well now, can't focus and after reading all your posts above I have decided to listen to my thoughts about this and NOT have it inserted... I'm just going to deal with the obnoxious bleeding and use my 2 sets of 3 day windows for lots of sex since that is all I have available to me. It really sucks but I'm listening to all of you and what you are going through and have decided I'm already doing those things without birth control of any kind and I don't need more issues on top of it.... I'm so glad I read up on it, thank you to all of you for posting! I truly appreciate being aware before I go through with any kind of procedure!
Branm - I had Mirena inserted in 2005 I really had no problems. I had no periods or anything. I felt fine. I decided after my 5 years I would get the old out and have a new one put in Doctor couldn't get mine out in the office had to be put to sleep to get a new one in. A week after having my new one in March of 2010 I started having these shock sharp pain in lower part of my stomach and my feet at the same time really painful feeling that comes and goes. I started feeling really nervous all the time Panic attacks, Alot of anxiety, depression tingling in my arms and legs I feel like am falling apart. I have night sweats really bad. I'm 31. I also feel like I have to urinate alot. Sometimes I feel like I have a uti and I don't. I wonder since I have no periods at all not a single spot I wonder if its putting me into early menapause. I also wonder if they could of changed anything in the iud from the first time using it 2005 from 2010. Any information would be helpful.
Kmartell - Hi!
Thanks for all of your input. I have Mirena and been having bladder infection symptoms for 3 weeks, cultures were negative, but MD still put me on antibiotics (which I reluctantly took). AS I suspected, this did not improve my symptoms. I started thinking that it could be the Mirena, because I have had less severe bladder pressure in previous months around the time I was supposed to start my period. Went to the MD today, who took it out, and said that because my uterus is tilted to the left, the IUD may have been causing irritation in my bladder. I am just praying that this constant pressure eventually goes away...its making me think i am crazy. I am upset that there are this many people who have had the exact same symptoms but there is no warning from the drug company....and therefore no MD wants to believe that it could be causing this.
Elizgall - Omg now im starting to feel better and not think im going insane...i had the mirena put in 2010 the only side affect i had at the time was cramping on my left lower abdomen until recently..about a month ago i started getting the urge to urinate even after going to the bathroom i would still have to go back because it felt like i didnt empty it out all the way...so i got put on antibiotics and felt a little better but then the problem wad still is happenening but it hasn't been as bad as before...i have been doing kegels while i use the restroom..but aside from that I've been moody, tired, wanting to do anything, no sex drive, abdominal pain.so many different feelings..i think I'm going to get it removed and see if this will fix the problem.
Saemarke - I had mine put in Dec 2008. I thought everything was fine until today. I just ordered a hormone home test kit and asked the provider if I was able to get accurate results with the Mirena in, they were the ones who pointed me in the direction of more research. Now that Im reading possible side effects Im realizing just how much I've been dealing with in the past several years and didnt ever link it to Mirena, now its a consideration. Im serving over seas and wont be home til May but the first thing Im doing it having it removed. I have recently had my back feel numb, I reached behind me for the blanket and brushed up against my bare back and that is how I realized it was numb, my arms and hands have experienced numbness and tingling on occasion, my weight has gone up 20lb and Im working very hard to decrease it but all that is happening is Im not gaining more. My vision is weaker on most days and I bought reading glasses for the first time. Im 45 and most of these things can be explained away including the weight gain and fatigue especailly sicne I'm serving now and everyday is filled with stressors. I had a 4 week long period a couple of years ago, I saw the doctor and had the Mirena scoped to make sure it was in the proper place and neither of the medical professionals I saw ever mentioned that it could be the fact that I have it not just that it may have moved. There are so many little things that I've been dealing with and finding new ways to treat them when all along it might just be this Mirena. I hate the idea that I did this to myself. Well, the hormone test will indicate many things, a saliva test is the best as hormones cling to blood and a blood test wont give you accurate levels. Best of luck ladies and keep researching as its often only us who find the answers for our bodies. I should have gotten the oblation after all but insurance covered the Mirena. URGH!
Saemarke - I had mine put in Dec 2008. I thought everything was fine until today. I just ordered a hormone home test kit and asked the provider if I was able to get accurate results with the Mirena in, they were the ones who pointed me in the direction of more research. Now that Im reading possible side effects Im realizing just how much I've been dealing with in the past several years and didnt ever link it to Mirena, now its a consideration. Im serving over seas and wont be home til May but the first thing Im doing it having it removed. I have recently had my back feel numb, I reached behind me for the blanket and brushed up against my bare back and that is how I realized it was numb, my arms and hands have experienced numbness and tingling on occasion, my weight has gone up 20lb and Im working very hard to decrease it but all that is happening is Im not gaining more. My vision is weaker on most days and I bought reading glasses for the first time. Im 45 and most of these things can be explained away including the weight gain and fatigue especailly sicne I'm serving now and everyday is filled with stressors. I had a 4 week long period a couple of years ago, I saw the doctor and had the Mirena scoped to make sure it was in the proper place and neither of the medical professionals I saw ever mentioned that it could be the fact that I have it not just that it may have moved. There are so many little things that I've been dealing with and finding new ways to treat them when all along it might just be this Mirena. I hate the idea that I did this to myself. Well, the hormone test will indicate many things, a saliva test is the best as hormones cling to blood and a blood test wont give you accurate levels. Best of luck ladies and keep researching as its often only us who find the answers for our bodies. I should have gotten the oblation after all but insurance covered the Mirena. URGH!
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