Mirena Mirena Iud, Dizziness Blurred Vision, Loss of Appetite, Mood Swings, Side Effect Profile
Posted over a year ago
First of all, a big thanks to all of you who have shared your experiences. I am a biochemist, with a background in pharmaceutical research...I chose the Mirena IUD after careful consideration of it's active ingredient, Levonorgestrel. The side effect ... more »
First of all, a big thanks to all of you who have shared your experiences. I am a biochemist, with a background in pharmaceutical research...I chose the Mirena IUD after careful consideration of it's active ingredient, Levonorgestrel. The side effect profile seemed pretty acceptable...until I started to experience nearly ALL of them...I am 33 years old and had the Mirena IUD placed in October of 2008 after the birth of my second child in June of 2008. The initial reaction was to be expected...cramping, a little spotting etc...nothing to be alarmed about. I still have yet to have a period (which I really don't miss so no problem there) I never gave a second thought to this until now...for the past month or so (coinciding with the weening process, since I have been nursing the entire time, I believe the side effects were not as noticeable) I have been experiencing the following (that may or may not be related to Mirena as my OBGYN has so adamantly pointed out, but after reviewing your posts I'm willing to bet they're connected) and are in order of occurrence: Major, but temporary, hair loss after 2 months or so; Major respiratory infection lingering over a month with difficulty breathing, tightness and pain in the chest at around 6 mos; And in the past month, several instances of motion-like sickness/ nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, major impatience/ mood swings, loss of appetite (pregnancy-like symptoms...yep, I was thinking man I'd be pretty pissed if I was that 0.01% pregnant statistic), and as of this past weekend, my first aurora migraine with tunnel vision and serious nausea and vomiting, to the point where I went to Urgent Care...who referred me to the ER...who wants to perform a battery of tests including a head CT. I have an appointment with a trusted GP tomorrow to discuss possible root causes...but it is to coincidental that so many women are experiencing these same symptoms! I am certainly leaning towards having this removed. CAN THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HAD THIS REMOVED PLEASE RESPOND IF YOUR SYMPTOMS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OR WERE RESOLVED!!! THANK YOU!
These side effects seem to go well beyond a 5% rate of incidence according to all of you who have reported. I will investigate further and keep everyone posted. As someone who is highly experienced in the pharmaceutical industry, you bet your a$$ I'm going to get to the bottom of this! Good luck ladies!
Red1964 - My symptoms started improving right away! Some took longer than others but the bloating, headache, all over pain...almost immediately. The dizziness took a few weeks...the blurry vision took longer. The one thing that didn't "resolve" is that my period did not return and I went into menopause prematurely (at 43). I only had the thing for 5 months and everything was fine prior to the Mirena. It took 3 months from removal to when my hot flashes started. If you didn't have the symptoms pre-Mirena, and they go away after removal then to me, it's the Mirena!! Although I know with a post-partum period of time, it was probably harder for you to identify what was Mirena and what was post-partum. Good luck, to me this contraption was not worth it!!
Isabell320 - Thank you for your post!!! I have been through the same as you!! I cannot beleive that you had an auroua migrane!!! I had one of those last month!! I freaked out and went to my eye doctor, he calmed me down and explained it was by stressed, or something i ate with msg. he dilated my eyes and said I was fine. I have blurred vision, dizziness ,swelling in my hip and leg muscle. please don't worry , I have been worried and have the same symtoms but after reading all these I'm pretty sure it's the Mirena and it puzzles me how this thing can do that. but then again it's a foreign object.
Mainstream4 - Hi Sam611,
I had mine removed less than a week ago after using it for almost 2.5 years. Like you, I did my research post insertion (I'm finishing up my PhD and have always been very 'body aware') and thought I knew what I was getting into. I've had 2 children (now 11 and 13) so I'm familiar with the pregnant feeling.
My life has been pretty turbulent for the last 3 years (grad school, divorce, cross-country move, intense new romance) and I blamed my symptoms on stress. The last 9 months, however, have been relatively calm. With that background, here's the low down:
Long term symptoms (since within a few months of insertion):
Mood swings (very up to very down)
Depression (with poor response to treatment)
Bloating
Bleeding (sometimes almost all month...mellowed after 1 year)
Cramping
Hair loss
Vision effects
Mental fog (pregnancy brain)
Weight gain (20 lbs in 2.5 years)
Hip pain
More recent symptoms that finally tipped me off:
Acceleration of mood swings and brain fog
Lethargy
Acceleration of wt gain
Spike in blood pressure (feeling heart beat in finger tips...like when I was pregnant...verified by nurse at removal appointment)
Panic attacks (totally irrational with no external explanation, lasted for days)
Suicidal thoughts (SO not like me)
In just in the few days since removal, my mental clarity has improved immensely. Nothing like being foggy when trying to write a dissertation! My energy level is way up. While I've been working out regularly for a few months with continued wt gain, I can feel it coming off now, already. My moods are much, much better. Little things have been throwing me way off track for a long time. I had a couple emotional knocks last night that just rolled right off (no gruesome details, just know that a week ago I'd have been in a puddle of tears). My blood pressure is down and food cravings are gone. Hips feel much better.
Doc said that she has seen a few women in her clinic who have had problems and wanted the Mirena removed. She thinks it might be the beginning of the wave. I had no idea that the hormones in the device could be causing so much trouble. Over the last year, especially, I have adjusted my whole life and lifestyle to stabilize my moods, not linking them to all the other symptoms. Ugh. I am relieved and angry at the same time. The difference, pre and post, is night and day.
FYI, I had a few hot flashes the day after removal, along with a mild headache for a few days. I was on my (light) period when I had it taken out and it's still tapering off. Moods were pretty rough the first afternoon post-removal (another suicidal rant in my journal) but consistently good since then.
I hope that helps. Good luck with your investigating. I'm going to circulate a cautionary message with my girlfriends and grad student peers. Mirena worked great, but I sure would have liked to have known long ago what was causing me so much trouble.
Lori99 - Hi, I'm just over 2 months removal and I would say some of my side effects are gone. I've had two periods since removal after before the 1st I had terrible mood swings, hated my husband, annoyed by my kids, general life sucks feeling (just like when I had the Mirena in) but this time this feeling only lasted a day where it normally would last up to a week. I just started my second period since removal and I had none of these side effects. I still have not started to loose any weight but I'm hopefull. My acne was very bad right after removal now just a few zits right before my period nothing too bad. I also think by sex drive is reving back up. My natural path doctor has given me some natual supplements to help and she said she would expect my hormones to be back to normal in about 3 months. Good luck and it does get better.
Sydneynewsom - I had a baby six months ago and got Mirena approximately three months ago. I've felt terrible for several months now but didn't associate it with the IUD until recently. I first started experiencing headaches. I thought they were sinus headaches. I waited until they got unbearable and went to the doctor. I had a CT scan of my sinuses that came back normal. In the meantime my headaches were getting worse and were almost always accompanied by nausea. I've been working in the dark in my office for the past couple of weeks. So . . . I went to the neurologist who said he thought I was having migraines, but did an EEG just in case. I just happened to think about Mirena as he was walking out the door and asked him if it could have anything to do with my headaches/migraines. He said, "yes, definitely". I've been treated for migraines for a week now and haven't gotten much relief.
I knew I had been depressed for a couple of months but didn't know how bad it was until my husband said something and then it all started to make sense. And yes, I have been certified "nuts" too, but all women are, right, so I didn't think too much about it. I have always taken anti-depressants and am under constant care from a psychiatrist. I already take high dosages of Prozac and Wellbutrin and I don't see any reason for them to have quit working over the past several months. I just realized that we are building a beautiful new house- I'm 29 and have never owned my own house- and I haven't been excited about it once! If the depression doesn't take enough out of me, then the headaches, nausea and general yucky feeling all the time, certainly does!
I could go on and on about this but instead I am going to the doctor (who said Mirena had the least side effects of all birth control) in an hour to have this dreaded device removed. I certainly hope that it is the IUD causing all of my problems so that I can get my life back. A person doesn't feel the way I do on a daily basis unless something is wrong. If it is, I am lucky that I have only had it three months. I will be sure to post and let all of you know how things go post-removal after a week and up. Until then IUD takes on a different acronym meaning for me: INTRAUTERINE DEVIL
Chancey1234 - I had Mirena in for about 2 years. For all of those 2 years I dealt with pregnancy symptoms. I would get sick after I ate, I was terribly weepy, always exhausted, and so crabby my husband threatened to divorce me. lol... so today to save my marriage and sanity I had it removed!! YAY!
dizziness was always the number one problem when I was on the Mirena. Obviously, I can't tell how I'm going to feel now. But I will DEFINETELY re post to let everyone know if i feel any better. I was joking earlier about how my vagina feels so free! ( Without that stupid thing shoved up there ) I am a free woman. And am also trying for a second child ( Fingers crossed, I want to get pregnant as soon as I can )
Dlwilson - You are not alone!
Year 2000 – 2004 | I had Mirena (with NO complications or side affects) and then had it removed to plan for our 3rd child.
September 2005 | I had the Mirena IUD re-inserted following the birth of our 3rd child. The moment it was inserted, I immediately became clammy and then passed out in the doctors exam room. (The next 2 years remained un-eventful…and experienced no side effects)
Early 2007 | I soon became a poster-child for Mirena side affects...including night sweats, hot flashes, hair loss, facial hair, acne
Nearing 2008 | the list grew with heavy/thick constant periods, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, ovarian cysts, and my sex drive was null & void. Given the side effects…I was actually thinking that I was going through menopause (at age 37) or pregnant with an IUD!
Spring 2008 | to make matters worse, my OB-GYN did not believe that my side effects were related to the IUD. They tested my hormones, thyroid, etc... ALL of which came back normal! Through most of last year, they monitored the continued growth of my cysts (through ultrasounds), but advised me to keep the IUD…since they were unsure if it was the root cause.
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | I had the IUD be removed. The removal was uneventful...and I returned to work following my appointment. But what I did not link to the IUD immediately; was what transpired over the following days, weeks, and months!
The following morning, I woke up to an achy lower back...like I had slept wrong. Over the course of the day, my back pain had worsened and was limping by night fall. The following day, I could barely walk...and the pain became so excruciating, I passed out! I was rushed (by ambulance) into ER and after several tests and surgery later that evening, it was determined that 4 of my 5 ovarian cysts had ruptured…and that the toxins had seeped in to my lower spine. Apparently…even though the IUD had caused the cysts initially...it had also kept the cysts "in place"...so to speak.
December 2008 | Following my recovery, I returned to my OB-GYN to discuss other B.C. options. Although I had experienced side effects from birth control pills (15+ years earlier), my OB recommended me trying the pill again. I was reluctant, but low on options…and optimistic that the side effects would be minimal compared to the IUD.
But, needless to say, my prior side affects NEVER subsided...and had in fact worsened! The nausea and vomiting happened almost daily...and it didn’t matter what I ate. I could eat chicken salad...and immediately get sick...and eat the same chicken salad later without any problems. My periods became violently heavy and lasted 2 weeks at a time.
January 2009 | Realizing that my OB-GYN was not helping to diagnose the problem(s)...I went to my general family practice doctor in January 2009. He ran every conceivable blood test, and also ordered an Upper G.I. and an abdominal ultrasound. My blood work was text-book perfect...as was my ultrasound. It was diagnosed through the Upper G.I. that I have a hiatal hernia (an abnormality in which part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm and up into the chest…causing nausea, vomiting, heartburn, etc.) and my Dr. recommended Prilosec OTC to control nausea and vomiting….which only worked occasionally.
And even though this diagnosis offered some relief…no one could offer a cause for my other existing problems that have consumed me for the past 2 years (night sweats, hot flashes, hair loss, facial hair, acne, heavy/thick constant periods, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, and a non-existent sex drive)
February 1st, 2009 | Fed-up, frustrated, and nothing to lose…I stopped to taking the pill.
March 2009 | the nausea & vomiting stopped completely!
April 2009 | my periods were no longer as heavy and I actually began to notice my side effects diminishing.
May 2009 | I have been birth control free for 3 months! My face has cleared from acne and facial hairs! The night sweats, hot flashes and mood swings have are gone! I still haven’t gotten sick or queasy AND I have a sex drive again!
• Mirena’s Levonorgestrel causes all of the side effects that I encountered, including Hiatal Hernias!
• The OB-GYN’s cure-all was Yasmin B.C. which carried many of the same side effects and is also linked to Hiatal Hernias. AND is used for the treatment of acne and PMDD??? Huh? …Yet mine went away when I discontinued its use!!!!
Don’t give up! You are NOT alone!
Do your research!
Trust your instincts…and what your body is telling you!
Smm6400 - I had the Mirena implant 4 years and 1 month ago (May 5 2005). I have had zero side effects and was perfectly happy. I am now 42 years old. Since May 4th 2009 I have had 28 days of headaches. I NEVER get headaches. The 1st 3 weeks it was annoying and my GP thought it was due to allergies, although I usually only have fall allergies. Have been on steroids, allergy meds, antibiotics, nothing helps. Last Tuesday it was so bad I went to the ER. I had a CT scan without contrast material - but showed nothing. Had an MRI today and meet with a neurologist tomorrow. Have met with my opthamologist, dentist and ob/gyn. No one has any solutions. Do Mirena-related headaches respond to medication and are they all over? My headaches can be like a vise, then behind the eye, then on the front, then in the back all in 15 minutes. They never start in the same place or end in the same place. Thanks for any insights you may have.
Momof3babies - Well i must say that i was concerned about being pregnant becuase i have had the mirena since April 08. It truly sucks. I get the worst hot flashes, mind you i am only 27...to early for them and my periods are light which is good. But i forget things, i have gained weight, i am bloated, dizzy and nauseated, and dizzy for anything. Not to mention my mood swings and my impatience. I mean this is how i feel everytime i am pregnant. I am taking this out, but like me i am a fertile mertile, is there any good BC out there.....
Msuavillo77 - I had the Mirena inserted about a month ago. Nothing out of the ordinary except spotting everyday and what seems like bloating until about five days ago. I noticed that I couldn't breath comfortably. Just difficulty breathing. Thought it was tight pants or had to unbutton my blazer but even with that I was still having shortness of breath. So I thought maybe I was coming down with something. After waiting 2 or 3 days, I thought maybe to research the side effects of Mirena and what do I find?!! One of the listed major severe allergy reactions is trouble breathing, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness. I have all of the above. I saw my OBGYN yesterday and she said that she's never heard of the shortness of breath as being a side effect. Stated that maybe I should wait until after my first cycle since this could be just due to hormones. And then gave me an order for a chest xray just to be sure...well, the chest xray is normal. And it's the fifth day of having trouble breathing and dizziness. I'm still contemplating on having this thing taken out...has anyone else had the trouble breathing or shortness of breath? How long does this normally last?
Danab01 - I had the iud put in first of April this year.. I have since been bleeding for almost a full month, my eyes r blurred, have no energy, and want to eat everything in sight and am having mood swings bad..I am an avid runner and am very vain about my weight.. And have never under normal circumstances experienced anything near this other than pregnancy.. Ugh I'm calling tomorrow to make an appt to have it removed. I can't handle this discomfort any longer.. I do understand that what happens to one is not necessarily what happens to all, but so far I've experienced way more issues qin a short amount of time that doesn't not warrant me giving this device any longer for my body to adjust...
Mena654 - i had mirena inserted about 2-3 weeks ago and have terrible cramps right now and bleeding, i thought it was suppose to be light bleeding, just took pain relievers for the cramps, and after reading all these horrible stories i am sooo confused, dont know if i should wait, and see how my body reacts or take it out :(
Shelz - I had mirena inserted feb 2012. For the first couple months I thought it was pretty good. My only complaint was the constant spotting. All of a sudden the symptoms hit me hard. I'm having constant bacterial infections, dizziness, bloating, headaches, weird clumpy discharge, needles and pins feeling in my hands and feet, the list goes on. I'm disappointed because I thought I had finally found a birth control that didn't make me feel like crap but this has been the worst. Having it taken out next week!
Cpmsab - had my mirena inserted in April 2012. I got it out today (July 9, 2012) I have been having really bad headaches the last month or so, my neck always hurts and I can't lose weight for the life of me....I am so happy it's out now maybe i can get my life back on track.
Coreena - Does any one know when the side effects end? How long does levonorgestrel stay in your system? This has been a nightmare for my daughter. Most of the posts here are pretty new at getting this thing removed. How about any one that has had it our for over 3 months. Can you give us any hope that the side effects stop?
Cpmsab - Hi Coreena, my side affects stopped within a few days....i was getting severe headaches, my neck hurt etc. the day i got it out i went to work and left an hour later i was so sick, throwing up etc from the headache....i havent had a headache since and i feel great and back to normal....
Nyt - Nyt - had my mirena removed 5months ago bt last month my hair
Has been falling off and week after period been having headaches been over week so what should I do?how long does it for side effect to be completely out of ur system?
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Kathryn802 - I had my Mirena inserted about 5 or 6 months ago. Since that time I have experienced weight gain (10 pounds), severe bloating and worst of all a lot of pain in my hips and now lower back. In the past few days I have had trouble standing up straight after being in a sitting position. It has only been about a month since I started thinking that it could be the IUD. I have spoken to two doctor's who assure me it is not the IUD, however I have read a lot of testimony from women who have had similar symptoms and attribute them to the IUD. I am going to have it checked in two weeks. I hope they will remove it.
Lauris_a@aol.com - I had Mirena from Jan 2011 to April 2012. I had horrible symptoms that many have shared. I had the crash in June of 2012 & it has been the worse experience of my life. I think, no I know it has scarred me for life. I thought I was recovering from its aftermath. I was feeling optimistic because things were getting better after August of this year. However, in mid October some of the side effects seemed to come back. Now I'm having to take for over the counter sleep aids because my sleep pattern is not completely back to normal. The scary part is that I just came back from the gyno visit & found that out that I have a relaxed uterus & my bladder is low. The gyno said not to worry too much. How can I not?? Also, all of a sudden I have muscle twitches all over my legs. This is scaring me. I feel that I'm in a nightmare that will never end. I pray to God to please help get me through this with my health. There was a really great thread about post Mirena victims. It has been ongoing since 2006!!! All of a sudden this thread disapeared. It was through Discovery titled "after Mirena share your experinces". Many of the victims said it took about 18 months to recover. There's a thread called "My life after Mirena". She is a post Mirena victim for 2 years now. I don't go into her site because to be honest it's quite scary & it only makes me think the worse. I pray for all the victims of Mirena. Doctors have no idea. Why are they so clueless???
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