I'm seriously considering getting the Mirena IUD at my 6 weeks appointment because we don't want to have kids for a couple years, I'm breastfeeding, and I don't want to take a pill every day. It seems like it would be perfect for me. I was just wondering if anyone has had side effects from it?

I had bad headaches, cramping, it felt like I could feel it in my uterus, I had back pains. I got it at 8 weeks pp and had it for 4 months. I will never use it again.

But I have heard it works great for other people. If you choose to use it I hope it works good for you with no side effects.

I am currently doing Natural Family Planning. It is great.

Yeah, the only problem with NFP is that I never want to DTD unless I'm ovulating LOL! I have done it before and it works but I think I need something else lol. I guess I'll just get it and hope it works!

I have the Paragard IUD and I like mine. The difference between them is that the Mirena has hormones and the copper one doesn't. Also, you can use the copper one longer...10 years vs. 5 years.

Good luck deciding!!

Angie

I have heard alot of good about the paragard iud

I got my Mirena on November 27th 2006, today is March 9 2007 and I am STILL bleeding. Have bled every single day. Also have cramping, headaches and backaches. But according to the doc my case is "unusual" and I should just deal with it and 'give it more time'. Needless to say I will be contacting my midwife and having it removed very soon.

I did a google search and this thread came up as "effects of Mirena". So I really wnat to share my story with you.


I want everyone to know what went on with this IUD. If you know anyone who has it tell them my story ! They may not link these effects with the Mirena !!

I got the IUD on 3/21/06 and loved it ! Insertion was painful but not terrible. I loved not having to worry about pills, patches, condoms whatever. Well about 1 month after getting it I developed acne. It wasnt terrible but I never had acne before. I figured it was from the hormone in the IUD. I could deal with that. In mid - July I developed a yeast infection that would not go away. (I also had one in April but it went away with meds) I had it from July-Sept and even after that I would have bouts of itching and irritation. My dr's told me it was from one of the following detergent, soap or toilet paper. Now I have always used free & clear detergent, Dove soap for sensitive skin and Angel Soft toilet tissue. They told me to change them one by one until I found out what was causing the irritation. I didnt do that, I figured I have been using these forever why would I need to change now ? I asked if it could be from the IUD and was told no it wasnt a side effect. So everytime I got it I would treat with OTC. They went on until I had it removed. I started suffering with depression, irritability and complete exhaustion. My hair also started falling out. The one who took the brunt of my mood change was my 8 year old. I was unable to cope with him being 8 and acting they way he did. I swear I think I really could have beaten him, I wanted to. I have gotten to the point where I did push and shove him. I lost my sex drive. It didnt decrease it left completely. I didnt have sex for 2 months at a time. I had no desire for it. When I gave in to DH it was extremely painful. I did want to be with my husband but my body refused.
I did some internet research and came across forums of women who were having the same issues as me ! Some were more severe and they needed depression medications (which btw werent working). http://curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=713%20 I decided that I needed to get this removed ASAP. I called the dr and 2 days later it was removed on 2/8/07. Removal was not painful at all. When the dr questioned me on why I wanted the device removed I told him the story. Do you know what he said to me ? That these are not side effects of the Mirena. BULLSH.IT !! I see it as my body did everything it could to fight off this foreign object inside of me. That day he asked me when the last time i had an infection and I told him just on Monday that I was itching. So he took a culture and what a surprise I had a bacterial infection !! He told me once again that it was from my soap and not the IUD. Gave me a prescription for some vaginal gel. Which I didnt use and guess what ?? The itching and irriatation were gone ! 2 days later my mood returned to normal. I have not had clumps of hair come out in my hands. I can sleep 6-8 hours and feel great ! 11 days after removal my sex drive returned full force ! DH was very happy. I am still dealing with the acne but I think it'll clear up when my cycles return to normal in the next few months.

I called Berlex (manufacturer) and told them of my adverse reactions and they told me these were known side effects of the Mirena. Well if that was true why didn't my dr know any of these ? I have filed paperwork in a possible class action suit against Berlex. I am hoping just to have my out of pocket expenses reimbursed.

I wanted everyone to know what this did to me. I was not a good person for an entire year. I was not myself.

How long have you had Paragard and have you had any side effects?

Any side effects that you could get from the mini-pill, you can also get from the mirena. I suffered from mini-pill induced depression, so I opted against the Mirena. Dr.s will tell you that the hormone is limited to your uterus, but that is simply not true. It enters your blood stream and can affect your whole body. Dr.s will tell you that it is a much smaller dose than taking the mini-pill. Guess what? I looked up the exact dosage of each (I'm an MT student and have the resources) and the mini-pill has a daily dosage of .35 mg and the Mirena has a daily release of .20 per day. That really isn't the huge difference that healthcare providers say it is. My dr. was actually surprised when I told him the dosages. That's not a good sign. (He was pushing the Mirena and wanted to know the reason I didn't want it) Do your research!

BTW, I have the Paragard and love it!

That story was pretty much what I was like on Depo which is the same horomone. I am trying to go horomone free with Paragard for long term BC. I don't necesarrily agree with it preventing implantation, but I am not apposed to my health being first either.

Thank you for sharing your story & for posting that link!!

I have the Mirena & I'm having mine removed today!

I have been going through some of the same things - depression, weight gain, lack of sex drive, etc etc. I have some other "symptoms" that I'm assuming are also from the Mirena IUD as well.

My main reason I'm getting rid of it is because of the struggle with trying to lose weight & also how easy it is for me to gain weight.

I had been happy with my IUD until I started recently realizing that all my problems happened after I had the Mirena put in. I googled the Mirena & weight gain a few nights ago & found hundreds of women who sounded just like me!!

I called yesterday & booked an appointment to get it out, I am so excited, I go in today at 2pm!! I'm just scared that it will be very painful.

I'm planning on getting the Paraguard IUD (my sister has one & loves it) but I don't know if they will put one in today or if I'll have to wait.

I hope I have as much good luck with the Paraguard as everyone else seems to be having!!!

I've had my IUD for over a year now. No side effects from it. I do have "normal" AF, so they are heavy but they are like that because the Paragard doesn't have any hormones. All in all, I love it!!! It's so much easier than taking a pill every day. I just have to check the strings once a month....pretty maintanence free!!

Angie

I had a Mirena inserted at my 6 week pp appointment back in July. I have had zero side effects from it and the insertion was painless. I stopped getting AF alltogether 6 weeks or so after getting it inserted. As far as weight gain goes, I continued to lose my baby weight after having it inserted and have lost just about all of it. I highly reccomend the IUD.

That story is pretty much identical to what i'm going through! Thanks for posting that!!

Thanks for posting this. I am/was considering getting it at my 8 week pp appointment. But from reading the side affects I think I have changed my mind. I had alot of problems with Depo and it seems to be similar in away by looking at the problems.

Ive had the Mirena for 6 months, and have no side effects. Sure I have gained about 8 lbs, but thats also because I was in a horrible car accident in January and ate a bunch of fast food and got no exercise. Now that I am back on my feet, I am swimming and begining to jog two times a week, my weight has started to go down. I havent had a period in 3 months. The only thing I feel every now and then is when I ovulate, which I could always feel, is a couple sharp pains. They have gotten better as the months go by and I dont have 6 day cramping periods anymore. I think that everyone's body reacts differently to hormones. Think of all the women on Premarin.......I worked for an OB/GYN on and off for 4 years and this is the method I decided to go with after a LOT of research. You just have to know your body, and if it is effecting you badly, have it removed. JMHO

First of all if anyone can relate, I would like it if you could contact me back asap. Here's my story.
Dec 06 I got the M. IUD due to having clhild birth like cramps, sever bleeding mthly, (first three days I would bleed through a super plus tamplon in an hour time), then to find out I had 2 fibroid tumor approx 1cm big. Now it is June 07 and several things are happening to me. First thing is that my periods are now 9-11 days long, not as heavy as before, but they were only 5 days. I stopped all cramping soon after the IUD but now for the last two mths they are coming back. I spot blood all day everyday. And to top all this off....which is the worst.....I now leak urine all day long. I do nothing and it just leaks out. I lay in bed at night and it just runs down my butt and on the bed. And the fibroid tumors have grown to 3cm. And the biggest thing of all........I have a long empty mass...dont know what's in it, inside my uterus. The best way to descripe this it that it is like a sack a baby would be in but there is nothing in it...maybe liquid.
My history is that I had my tubes tied about 4 yrs ago. And I am healthy, dont drink, dont smoke, no drugs.
I am with a new doctor and she says to wait another seven mths to one yrs before anything happens.
NO NO NO NO NO....
Some one please tell me if you have had any of these things happening to you or anyone else you know...and PLEASE write me, email me....the doctors dont want to do anything about this just wait 7mths to a yr...
I do not want to go through all this for that long.
samie_what@yahoo.com
Thank you all for taking the time to read and respond.
Robin