Note…If you don’t want to hear me talk about birth control or body stuff click away.
My mom asked me if I was feeling better at lunch yesterday and told me i was looking better in the last week.
See, last week I finally got rid of my Mirena IUD.
Over 2 years ago I walked into my doctor’s office, got blood pressure checked and instructions given, I told my doctor about my wish and she urged me to use a Mirena. My two biggest issues I talked to her about was weight gain (which had happened with birth control pills) and a decrease in milk supply, which is why many nursing moms on the message boards I frequented chose the copper.
I distintcly remember her telling me that, no, Mirena would not cause me these things and sent me home with a little pamplet.
I read the pamplet a couple times, clicked on the website and decided that I was educated enough to go along with her recommendation.
After all, she was my doc, so she had my back, right?
After that my milk supply decreased.
Coincidence? Maybe. But I only made it a couple more months before my son was getting more formula than breastmilk.
I blamed other things… Stress, nature, anything, since I was told again it wasn’t the IUD by a doctor.
I compared notes with another nursing mother who had a Mirena and found out she, too had a decrease, although not as severe as mine.
From the Mirena site:
You may use Mirena when you are breastfeeding if more
than six weeks have passed since you had your baby. If
you are breastfeeding, Mirena is not likely to affect the
quality or amount of your breast milk or the health of
your nursing baby. However, isolated cases of decreased
milk production have been reported among women
using progestin-only birth control pills. (My bolding)
Well, that was 2 out of 2 users right there.
Skip ahead to last week.
Thats two years where I bloated regularly, jumped back to my delivery weight (!) and had mood swings.
I never had mood swings before and frankly Mr. Wonder wasn’t sure what to do with me.
I swung between short-tempered and depressed.
Of course I was irritable, I was told. I have a small child. It made me feel like a bada parent because i would cry in frustration so easily.
I had regular irritation, and used more of my son’s Desitin than he did (doc recommendation).
Why did I stay with it?
I kept it in because it was already done, I was finally used to having a foreign object in my body and frankly, everyone was telling me my issues weren’t the IUD.
So finally, finally, after two years I had it taken out yesterday.
I had enough.
The doctor, a different one, asked why and I said, “because I hate it.”
Stopped her dead in her tracks.
She wanted me to elaborate and I told her everything- the weight gain, mood swings, the depression.
Oh no, she told me. That kind of PMS stuff happens on estrogen pills, and the Mirena was a progesterone-only divice.
Again, doctor made me sound like I didn’t know my own body.
I was upset, I felt dumb and confused and angry because again i was told I had it wrong.
Later at home I wrote Mr. Wonder.
Me:I told the doc I had stronger mood swings on Mirena… and she blew me off too. Am I crazy?
MW:No.
if that is the case, why have I been repeatedly dismissed for saying what my body was doing?
This time I dug deeper on the internet. Three years of blogging had given me better tools to use to find information.
I found a kindred spirit at Life After Mirena – it’s not being updated anymore but the many, many comments echoing things I have noticed made me feel better.
And just by googling around I found comments on forums, medical sites, and other sites where women mentioned severe side affects from the Mirena that the literature does not support.
So Mirena, I am calling you out. I am also calling out the multiple doctors who told me I was wrong, never again will I take it like that.
If it wasn’t the Mirena, then why is it I instantly debloated the next day, peeing on the hour every hour?
I haven’t craved my caffeine fix in a week.
I also haven’t gone crazy with stress in a week. These are the changes already, with more to come.
More energy, less moodiness, less tight bulge around the jeans.
My rings fit better.
I’m wearing my frown upside down.
I’m so done with you, Mirena, and with anyone who thinks what the company told them is more correct than how I know my own body.
I had Mirena for 2.5 years before I demanded it be removed. It was a freaking nightmare from the git-go, but no one wanted to believe me, including my husband. Then we moved 600 miles away from my doctor and what is not told is that 99% of docs won’t remove it if they weren’t the one to put it in. And if the original doctor cut the strings fairly short, well then they’re even less likely to remove it or will carry on that they can’t find it, so have to set you up for ultrasounds and surgery to remove it and only upon being fairly crass with the last one to tell me that and telling her I was just going to have my husband remove it because he could feel it & I had pliers at the house that the strings could be grabbed & pulled with did she miraculously find it…&!+(#
What they tell you only in light passing is that it may take upwards of 18+ months for your cycle to become regular again. I’ve had mine out for 2 years now next week. Only my last 6 cycles have been reliable, but not my pre-Mirena normal yet either. The first 18 months I’d have one, then it’d skip a few months, show back up, be reliable for about three months, then disappear again. The ones that would show up were HORRIBLE. I’m still having weight issues…gained over 100lbs while the Mirena was in place and still can’t seem to get rid of it. Haven’t gained anymore and the months my cycle acts properly I’m able to lose some of it, but otherwise, stagnant.
Hate.HAte. HATE Mirena.
I trust doctors but trust my gut instinct more, I am glad you are feeling better. I did not use Mirena because I can’t do hormones… the weight gain and bloating was terrible while on the pill. I did some research on MIrena and the fact that you don’t have a period in my opinion is a concern, I feel it is un-natural and it will most likely strike back at my body. I have a friend who had MIrena put in and in less than 5 hours ended up at the ER getting it removed. Her body ached and she looked 3 months pregnant in addition she felt very uncomfortable. I hope many women read this because we all need more information than we are given. Thank you for sharing your story.
oh, neglected to add: I too had the horrible mood swings. They’re not back to pre-Mirena, but I can tell it’s gotten better…what makes that sucky is *some* want to carry on that it is just me because the Mirena is gone, so all the effects of it should be gone as well, so then while I had the Mirena I was just using it as an excuse to be a &!+(# and now that it’s no longer a part of me I should be instantly back to perfectly normal. But I’m not. I was great the first little bit immediately after, but then things went wonky. Docs think I’m just crazy, hubs thinks I’m crazy, shrink thinks I’m something, but it’s not in her realm of offered treatments. But, what do I know. I’ve only lived with me & my head for 30 years, docs only saw me once every few months and the hubs thinks it’s just me wanting to be a brat, so they all know more than what I know.
It sucks. A LOT. But, try not to despair as you go thru the withdrawals over the next several months…and huge prayers that you don’t have them!
I had a night last week where I was so… anxious… I couldn’t sleep. Like had to move my body twitching. Is that what you’re talking about?
Anxiety, severe/sudden mood shifts, mind lapses, insomnia, out of the blue feelings of not being able to cope with anything to nothing at all phasing you. And ‘feeling’ pregnant…that was the worst one I think – the whole exhaustion, nausea, bloating, etc especially during the months my cycle would skip. The months that everything ran like it’s supposed to I was fine, but if I was more than 3 days late off a 28 day cycle the moodiness, anxiety, etc would compound HORRIBLY. Thankfully it’s mostly eased off in the last few months, but because I’ve come to almost expect the really horrible side of it I start having mini anxiety attacks once I hit that day 29, even if my cycle shows later that day. It’s annoying to put it VERY mildly.
Hormones are still hormones and they’re still going to effect your body one way or another. Like a dumbass, I got the depo shot. I’ve been a raging, paranoid, homicidal dickwad since.
It will get better… I guess? I couldn’t handle the thought of getting a shot and having it wear off, but my friend did it for years. I did Ortho tricyclen before having a child and never had a problem.
I have an IUD with no hormones that lasts 10 years. My fiends who had Mirena all told theirs out after nasty side effects including losing masses of hair.
I wish I had stuck with it and asked for the copper. I found out later the doc didn’t offer them at all, that’s why she pushed me. I would have had to find a different doctor to put it in. So glad she left the practice.
Omg!! I have mirena, I’m going to the doctor!
Do you have similar symptoms?
I don’t have any experience with Mirena my doc tried to push it after Bellatessa but I had a lot of trouble getting pregnant with her after being on the pill after Serendipity and although I doubt it was from the pill hubs and I didn’t want to take chances. But I do know about docs not listening. We had some issues with Serendipity and we kept taking her in they said she was fine, we threw a fit they dismissed it. We went back and forth for 10 months finally they did an X-ray and she needed emergency surgury BIG oops she had a grade 3/4 hole in her chest. We learned then that docs don’t know all, we know our bodies and our babies and we need to listen to that. They see us for a few minutes, they have a degree but we still know ourselves so much better.
I’ll say this on your blog but thank you for posting this and Jessica Wilzig Gottlieb thank you for your suggestion. I can’t possibly enter 40 with potential weight gain and moodiness! I called the on and while they tried to tell me I had already ordered the Mirena I told them they can’t put something into my body that I am not comfortable with. Plus the cooper is a little cheaper:) I told them I could care less abou the discount just want to make sure I don’t want extra hormones I don’t have to have.
I’m so happy you are feeling better. That must have been the two longest years of your life. Use this as a starting point and make lots of changes of everything else that might have brought you down – shed the crap and live your life BIG!!! Congrats.
Wow. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. My milk supply didn’t come in at all – my husband and I think it might have been the epidural I got, and I’m thinking about trying a natural VBAC for the next one. Good for you for listening to your body and your intuition!!
If there is one thing I have learned in my life it is that I know my body better than any doctor.
I’m so sorry you are learning this one the hard way, but don’t ever let this lesson dwindle! Doctors do not know everything. They simply knnow what they have been instructed on by the drug company reps (yeah… makes sense…).
I went to THREE dermatologists for a severe rash on my face that started out of nowhere. All three patted my on the head and sent me on the way with a prescription for acne meds (strong ones). I never filled the prescriptions because I knew they were all wrong. Made an appointment with an allergist (following my intuition). Sure enough I am SEVERLY allergic to common foods I was eating. When I cut the foods out (hard to do by the way), voila – rash gone.
The part that gets me is that I had three medical doctors mis-diagnose me and it was one allergist that looked at me, did the skin tests and solved it.
Lesson learned… follow your intuition!
I am SO happy you trusted your own instincts had it removed!! I have a similar story – had been on the pill for 10 or 12 years, then suddenly started having all sorts of issues – weight gain, insomnia, and HORRIBLE moodiness and even some suicidal level depression. Drs insisted it couldn’t possibly be the pill. But when I stopped – all of my symptoms cleared up! I was no longer inappropriately depressed or moody, I started sleeping better, and eventually the weight started to go away.
So when it came time to find a reliable birth control method again, I insisted on Paraguard instead of Mirena – even though my Dr INSISTED there would be no problems because “the hormones stay local in your uterus and don’t travel through your blood” (really? Its been a long time since HS biology, but even still, that logic sounds fuzzy to me.) I even had to switch Dr’s to get the copper IUD. And after reading your story, I am more glad than ever that I made the decision to be hormone free. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, wanted to add one more thing – it took several months for my hormones to settle down and even out after I stopped the pill. So even though I saw some relief from my worst symptoms immediately, it took a long time for my whole body to get back to normal. Taking fake hormones can really screw up your system, and sometimes it doesn’t work right afterwards.
From what I’ve learned since then, I’d recommend doing saliva testing on your hormones to make sure they don’t need any help getting balanced again. I went about testing mine on my own (since my Dr wasn’t really listening anyhow) – I would be happy to share the info on what company I ordered the kits from if you’d like. Or just search for things like ‘saliva hormone testing’ and ‘natural hormone balancing’ and you’ll probably find useful information.
Good for you! I’ve been told that I have “issues” with doctors right now (ok, more than just right now), but my thought is that they’re human just like the rest of us. You know your own body better than anyone else & shouldn’t have to rely on someone else’s opinion.
Sorry it took so long for you to get to feeling better.
I just had the Mirena removed a few days ago for the same reasons. Not only was I moody (and I have two littles ones and realized I had a short temper with them), but I was also spotting all month long. I felt like I was on my period the entire month. The Physician Assistant saw me and made me feel bad for wanting it out. I have only had it in less than two years. I told her that I wanted it out because having my period for one week out of a month is much better than having my period all month long. A few days later I feel so much better (no bloating and no cramps). I am so much happier with it out. I wish I never put it in to begin with. Glad you are feeling better also. My husband has already noticed my change in attitude and says that I seem happier.
Have a great weekend.
One word – Celibacy.
I hear you Adrienne, I might go as far as abstenance!
I had Mirena and had it removed before getting pregnant with #3. It was like a veil liften from many aspects of my life. It was insane. I just felt happy again. I think, for me, it cause a bit of depression and anxiety. Do I have any medical knowledge to back this up? Nope. But I do know that within a week of having it removed I felt like ME again. And my husband also noticed a difference. Needless to say, I am never going on any birth control every again, as they all mess with me too much. Thank goodness for husbands who are cool with a little snippy-snip!
It’s so nice to hear people that had similar experiences.
I have never had an IUD. This article was so informational.
I hope you’re doing better. Thank you for sharing your experience – very informative! Putting this out there will help lots of women
Hi, I’m writing from Scotland. I was persuaded to have the Mirena coil after having the copper coil as I was stuggling with the heavy bleeding and cramping from the copper coil. Initially, in the first couple of months, I was impressed – no periods, didn’t seem to get many spots (although I am on antibiotics for acne anyway), didn’t feel like I was gaining weight – seeemed to good to be true! Alas, it was. I noticed my hair coming out in clumps when I ran my fingers through my hair, brushed or washed it. Then almost overnight, I had a bald patch. I went to the Dr and she seemed puzzled and just said it’d grow back. At this point I’d only had the coil in for 2 months. 1 month later & I noticed the patch was about twice as big and I googled Mirena and Hair Loss – BINGO! I had to persuade my Dr to take the coil out as she didnt believe the Mirena caused hair loss (she referred to a giant textbook & I told her there will be no info in that book, just google it!) So she took it out, this was last week, and she is going to refer me to a Dermatologist for the alopecia. I know the alopecia cannot be put down to stress as I’m just quite a laid back person and havent felt at all stressed recently.
I know the Mirena works wonders for some women (lucky them) but I only wish Mirena had included hair loss in their side effects warnings on their literature – I might have clicked sooner and had it taken out sooner if I’d known what to look for! I’m quite worried as I’ve read on some forums about women who have only had their Mirena coil in for 3 months (same as me) and they continued to lose their hair for over 6 months after! On the whole I am trying to be optimistic and upbeat and just shrug it off. But inside I am the vain 33 year old who loves her long hair and is panicking it will continue to fall out!
If anyone has had their hair fall out as a result of Mirena I’d be interested to hear your story about when it grew back – either to put my mind at rest or so I know what to expect.
Megan, I also had to stop wearing my rings as they were falling off my fingers! How strange!
I’m not sure if I’ve had much hair loss because of the Mirena- it’s always been fine and I have it rather short right now.
I do hope it grows back soon!
So glad that you had it taken out and are starting to feel better, Megan. Reading a first-person account of side effects is very sobering.
Thank you! I am amazed at how much different I feel.