Mirena IUD Side Effects

I can't wait to get mine taken out to see if the symptoms really stop. I'm worried about having complications because I haven't been able to find my strings and I've been having sharp sudden cramps, always in the same place on my lower back. Having never experienced the pain before, I assumed it to be some kind of kidney pain. Looking at a diagram of female anatomy to be sure, the place I have them is the back of my uterus. Complications and cramps aside, I'm still an emotional wreck. I'm depressed, I have no motivation to do anything, I don't care how I look or what I wear. I've been told by friends I've let myself go. This is not consistent with the way I am or the way I've ever been! I enjoy looking good, I dress well and I've never been able to leave the house without worrying about my appearance. Since the Mirena, my face breaks out with big painful pimples under the skin that end up bleeding and scarring. Growing up, I had acne here and there but never anything like these and they show up around the time I have my period. They look horrible, more like a boil than any zit I've ever had. It's revolting. Also after the Mirena, I've started experiencing migraine headaches which I've never had before. Usually, I get one a day or two before I start bleeding. I can tell it's happening because I become incredibly moody and emotional for no reason and it builds and builds until I feel like I'm ready to SNAP. I can tell then a migraine is going to start because my lips, face and hands start to tingle, I lose partial eye sight, I can't speak correctly, I have a hard time forming sentences, simple tasks are hard to understand. The pre-migraine stuff will stop and the headache starts and stays, not responding to pain medication, up until I actually start bleeding and then it's like a wave of normal washes over me again. I was diagnosed with cluster migraines but there's no explanation for the sudden onset. The anxiety/panic disorder I've had for as long as I remember has intensified beyond my control. I used to only have panic attacks in trigger situations. Trigger situations don't matter anymore. I no longer need a trigger and getting away doesn't fix it like before. Now, once I'm in the throes of a panic attack my body will tremor uncontrollably until the panic attack goes away. My sex drive is nonexistent until a few days before my period and then ridiculous. I can no longer tolerate the random spotting I get throughout the month. I'm ashamed and embarrassed about the strange odor, as well as curious if other people can also smell what I do. The dryness is completely unacceptable. Never in my life did I experience vaginal dryness before this Mirena. I am so dry sometimes that sex is basically impossible. My friends make jokes about vaginal dryness. I had to buy lube. As a 22 year old girl who's never had a problem with staying lubricated on my own, it's embarassing to admit I need it for sex to be possible.

I really, really hope that once I have it removed everything will return to normal. I'm going to ask my gynecologist if it's possible to have my PH balances checked, my hormonal balance checked, I want to be checked for bacterial vaginosis and more than anything, I want to confirm this device hasn't gotten lost (as a friend's has) or become embedded anywhere it shouldn't be.

SAME HERE!!!!! I thought I was loosing my mind but I have had mine in for 4 years and it will need to come out next year but I have the same symtoms you do!!!! Loosing my hair NO sex drive what so ever, mood swings WOW , the thought of really wanting to hurt someone and not sure why????? I have alot of the side effects but at first I didn't think it would be this I am 39 years old I thought I was going through Pre-menopause.... blood test came back nope that isn't it!!! Already been thru mental evaluations not that I have slight depression and been dealing well without meds.... I refuse to go back on them because they really didn't help me........... Damn must be this IUD?????

Hi I've had the mirena for 2 1/2 years now and on and off for the last year I've had headaches in the back of my head also and it didn't start until I got this damn thing and it has also messed up my sex drive I'm barely in the mood , and my fiance doesn't like tht and neither do I by Wednesday @ the doctors office it has to go, great for not having kids for birth control but side effects are horrible

I have had mine for about a week and a half and have had the same problem. I thought it was just me so I am glad it's not. Now that I know it's not just me when I go to my check up in a couple of weeks I will be asking my dr about it.

i had an IUD for about 2 months and i just had to go and get it removed i felt as if though i were having contractions and intercourse was painful, i had headaches,chest pains and i had days were i was so happy then in an instant that could changed. I DO NOT RECOMMEND anyone getting it!

This is ynattirb, I posted about 3 weeks ago regarding my experience with Mirena. I don't expect anyone to be following but I do want this documented for women with similar problems. I scheduled an appointment to have my IUD removed and explained all my symptoms; I explained the two colonoscopies for chronic diarrhea, the MRI for the sudden migraines, my mood swings, anxiety and depression which only seem to get worse with antidepressants my primary doctor prescribes, I explained the odd odor, my lack of a sex drive, the horrible cystic acne, the weight gain and the fact my vagina is like a desert. Gross, I know. Sometimes my depression and anxiety even make me feel suicidal. I also explained I've used hormonal imbalance symptom checkers and since I score in the severe range, believe mine are out of whack. I said my symptoms may or may not be attributed to the IUD but I feel it's best to have it removed to see how my body functions and to test my hormones to get an idea of where I'm at. First of all, she acted hesitant about my request for hormone testing which I thought was strange, then she talked about Mirena like it's the best thing since sliced bread and it has no risk for harming anyone. The only remotely negative thing she said was progesterone might cause migraines but everything else, absolutely not. She said since the Mirena only releases one hormone, my other symptoms can't be related. What I don't understand is SO many women with the Mirena experience the same symptoms. It's not just this website, there are sites upon sites and blogs upon blogs of women explaining the same symptoms. Why do doctors act oblivious? Are they lying to us? Why would they?

In my experience, when I had the Mirena put in, I knew very little about it besides that the doctor I was seeing claimed it was the best. He said Mirena is the most effective birth control on the market apart from abstinence, it isn't dangerous, and would cost next to nothing for 5 years of birth control I wouldn't ever have to remember to take. If I got it right then, at that appointment, it would cost $70 but I wouldn't get the same price if I waited or scheduled another appointment, it would be more expensive. So, $70 for 5 years of no maintenence birth control my doctor loves?! I was sold on the spot. I was not warned about perforation or risks. I don't think I even got so much as a Mirena pamphlet. I realize it's my fault, I shouldn't have agreed not knowing but looking back, it was like the doctor was more like a salesman.

At the appointment to have it removed, my gynecologist tried reaching the IUD 3 different times and and said she isn't able to find it. She said it's not uncommon they move but acccording to Mirena, the chance of it moving is a 1 and 1000. I'm scheduled to have an ultrasound on Tuesday 7/31 and then to have it surgically removed. I've been having sharp sudden cramps in an odd place that I want to describe as my kidneys but looking at a diagram, it's not where my kidneys are. From this ultrasound, hopefully it will identify the IUD is still in my uterus and not that it's gravitated somewhere else inside my body. I've been reading accounts from women who's IUD's have disappeared. One woman's IUD had somehow gotten stuck in her "posterior cul de sac", if you follow. One got stuck right under one woman's diaphragam. One was lost and stuck right below a 9 week pregnancy. Another lost IUD had a woman hospitalized for months because of PID and infections. Something else I'm learning is common in this situation is insurance will refuse to pay for it. I'm not trying to scare anybody but I don't want anybody else to be roped into using this birth control that I've had a bad experience with and that I've read SO many stories about others having bad experiences. The doctor won't warn you, Mirena won't warn you. Do your research.

I will keep updating as I know more. I should never have agreed to this foreign body in my uterus. Sure, it may be peachy for some women. I had mine for quite awhile before I ever had any adverse side effects. Well, except for the excruciating cramping and bleeding I had at about the second year.. that my doctor said was normal. It's horrifying to think we, doctors included, seem to know so little about it. It's also irritating I feel like I have to convince my doctor why I want it removed. It's in my body, why would she try to convince me I'm wrong? Oh, because she's not sure she can even find it? I guess that makes sense. If it's lost inside my body, not in my uterus, is it still functioning as birth control? Where are the hormones going? How have I not gotten pregnant? If it can't be found, will it make me infertile? My doctor acts like she isn't sure or doesn't want to answer.

It's sad because I feel the information I get from Mirena and from my doctors is incomplete.. and yet I still have this thing inside of me. The Canada Mirena site actually listed some of our side effects but it's since been taken down and disappeared. I worry there hasn't been enough testing on this drug and we, right here, are the guinea pigs. I could be paranoid but I was excited to see how my body reacted once the IUD was removed, I was hopeful I would feel better because with my symptoms I'm in hot water at work and under a lot of stress, I can't find another due to my attendance. Now, I have no idea where it is or how long it'll take or what it will cost to actually have it removed.

yes i have had the same problems and i have had my iud for 4n years but i get mine removed in a month

I had that discharge. Turns out it was bacterial vaginosis and needed antibiotics.

Wow! I have been having similar side affects and thanks to your post and many like it, I just called my doctor to have my Mirena removed! I have had my IUD for about 2 1/2 years now and thought it was the best thing ever. About 4 months ago, I started having severe anxiety attacks every day! So I went to a Dr and he put me on BusPar (anti anxiety pill). I thought for the longest that it was just something my body is doing, but now after all these posts I am reading on here, I am realizing that We are all having the same symptoms and the thing we all have in common is the MIRENA! I am going to have mine removed ASAP! Thank you for sharing your story!!

The first 2 years I had my Mirena were awesome for me too, but after that I started having anxiety attacks, depression, weight gain, mood swings and headaches. I thought it was just something going on with me, but now I have figured out that it is the Mirena causing all of this! So I have an appointment to have it removed here in a couple weeks! I hope it only happens to certain people and you won't have to go through what myself and many others are going through, just beware if you suddenly start having these same symptoms.

Hi iv had the mirena for like 6/7 months and literally it was like a switch flipped on, I have a bf who i lovebut for some eason, out of nowhere i felt differnt, nothing happened wit us, he is always there for me, he always takes care of me, but i feel so depressed and i dont know how to get out of it, i feel like its dragging me down........i love him and i dont understand these felings......i want to get back to my normal self, my periods basically topped but i thnik i still get the symptoms of it. I want tog et back to myself that iw as week or so ago, i want to go back to lovinghim the way i did, they way i know i do, its like i cant be happy right now....i dont know how....and i keep crying, i feel lost, i want to sleep so i dont feel like this, iv never otten help before becasue this literally came out of nowhere. Never even considered the Mirena since it was supposed to be so good and nice, and i love it becasue i dont have to use protectiona nd think about it much, i just want this to stop so i can be myself again. I am 21 so i already have alot going on homronally

I have had the same problems with my Mirena! I am going in 3 days to have it removed. Hopefully they will beable to find mine and give me something else! I just hope that whatever else they give me won't cause the same problems!!

I just got the Mirena placed 4 weeks ago and not liking it.  I have been bleeding/spotting daily severe cramps daily or every other day and i am so done with this.  I just had a baby a few months ago and thought this was the way to go to prevent pregnancy but after reading all these posts im considering gettin this thing removed asap and going to something different.  I hate being on the cycle as it is and having to go thru this daily just makes me even more pissy with the world and i hate felling like this.  I hope to get in touch with my doctor soon i am done with this IUD c**p. 

Thanks Kim

I just got my Mirena removed yesterday! Let's see how long it takes for me to get back to the old me!!

I have had mirena for about 2 years and now I am starting to develope chest pains and troubles breathing and pains in my side that worsen when I inhale. I have had hairloss, migraines, loss of apatite, yeast infections, nasea, and stomach pains as the starting side effects of having the mirena IUD. Now I am really scared for my life because of the other problems that it may be doing to my body but I dont want to get it takin out because of the fear of getting pregnant again but I am really thinking hard about it because it could stop people from ever getting pregnant again.