Mirena is EVIL!

Mirena is an IUD/IUC that is being marketed heavily by most OB/GYNs and women are not being informed of all of the horrendous side effects that many have experienced following its insertion.  This is my experience with the Mirena IUD…

Three months after giving birth I got the Mirena IUD inserted at my OB/GYN’s office.  This was not cheap, not at all, even with insurance… but since it was so highly recommended by my doctor and I have a friend who has it and has had no problems it sounded like it would be ideal and I was excited to get it in.  I mean, all I have to do is have this one appointment and get this little thing inserted into me and then I don’t have to worry about getting pregnant for FIVE years!  They said there aren’t really any side effects except for spotting awhile and after that I wouldn’t have to even worry about having a period at all!  I forgot the old cliché, “if it sounds too good to be true it probably is”!

After having the Mirena IUD inserted my pain from my fibromyalgia and Lupus became noticeably worse almost immediately, and that was only the beginning of the side effects for me.  I had extreme fatigue, depression, mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, weight gain, joint pain, hair loss, abnormal hair growth in male pattern areas, appetite changes, spotting, pelvic pain and odor, loss of sex drive, headaches and dizziness just to name a few.

The weight gain, swelling and bloating, especially in my stomach, was crazy.  I had started to see my stomach shrink back to the pre-pregnancy size and had already lost 30 lbs before I got the Mirena.  After it was inserted only four months later I had gained over 20 lbs and my stomach looked like I was about four or five months pregnant again.  My ankles and wrists, even my fingers were so swollen I looked like a balloon that was about to burst. 

I went from wanting sex so much that I jokingly called myself a nymphomaniac to feeling repulsed by the thought of sex and avoiding it at all costs.  It was not only my sexual appetite that changed but my eating habits and appetite changed as well.   I used to be able to fast and feel good about it for a while, and suddenly I was going through stages where I was eating like a horse and could not stop eating.  No matter what I would be hungry, and I could never quench that craving for the next item of food.  When I would force myself to diet and eat properly and exercise I would still keep gaining weight so it seemed hopeless and I had no idea what was wrong with me. 

My joint pain from Lupus and Fibromyalgia got so much worse that at times I could not even pick up my new baby, who was premature and tiny anyways.  I got so bad that I could hardly get out of bed, and there was no way I could leave the house.  I could barely drive and I could not carry the baby carrier into the store to shop or anything.  I ended up totally stuck at home, hurting too bad to even hold my spoon and eat at times.  Yes, it was that bad and I am not exaggerating at all.  Plus, I have a very high pain tolerance and for anything to hurt me it has to be extremely painful!

My hair was falling out in huge wads and it was not stopping!  I could not sleep, no matter how exhausted I was.  I was having terrible headaches, even worse than the normal migraines that I have grown used to over the years.  I started to have strange hair growth that I never had before, little hairs trailing up my belly and little hairs on my face and even occasionally around my nipples, and thickening hair on my face!  That hair growth just kept getting worse and worse until I was plucking the areas at least once a day! 

As if all of this was not enough I started having terrible pains in my pelvic area.  I was not only having pain there, but constantly noticed a discharge and odor that no matter what I did would not go away.  I would have sharp pains feeling like they were in the area of the ovaries and then pains that would just double me over in the cervix and uterus area.  It was all of this pain and trouble in the pelvic area that made me start to put things together, and when I checked for my strings on the fourth month I could not feel them. 

I looked online and realized that other people were having these same problems and called my OB/GYN and told her office I could not find the strings and was having terrible pain.  When they finally got me in over a week later they were cold to say the least and also tried to talk me out of having the Mirena removed.  They didn’t act like they believed me about all of the side effects I was having and did not warn me of any I might have post-removal.  I said I still wanted it out if they could find it and so they went in to look.  Finally they found it and it was growing into my uterine wall and they had to snip it out.  Then I asked for a different method of birth control and they prescribed me orthocycline and left me to get dressed.  When I asked if we could look into my terrible pain in the pelvic area I was told to give it a few months, if I am still hurting they will look into it.   I saw they just threw the Mirena IUD in the trash and snapped a picture of it before I left, I couldnt believe that they just tossed it in there like that.  So, I paid for another expensive doctor visit and this is just one more problem I have had from the Mirena.

After having the Mirena IUD removed within 12 hours I could see that I have ankles again!  I am still having most of the other side effects, but the appetite seems to be settling down.  I am having terrible bleeding and expreiencing what they call the “Mirena Crash” which is terrible mood swings, depression, headaches, and insomnia that are maybe even worse than when I had it in.  But I have noticed that the hair loss is slowing down and I really feel hopeful that getting this thing out is going to help things get back to normal.  I know it will take some time, but I am excited about the possibility of being myself again someday. 

Please research the Mirena IUD very carefully before you get one.  I know they are apparently working fine for some people, but I suspect they may be having side effects and problems that they don’t even know are being caused by the Mirena.  I am now doing research into silicone poisoning due to the Mirena because I have found it is something that alot of people are experiencing and I have symptoms. It is very upsetting how I was not told of the possible side effects of having the Mirena in or  of the “Mirena Crash” after having it out. I will keep updating this site with how my post-Miren a experience plays out!  It has been a little over a week since I had it removed as of today.