I just want everyone to know I had a Mirena IUD for five years without any difficulty whatsoever! I'm a nurse and I honestly believe some people miraculously develop side effects only when they know what the side effects are 'supposed' to be.Be careful what you attribute to the IUD - they may not be related in any way, shape or form.
I loved my IUD and was totally suprised at how pain free it was to remove. I would definately recommend this form of birth control.
Note on page 7 the OBSERVED variance in levels of levonorgestrel absorption, anywhere between 10 micrograms and 40 micrograms per day were recorded. That's a range of "half" the "daily dose" to DOUBLE it. Is it really so hard to believe as a medical professional that some women might be reacting to higher than normal amoutns of levonorgestrel? Or perhaps they are just very senstive to the drug, just as some people are more sensitive to SSRIs or anti-epileptics. Consider that levonorgestrel is one of the more highly androgenic progestins used in birth control and also one of the most potent.
Is it so hard to believe that all the side effects that had been attributed to the Norplant system could be attributed to the Mirena as well? Considering they use the EXACT same hormone in a similiarly distributed dose?
Than also consider that recent studies have shown that borth control hormones can effect your levels of SHBG (or if you don't know what that means -- Sex hormone Binding Globulin) for over a YEAR after discontinuing. If it can effect that ONE hormone for that long, what other hormones are being thrown out of whack for a year or more after pulling out the Mirena? Could long term side effects that doctors are passing off as hearsay, or genetic or poor-lifestyle choices truly be caused in part or in whole by the Mirena?
Then take in point the Birth Control Patch, Ortho Evra. During clinical trials it was reported that a woman absorbed much smaller amount of hormones from the Patch than what would be consumed and absorbed by pills. But new findings show that the Patch can release over 60% MORE hormones than what is contained in a "normal" 30-35 mg of estrogen pill.
Or what about the long known effect BC hormones have on initial insulin response to glucose? For years doctors have said this lowered initial response did not have an overall effect because the total insulin response was not lowered by much (it WAS ALWAYS lower though). Now however, diabetes research is leading to show us that it is PRECISELY that initial response that may be the contributing factor in insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes. The theory is that because of a lower initial response, your insulin levels try to "make up" for being to low by producing excessive amounts of insulin in later stages. These excessive amounts are what lead to....can you guess? That's right! Insulin resistance which can lead to......weight gain and other health risks.
So despite ALL these things, you are going to tell the HUNDRED of Mirena USERS that suffer side effect (numbers are creeping up into the 20% range - ovarian cysts have been primlimary observed in 12% of users) that we are making it up because we want an excuse?
I find these generic statements such as yours extremely ignorant, and while I am glad for you that your experience with the Mirena has been positive, I pray that the patients you see on a daily basis receive a tad bit more sympathy than you have provided here. And then once again I should remind you that while you are a nurse (and I do respect you for that) you are not an endocrinologist (nor even a physician), and only hold a basic overview on how hormones interplay amongst each other and effect your total body.
My God, I DO believe you are my hero. I was sitting here this morning, printing out all of the posts so I could take them to my doctor. So maybe he would believe me, once and for all, when I say that this thing is taking over my body. Thank you SO much for your beautifully written statement.
I am pleased that you are lucky enough to have not had any problems with Mirena but I can assure you that we are not imagining our symptoms. Please look at the Discovery home and Health forum to see how many of us are experiencing the same side effects.
I, like many others only went to the website AFTER noticing that something wasn't right, we didn't go to the website and THEN imagine the symptoms related to us. All these women can't be wrong.
And for the record I had the Mirena removed 6 months ago and have never felt better.
Hi: I had a horrible experience with this POS! I had a miscarriage in late January 2006 - had to have 2 D&C procedures (one in the doctors office and one at the hospital) because they didn't get it all. Infact, it was an incomplete pregnancy. Afterwards my OBGYN told me about the Mirena IUD. I had a copper IUD previously and loved it but my periods got to the point they were 10 days long and I couldn't stand it any longer. I had the Mirena put in and the next day I started experiencing migraines. Then the next day came the lovely night sweats. And bleeding - I was going through 1 super tampon in 1.5 hours - but hey "that's normal". This went on for about 1 week with the nurse practioner telling me "it's really great you should keep it in". Yeah, had it taken out. The cramps while I had it in were unbelievable, and I've had 4 kids! Afterwards I went to my normal doctor because I wasn't going back to the quack and by the time I got in to see her I had been bleeding for 31 days and mostly the 1.5 hour per tampon bleeding. I hate how doctors don't believe you when you say "this isn't normal for me". They did blood work to see where my hormone levels were and they were almost non-existant - I was "post-menapausal" and I'm only 37. I couldn't figure this out because once they removed the IUD they put me on the pill - 2 a day for the first week and then one daily. They had to put me on a double dose of the mono-phase pill for a month to get my hormone levels right again. It is now the end of May and I still have no energy and feel awful. Of course I was told that this had nothing to do with the Mirena - Yeah, and horses fly!
I'm so happy for you that you had no problems with Mirena. But you are part of the problem. Telling women they are imagining their symptoms and that there is nothing wrong. I know for a FACT that I suffered for a very long time, before I even began to consider that Mirena might be the problem. I racked my brains for MONTHS trying to figure out why I was having all of these weird problems all at the same time. I've always had a head full of thick, gorgeous hair. Now it's just a whispy mess. I've gained about 70 pounds because I have NO energy ever. Even when I get plenty of rest, and even though I take vitamins and drink the amount of water I'm supposed to. My appetite has a mind of it's own. I would go on, but I just realized that I don't have to sit here and explain myself. Again, I'm so very happy for you that you didn't experience any trouble. I would love to say the same thing. I thought this product would be the answer for me and my husband. Now one of us is going to have to face being "fixed" so we won't get pregnant again. I should have known better.
Hi, I am glad you had a positive experience with your iud.
I tried to convince myself symptoms were all in my head. After two years of torturing myself and my body, I got Mirena removed yesterday. I felt better immediately.
I guess it affects all of us differently, but these message boards are loaded with people experiencing the same horrible side effects. Positive posts are very rare.
I am also a nurse and have had my Mirena IUD in for 14 months. Since I have had it I have had a lot of side effects some of which are never told to you by doctors or on the Mirena web site. I came to this website to see of others have experienced the same things and they have so I don't feel alone or crazy anymore. So I didn't make these symptoms "miraculously" develop. You just may be one of the licky few who had a good experience.
That is such a typical thing to say. My Dr. has said the same thing cause she has one too and she is fine. I never felt this was after having my forst child. I know every preg id different but I had this thing put in and had horrible mod swings, back aches and cramping,leg pain, periods lating 3 weeks and nw everything but the mood swings are worse. I read many threads on here and so many people have the same symptoms as me. I think if i read up on the symptoms then starting getting them then it would be diff. but i got the symptoms then read up on them to see if people were getting them too. So just remember just because you are "ok" on it does not mean that people cant have bad side effects with it.
Home
Mirena and side effects 
