I have had an IUD for over five years. Itching symptoms I have had since I can remember, but became severe this time last year. It interfered with our marital sex life, I couldn't wear jeans, sitting down was a nightmare, and at night the itch drove me nuts. My doctor diagnosed me with lichen scerolsis and prescribed a steroid oitment (clobetasol propionate .05%) which keeps the itching and pain at bay. She was able to diagnose me with a visual examination and said that the skin around women's private parts becomes extremely thin and looks like parchment. She also said if she had been unsure she could biopsy it.
There is not much out there on this condition, but please ask you gynecologist if this could be what you have. I strongly suspect it becomes more severe as one approaches or enters perimemopause or menopause.
I hope this helps you. It certainly was the diagnosis for my problem.
I too had the same thing! I've had Mirena for the past 6 years and I never made the connection with the lichen sclerosis and the BV and yeast and everything else. Wow! I had a new one put in in January and it's driving me crazy!! I noticed a change in myself as well... no sex drive and my temper is volatile as hell. The side effects are getting too out of control and I have an appt with my gynecologist on Weds to get this thing out!! The only good part of this whole thing was I never got pregnant on it. I already have two kids and that's all I want pretty much so it worked well in that sense.
i had a bout with very painful intercourse. followed by what i thought was a horrific yeast infection. i tried to treat it with monistat which made it so much worse. it was like acid. i had this same side effect with the copper iud years ago. of course my doctor thought i was crazy and it was all in my head and they gave me a steroid cream. right before my period would start is when it got unbearable. i damn near went to the er a couple of times. they tested me for yeast infections, bacterial infections etc. everything was negative. according to my doctors, the iud wasn't even a consideration for the problem. it must be me. my poor husband. my poor children. i have been a miserable, uncomfortable crab. now that i have this iud and it is happening again, i know it is not me. it is a side effect of this device.
Hello everyone..i'm 25, no kids, no plans to have kids, just got back from my gyno an hour ago, i was asking him about the IUD. he wrote me a prescription for MIRENA. I NEVER take anything without researching it first. I've read all of the posts you guy's have put on here. I'm still debating about trying this....
a little info about me...i currently already have mild depression (not taking anything for it) it's all related to my eating disorder, which i am just starting to get treatment for. I also have NO sex drive. which i believe is also related. when i get my period it's only for about 2-3 days and it's VERY light, no tampons or anything needed and little or no pain or discomfort. I have been on birth control pills for about 8 years.
i was asking the dr about an IUD insted of birth control pills because it lasts 5 years, and since i have no plans to have kids it seems like it would suit me better than the pill and is also supposed to have less of the hormonal side effects then the pill.
my main concerns are: (since these things are already a problem for me without the IUD)
-weight gain
-sex drive
-headaches
-bad skin break outs
*and also concerned about the bleeding/pain
any info would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
have a great day
Koren
I am 22 yrs old with one child. I had the Mirena IUD inserted at my 6wk postpartum check-up which has almost been 2 yrs ago. I haven't given it much thought that it might cause problems until now. I breastfed my child for over a year and a half so my period never returned after delivery. The dr. said it might not return because of this IUD. Well, of course that is not the problem. The problems I am noticing now and only begun to notice them about 8-10 months ago is weight gain and loss of sex drive. Just in the past 2-3 months I have noticed a lot more acne break-outs. My husband and I have only had sex 4 times since Easter (in March 2003). You know something has to wrong for that to happen. I am attracted to him and can sometimes be turned on easily, but when it comes to actual intercourse it's like my mind starts wondering elsewhere and I get distracted and can't finish what I started. If we start to make love I can hardly ever reach my climax. This was never a problem before my child was born. My best friend had a Mirena IUD inserted this past June (2003) only because I recommended it highly. (this was before I started researching the product). She has not stopped bleeding since. Her blood pressure is high and is treated with medication, and she is also experiencing a problem with severe acne. Since I have read everyone else's testimonies about the side effects of Mirena, I have come to believe it is the culprit. I am going to discuss this with my doctor. In the past year I have gained about 33 lbs. I weighed 155 after delivery and now I am up to 186. I thought I was just eating too much because I had a problem. Now I think it is because of the IUD.
Will someone respond and tell me if you have since had your IUD removed and what form of birth control are you now using. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories!
I, too, had Mirena inserted 6-weeks postpartum and have steadily gained weight ever since. I called my doctor's office to ask if that was one of the side effects, and the nurse almost laughed at me and told me that, unfortunately, I couldnt' blame my weight gain on Mirena.
I've gained about 15 pounds during this past year and probably a few more during the 6 months before that. (I've had Mirena for a year and a half.)
Just seeking others' experiences because I am thinking of taking it out and just going back on the pill . . . .
Hello, I am just starting to have problems with my mirena IUD. I loved it and now 1 1/2 years later I am getting a period and can't lose weight and tired. WOOO I hate that the IUD is the cause because it requires no memory to use. Do you still have yours now?
I am 29 years old and I just had my secend baby. I had the MIRENA IUD put in and did not have a bleeding problem, however I now have no sex drive and can't seem to lose weight no mater what I do. I am also having problems with hair loss, I feel bloted all the time, and I feel slugish, tired, and I have horrible moodswings. When I consulted my doctor, she simply wrote it off and said that the reason was because I just had a baby 7 months ago. Well I just can't seem to understand this. I am 29 years old and have never had any problems like this ever before, so why all of a sudden. So I have decided to have it removed to see if this could be the reason.
I am having the same problems. I had Mirena put in 5 months ago and have lost a ton of hair, am moody, no sex drive and have put on over 20 lbs. I am going to have it removed.
I am 29 years old and I just had my secend baby. I had the MIRENA IUD put in and did not have a bleeding problem, however I now have no sex drive and can't seem to lose weight no mater what I do. I am also having problems with hair loss, I feel bloted all the time, and I feel slugish, tired, and I have horrible moodswings. When I consulted my doctor, she simply wrote it off and said that the reason was because I just had a baby 7 months ago. Well I just can't seem to understand this. I am 29 years old and have never had any problems like this ever before, so why all of a sudden. So I have decided to have it removed to see if this could be the reason.
Before you have your IUD removed ask your doctor to check your thyroid function. The symptoms that you are describing (hair loss, weight gain or inability to lose, fatigue, mood swings, etc.) are also consistent with hypothyroidism and pregnancy can trigger it.
I have also gained weight after getting the mirena, I got it when my twins stopped nursing at about 3 mths. I had lost 25 plus pounds that I had gained during pregnancy. After getting the iud inserted my weight went steadily up untill I gained the 25 back plus about 15 more pounds. No matter what I do exercise, diet ect. I still am gaining weight. I have almost complety lost my sex drive and feel very depressed most of the time. When I asked my doctor if these syptoms could be related to the iud I was told that these were just postpartum depression, but my boys are now 16 mts old and I am still having these problems. I think I should look into getting it removed.
I had Mirena inserted last September and I think I am going to have it removed. My husband can get snipped. I am sick to death of my doctor telling me that my recent symptoms are not as a result of Mirena. I have gained 20 lbs after I worked so hard to lose almost 50 after the birth of my 3rd child. My hair is falling out like crazy which the makers of Mirena have said is a side effect. I am also experiencing mild depression, lack of sex drive and I just feel irritated. I don't think it is just a coincidence that I have gained all this weight. I love that my period is gone, but not at the cost of my sanity and my stomach getting larger. If there is anyone else who has gained weight, please let me know. I think that Mirena is probably a wonderful BC for some women, but I think that everyone reacts to different medications differently and I am one of them who is reacting in a negative way.
I am having the same problem, I am already a "big girl" I was weighing 274 when I got Mirena and now I am close to 300. I have been trying to lose weight and cant. I feel unattractive and even as a big girl I was confident. Not to mention the ACNE I did not even have acne as a teen, and my acne hurts. I thought it was just the hormones. I have had Mirena since November 2004. These side effects arent even mentioned. I could have stayed on the pill
Thank GOD it's not just me! I can't seem to lose my baby weight, I feel crazy and I am exhausted all the time. I have 2 week long, heavy periods, so I'm on 2 weeks, off 2 weeks. It's miserable. But I guess what I want to know is: is there anyone on here who has had it taken care of and had these problems go away?
The best thing to do is go to your G.P, thrush is very common a lot of girls/woman get it, avoid wearing tights, tight jeans , and wear cotton underwear. take care mabel
Hey girl, i know exactlly were your coming from, i am 22 and have 2 kids, my olsest is my little girl who is almost 3 and my son who is almost 1. And i also got the Mirena in me at my 6 wk post check up appointment after i had my son, so it was about march 2004 and still to this day, I have only had 1 real period all the other times i have just been spotting very lite.And that was ok with me for alittle bit cause i really wasnt having to deal with a period so i was fine and happy, but then i though, even though i happy not having a period all the time and just having lite spotting, i knew something wasnt right.But it sucks cause i dont have insurance and my doctor is real expensive. that god for medicade went i was pregnant....lol.but havent been able to go to get checked out again to see if im ok cause i dont have enough money.
but like all of us, we were happy went we got it cause mirena sounded great at the time.
and i guess im lucky cause i havent really been bothered that much with the side effects, like i havent had acne or rashes.thank god
the only thing that was weird was that like i said barley a period and also i have been alittle moody sometimes, but not too bad.but i do have alittle pain sometimes in my abdomainal area soemtimes and when i do get it, it sharp and it hurts,
but the main thing is SEX, Me and my fiance have always had a really good and healthy sex life, weve been together for 4 years and for like the first 2 i was like always getting it and enjoying it, so i know he knows how to take care of me when it comes to that.but i guess its from the mirena that things have changed cause we have sex but of course not as often cause we got 2 kids, but when we do.i enjoy it alittle bit, but its nothing like it was before, and like you said, it takes a LONG time to reach my to claimax, and most of the time lately i dont cause it takes to long, and i really try to, keep my mind there and i guess consontrate on getting there, but it barley happenens, and i hate it cause i used to get there fast before,
and its stupid cause at first i thought that was maybe just normal cause weve been together so long and cause were getting older and were probley getting used to each other, but i seem to realize that i hardly even have the urge and the want, like i used to before, i never come up to him anymore, he always comes to me, which is different cause it was never like that before, and my fiance notices it too.im really thinking about getting it out too, and maybe tying me tubes or even just cutting and tossing them out...lol
and another thing is that, im lossing weight very fast, and i always eat alot.i weight like 110 , but my family sees me lossing it really fast, i think im ok and so does my fiance but i guess cause were always with each other and we dont notice it.
well hope to hear from you soon
bye