Hey guys. I know this is a long post but if you can stick with it I'd really appreciate some help. I’ve come across this website a couple of times (unfortunately after my Mirena insertion) but this is my first post. Before I get started with me, I have to say I think it's amazing how you guys are here for each other. I read what the lady a thread or two below me said and I believe venting is just as important as getting advice and think it's great there's a place you can do that with people that really listen. But I’m going to try to put the venting aside as much as I can b/c right now I need advise. (Sorry for the people that are reading this on other forums. I didn't know you could post on multiple ones so FYI it's tailored to the mirena forum)

I got the mirena inserted last August and realized a lot of what the nurse practitioner said was a flat out lie (I have many examples but I’ll leave that to a venting post). I told her about my sensitivity to hormones not only b/c my body is physical sensitive to a lot of things but more importantly because I’m bipolar and would really mess with my emotions. Of course they said it was localized and wouldn’t affect my mood but from so many of your posts as well how well I was doing before the insertion, I don’t know if it’s unrelated. I did, however, go from 100 mg of meds and really happy to now 200 mg (max dose) and sort of miserable. At one point I was prescribed 25 mg tablets incase of menstrual mood emergencies.

I went to PP yesterday and the lady said it’s basically impossible for them to be related and was politely saying I should just consider the fact that it’s b/c I’m a loon. What sucks is that it could be my disorder got worse but what I do know is that never in my life was I a crier, not ever, and now it doesn’t take much to get the water works going.

Physically she said the IUD looks perfect and after 6 mo of massive cramping my body has finally adjusted. But the personality thing is killing me. I’m not sure how much I like who I am anymore. So I’m thinking of switching to paragard b/c no where does it list mood changes but don’t know if I should. What if it’s just that I’ve gone into a year long downward swing? Then I went through so much pain to put this thing in and just as my body finally adapts I remove it for nothing except new paragard pain.

I don’t really have any other complaints with mirena. Don’t have acne, didn’t gain weight, and haven’t had any of the serious complications like PID. From the few things I found online about paragard (why can’t we find the important information?) it seems like there are more of the serious side effects associated with it than mirena like having trouble getting it out. Also, she said that since it took me about 6 mo to get use to mirena when it’s usually 2-3 then it could take up to a year to get use to paragard. Then she went on to say how at least I would have 9 good years (after I spend a year of my early 20s in complete agony). But if I went back to who I was last year, bring on the pain! If the mood doesn’t change and I go through another year of adjustment pain, 10 years of heavy bleeding and cramping, or worse that’s something I’d have a problem dealing with.

I know this is a decision I have to make for myself and I’m pretty sure the majority of you don’t have bipolar (didn't realize until right as I was about to send this that I can also put it on a bipolar forum so you guys know) but if you can imagine yourself in my situation what would you do? There is definitely a possibility that my disorder got worse on its own and a possibility that I could develop more serious physical side effects from paragard when right now the mirena has settled in perfectly. I feel like PP nurse practitioners are like used car salesmen so I can’t ask them. I have an appointment with my PCP next week which I’m sure will help but honestly, I think the responses I get here would be more accurate and helpful then anything else. Any advice you can give would be really appreciated.