Mirena?!?

caitlin2235

My question is about side effects of the mirena. The back story to this question is I recently went to my doctor and she told me I need to be on anti-depressants for my anxiety. She also told me that in order to be on the anti-depressants I would need to be on some sort of birth control. Doctors won't prescribe the anti-depressants because if I were to get pregnant the anti-d's would cause birth defects. I have tried all types of birth control and it messes with my body. She told me to think about mirena, I have looked up side effects and every person who wrote about their side effects had a negative connotation about it. So my question is if any of you nice ladies have the mirena did you have side effects and what were they? TIA

disneyluvr80

I have had it for over a year my side effects have been sparatic bleeding, and I have really bad cramps about everyother month I aske my dr and she says its my body cramping against the Mirena. But over all I have liked its nice to not have to remember to take the pill which I am terrible at  

~Flossie~

I bled for a really long time after getting it put in (I think it was around 3.5 months if I remember correctly, but I had also just had a baby a few months before that so that may have contributed to it). After that stopped, I only have had occasional spotting about once a month since. I have had no other side effect.

fortimesarrow

 I had Mirena put in a year and a half ago, and I just had it taken out this week. I loved it. When I had it put in, there were some pretty nasty cramps -- since I haven't had a child, I think my cramps were a little more severe than the doctor suggested they would be. They were gone in about 36 hours.  Mirena was the only birth control I have EVER been on that hasn't exacerbated my PMDD. No changes in mood at all. I stopped having periods for the most part. Occasionally there would be spotting, but that was few and far between. I had it taken out because it hurt during sex.... but that actually had to do with the position of my uterus, not Mirena. I will advise you, though, that if you get it placed, make sure the strings are cut short enough. According to my husband, it's not pleasant to get poked at by the strings.  

LiebeMama

I'm on paraguard and it has no hormones at all. Only negative: extra heavy period. Thats all there is to it!

belmont1785

I've had mine for four years...almost time for a new one...and I think I may be one of the few that has NO side effects. I never get my period, it stopped like a month after insertion, a little bit of bloating after insertion but otherwise....I LOOOOOVE it. Everyone is different. GOOD LUCK!

mandyjac18

I have had mine in for about 7 months and love it, I have never had a kid so it was a little uncomfortable for the day of insertion but nothing I couldn't handle. Other than that I don't really have a period anymore (some slight spotting) and a little acne (which only happens to about 4 percent lucky me ) I love it though and yeah my doctor cut the strings really short so no bother there.

caitlin2235

thank you ladies, I guess I just have to see what side effects I will have. thanks for the info!

futuregabriel

I really don't read reviews of BCs because usually the only people that post are the ones with the bad side effects. I had the Mirena from Spring 2009 until spring of this year and I loved and hated it. I loved the convenience of it, never having to think about it, that kind of thing. I never had spotting because I was on the depo shot before (LOVED IT). My biggest reasons for having it taken out were, I would get SHARP stabbing pains in my lower abs that would double me over, it was horrible. I would have cramps and could almost feel it the closer I got to having it removed. When I made the appointment with my doctor she said that nothing was wrong and that it could have just been my body's way of trying to get rid of it.

Honestly, I didn't mind it at all, but my side effects got worse. My FI did say that he could feel it even after the cords had softened up which he didn't tell me until after I got it out.

 I then went on Beyaz and hated it  (horrible side effects and my body couldn't cope with the type of estrogen it had) and am now seasonique and love it.

It honestly is all personal opinion and trial and error. I've been on a lot of different forms just trying to find the one that fit my body the best. Honestly, I'd try a pill before I shelled out the money for the mirena, it's very expensive, even with the payment plan (how I paid for it). Good luck either way!

hunter8768

My wife had one for about a year and a half.  It worked great.  However, she got really bad motion sickness.  Even the shortest car ride would make her sick to her stomach.  She did not like that side affect.  When she had it removed, the motion sickness stopped.  I think that was her only gripe about it.

Also, I could feel it during sex.   It was somewhat painful if it hit the right spot on my penis.   

 

My two cents.

married2thebest

I have had it for three years. I love it. No periods after some months spotting for 3 months. I had the strings cut short. I think it is a great method of birth control. 

tinamorgan

I had mine in for about two years.  In the beginning I loved it, but by the time I had the dr remove it, I pretty much hated it.  I have never been good with hormones, which was why my dr said to try this one, but by the end of it, I had no drive, I was constantly moody. I had heard that the mirena could cause some bad side effects, and to be honest if I didn't have such a bad last six months I would totally do it again!

BenandAmanda07

Hi,

I have had Mirena for about 3 1/2 years. I got mine when I hadn't even had kids yet and a lot of ppl highly recommended I don't do it because my body isn't big enough and hasn't been stretched (by the baby). Anyway, the PA put it in and she had to go in 3 times and stretch before she could put it in and so that was painful (comparative to contractions). She gave me a really good shot afterwards so that helped. Then after that when I had my period, the cramps were that much worse because it was cramping on the t-shaped object that is mirena. I got Mirena to help with my cramps. Anyway, my period stayed until about a little over a year ago. Then it just stopped (cramps too). I still have my PMS but it isn't that bad. Especially when I think about how bad my cramps used to be. Hope this helped.

So long story short, I love having the Mirena.

DarkoGirl

I agree with PP that a lot of posts about side effects are written by people who are unhappy, usually if you are happy you are going to post to side effects websites.

That being said, I LOVE my Mirena! I've had it 3.5 years and I will def be getting it again when the time comes.  I have been on everything from 5-6 different BC pills, then I was on the ring (which I like but it was a pain going to get it every month) and then my midwife told me about Mirena.  Because I had never had a child, they were cautious and explained that the procedure to put it in may be more painful.  When I went to get it, they said they would try without cervix dilating gel stuff (especially since you get it inserted during your period) because that had to sit for something like 24hours.   It hurt a lot and when I was walking out of the office I had to sit down because I almost fainted (midwife said it was shock).  I went home, rested and was up and back to normal after 24 hours.  I went back a month later to make sure everything was okay (it was)and my midwife told me that she used Mirena and so did all of her midwife and ob/gyn friends. I thought that was a glowing recommendation.

georgetteoden

1... many women have an episode of syncope (fainting) after IUDs are inserted, it's a normal physical reaction to anything from having blood drawn to minor surgery, and a quick cervix dilation like that will definitely be interpreted by your body as "minor surgery."  Don't drive home from the doctor's office after having an IUD put in until you've spent maybe 30 minutes sitting down, reading, relaxing whatever in their waiting room.  (Been there, didn't do that, almost passed out on the highway, and called an ambulance, and by the time it got there I felt fine, except for the $300 bill!)

 

2... I loved the Mirena.  Aside from pain on insertion (definitely get the laughing gas, valium, whatever they offer you) it's fabulous.  I had no side effects-- a tiny bit of spotting on my first cycle and from there on out, no periods at all.  I only removed it because my husband got his job back after a year layoff, and we want kiddoes.

 

Good luck!

KeeleyAnne910

I've had the Mirena for 5 yrs now.  (Once I get insurance again, I am going to have it removed...times up)  I love it.  I do agree with the others though; if you've never had a baby, insertion is horrible.  I had terrible cramps for about 3 days.  I haven't had a period on it at all.  Sometimes painful during a certain position during sex and some minor cramping every few months for a day or so.  For me it's a great BC.  Now that I am at the end of the "lifespan" so to speak, I do wonder if it is messing with my sex drive.  I will have to ask the doc.  Good luck.