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[Guest inoubliable]

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[Laura Corin]

I'm on my third Mirena. It's worked very well for me. I haven't had any depression issues and any weight gain is easily explainable by laziness and chocolate consumption.

 

Best wishes with your decision

 

Laura

[Joanne]

I need to have mine removed for "time spent" as well. ;)

 

Although I have a history of depression, that predates the Mirena and I have not had measurable depression symptoms while on it. I have struggled with weight. But, I was struggling before that, too. I do think it's possible the Mirena has contributed to making it a challenge to lose.

 

I liked the Mirena and do not have any complaints.

[TheReader]

I experienced both depression and weight issues while on the Mirena. I did, however, leave it in longer than 5 yrs with no worse effects and my doctor who removed it said there was still some hormone left in when he removed it, that I could have left it in longer. So, just to assure you first off that you are probably safe if you don't find someone in the exact window of five years.

 

As for the side effects. I cannot say for sure, with 100% certainty, that the depression or the weight issues were related directly to the Mirena. What I experienced was basically really bad emotional PMS type symptoms -- only, when I say "really bad" what I mean is more than once my husband asked if we needed to get me to a doctor due to my emotional state. I didn't realize it was so bad most of the time (and mostly it wasn't; it was definitely cyclical), but once I passed the 5 yr mark of the Mirena and the hormone started diminishing (my periods started coming back, so I know it was decreasing in effectiveness, even though the dr. said there was still hormone left), I was able to feel the fog lifting, if that makes sense. In it, I didn't recognize I was in a funk; off it, I realized I was better.

 

Once it was actually removed, it was way better almost right away.

 

Ditto with the weight gain. Once I had it removed, I finally started losing the left over baby weight that had not come off during the whole 6+ yrs post-baby, even with healthier eating than ever before and a more active lifestyle. I didn't gain extra weight, though I attribute that to the healthy eating, but I wasn't losing baby weight either. Again, once the Mirena was out, I started losing the flab.

 

Now, I cannot say the depression was 100% due to the Mirena ---- I spent part of the pregnancy on bed rest, then he was born 9 wks early, we traveled 1.5 hrs each way to visit him in the NICU for 7 weeks, I was insanely sleep deprived the first 6 months (b/c of pumping every 3 hrs round the clock), he had ECI services for being preemie so we had therapy once/week for the first nearly 2 yrs, then we moved out of the country when he was 2.5 yrs old and so I spent the next few years adjusting to an international move, etc. Still, post-partum depression or stress induced or whatever only explains so much, ya know? One of the worst/darkest times was right after getting the Mirena when I was in the throws of sleep deprivation; the next worst time was just a few months before I had it taken out, though, when stress would not have been a factor. So......

 

As for other options.....for us, DH had a vas. It's a much simpler procedure than any permanent means for a female, so that worked for us. Between removing the Mirena and when he finally had the vas., we just used condoms. I hope you find something that works.

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[Sisyphus]

Because the Mirena has hormones, I can't do it. It's the hormones that give the side effects, not the device itself. I've had a copper iud for 10 years, wonderfully simple with heavier periods as the only side effect! I just went in to talk about removing it (I was getting worried it would expire or something at the 10 year mark) and the obgyn said the ten year thing is a general rule, it's okay to leave it longer. So now it's staying until dh gets the v next spring.

 

For some people, the heavier periods on the copper iud are awful, but for me since I had crime scene periods anyway (sorry about the tmi) it was just more of the same so no biggie. It's probably the exact same price as a Mirena, but lasts longer and is hormone free, so you may want to look into it.

[Mommee & Baba]

I had Mirena after my second child. At the time I loved it! I thought it was so stress free and the perfect option. After having it in for almost 3 years I had it removed to TTC baby #3. I got pregnant almost immediately!

 

Fast forward. When it came time to decide to place it again my dh stood up and spoke. Never before did he say anything about the Mirena being the cause of mood swings until then. I was experiencing lots of crazy mood swings, weight not going as quickly as I'd like but enough that I wasn't pointing fingers, & my drive to do a lot of my typical mommy/wife things weren't there like before. I would go in spats of depression and just excused it for "life happens". My dh made his case and I didn't have the Mirena placed after the birth of my son. I've been without it for almost 5 years and haven't experienced any of the "side effects" that I did while on the Mirena. We use good old fashion condoms for our prevention as I'm against using a pill & dh won't get the procedure done to rid of the chance of a final blessing. If it happens under our careful preventive measure, it's meant to happen. :)

[fairy4tmama]

I had my mirena removed last april and I will never get another! Like you I can not say that all of my issues were 100% related to the mirena but I feel strongly that if nothing else it contributed. I won't go in to all the details but needless to say had weight gain, depression and developed Hashimotos Thyroiditis which was diagnosed at the removal appointment because my throid was so huge. For me it is not worth it YMMV.

[gardenmom5]

I was diagnosed with liver problems two years after the insertion and I had it removed. there is a connection. I had also read many chat boars on it and there were quite a few women who were diagnosed with liver problems after getting theirs.

[justLisa]

I am on my second one. I don't think I have any side effects. I don't want to have another one because the last insertion was not exactly pleasant. I don't know what I will do because I do not want anything permanent yet.

[MrsBanjoClown]

I had one for 5 years after the birth of ds2. I did gain a lot of weight, but I have had it out for almost a year and the weight has not come off, so I can't say that it is related. It will be a year December 30 since I had mine taken out and did nothing else for birth control, and I have not gotten pregnant yet.

[Guest inoubliable]

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[Mom-ninja.]

I'm actually thinking about getting another one. My cycles are awful. I have major mood swings when *not* on Mirena. My dh has had a vas and I still want a Mirena just to stop my vicious cycles and raging moods.

[Mom2pandc]

I had one put in after my dd6 was born. After almost 4 years I realized the side effects had grown over the years. I suffered from post partum depression, but now wonder if it was Mirena. I got worsening depression to the point I didn't even want to exist anymore. My skin got horrible cystic acne that by the time I got it out my face would get big bloody bulges around my chin every month. I gained a lot of weight that I'm still struggling to get rid of after a year without Mirena.

I would never go back to one. No periods aren't worth it. Even though I thought that was great at the time! I read that the defects get worse overtime for some and I definately experienced that. The mood swings were so bad I couldn't stand myself. I do feel much more calm and balanced now with no changes other than the Mirena. Now if only my weight would get back to normal :(