I’d like it if anyone here who has an IUD and previously suffered from severe PMS or PMDD could share their experiences.
I’ve had PMDD for a long time, and it seems to be getting worse as I get older, to the point that right now I am basically a non-functioning human being for about 4-5 days per month. I am trying all of the non-medical remedies for this, i.e. vitamin therapy, frequent exercise, etc. Those things help but not enough. I’ve been on antidepressants in the past for post-partum depression, and while they were effective, they also killed my sex drive, which was an intolerable side effect for me.
OK, so. My question basically is: If you had PMS or PMDD, did the symptoms get better after the IUD? Which IUD did you get, Mirena or Paragard? Did it do anything to your sex drive one way or the other?
My sister recently got the Mirena, and she says that her PMS symptoms, which are similar to mine, have decreased to the point that they aren’t noticeable. This would be life-changing for me, I’m not even kidding. But I’d like to get some other people’s experiences too if I could.
I used to have really awful PMS, the sort that I think if I had talked to a doctor about it probably would have been diagnosed as PMDD–my mood swings were so awful I flipped from homicidal rage to suicidal depression in about 30 seconds, multiple times a day, usually over nothing at all. Then I got a Mirena, and it stopped both my periods and the PMS like turning off a faucet. It did cause some vaginal dryness and substantially lowered sex drive for the first year or so, but being functional and not feeling like I belonged in a rubber room was well worth it to me.
Thanks, CrazyCatLady. I could put up with the sex drive thing if I were reasonably confident that it was a temporary thing. The antidepressants knocked it completely down for the duration of the 9 months I took them. It was like I forgot what sex was.
One other question I meant to ask: For those of you who saw improvement, have you ever been on the Pill in the past, and what did it do to your moods? I’ve been on various formulations of the Pill and all of them seem to turn me into a crazy hosebeast. Like, instead of PMS right before my period, it’s PMS all day every day. I’m a little worried that because the Mirena has hormones, it will do the same thing to me.
I think the IUD is one of those things that you don’t really know until you try because it affects every one differently. I have a Mirena, and while it completely stopped my periods, I still get monthly PMS symptoms on it. I feel crampy and slightly hormonal, but it’s not bad. I think my moods have been pretty stable, although I do get kind of weepy around PMS times. That said, when I was on the pill before, they actually stabilized my moods, so I’m not sure the same would happen for you.
Although the Mirena is hormone-based, my doctor said the hormones stay local to the area so it should not affect you as much as the pill. (I cannot take oral hormonal BC any longer because of clot occurrences, but I could still get the IUD.) My sex drive has not been affected by the IUD, but past oral BC almost always eliminated my libido completely. So that’s a nice change for me.
What Time Stranger said. I have a Mirena (I’m on my second one) and had light/easy periods to begin with. Within three months, they had stopped completely, but my body still goes through PMS cycles. I was on Depo Provera for ten years prior to this and that killed my libido and made me gain 2 pounds a year. All these treatments act differently on each of us because, well, our bodies are different. I suggest an appointment with your OB/gyn to discuss the various options.
Right, I will obviously be talking to my doctor. It’s just that if a whole herd of people came in here and said, “You know, my symptoms actually got worse,” it might influence me somewhat. I really feel I cannot tolerate my symptoms getting any worse. I’m not exaggerating when I say that for about 4-5 days preceding the start of my cycle, I’m clinically depressed and barely capable of functioning. This used to be just a one-day thing, which I could handle, but it seems to be worsening and lengthening as I approach my late 30s.
The physical symptoms of PMS don’t bother me that much. I am mostly concerned with the mental/emotional/psychological stuff.
My experience with Mirena was hellish. Unfortunately, all of my symptoms were worse after it was put in (including constant, low level bleeding, and very sharp, sometimes debilitating cramps). I spent far too much time curled up in a ball, wishing I would just disappear. Having that thing removed was an enormous relief.
I realize that I’m an outlier. But the worst side effects can sometimes happen.
I agree that a consult with a doctor and lots of research on the side are the best way to go, and it looks as if you’re already going down that road. And if your doctor gets tired of your questions or begins to dismiss your concerns, find someone else as soon as possible.
My opinion is because the Mirena only has a very low dose of hormone and it’s localized rather than systemic, that it probably wouldn’t help much. But IANA doctor. I’m just under the impression that it’s the hormone therapy that works best for PMDD. Any hormonal BC I’ve been on has helped to even out my moods, which seems to be what you’re looking for. But that’s just me and we can see from the other data points cited in this thread… it may not be that way for you.
I had a Mirena for about a year. It was awful. I would be cramping at all times of the month, bleeding from my cervix. My body was just not having any of it. I do have to admit, though, I was less depressed. (I have PMDD and Major depressive disorder, so it’s like bad all the time, but around my period, really bad.)
Now I’m on Depo, which is the only thing that kills my cramps, but which makes me fat, depressed and cranky. I really wish uteruses came with an auto-destruct button.
I don’t have PMDD or even really bad PMS (just typical things like tearing up at stupid shit and tender breasts), but I did get the Mirena at the end of February, so it’s been about 2.5 months.
My periods so far are normal, though I am starting a couple days earlier. Typical ovulation symptoms about mid-cycle (breast tenderness mainly). I do spot a bit almost every day (and have since day one), but it’s not even enough that I have to wear a liner (but I do throw a tampon in when I’m going to be playing tennis if I’ve been spotting in the last couple hours).
I have noted the vaginal dryness and slightly decreased libido, but not nearly as decreased as when I’ve been on the Pill. After the first couple weeks, I have virtually zero cramping (except for my first day of my period, which is normal for me). I have noted no weight gain or changes in skin condition (acne).
I’m not too concerned about the spotting and won’t be until after the first 6 months.
Insertion was a bitch for me (never had children), but it was relatively quick all things considered.