This might be a bit TMI for my very-first post. I apologize, but I’ve been lurking for months and I figured if anyone knew, it would be you.
I’m thinking about getting an IUD (intra-uterine device). Mirena looks attractive. I like to be as informed as I can be before I go to see my doctor, so I’ve been doing some research on the internet. Some message boards list dozens of stories of women who couldn’t be happier with it. But many places I go are filled with these horror stories about side effects ranging from weight gain to psychotic mood swings to necessitating a hysterectomy.
However, it’s the content of these negative messages that has me suspicious. It’s often the same story (“My doctor didn’t believe me . . . I’m so glad I found this message board . . . I’m having it removed tomorrow. . . .”) and oftentimes they’re on these sites like curezone.com which seem to be anti-western medicine in general. Any time there is some neutral-ish discussion, it’s not long before a bunch of new users come on saying how it ruined their lives.
I’m wondering two things:
Does anyone on here have any experiences with Mirena they’d like to share?
How much credence should I give all these dire warnings?
I realize very few of you are doctors. I’ll speak to my doctor about it.
Not sure about other’s experiences, but I’ve been using Mirena for the past couple of months and I couldn’t be happier with it. Periods are gone, and with them the monthly cramps and migranes (although I do get occasional spotting). The combination pill made me nauseated pretty much constantly, and this has not been an issue with Mirena.
The negative:
If you haven’t had children, some doctors won’t insert it. I went to Planned Parenthood and they were okay with letting me try it. Insertion took about 5-10 minutes and it was the most painful thing of my entire life. Before they stick it in they have to measure your uterus depth from the inside, so it takes a lot longer than you’d think.
They use a gel to numb your cervix, and honestly I can’t imagine what it would be like if they didn’t. If you haven’t had children, I strongly recommend asking if the doctor could put you in twilight anesthesia. I threw up from the pain and nearly fainted. It is over with pretty quickly though; once they have it in the pain stops. Afterward, I felt as though I had really bad cramps for a couple of days, but I could walk around immediately. For about a month or two following insertion I got this weird brown discharge they called “spotting”. Mirena thins your uterine lining, like a period, but the stuff that comes out looks different and was quite frankly a little gross. This was the only thing that really surprised me (it was not mentioned in any literature I read).
Regardless, I’m very happy I did it. No hassle with taking pills, no side effects, no periods (mostly). The pain, while bad, didn’t last long. For all the negatives, I feel it’s the best form of birth control out there today and I recommend trying it.
Thanks for the info. I’m wondering if a lot of the hormones-from-hell horror stories aren’t because so many women are put on it right after they give birth. Could be just normal post-partum issues.
I’m on birth control pills already, and would just like a lower dosage of the hormones running through my body. I’m on the lowest dosage I can get now, plus I’m finding myself having more and more trouble remembering to take them. I figure if I can tolerate the hormones now, a lower dosage (delivered straight where it counts) can’t make things worse, can it?
sinusoidal, if you don’t mind me asking, have the strings caused any annoyance?
I have the Mirena, too, and I love love love it. I had it inserted in 2005, and like **sinusoidal **said, insertion’s a bitch. It’s easily the most pain I’ve ever been in, but I was right by the next day (tho’ still a bit crampy).
I don’t have kids, but I discussed it with my doctor (who’s really a PA) and she had no problem with me wanting one, and said that they tend to say that because insertion is easier for women who have had children, but it’s certainly possible for those who’ve never been pregnant, too.
I can’t say I’ve noticed any side effects - I do spot, occasionally and rarely, but never longer than a day. I have gained weight, but I think that’s more to blame on me being pretty much a lazy slattern than anything to do with the IUD. My periods have largely stopped (yay!) except for the spotting I mentioned above. I haven’t really noticed any mood swings or anything like that (but I didn’t really have any when I was on the pill, either).
I can’t sing this thing’s praises enough. I love the fact that I never think about birth control - ever. No more worrying about filling the prescription or what to do if I’m on a trip or buying feminine products or anything. (True story - my sister-in-law was up earlier, and asked me to pick up some tampons for her when I was at the store. I did have some, but she wanted her own. Sure, no prob - except I could barely remember where they were stocked. Had to roam the store for a bit.)
As for the strings, I’ve never noticed them or had any problems with them. I think that Mr. Snicks has noticed them once in a while, but I think that that can be fixed if it becomes too much of a problem.
Definitely look into it more - I love mine, and I’m getting another inserted directly after this one has to come out.
I work in a health center that primarily provides family planning and related services. Like most methods of birth control, for every horror story you hear about Mirena, there are hundreds of women who use it successfully and love it. You just tend to hear about the ones who had terrible experiences more often, because as you have already discovered, they are most likely to be looking for assistance on the internet.
Of all of our Mirena clients (and we inserted over 300 last year) I can recall 4 or 5 that had significant problems that resulted in them choosing to remove it. There were probably a dozen or so more that had some problems the first few months (cramping, bleeding, etc). I think you’ll find that women experience many different levels of pain and cramping, both with insertion and in the days and weeks following.
Bottom line is that it’s a great, reliable, long-term method of birth control that is very different from the IUDs of days gone by. One of our nicknames for it is “21st century contraception.”
Had mine put in at my 6week postpartum check up. Wasn’t any worse than a pap smear for me (I did have the baby without any drugs, so maybe my pain tolerance is higher than most!)
No periods, a little light spotting, no side effects that I’ve noticed, no bother from the strings.
My experience was almost identical to what sinusoidal posted.
Everybody’s different. You can’t ever tell from an internet posting if somebody’s symptoms or problems were in fact caused by, or exacerbated by some other unrelated to the IUD factor. So I’d take everything with a grain of salt. Talk to doctors. My doc sort of talked me into it; said she’d put them in many women who hadn’t had children and has not had a problem.
I’ve had no problems with mine; had it about a year. Love it. It was totally worth the excruciating pain of “installation.”
Based on my experience with different kinds of birth control, I have to echo what Dogzilla says.
First, hormonal birth control does different things to different people. What worked for me may not work for you.
Second, people often “blame” the birth control for things that may or may not be its fault.
I have a Paragard IUD (non-hormonal) and I love it 95% of the time. I don’t have to think about birth control, and in the long run it is much cheaper. My periods are heavier, but compared to horror stories I’ve read (even here on the Dope) my definition of heavy is much less than others. So there’s something to be said for perspective as well.
I also have the Paragard, the non-hormonal IUD. I have had it for about 8 years now and have not had any problems. I love not having to worry about birth control.
I will echo the others regarding the insertion - incredibly painful, but it was over quick and was well worth it. My doc didn’t use any anesthesia and I really don’t recommend going that route.
I have had the same IUD and also loved it about 95% of the time. My only complaint was the heavier periods BUT, I also wasn’t aware what my periods were like off of BCPs. Once I got the IUD removed (to try for another kid), my periods didn’t lighten up much. It was really the BCPs that were making them light, not the IUD making them heavy.
As far as the strings go, my partner hasn’t said anything so I assume everything’s okay on his end. I was told to check the strings every day until the follow-up appointment a month later and then monthly after that. They can be hard to find, so be prepared to dig around up there for awhile
However if you truly cannot find the strings, it may mean the IUD fell out (and you have NO BIRTH CONTROL OMG). Better safe than sorry…
I had it for just over a year. I normally take well to hormonal birth control, and I didn’t have any of the more common problems associated with it (mood swings, weight gain etc). Periods didn’t disappear, but they did diminish to a point where I could use panty liners instead of tampons or maxipads.
But I had it removed because it did have a side effect I just couldn’t tolerate: my hair went very thin - and it’s thin enough to begin with. I was afraid if I left it in any longer I would start to seriously lose it, which is a side effect they’re only now beginning to acknowledge exists.
Also, skin got very greasy, again a problem I’m prone enough to naturally.
These things may not happen to you - the only way to know is to try it. But be aware.
And, oh yeah, it hurt like hell going in. Even though I’d taken a Vicodin a couple hours before. In retrospect I should have taken two.
I’m on my second non-hormonal IUD; Round 3 is coming up shortly. My best advice regarding insertion is to ask for the “going to feel a pinch” warning and then start forced exhalations to help stop the reflexive abdominal cramp.
I swear I have washboard abs in those few seconds after the first blindingly painful pinch and my first hard exhale. The more I can relax through the procedure, the less my doctor needs to push back against me with the speculum to maintain a clear view of my cervix. If anything, concentrating on breathing keeps my mind off exactly where my doctor has his face.:o
My wife had the Mirena IUD inserted just a bit after our last child was born. She used to have horrible periods that would leave her pretty much bedridden. Now she gets some minor cramping and spotting every so often.
She’s been using the Mirena IUD for over 6 years now. It has to be replaced every 5 years (or 60,000 miles :D) and she had hers replaced last year. The removal of the old one wasn’t too bad, she said, but the insertion of the new one was rather painful and left her crampy for the next few days.
I love not having to worry about birth control. Before we had kids, my wife was on the pill and would forget one every so often and I’d get nervous and wear a condom. Now it doesn’t matter. Whenever the desire takes us, we’re able to oblige.
I felt the strings when she first got it put in and she had her GYN snip them a bit shorter and we’ve had no problems since.
My wife hasn’t had any of the side effects commonly attributed to Mirena, but that could just be her. We’d both recommend it.
That being said, her GYN did say it was best for women that have had natural child birth since their cervix isn’t as rigid as someone’s who hasn’t had a child vaginally. IANA gyno, so I can’t vouch for that statement.
Thanks for the great information. I think I’m going to make an appointment and give it a try. I’ve heard some doctors are reluctant to give it to women who’ve never had kids, but my NP suggested it last time I was in there complaining about my BCP. Frankly, if it works out as well as it has for some of you, almost any level of temporary pain seems worth it. (Ask me again after I’ve done it, though.)
Anyone need a good does of paranoia really should check out curezone.com, though. Apparently Mirena can cause everything from cystic acne to the death of innocent bystanders.
Yeah, I’d say go for it. I got mine put in when I was about 14 weeks postpartum, and I love it. Only spotting, no periods, no other side effects (although I suppose it’s possible that I have side effects that I’ve just chalked up to “new normal after having a baby”). I love not having to think about it, I love that it’ll last 5 years, and that my fertility will come back immediately. I plan on using the Mirena until we’re done having kids and we settle on some form of permanent birth control. It can’t be beat, in my book!
After much hemming and hawing, I decided to go for it. Got it put in Thursday afternoon. I pride myself in having a pretty high pain tolerance, so I didn’t try to get any “real” painkillers. Just took 4 Advil like my NP recommended. Holy Good God, that hurt. It wasn’t just that it was pain, but it was sharp pain in a part of my body that I’ve never really felt pain before. But, it was over fast.
I walked out of the clinic feeling just fine. Was a bit crampy that night, but I was hyper-aware of every little twinge from my body. Took me a day or so to get over the fear that I was going to sit up too fast and cause it to come ripping out of my abdomen. I know it’s just a little, flexible thing, but in my mind, it’ was about the size of my whole tummy, and made up of sharp steel spikes. Yeah, I’m a little weird.
Just a little spotting the first couple of days, but now you wouldn’t even know it was there. Last night, I should have started a new pack of birth control pills. It’s really freeing and exciting to be done with all that!
So, 4 days out and I’m very, very happy that I did it. Thanks again for all your encouragement!
IIRC, the pain was excruciating. When I was finished, the nurse wondered aloud, “How come the women with the high pain tolerance are the ones who don’t want to have babies?”
:dubious:
I said, “It’s not the pain of giving birth that scares me… it’s the pain of the following 18 years that scares me.”
Congratulations on joining the ranks! I just had my second one put in recently, and even if your insertion is way worse than it was, it’s still totally worth it.
My first one was a comedy of errors (there’s a thread kicking around somewhere about it), but I’ve had exactly one period since then. And virtually no PMS, which was a welcome change from getting all stabby every few weeks.
Like many others, I am on my second Mirena and really really like it. However, I just came in to offer a caveat based on what happened to me when I had the first one removed to try for third (and final) kiddo.
I will try to keep this long story short. Basically, I went in for what was supposed to be a routine removal appointment, and my doc couldn’t find the string. At all. Not even with speculum, etc. We were both a bit mystified. Eventually, I had to go in for an ultrasound, at which the technician determined that the Mirena had rotated itself into a sideways position (it was still doing its job, however). This meant that removal became a very brief, outpatient surgical procedure for which I was put under anaesthesia.
Ultimately, none of this really mattered–even though it was a “surgery” the removal was totally painless, and I did happily get Mirena number 2 after baby number 3 was born–but it was definitely an annoyance and pushed back our conception timeline quite a bit because of all the doctor visits (two tries in the gyno office, ultrasound, general physical to prove readiness for surgery, and finally surgery, with wait times in between everything).
