Side Effects or Problems After Mirena Removal.

Can't comment about Mirena in particular, but I had a definite loss of sex drive when I was on oral birth control pills. I attributed it to the hormones. And sure enough, when I went off the pill I felt much better. Now I've had 2 kids and decided to get a copper IUD instead of Mirena because I didn't want any hormones. I've had it for almost a year and so far so good.

As for not getting a period being "not natural" - well, yes and no. Back "in the day" women spent most of their reproductive life either pregnant or nursing, both of which do NOT involve getting your period. So I suppose it depends on your perspective. Anyway, my thought based on my experience is that there's very little downside to removing it to see if it makes you feel better. IMHO, your whole body mood/feeling is much more important than birth control or getting your period, since you deal with your mood EVERY DAY. There are lots of other birth control choices out there that don't involve hormones.

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Ok Ladies, this probably won't be popular, but I plan to advise my 13 and 18 year old daughters to NEVER use ANY sort of hormone based birth control. I was on the pill for many years in my youth, and have now dealt with breast cancer TWICE, and I'm not yet 50. I know this is controversial, and we each need to do as our conscience and common sense dictates, but as for me and mine, we will only take medications when we're sick. It doesn't make sense to take pharmaceuticals that our bodies don't need (to be healthy) when there are other alternatives that have virtually no side effects. Yes, condoms are a hassle, but not nearly as big a hassle as chemotherapy! Blessings to all- N.

I am interested in seeing the responses you get. I have had my Mirena for 1 1/2 years and I also have some of the side effects you mentioned. I never know if I should attribute the effects to the Mirena or life in general. Other symptoms I have are migraines and weight gain. It may sound crazy, but I have actually thought I was pregnant recently. When you don't get a period is messes with your head I guess!

I had Mirena for 5 months and hated it!!!!! I had it removed and was back to normal within 2 months.

Have you talked to your doctor about it? I have the Mirena IUD...going on 2 and a half years now and I have not had any problems or symptoms with it. I asked a TON of questions before getting it and my doc sat and talked with me about it and assured me that it was ok for me to not have a period. Said the Mirena was more relieable than a vacectomy and it's not permanent! I don't want you to go get it removed thinking this is the cure for what you are going through and it not be. I'd talk to your doc before removing it. Good luck! (((HUGS))))

I am actually interested in using mirena or any IUD for that matter. I have been on BC for 3 1/2 years straight and i can totally relate to the mood swings, depression, loss of sex drive. i thought these were the reasons i had them so that is why i decided to switch. I will be interested to hear other thoughts on the matter.

I would recommend the copper IUD. I chose it because hormones in BC pills gave me those same side effects. I feel great with the Paraguard (had it for about a year). The only drawback is heavier periods than I had before. Best wishes!

I and six of my friends all have had the Mirena IUD. It seemed great at first - no pills, no periods, no problem! Or so it seemed...
All but one of us (myself included) had it removed early for unfavorable side effects, which included depression, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, loss of sex drive, weight gain (and the inability to lose), oily skin and bad acne. We all had different degrees of side effects: one only had weight gain, but I had them all, and everyone else fit in somewhere in between. While I had no periods or cramping, one of my friends had extremely heavy, painful, irregular periods.

When I was first experiencing symptoms, I attributed them to pregnancy hormones that hadn't yet left my body, but after a year I knew that couldn't be it. I was thinking I was going crazy, and thought I needed to go on some kind of medication to control my moods. It was like I was a completely different person. No amount of diet and exercise could shed the 15lbs I'd gained in the year AFTER giving birth. I had worse acne than when I was a teenager. My husband thought it was the Mirena and I didn't believe him, because I had read all of the literature on it beforehand and none of what I was experiencing was mentioned. And I had been on the pill for over 10 years before we tried for a baby, and had no problems with those hormones whatsoever. So he did research and found two forums dedicated to Mirena, with thousands of women complaining about the side effects.
So I had it removed after having it just over a year, and I am not kidding you, that very evening it was almost like a cloud had been lifted - all of my senses seemed clearer and I felt calm, and within a week I actually WANTED to have sex. I felt myself again! And finally I was able to lose the weight. I'm not back down to where I was before I was pregnant, but I'm back to where I was before I had the Mirena put in.

My one friend who still has it in claims she loves it and is not experiencing any problems, but yet has recently had to go on Paxil for anxiety and irritability, when she had never had a problem before. Coincidence? I think not. I want to tell her I think it's the Mirena, but she's convinced it's great.

My husband and I believe that since the makers of Mirena suggest that it's best for "women who have had at least one child," they're hoping women will choose it as the first means of birth control after having a baby, and therefore any side effects experienced (which for me, seemed like pregnancy times ten), will be attributed to, or blamed on, lingering pregnancy hormones.

I am happy for those who have it and think it's great, and I don't want to convince them otherwise, but I would definitely never recommend getting it. If you have it and you're feeling things you wouldn't normally, then I am positive that is the culprit.

You do not say how old you are, so if you are having mood swings, it could be your own body changing due to peri-menopause if your are in your 40's. If not, you may want to consider a copper IUD, I had one when I was younger,
in my 30's and it worked just fine. The other possibility would be to stay on Mirena and treat the other symptoms with anti-depressants.

When I was looking into this one, I read that what you describe are side effects though not everyone gets them or at the same intensity. It can also lower and/or shorten the menstrual cycle. If you do have it removed, it could take a couple of months to get back to normal. Or you may get back there right away. It depends on how long it takes the hormone to leave your body.

I have an appointment next weekend to have my Mirena IUD taken out also. I don't think adding hormones can benefit you, and potentially harm you. I think it's healthy to have a period, and I'm concerned the added hormones are doing more harm than good, as you and the other posters referred to. I also did my research and asked my doctor lots of questions, but my gut is telling me something different so I'm going to listen. Good luck to you.

I guess I didn't read about the Mirena making you have loss of sex drive but man did I!!! I didn't realize how bad it was till I recently got it removed. I was probably having sex once a month and felt like it was chore. I got it removed Oct 6th this month. Two days after it I got a cycle that lasted about 5-6 days. After that we have probably had sex now at least every two days!!!! I took it out to plan another child but now I don't think I will get it back in. I think I might go back to old fashioned birth control pills or get my husband to get sniped!!