Pregnancy & Mirena

I personally have not become pregnant using Mirena, but I have a co worker who become pregnant with baby #4 using the Mirena. She did get the IUD removed and later found out she became pregnant because the string inside of her was cut too short, allowing the Mirena to move out of place allowing the pregnancy to occur. She has since had her son in May of 2008, got the Mirena replace and then just last month and to have one of her fallopian tubes removed, secondary to an etopic pregnancy while using the Mirena. I'm not faulting the company that makes Mirena. M)be my co worker's doctors are the ones at fault, but this is one product I would not use. Good luck with everything.

HI K.. I have had the Mirena for 4 years and have been very fortunate - no complications at all. At the beginning my periods were spotty and then went away. I haven't had a period in over a year. This can definitely be scary. I have taken more than one at home pregnancy test and went into the doctor as well. The doctor explained that this is one of the positive attributes of the Mirena - no periods. So now, I don't worry as much. I would suggest contacting your doctor - just in case. Best of Luck!

When I worked at Hopkins we were one of the US clinical trials sites for Mirena. I've also had 2 myself, both before and after my son.

Mirena works a little differently than non-hormonal IUDs, because the very low level of progesterone it releases causes the same kind of cervical mucus changes as oral contraceptive pills and other methods. That is a very effective primary contraceptive. There are other things it does too, to further reduce the risk of pregnancy. That's why it's so effective. It's lower side effect profile is because the medicine is absorbed directly into the blood stream, not going through your digestive track like OCPs. That first pass thru the liver is where many of the nasty side effects come from.

It is very common for periods to decrease or go away when on Mirena. Sometimes that takes a few months. The most common reason for failure is that the IUD falls out and women don't notice. That's why it's good to check the strings each month. However, just because the strings are short and can't be felt doesn't mean it's not working. I've personally seen a couple of women with domestic violence issues that needed an invisible method of birth control & Mirena with a super short string worked well for them.

As for ectopic pregnancy - the research has shown that it is a lot less common in Mirena users than in the general population. I don't know what the situation was with the other posters' friends - but there was probably something else going on too.

As always, there are many possible reasons for a missed or late period (especially while using Mirena) besides pregnancy. But, you can usually be pretty confident about your birth control effectiveness with Mirena - it's generally more effective than getting a tubal sterilization.

If you don't get a period in a week, call your doctor's office if you don't want to take a home pregnancy test. Maybe they can reassure your futher since they know your personal medical history. Although, if it were me, the stress of not taking the test and worrying is much greater than the dread to take the test.

Good luck. Sorry this is so long and detailed of a response. I just hate to see misinformation about birth control being spread.

Hey

What is probably happening is that you are done shedding the lining of your uterus and probably not going to have periods for a time while the mirena is in. Lots of women have this happen as a happy consequence of having an IUD. You may still be ovulating but without endometrium there is no bleeding during a period. I use a mirena and I also place them for my patients and this is a pretty typical pattern. That being said, please do a urine pregnancy test ASAP because you need to determine if there is a fetus in there. If so the Mirena may be misplaced in the uterus and may need to come out.
Also have you felt the string in the last couple of months? Good luck!

I have a friend who got prego with the Mirena, and another that got prego with the Paraguard. They had the IUD removed (you have to if you're pregnant) and the both ended up having ectopic pregnancies and had to get D&Cs.

It's very common for the Mirena to cause your periods to stop altogether. I haven't had a period in 5 years, just a very few instances of spotting. I'm quite pleased with the Mirena.

It can happen, but the chances are dramatically less than with the pill or other forms of contraception, especially after a year. Now, on a positive side, may people after a while on the mirena stop getting their periods. Around a year for me my period was literally my mucus coming out pink instead of clear for a day, that's it (I had mucus everyday I had the IUD). Then maybe 6-8 months later, I didn't have anything, so it could be that. If you are pregnant, (PS take the test once your 30 days late), they have to remove the mirena, it can cause major complications and birth defects. Also, be aware that there is something like a 25-30% chance you'll lose the pregnancy (if you are) when they take the IUD out. Make sure to call the doctor as soon as you know your pregnant!! Good luck, I hope it works out.

I have had my mirena for almost 2 years. I had a very light period (spotting) for the first few months. I haven't had a period since. Not at all! I love it! If you are worried, just take a test to be safe. The sooner you find out, the safer the baby will be, if you are pregnant. I am sure there are safe ways to have it removed and keep the baby safe.

I hope this helps.
K.