Did you lose weight after having the Mirena taken out?

katemanning3

Hi, new here but not new to the diet/excercise world. I had my son in July 2010. About a week after he was born, I weighed in at 6 lbs less than I weighed before I got pregnant with him. 5 weeks later I got a mirena put in. I have gain 20 lbs since then, have extreme insomnia as in I rarely go to bed before sun up. Thank god my husband is home in the mornings to watch our son while I sleep. I have had bouts of anxiety and depression. I crave nothing healthy at all which is very unusual for me, especially in the summer. I also am not ever hungry until the late afternoon and then I just eat whatever. I gained the 20 lbs over about 3 months after getting the iud. About 6 months ago I wnet on Atkins hard core and started a three day a week/ 1hr workout program with a workout instructor and after a solid month on both, I didn't lose a single pound. That is unheard of for me, on any diet plan I can typically drop 5 lbs a week for the first month and then I drop back to like 2 lbs a week. After that huge let down and the let down from my midwife telling me over and over to just give it more time not to have my iud removed. I just gave up. I figured screw it, its not coming off, my midwife is pressuring me hard core to keep this thing in, so whatever, guess ill lose weight when I'm ready to get pregnant again. Well, I've not lost or gained a single pound since and I don't work out at all and like I said before, I eat whatever I want once or twice a day and I'm at the highest weight I've ever been which is about 70 lbs higher than the range I hovered at for the majority years. Now I'm fed up and really thinking I'm going to go to planned parenthood and just ask them to take it out and just not go back to my midwife until I'm pregnant again in a few years. She'll forget all about it. So I am thinking that I can expect to atleast have the sleep/anxiety/depression and cramping after sex which I never have because that drive has been shot too, poor husband, cleared up and maybe lose the 20 lbs I've been storing since I got it. I don't mind working at the other 50 lbs, that's easy as long as it is actually coming off. Its when your working your butt off and not a damn thing happens that's hard. Working out and eating right is so easy when your seeing results, you start to crave that burn because of the results and I used to crave things like chicken salad and watermellon like it was going out of style, now its just non breaded hot wings, whole milk, and chicken strips with ranch/barbique sauce. I once went a year eating nothing but caeser salad followed by a year of avocado chicken salad. Now the thought of salad just is not appetizing at all.

Anyway, anyone have issues like this that were cleared up by removing the IUD?

suzycreamcheese

not sure, as i took it out to get pregnant, so ballooned with that, but i do know that after i had it put in, i gained over a stone

hush7hush

I've gotta say, I LOVE my mirena. I didn't gain weight because of it. I gained weight because I was a Fatty McFatFat and ate everything in sight. I also haven't had any problems losing weight. I love the fact that I don't have periods with it, too. I never worry about TOM weight/bloating. [:

helenzass

I've had mine taken out recently and haven't noticed any difference - if anything I've found it harder to lose. But I didn't notice any gain when it was put in originally.

Visser1971

This is interesting for me because I am considering one now, or to get my tubes tied. I had our last child at the beginning of June, and do not want to waste any of the progress I have made so far. I am very very sensitive to the Pill and have never been able to take it as the hormone changes were too much for me, so I don't think the Mirena will be good for me.

But I can say that I had the same where a little bit after the birth of my child I was less than when I got pregnant, but then gained a lot over a months time after that due to hormonal eating, adjusting and lots of other factors.

Hope this helps and am interested in what others say.

Cheers, Christy

zeeeb

I haven't taken mine out yet. But don't plan to, i'm loving not having periods. But I didn't notice any weight gain, apart from because I was just eating loads of rubbish and not exercising and using every excuse in the book about being too busy and tired with 2 kids.

em1976

No dramas here either with mine,bit of cramping,sex drive took a little dive but no weight gain as i was big before it went in.

purple_tux1

No experience with a Mirena, but I think you should go with your instincts and have it taken out. Your symptoms may be caused by the Mirena or they may not be, there's only 1 way to find out. It's not your midwife who's suffering these symptoms, it's you. There are lots of other birth control options out there.

If your sleep and other issues continue after taking it out, you really need to seek help for these issues. They're pretty common after having a baby. I suffered for years and did not seek help. Please don't do that.

mrsgrumpypants

I had one for 5 years with no problems and no periods, and loved it. Getting it taken out was such a nightmare I went back on the pill afterwards.

nuttylou

I have had my mirena in since last September and have had no problems with it what so ever! I have not had a period since then and it has been fantastic.
Personally, I have not put on any weight from the mirena, only from having a rubbish diet and lack of exercise!!

Can you honestly pin point all your problems down to when you had the coil? Or is it purely from childbirth? Most of the issues you have suggested are typical of a new mother ie lack of libido, snacking on unhealthy foods due to lack of time, not as active ie gym etc due to having a little one in tow.

Think about the changes that have actually happened and how you have managed to put on the weight. I think you will be surprised at how it has happened. It is so easy to blame something else, but to loose weight and move on you need to be realistic about the causes.

I appreciate that some people do have problems with contraceptives I dont think a contraceptive can make you gain 70lbs if I am honest.

Good luck whatever you decide xxx

brbetha01

When it comes to birth controls, it's 'different strokes for different folks.' I've gone through different forms because of those side effects you just described. You might need to change because it isn't a good fit for you. Talk to your doctor about possibly changing. I just switched from Depo to Seasonique and all of the negative symptoms have subsided. I've also been maintaining my weight for about 1.5 months since the switch to prevent any crazy weight changes and I haven't gained any yet.

Good luck. Mirena just might not be a good fit for you.

Melindaleigh12

I just had my mirena taken out a few days ago. I only had it 8 weeks but it gave my gut wrenching cramps for every day of those weeks especially when I did core excersizes. It made be a b***h but that could've been the cramps. I didn't have it long enough to gain a ton but i did crave a lot of sugar. Good luck getting the weight off, I too hope going of bc helps some! But if it doesn't that just means we have to work harder!

McFrench

I HATED the Mirena. And I have heard sooo many similar stories. I got it 8 weeks after my son was born. I gained weight, and the mood/anger swings were terrible. So terrible. Mine was not even in correctly and caused horrible cramps all the time. I had it removed after 10 weeks. I would not recommend it to anyone. I have heard people are working on a class action lawsuit, as the company claims the side effects are limited. HATE the mirena, did I mention that?

katemanning3

I just discovered a petition going around about the awareness for the side affects of it. I signed it. I am scheduled to have it taken out on Sept. 6th. I cant wait! Im starting a diet that day and I know that if it fixes my sleep issue, the rest will fall into place.

@nuttylou, The 70 lbs isn't all from the mirena. I think the last 20 lbs are from the mirena. The first 50 lbs was all from me meeting my husband and getting comfortable and that was gained over a couple of years. The 20 lbs came on suddenly after I had the Mirena placed. The entire time I was pregnant I gained 20 lbs, most of it being in the last month but all of that and then some was shed right after I had my son. He was 9 lbs 12oz of that 20 lbs. So the rest was all pregnancy related as in blood, placenta, water, etc. As far as fat, I didn't gain a single pound of fat while I was pregnant.

My appetite and cravings didn't change until after having the iud placed. Before the iud was placed i was only drinking slimfast shakes, eating watermellon and smart ones meals. I didn't have time to eat bad. my son is allergic to milk and spent the first 2 months of his life awake 12+hrs a day crying unless he was held or eating. I didn't even get my first shower after leaving the hospital untill i'd been home a week.

The thing that made me pinpoint the mirena for the weight gain is the fact that I did try a diet that I was very familier with. From 4th grade until I was 19 my family was very strong Atkins followers. The only time I didn't follow Atkins was during swim season when I really needed a lot of extra carbs. Since then, if i've ever put on weight and wanted it off or just wanted some of it off, I could do any diet and drop 20 lbs in a month, at the least 15. Before I got pregnant with my son, I was on weight watchers and had lost 5 lbs per week for a month before discovering I was pregnant with my son. So when I went on Atkins and started my workout program which was one hour of cardio a day with a trainer for three days a week for 34 days and didn't lose a single pound, or gain a single pound. I knew something was wrong. That's never happend to me before. I can normally fix my weight with diet alone and see results in just days. I lose weight very quick. I know my body well. I also know that something isn't right due to the fact that I've not gained a pound since then 6 months ago and I haven't worked out since then or watched what I've eaten. Also, all my labs are normal and optimal. My cholesterol is great, my blood sugar was a 4.5 for my 3 month review, my blood pressure is 98/65, and my thyroid is normal. So, right now, there is only one other thing to blame, Mirena. We will find out for sure after it's out on the six and probably a few weeks after that.

Oh, and the period thing. I hate not having a period. I haven't had one since I've had the Mirena and while I was pregnant, not having one was fine because my body was causing their to be period but to synthetically stop my period has been horrible. Before I got pregnant with my son, I practed natural family planning for 3 years. I could tell you the minute I was going to ovulate, the day I was going to have a mirgrain, the hour I would start my period and I knew exactly what every little twitch or pain was coming from. I was never bloated out of the period time. I loved knowing my body sooo well. Now, it's going in a thousand different directions and I cant say what is going on with it at all. If I get a migrain, I cant say, "oh, well, going to start my period." now it's "what's causing this?" or cramps... I never got period cramps at all, ever. I got ovulation pains. Now when I feel a cramp or pain, it's a plastic peace stabbing me inside.

I've also been on the pill before and the nuvaring. The pill I didn't really take right but it was okay, I didn't really gain weight on it. The nuvaring, I through up every day for the month I had that but also didn't gain weight... how could I, I couldn't keep anything down. After that was when I went to NFP. I am going to have them give me the nuvaring again after removing the iud only because if i show side effects with it, i can pull it just like that. It's not like a shot, implant, or pill that I would have to wait for a period of time for the chemical to rid my system.

katemanning3

Little up date... I had my mirena removed 5 days ago. I weighed yesterday and had already lost 3 lbs since it was removed. I wasn't able to lose a single pound after I had gained that 20 lbs when I had it in. I am so excited. I also feel a million times better. All the side effects I had with it were gone by day 3 and now I feel like me again! This year is going to be a thousand times better than the last year. Even if I didn't lose another pound. I feel amazing.

My overall goal though is to first lose the 20 lbs I gained with it and then I will slowly work on the other 50 lbs I need to get off. I am not in a big hurry as long as I see it shedding I am good with that. I am a mother and Im not looking to win any swimsuit competitions so no need to get all crazy with it. Besides, even if I lost done to a size 6, my stomach is covered in stretchmarks from my son. He litterally streched my stomach so much that they formed a circle all the way around my belly botton that covered the entire stomach and looked exactly lik a spiderweb. They are all white now but you can still see enough that I wont ever have a bikini body. Bikini with a tank top sure. That's the body I want. No dunlap! For the first time in my life I have one and if after I lose all this weight I still have one, well, I wont do anything about it, lol. I want more kids and Im not paying for surgery until they are done popping out. lol.

xBeautifulBreakdown

I have had my Mirena for a yr and a half now I can't say the weight gain was from it bc I haven't been eating well or exercising but one side effect I HAVE had is acne! I have never in my life had acne, except for the occasional pimple from my period. I always had clear skin but started breaking out on a normal basis when I got the Mirena inserted. It sucks! I am using Clean and Clear now after trying Proactiv and Extra Strength Proactiv with NO results, I have tried a bunch of stuff but Clean and Clear seems to work the best. Adult acne is no fun, never had it as a teenager but I struggle with it now bc of Mirena. I guess I would rather have acne than another munchkin though so I will keep it in! haha

mollykat73

I just had my Mirena removed and had my tubes tied. I never attributed my weight problem to the IUD, but I had lots of cramping and my sex drive was almost dead. I feel so much better now and the weight is coming off quickly.

katemanning3

I have had my Mirena for a yr and a half now I can't say the weight gain was from it bc I haven't been eating well or exercising but one side effect I HAVE had is acne! I have never in my life had acne, except for the occasional pimple from my period. I always had clear skin but started breaking out on a normal basis when I got the Mirena inserted. It sucks! I am using Clean and Clear now after trying Proactiv and Extra Strength Proactiv with NO results, I have tried a bunch of stuff but Clean and Clear seems to work the best. Adult acne is no fun, never had it as a teenager but I struggle with it now bc of Mirena. I guess I would rather have acne than another munchkin though so I will keep it in! haha

I started having break outs with it too. Try using gold dial bar soap and a black head scrub. Use the scrub first so that it opens your pores and then use the dial to get rid of all the bacteria. Its what worked on my skin. Proactive was horrible on my skin and just made it worse. I like clean and clear but I had to use the dial with whatever I used. It was actually reccomended to my friends in highschool by their derm because they had acne that was horrendous! It cleared their faces right up and they havent had pimples since, that's what turned me on to it when I started getting break outs. That and my dad only used bar soap on his face when he was growing up and he never had acne, could just be he had good skin though (native skin).

Mrswheels01

I LOVE my Mirena although I have noticed my sex drive is lower. I see others have had this complaint. Interesting. Can others share if they had that problem ? Sorry I know that isn't about weight loss.

katemanning3

Its now day 6 after removal and I have lost 5 lbs!!! I love it.

The entire time I had the mirena the only thing I craved were foods I craved while i was pregnant, which Im sure helped with weight gain but when I went on a hard core diet and weight loss program 6 months into having the mirena, I didn't lose a pound after a month of it, that is not normal for me at all. I have had it removed for less than a week and have lost 5 lbs, and dont crave anything bad for me at all, that is a first in a year.

So, if you are eating like crap and you have a mirena in but aren't contributing weight gain to it, maybe you should look back into it. The mirena could be causing those cravings that are making you fat to begin with. If you have been able to lose the weight without having the mirena removed then I would say that your mirena probably doesn't have much to do with not losing weight ofcourse but it could still be what caused the weight gain if you dont normally crave such unhealthy foods but started to after getting the mirena placed.

I practiced natural family planning for 3 years before I got pregnant with my son so I know exactly the difference between me with birth control and without, especially now after having it removed and suddenly being back to the person I was before I got it. I have never gained weight with any other birth control before, just the mirena and I think it was because it stopped my periods all together, making my body react as if I were pregnant, if it didn't have a large amount of hormone in it, I think it was causing my body to release extra hormones, just like your body does when you are pregnant. So, in other words, maybe the device it self doesn't have enough hormone in it to cause such reactions to it but if it is causing my body to release more hormones than that would cause reations for sure.

I have noticed that people who continue to get their period on it dont seem to have as many side effects from it and I think that's why. Their body is still functioning like it should. Our period starts our cycle dropping our hormones down to a level that they can build back from. If you never have a period, your body never drops back down in the hormone level, it always remains up, just building and building.

Anyway, Im glad it's out and I'm glad to not feel pregnant anymore. We have decided to go back to NFP and just stay away from hormones all together at least for now, until my body is completely back to normal and cycles are regular and what not. The only way I could see going back to any birthcontrol is if my body doesn't regulate after months and months and I need to take the pill to get it back on track.

tbudge

Please keep updating on this thread...I really want to see your results. I have had the Mirena for a few years. I didn't get it for birth control, I got it to help with cramps. I noticed immediate weight gain. I also had a bout with depression. I have tried so many different things to lose weight and nothing works. I started counting my calories again and started Insanity. I lost weight for the first 2 weeks, and now I'm gaining it back. I asked my doctor to remove it, but since we are using it for cramps (and I'm talking about immobilizing, take 2 lortab and 4 ibuprofens to make the pain at least bearable cramps!) that there are no other options without some sort of surgical procedure. But I'm so miserable being overweight (not to mention the mood swings) that I'm thinking the few days of bad cramps are more worth it.
I am really interested to see your progress!!!

katemanning3

Please keep updating on this thread...I really want to see your results. I have had the Mirena for a few years. I didn't get it for birth control, I got it to help with cramps. I noticed immediate weight gain. I also had a bout with depression. I have tried so many different things to lose weight and nothing works. I started counting my calories again and started Insanity. I lost weight for the first 2 weeks, and now I'm gaining it back. I asked my doctor to remove it, but since we are using it for cramps (and I'm talking about immobilizing, take 2 lortab and 4 ibuprofens to make the pain at least bearable cramps!) that there are no other options without some sort of surgical procedure. But I'm so miserable being overweight (not to mention the mood swings) that I'm thinking the few days of bad cramps are more worth it.
I am really interested to see your progress!!!

I'll keep it up. but I will also just friend you. I haven't tried to friend anyone yet, so If a request doesn't show right away it's because I'm still trying to figureout how, lol.

That is just horrible that you have to go through those cramps, have you ever been on any other birthcontrol? like the pill and not gained weight? If you have then maybe you should look into going on the pill that only gives you 3 periods a year and then that way you only have to deal with them 3 times a year but get to lose weight too.

Autumn15

I have had one for over a year and haven't had any problems with weight issues. It took about 6 months for my cycles to get to a point of barely spotting each month and I don't have the horrible cramps I use to get before it or as severe of mood swings as I was haivng before getting it. I just decided at the end of May this year I was finally ready to get serious about getting in shape again and I've had no problems doing so using the same process of healthy eating and regular exercise that I did to lose weight before having my kids or getting my IUD. I think with all birth control there are just some that work with peoples bodies and some that don't. One birth control pill I used when I was younger made me bleed really bad another one they put me on later worked just fine but I did gain about 15 pounds after getting on it.

BeDawn

I have had Mirena for 6 weeks now, and it has had affected me quite a bit. My sis-in-law has had it for 4 yrs and LOVES it, so I thought I would have the same experience. I guess everyone reacts differently to BC.
I haven't taken any hormonal BC in 8 years, I have been a member of MPF for almost a year, and nothing in my lifestyle has changed, so it was easy for me to see the changes brought on by Mirena. In the last 6 weeks I have battled acne, insomnia, crazy mood swings, and I have gained 5 lbs. I am willing to wait a few months to see if things settle down. In the mean time, If anyone has any advice for me PLEASE share. Thank you for the Dial soap trick. I am hating my skin right now!!!

thirtyandthriving

I almost "lost" weight while i was pregnant weighing in at 202 3 weeks after my daughter was born when my pre-pregnancy weight was 215. I had Mirena inserted 9 weeks after she was born. I love it, I really do, I absolutely dread the thought of having a period again one day. However, I have had all of the same side effects as you. Nil sex drive, gained 20 lbs over the course of 3-4 months, extremely moody/depression (where I don't even recognize myself). I took anti depressants for a few months thinking it was just PPD, but they weren't helping and I didn't want to try a different one. I have also had noticeable hair loss issues which I was attributing to PP hair loss...yeah well she's 2 and a half now..soo.. I'm thinking not so much. I am thinking about getting it taken out now that I have seen a lot of others have had the same issues that I have had with it (and not just from this forum), but I really don't want to have periods again! LOL

BBKtten

I had minimal problems with my Eirena for the first 2.5 years. But around year 3I I started gaining MASSIVE amounts of weight. I have acne 20 times worse than I did in high school. It WILL NOT go away and I have tried nearly everything including prescription treatments. Since last year when weight gain started I went from 150, healthy for me, to a whopping 220 pounds!! And I keep getting bigger! Tried dieting, changing my whole diet, supplements, and excersize. Nothing is working.

I have friends at work. Who told me it was my mirena and they had the same problems with it. Apparently my friends sister lost the weight after taking it out.

I am getting it removed Tuesday.

Hope this helps.

andiechick

Just picked up in this thread..I had the mirena put in last sept after trying the implant n I love it. My periods have stopped, I don't suffer bloating, cramps or headaches like I used to every month n I haven't put on weight through it. In fact I've noticed I don't crave the same amount of rubbish I used to each month so its been easier for me. I also had it put in 2 yrs after my youngest was born so my hormones were back to normal. Like others have said before me tho, we're all different and what works for one won't work for another x

spartangirl79

Wanted to bump this thread... I had my mirena removed after 5 years of weight gain, mood swings, worsening of bipolar 2 disorder, fatigue, etc. After much thought I finally tracked it all back to the mirena -- wish I had figured it out sooner. However I was hoping the weight would FINALLY start to come off after removal... it really has not yet (of course my diet and exercise has been terrible, since I became fairly depressed after seeing no results). For you ladies who had bad experiences with mirena, did you have your hormone levels checked after removal? I only recently got insurance again and have not had a chance to see a doctor in several years (paid cash for the removal) so have not had any tests run. From what I have read, it seems that the mirena made me go into an estrogen dominant/almost premenopausal state. Did anyone else have this experience?

spartangirl79

I had minimal problems with my Eirena for the first 2.5 years. But around year 3I I started gaining MASSIVE amounts of weight. I have acne 20 times worse than I did in high school. It WILL NOT go away and I have tried nearly everything including prescription treatments. Since last year when weight gain started I went from 150, healthy for me, to a whopping 220 pounds!! And I keep getting bigger! Tried dieting, changing my whole diet, supplements, and excersize. Nothing is working.

I have friends at work. Who told me it was my mirena and they had the same problems with it. Apparently my friends sister lost the weight after taking it out.

I am getting it removed Tuesday.

Hope this helps.

BBKitten I had many of the same problems -- my weight gain happened in spurts too. NOTHING helped. NOTHING! I think the mirena combined with a bipolar medication really messed me up. Have you noticed any difference yet?

Tsrwalker

I had been on birth control pills since I was 17 and then in 2008 when I was 26 I had the mirena (5 yr) put in. I have not had any kids and had never had any cramps with my period. When I was on the pill I always knew when my period would show up and it was usually light and only lasted about 3 days.
After I had the mirena put in the first 3 months I had really bad cramping and off and on periods. I thought about taking it out, but I decided to stick with it. After 4 months my periods stopped and the cramping stopped. A year later when I went to see the doctor I questioned her about weight gain and she said it would not be from the mirena. It has to be removed in Oct of 2013 since it will be 5 years then. I plan on having a child in about 1-2 years so well see.

fatty_to_fitty

I had it at 23 before ever having kids. Still got it 3 years later. I had pains but no weight gain. No side effects.

There maybe a connection between having it post shild birth and the hormones?

I see similarities in stories about uncontrollable weight, moods, sleep extra hair growth but all post childbirth insertion.

I can't blame my weight on my mirena