Did you lose weight after having the Mirena taken out?

kristyarnold58 · May 2014

Has anyone experienced any numbness in their hands? I have had my Mirena since October 2013 I have gained serious weight, my hands hurt and are tingly all the time, cramping after sex, low sex drive, I don't sleep through out the night constantly up and down. totally bloated all the time and dead tired during the day. I never thought bout the mirena being the issue until about a month ago. Seriously considering having it taken out.

bridgie101 · May 2014

the weight's probably causing nerve problems in the hands. but i don't understand why any of you are putting up with this. It sounds like the most horrible IUD in the world.

tenaciousdee78 · May 2014

I think mirina coil is great too im due to get my 3rd one fitted next year. I put on weight because i over ate massively, but have cut down now and have lost 22 pounds since December.

savemungo · May 2014

Don't know how you are doing 3 years later... but I've had Mirena for about 4 years now - no kids, no pregnancies past or present.
I have struggled with my weight all my life. I have no issues losing weight on Mirena, but I no absolutely no issues gaining weight.
If you are eating whatever you want whenever you want, that's your issue. Not Mirena.

As with many "diets" Atkins has it's own claims and certain "no-nos." It is a high fat, fat protein, high cal diet - you need a good balance. Calories are the only thing that counts as that is what your body consumes and burns. Eat less than you burn per day. Simple as that.

You can eat 12 Snickers bars and 4 packs of twinkies if that's what you choose - but you have to burn more than those consumed calories. Preferably, a balanced, nutrient rich diet is much better for your body.

If you need some assistance, I would suggest Weight Watchers. They use the calorie system disguised by points and try to teach you how to eat properly and healthy. Go over those points (calories), you don't lose weight. Consume them or less, you do lose weight.

Like I said, burn more calories than you consume. Simple.

And to those experiencing wacko symptoms..go to the doctor, you dummies.

zaftiggirl · May 2014

I did end up having the Mirena removed, ultimately - and I don't recommend anyone else do this, but I had my husband take it out for me. Just reached up there, grabbed the strings, and very gently pulled it out. I was shocked to see that there were cyst-like growths attached to it - I'm not exactly sure what they were (it wasn't an embryo), but I felt fine so I decided to just wait and see if my body began to act naturally or not - I don't have PCOS or anything like that, and I've never been pregnant. I'm not the kind of person that goes to the doctor for every little pain or weird thing in my body, so that's just what felt best for me. It did kind of freak me out, however, and I was really glad I'd taken it out.

After doing my own research, I determined that the Mirena was causing some things in my body to go haywire - specifically, I think it was causing magnesium and potassium deficiency. No, I didn't get my blood tested to determine that, but the symptoms matched and as soon as I took the Mirena out, the symptoms disappeared. Google Mirena + magnesium deficiency for an explanation of why it can cause those deficiencies.

Symptoms that went away within a week: pitting edema in my feet & calves , numbness in my arms & hands (I would wake up with numb arms and pain in my feet as soon as they touched the floor when getting out of bed), and the biggest thing - it felt like a fog lifted from my mind. I also had energy again! I would come home from work, make dinner, and then go to sleep at 7pm exhausted, then wake up at 7am barely ready to take on the day. Now I don't even need coffee to feel mentally alert.

Symptoms that did not go away: body fat. The Mirena most likely decreased the production of natural progesterone in my body, and so I'm having to work on raising that. But the motivation is there now, and it wasn't when I had the Mirena in - plus I've been eating LOTS of fruits and vegetables to increase the vitamins and minerals in my diet.

And, now the first day of my period is ridiculously heavy - but the days after are very light. I'm eating a lot of raw fruits and vegetables now and it's helping quite a bit.

"Burn more calories than you consume. Simple." < Only if reduction in body mass is your one and only goal. Hormones are the messengers of our body and you eff with them, and your body will fight against you.

sandraksims3 · May 2014

Following

carmenstop1 · May 2014

I hope you are just trolling and not being serious, because if you are...that is seriously the most ignorant post I have every seen! The symptoms don't all start the same day and when I went to the doctor, he told me it couldn't possibly be the Mirena! Go troll somewhere else!

For the rest of you out there, it has been 4 months since I took mine out, I have lost over 10 pounds. I found I had to start increasing my calories to lose, I had cut my calories back so much to keep from gaining that I couldn't lose at my current calorie deficit! I am exercising, eating between 1300-1500 calories and finally losing weight! My energy is coming back, my skin is clearing up, I feel 100% better! I am guessing that most of you that gained weight uncontrollably with this thing have cut your calories as well! If anyone has any questions, please contact me! I hope we can all help each other!

PseudonymMom · May 2014

Wow! I'm so glad to read this. I had my Mirena in for 7 years. I had it put in when my second child was a year old. At that time I don't recall what my weight was but my pants were about a size 8 and I did not feel flabby. I'm 5'7", athletic, strong, muscular. My first few months with Mirena were painful and crampy but each month is was a little better than the previous one and I never had a full period, which was a relief. I was also fairly certain that I would not get pregnant. Partly because I had zero damn libido. The weight started creeping on - I attributed that to getting older (I'm 47 yon now, so was 40/41 then) and having a stressful sedentary job, even though I'd always been pretty fit and was still active. Fast forward a few years... I had an extra 30 lbs, was grumpy, tired, zero libido, and just tired. Still attributable to getting older. I quit the job a year ago because I knew it was adding stress and pounds. Slimmed up a little (no weight loss, just toned a bit) and happier but still felt imbalanced. No reason, really, to be stressed! Have had weird heart flutters and one time almost passed out while driving. Doctor poo-pood it. The second doctor didn't think much of it. (WTF!?) My body just felt stressed, even though I knew I wasn't stressed. Stll, though, I never assumed it was the birth control. Over the last few months the daily cramping feeling returned and I was always sort of spotting and a little crampy. After heavy exercise (long bike ride, half marathon run, lots of plyometrics) I would spot more. And I was always on edge. And tubby. Pudgy. Not me.

After 3 weeks of constant coughing from bronchitis (not Mirena's fault

) I was worried that I had dislodged my Mirena and knew it was time to get it replaced anyway. Then I decided, what the heck - I'm having my tubes tied and the IUD removed. At nearly 48 I know I don't want any more babies and DH was un-budgable on his anti-vasectomy attitude. Two days ago I had my MIrena removed and tubes cauterized. I feel pretty bloated still but it's gone down a lot since Thursday. The tubal procedure created extra bloating.

Anyway, I woke up this morning feeling... different... not on edge, not crampy (bleeding post-surgery but not surprised since I haven't had a full cycle in years - damn uterus was probably due some shedding!), not fuzzy, not troll-like. And a little frisky (but stitches, bleeding, ick, so no, but still...). So I started googling and found this thread and was fascinated reading it. I'll post in a couple of weeks whether or not my waist size/bloating have gone down. There were times over the past two years when I seriously wondered if I was about to be the star of one of those "I didn't know I was pregnant" shows. I had a serious pot belly and the waists of my pants were always very tight even if other parts weren't. It was an odd shape for me. Just the mood change and lack of abdominal pain alone are nice!

I have a good friend, healthy and fit, who loves her Mirena. Another friend, also active, healthy, and fit, hated it and removed it because it made her gain weight. I wish the makers could figure out what the differences is btw the gals whose bodies can't tolerate it and those who can. It's not just attitude or willingness to control calories and exercise - there is something very real here that is terrible for some women.

A few notes previous to mine on this thread someone posted about having a magnesium imbalance related to Mirena. The pass-out incident has nearly repeated itself several times and I have noticed that electrolytes helped it, and it was always when I was experiencing what was the equivalent of my monthly cycle while on Mirena. It had never happened before Mirena. Also had weird heart flutters and thumps. A 3 day portable EKG (wrong name, can't think of it right now) showed that my sinus rhythm is fine. Again electrolytes would help it. I'm going to read a little about that and see if any of it sounds like what I experienced. I'll also be interested to see if w/o Mirena it stops happening.

I'll post after a couple of weeks what's changed.

marialynn2014 · May 2014

I'm getting mine taken out this week! I have made a complete overhaul with my diet (1200-1400 daily) and exercising 6 days a week (walking, Power 90) for a month. The first week I felt awesome. A few inches came off my waist (water weight I assume). I feel stronger, happier and healthier, but I haven't seen the scale move in 2 weeks and no additional inches off.

There feels like pressure in my lower abdomen more noticeable just the past couple weeks. It's uncomfortable to lay on my back or my stomach (and I AM a stomach sleeper!). I have had the Mirena for almost 4 years and it has been awesome. No period, no worrying about taking a pill every day. .I have had flutters/pressure in my lower abdomen though for the past 2.5 years and enough is enough.

This is my first real attempt at weight loss/exercising since it was fitted and I'm hoping this pressure goes away and I will see the scale and measuring tape start to move! I will post again after removal and with results

SezxyStef · May 2014

That post wasn't ignorant..in fact CICO is how you lose weight.

Having a 100g plastic coil inserted does not cause a tonne of weight gain..over eating does.

Does Mirena cause some..yes but it is mostly water.

The insert specifically indicates it can increase your appetite.

I used Mirena exclusively for 7 years and lost most of my weight using it...how? calorie deficet...weighing my solids, measuring liquids and logging everything accurately and consistently.

It's easy to blame Mirena for weight gain as it is one of the side effects but again it will not cause 50lbs...without the excess food...it is scientifically impossible to gain over 10lbs (that could be water) using it without eating too much...it doesn't create excess calories on it's own...

@Marialynn2014 the scale wont move due to the new exercise....that causes water retention that masks weight loss and it can last up to 4 weeks.

marialynn2014 · May 2014

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@Marialynn2014 the scale wont move due to the new exercise....that causes water retention that masks weight loss and it can last up to 4 weeks.
[/quote]

Thanks! I really hope that is the case! But it's more so the pressure and fluttering that's driving me crazy!

SezxyStef · May 2014

I agree it was a pain...mine dislodged 2 years into my 2nd one...and the strings drove me nuts...I did have it removed obviously. Now using depo..another notorious BC method. but as you can see by my ticker in the last 15 months I've lost all my weight using both...

CarMabKae · May 2014

Hi i read your posts.. I am having the same issues with Mirena and I am also planning to have it taken out later this year. So my. Question is, are you in any type of BC? I mean after the Mirena? I was thinking and I thought if Mirena is not working out for me, might as well try Paragard.. Was it painful when they took it out?

CarMabKae · May 2014

Every one is different. I gained weight with Mirena. Before that I never had problems with losing the pregnancy weight. 3 months after my second baby (after i lost the baby weight), I had the Mirena inserted, then 2 mos after that I started to gain weight. No matter what Diet I do, what work out routine i try, I continue to gain weight. Yeah I lose what, 1-2 lbs.. then I spring back to my current weight. PLUS the crazy, UNCONTROLLABLE cravings I've never had before. It drives me insane. That's when I did some reading and reviews and realized that most people compalined about the same thing -- well majority of them are mothers. I guess that only goes to say that yes, Mirena does it's job- but it's not for me. Will have mine taken out in 2 months, will try Paragard. Why 2 months? I can't take a 2 y.o with me to the clinic and not have her freak out seeing a bloody mess. HAHA. Oh boy.

skimthesurface · May 2014

I agree that the Mirena won't, on its own, cause a weight gain of 50lbs, but, without changing my diet or exercise habits, I gained 15 lbs (approximately... it fluxuates 5 lbs every other day) in a year on the Mirena. That being said, I would love for you to quote your sources stating that it is "scientifically impossible" to gain more than 10 lbs on the Mirena without overeating. It seems more likely that the weight gain caused is specific to how an individual person's body reacts to the hormones.

I still love and swear by the Mirena, but I am attempting to tackle my weight gain in a different way in order to try and lose the weight that I've gained, as well as get into better shape to apply for a special duty assignment. For reference, I am in the military and constantly active. I carry 40lbs of gear every single day, wearing a tac vest and other equipment, and am constantly climbing ladders, running, and carrying/dragging people in my line of work. I eat very healthy, although I gained an extra 5 lbs when I moved to Italy and found gelato... Other than that, I rarely drink, and love vegetables and some fruits (bananas are amazing after or before a run). I either don't eat meat or only eat what I cook, mainly because the one time I ate out here, I ended up ordering horse meat on accident and I don't want to make that mistake again.

So maybe, for some people, there is only a gain of 10 lbs. But until someone can prove that the amount is universal, who's to say that the Mirena has not caused people to gain more simply by "Having a 100g plastic coil inserted"? After all, the "insert" does state that weight gain is a common side effect as well as an increase in appetite.

SezxyStef · May 2014

10lbs accounts for most water...hence the warning "may cause weight gain"...women see that and freak..cortisol levels go up...causing more water retention....masking weight loss even more. The increased appetite is what affects the main part of the weight gain if it's over 10lbs...barring the cortisol level....

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html#more-9313

I too was in the military so I am very very familiar with what they do....

eating healthy and exercise does not guarantee weight loss...

The difference in hormones still doesn't explain people claiming 50lbs of weight gain as there are very few methods of oral BC, injections or implants that do not have hormones...the difference with MIrena is that the hormones are centralized in the area it is needed as opposed to going through the entire body before reaching where it is needed....so if in fact women are sensitive to hormones in Mirena then logic says hormonal BC in general will cause similar reactions...but nope...lots say the pill or the shot or the implant doesn't affect them at all.

As well side effects listed on any drug are due to the trials and anything "unusal" that happens during trials is to be reported. So there is no guarnatee that the women who reported weight gain during the trials can say for sure it was mirena as we don't know if they were on a calorie reduced diet or eating at maitenance...

and a lot of women here have stated the Mirena "mimics" pregnancy which it does not...it actually alters the way the uterus behaves...although exactly what it does is not totally defined there are three things

Thickening the mucus on the cervical wall to prevent sperm from entering the uterus.
Altering the wall of the uterus.
Inhibiting survival of sperm.

and in the clinical trials >5% of the 92000 women reported weight gain...so less than 4200 women...and again these were not "controlled" studies where the participants were in a lab the entire time.

carmenstop1 · May 2014

Go back and read my original post, I gained 30lbs in 3 months while exercising vigorously and eating under 1200 calories and tracking ever morsel of food that I put in my mouth. I weighed and measured everything I ate and still kept gaining. And after the 30lbs was on, I starved and exercised my *kitten* off and did not lose an ounce for over 18 months until I took the Mirena out! I am glad to hear you did not have a negative reaction to this thing. But do not try to minimize what others of us have gone through! I was more horrified by the other poster telling us we were dummies because we didn't go to the doctor for other symptoms! I went to a doctor who told me the Mirena had nothing to do with my weight gain, hair falling out, lack of sex drive, depression, no energy, skin problems, brain fog and countless other symptoms. He told me I was just getting to a certain age and to just learn to live with it! All of those problems are gone since I took the thing out! You are one of the lucky ones, I was not, and there are a lot more women having problems like me than there are that have been lucky like you!

savemungo · May 2014

Nope, not trolling. Very serious.
How was my post ignorant?

savemungo · May 2014

Anyone is a dummy if he or she doesn't visit the doctor for symptoms that are not going away. They could be serious. Mirena, like many other medications, is not something to be taken lightly.
I'm sorry you have a little trouble with my blunt response.

Starving yourself and over exercising is foolish and unhealthy. Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly is the only way to live healthy. I do hope you are eating and exercising smarter.

I disagree with that doctor. There is never an instance where "it's just age." Things HAPPEN at certain age time periods, but there is always SOMETHING causing it. Joints break down... arthritis sets in. It happens as we get older, but there is a cause to these things that is not directly related, but only correlates with age.
Now that was your own fault for sticking with that doctor and not looking for a second ...or third or fourth... opinion. Some doctors are jaded.

Again, I won't apologize for my bluntness.

SezxyStef · May 2014

This is what I say to this

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html#more-9313

Did you lose weight after having the Mirena taken out?

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