Mirena

I'm on my second one - had the first one for 5 years and just got it swapped out. No trouble with weight gain or side affects here. And I've been period free for 5.5 of those years!

Everyone's body reacts differently to it - it emits hormones so if you are sensitive to that, then it might hinder you. But don't let it be an excuse. Just understand that you might have to work harder at the getting healthy thing.

If you are looking for an excuse not to lose weight, Mirena is as good an excuse as any. If you are working to lose weight, you can be successful even with Mirena.

Best answer ever. I wanted to say something like that, but I have no tact. Thank you!

I worked my butt off. Restricted my diet and ate healthy very diligently for 6 months. Absolutely zero results! Had my mirena removed and in the last 2 months have successfully lost nearly 20 pounds with the same exercise/diet as before..only difference is I had the mirena removed. So it is not an excuse. Certain things effect people differently and it is ignorant to state they are making excuses.

I have had it twice and a year ago went on the injection pill, - horrendous, I get loads of spots on my chin I never had before and have been gaining weight slowly for a year. I am coming off the injection and going back on to the mirena coil as soon as I can

I have found that anytime you are dealing with hormones and the female cycle about anything can happen. I got mirena after my second child and while I didn't gain weight I did not lose either. I got on Mfp about a month later and started working my *kitten* off but progress was slow. I began losing everywhere but my stomach remained big..and not flabby but hard like when I was about 5mos preg..I was even mistaken for pregnant many times. I had it taken out 2 wks ago and my tummy has gone down drastically!...I really feel better...I should also mention that while on mirena I always spotted after workouts,developed a lot of skin issues, and hated sex..all of these areas are also improving! Sorry but no one will convince me it's all in my head! Of course doctors are going to defend what's making them$$$$$!

I gained about 20 lbs in the year and a half I had that damned thing. I was always bloated, as well.

Mine is due to come out soon.. BUT I do know that I have been losing weight, and dont see any real issues with it. Never really tried to lose weight before having it. That was before I had kids, and didnt need to lose any! I had it put right in after my first was born, taken out when ready for #2, and had it put in again after #2 was born... Something to think about though... I guess Ill find out in a few months when it comes out.

I've had one for about 7 years & love the fact that I never have to deal with TOM. I had it fitted because of Endometriosis, it has pretty much eliminated any symptoms of this. I have gained alot of weight since having it fitted BUT this I think that this was due to me going from training 6 times a week to sitting on my backside & eating far more than I was (I broke my leg). I have lost 25lb of the 40 or so that I gained with it in - was it easy? - no. However, I don't think that I am the only one on here who isn't finding weight loss easy & I'm quite sure it isn't always due to the coil. For me the benefits outweigh any negatives.
Everyone is different though - I react quite badly to any type of birth control pill whereas this suits a lot of people. Do what suits you.

I had Mirena and it killed my libido! I have a friend who is two years younger than I and she has the same problem. I had mine removed and tubes are tied. Once the IUD was gone, it returned:)

I agree with the below quote 100% I had Mirena for 2.5 years and had all kinds of problems. I love my gyno, but she always assured me that the hormone stayed local within the uterus and that I should experience no side effects from it. BS!!

I bled for over 2 months straight after insertion. I nearly removed it myself. I pushed through it because she said it was normal, but then my husband and I found that we were both being "poked" by the string during intercourse, and eventually I had the string trimmed so short that it retreated into my uterus. About 6 months ago I began experiencing severe and persistent headaches. I worked through it and got chiropractic care, but they recently came back with a vengeance. I have experienced terrible night sweats. And lastly, I definitely experienced extreme weight gain despite a healthy diet and no change in my activity levels. I put on 20 pounds in a matter of 2-3 months for no apparent reason. I finally had mine removed last week and I feel amazing. My headaches are gone, my hormones are out of control - so I think my body is finally reverting to normal. And since it's removal I have lost nearly 4 pounds (in 5 days!)

I will not recommend Mirena for any of my friends. I know some people don't claim to have side effects, but it isn't always clear what is causing a particular problem. I was unaware of the weight gain until it got majorly out of control. I only recently decided that it could cause the headaches, and sure enough, I think it did.

Short answer: absolutely positively YES.

The long answer seems to get Dr's, PA's all huffy because they will swear there is no possible connection between Mirena and weight because Mirena is designed to only act locally, not systemically, so any weight you gain or fail to lose is either a result of your diet/exercise or some other issue entirely. To challenge that evidently offends (some of) them so I will don my flame-proof suit now, and assert that I am not giving medical advice only sharing my experience, that of my sister and of a friend unrelated to us. And we are hardly alone. A simple Google search will prove how many women are experiencing or have experienced the same phenomenon. Those who love it, love it and those who hate it mostly have similar reasons. Just my experience/observation. Take it with a grain of salt.

ETA: I had mine placed 9/03 and removed six months later, it was that frustrating. Never once regretted the removal and never looked back.

I gained A LOT of weight after I had the Mirena put in. My doctor and everyone else around me attributed it to being a new mom. Despite the fact that I had been steadily losing the baby weight after my daughter was born. As soon as I had it put in, I started steadily gaining weight no matter what I did.

I talk more about my experience in this thread
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/329675-did-you-lose-weight-after-having-the-mirena-taken-out?page=3

Basically, BC is different for everyone. I have friends that have lost all of their baby weight and not had any issues with the Mirena. I have had others that have had serious health issues, not just weight gain. After listening to my body and talking to my doctor and seeing immediate results after mine was removed, I am certain my body rejected the Mirena. My doctor said my body likely saw it as a foreign object (which it is) and was fighting it.

Since having it removed I have lost a total of 15 pounds. It probably would have been more but I fell off the wagon with my eating right and exercise when I got married, during the honeymoon and for a month after the wedding and honeymoon. Now that I am back to it, I am steadily losing weight again. Plus, all of my other symptoms are completely gone.

Bottom line, every person is different and everyone reacts to things differently. If you have looked at everything else and are not making excuses and honestly feel like it is still not right, talk to your doctor. That being said, don't let your doctor assure you that there is no possible way the Mirena has any side effects. That is just ridiculous to think some people won't have some side effects. Any doctor that is unwilling to listen and give you options needs to be fired. Find a doctor that is right for you.

Hope that helps :flowerforyou:

You may want to review this post.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/715411-you-are-not-different

Let me start by saying, THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!!!

Seriously though, I've been wracking my brain for the last few days about whether to invest in this little bad boy or not. I've heard so many things about it, both good and bad, and have been a little hesitant about actually investing in one... Though it was one of the few options that could work for me (having high blood pressure limits me to many of the others) and it wasn't that depo shot that has gotten zero positive feedback on as far as I know.

I'm still doing my research as of now, but this helps me get one step closer to making a decision.

^ hell yeah, I was surprised how painful it was.

Well, I switched from Depo to Mirena as the Depo had made me gain 14lbs that I couldn't lose. Have had the Mirena a month now and am up another 5lbs, though I'm hoping this is Summer heat bloat and not actual fat weight. Should be another 6 months until the Depo hormones leave my system, so will find out then.

I've had it 5 1/2 years and adore it! i have tried almost all other contraceptive methods and with all the others i was vomitting, crazy bloated, had to changed super pads every hour, cramped, sore back, head ache horrible acne and the list goes on. With my Mirena I have a bit of bloating and about 2 small light periods per year.... no other side effects of either the mirena or from PMS.

Just like any drug there are possible side effects and every womans body is different and people are going to react to it differently. Yes if you don't have insurance it is expensive but if it works it's awesome! And at least if it doesn't work for you then you can always take it out right away unlike the shot or other long acting hormones...