Mrena weight gain??

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13

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  • coolrae1979
    coolrae1979 Posts: 2 Member
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    I gained weight, got horrible acne, and became hairier. My doc said these symptoms are not uncommon because Mirena is progestin only.
  • nayers86
    nayers86 Posts: 60
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    Every individual person will react differently to birth control. While some may see little to no effect others may be impacted greatly. Most forms of birth control (pill, implanation, shot) are common causes of weight gain. I have experienced weight gain with most forms of birth control, except for the Nuva Ring. I spoke with my GYN in great detail regarding this decision, because, BC has been a deterrent to my fitness goals before. She said clinically NR is the only birth control of which she is aware that does not cause weight gain.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    I gained eight pounds the six weeks I had it. I also developed heart palpatations, dizziness, shortness of breath, among many other complications. On the chat boards I visited, they all said that a much more complete list of side effects is found on the Canadian site v. the American one - www.mirena.ca. (I'm in Nova Scotia.) I've also heard there's a class action suit being filed against Bayer for this product in the US. I've felt much better and my weight's dropped again since I had it removed. Good luck to you!
  • sh4690
    sh4690 Posts: 169 Member
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    You said yourself you changed your habits/slacked off. That's a lot more likely to cause weight gain than birth control.

    This. The only thing that causes weigh gain is increased calories and decreased activity. Not an IUD.

    Slacking off alittle is probaly what has contributed to her weight gain and not the IUD but there are other various reasons other than increased calories and decreased activity that people can gain weight.. hormone imbalances, thyroid diseases, stress, and other various diseases.. thought most the time increased calories and decreased activity is the main culprit.. I'm in no way trying to argue i just know first hand because I have had hypothyroidism which makes your metabilism slow and put on same weight and makes it harder when your trying to lose as well despite best efforst and i've also heard one of the main side effects from the depo shot is weight gain
    If you don't agree than I hope we can agree to disagree because I in now way want to start an arguement on a forum.. It seems like that happens on quite a bit of them :(...I'm just stating what i percieve from the evidence I've been exposed too..

    Goodluck to everyone

    A pound consists of around 3500 calories. So unless an IUD or pill containes that many calories, it does NOT cause weight gain.

    However, those things can cause cravings, increased appetite or a change in metabolism. But it still comes down to how many calories are burned or consumed.

    ^ ^ ^ Laughable reply! Don't even consider this she has NO IDEA that there are others variations that can cause weight gain apart from calories (and it has nothing to do with change in metabolism and appetite changes). Dismiss this :laugh:
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    I didn't gain ( was already pretty fat when I got it), but I did notice quite an increase appetite after I got Mirena and I just never felt quite right when I had it in. I had it pulled after only a year, and started to feel normal again.
  • heidimaggott78
    heidimaggott78 Posts: 203
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    my mirena has been in over 4 years now. i didn't notice any weight gain at all. still haven't.

    the insertion was... uncomfortable. the dilation process was not what i wanted to feel four months after having induced labor. I didn't actually feel any insertion or using the sound for depth or anything. I didn't notice anything until my gyno said he was finished and was snipping back the strings. He told me to stay put for about ten minutes or so until the aches from the dilation went away and when and ONLY when I didn't feel dizzy could I get up and leave. I full plan to get another one placed next September when its time runs out.

    i don't know why so many people are saying it's expensive? mine was only the cost of my copay, so I paid my $20 copay and then $20 for the Mirena.... is it not the same in other states?

    I live in South Africa, and its not covered by my Hospital Plan. I paid R2000 which is around $235, so yeah, I found it expensive.
  • lenniebus
    lenniebus Posts: 321 Member
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    I've had Mirena for about 3 years now, and I've gained about 25lbs. I do believe it has and does effect my metabolism, and it is much slower losing weight, but I'm able to lose. It was also much easier for me to gain weight. That having been said, I was eating more than I should have when I had it put in...stress, life, etc. As I figure it, it has gotten me ready for my life after menopause so maybe those changes won't be as bad...at least that's what I'm telling myself. It is SUPER convenient for me, and I do like not having a period...so I'll take the bad with the good.
  • Juliejustsaying
    Juliejustsaying Posts: 2,332 Member
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    I had a world of trouble with mine, had it removed after two months and had an ablation/tubal....that was friday. I did not gain any weight, still lost while it was in, but I had five bacterial infections during those two months...I'm not a big fan. Good luck.
  • chicadejmu
    chicadejmu Posts: 171 Member
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    I had the Mirena for almost 3 years before I started having problems. BUT I was never able to lose the baby weight like I did with my daughter. I bet that was a big part of the problem now that I think of it! Suddenly at the end of year 2 I started gaining all this weight. Also felt like I was pregnant. Got it out and felt better but sure didn't lose the weight right away. Still working on that in fact. Could have also had something to do with my metabolism slowing due to turning 30 and also going back to work and sitting on my butt 8 hours a day...

    They do say it takes awhile to adjust to Mirena (took me almost a year before I stopped spotting almost all the time). But if you are unhappy, I'd get it removed. You could always try the copper IUD. Good luck!
  • chocolateandpb
    chocolateandpb Posts: 453 Member
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    I gained weight. I don't believe for a minute that the progesterone is "local".

    I had mine removed. Best decision I ever made.

    Having one inserted was one of the worst decisions.

    This. I only had mine in for 2-3 weeks before I BEGGED my doctor to take it out. I was SO sick and in so much pain. She suggested that I had "been reading the forums on the internet" and was just making up my symptoms!!!!! Eff her.
  • TheMommyWifeLife
    TheMommyWifeLife Posts: 194 Member
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    I had mine put in less than a month ago and gained 5lbs already, but the past week my weight has been dropping back down to the starting weight then going back up to the five. My doctor said its just like any other birth control in the matter of weight gain, because almost every birth control it is normal to gain a little bit of weight. for 17 lbs though, i think i would honestly blame it on the slacking off. you may not have slacked off by a lot, but when your body gets used to doing a certain amount of activity every day, then you all of a sudden stop, it doesn't like that. for a few days, maybe even a week, your body will continue to naturally burn a few calories, maybe even a few hundred, but after a week or so your body is going to start realising you arent working as hard to keep it healthy, and its going to stop helping too.
  • TheMommyWifeLife
    TheMommyWifeLife Posts: 194 Member
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    I had it years ago for about 9 months.. I had it removed due to bleeding the entire time it was in. I gained like 5lbs the forst month then lost it

    Whatever you do- DO NOT GET THE NUVARING if you have the mirana removed. That ring is the devil :indifferent:

    the nuvaring is actually supposed to be coming off the market because it has caused a few deaths and i believe diseases
  • tajmel
    tajmel Posts: 401 Member
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    I stopped having a period because of Mirena, which I think caused my subsequent symptoms - depression, lethargy, weight gain, hair loss, and frequent stabbing pains in my abdomen. I never would have linked the two, but I had to have it taken out this spring to rule it out as a cause of back pain, and within a few weeks I noticed a sharp difference. I later poked around the internet to see if this is common, and it is. Look at the Mirena forums. They're full of women making similar complaints. I should have gotten paragard, even with the slightly higher risk of pregnancy.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    I did not gain weight. However, usually if you are going with an IUD you tend to be in a steady aka comfortable relationship. Studies have shown people eat more when they are in comfortable relationships and the weight gain associated with many forms birth control is from "relationship eating" or changes in your life.
  • corndog33
    corndog33 Posts: 16
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    I'm about to have mine removed and may have another one for the next go-round. No adverse effects.
  • cwag_afw
    cwag_afw Posts: 45 Member
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    I had a lot of issues with Mirena. I gained about 50 pounds, I had a lot of lower back pain, I felt like I was constantly pmsing and I had migraines. I had it a year and a half. The first 6 months were fine. After that it went down hill. I finally had it removed and felt a ton better! Everyone is is different I guess. I've known several people who have it and love it!
  • cwag_afw
    cwag_afw Posts: 45 Member
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    I stopped having a period because of Mirena, which I think caused my subsequent symptoms - depression, lethargy, weight gain, hair loss, and frequent stabbing pains in my abdomen. I never would have linked the two, but I had to have it taken out this spring to rule it out as a cause of back pain, and within a few weeks I noticed a sharp difference. I later poked around the internet to see if this is common, and it is. Look at the Mirena forums. They're full of women making similar complaints. I should have gotten paragard, even with the slightly higher risk of pregnancy.

    This is pretty much what I went through! I stopped having periods but it constantly felt like my period was coming! And the back pain was awful!
  • snipalicous
    snipalicous Posts: 69
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    I have had mine for almost 5 years and LOVE IT!! I did not have any pain at all or cramping, no weight gain, no adverse side effects from it and have been completely happy with it. No period for almost 5 years now, I will be getting another one. Every one is differnet. The pill works for some, the shot works for others. Some people just get lucky I guess
  • phynyxfyre
    phynyxfyre Posts: 145 Member
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    I have mirena currently. I have had it before, then had it removed when I met my husband and we planned our first child. It took four months after removal to conceive and had a great birth, no complications. I have had weight gain in the beginning, along with mild cramping and moodiness. I did get some acne at first, and spotting with irregular periods which then just vanished altogether.

    I have to admit, the weight gain was partially due to slacking on my exercise (down shifted, but not by much) and also due to water retention. About 10 lbs of water retention between the sodium (never counted it before!) and caffeine. My other four to five pounds was fat, which may have been mirena, may have been my slacking. Couldn't really say. I will tell you I read a load of forums about how mirena caused weight gain and prevented weight loss. I got scared that I would never lose weight and turn into a giant blob. I seriously considered having it removed.

    Then I tried a more reasonable approach: The thing is EXPENSIVE, I know I am not getting pregnant on it but my body thinks I am pregnant. I know I won't lose the weight quickly, but I decided to up my game a little, start doing the things I knew I needed to do anyway, and wait and see. If I didn't lose any weight in a month and a half, I was going to have it removed.

    I cut my soda completely, watched my sodium, and started exercising again. Not crazy over the top exercising, just something every day, and switching exercises so my body didn't adjust and make weight loss harder. It worked for me. I am not saying it will work for everyone, because hormone levels in women vary widely. I tried to look at it like someone not dealing with it, logically rather than emotionally.

    The first three weeks I dropped the extra weight I gained on mirena, and I have lost 37 pounds over the last four months. Not saying it didn't take work, but in my case it was achievable. I would agree with your practitioner to give it a chance and go back to what worked for you before. If that doesn't drop the pounds off, and you are miserable, have it removed. Life is too short to be miserable, especially with so many other options available.
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
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    I've had mine in for little over a year and haven't gained any weight.... It's actually nice not having to worry about "period"-symptoms anymore, I can workout whenever, but I've never experienced any side effects from Mirena

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