Mirena IUD - Weight Gain??

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Tempe729
Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So this question was posed to me by my recruiter... the whole disclosing of personal information thing. And despite working out, eating clean 90% of the time (we all have cheat days/meals), staying within calorie-intake (despite those few "oops!"-days/meals), getting in plenty of water, sleep, etc... I'm having an increasingly hard time with weight loss...

But I've noticed that while I have had my IUD the past year I have been a lot more moody (stupid things will make me tear up), I have no sex drive what-so-ever (& i'm only 23!), I also tend to get super angry at times, and despite those of you that have seen my exercise-diaries, I honestly have little to no-energy a majority of the time.... All of which are side-effects of the IUD. And it's been suggested by my recruiter that perhaps the IUD is causing me to go one-step back for every 2-steps I take.

I gained about 30lbs after the IUD was put in (over a few months time) and it wasn't until January of this year (about 5months after I got the IUD) that I started my weight-loss journey. I dropped the first 25lbs rather quickly (between Jan. 2012-April 2012) granted I was also attending university exercise courses averaging 12-hours of varied exercise within a 5-day school week, but ever since then I've hit a lot of plateaus and walls and it's taken me 6 months to drop the other 14 or so pounds even though I keep up on everything....


SO... My question is to you ladies..... have you experienced any troubles with weight-loss while having the IUD in versus no-IUD? I've read dozens of patient reviews of Mirena-users for the past hour on various sites and they all are/ have experienced the same side-effects and frustrations....

Have any of the Female MFP community?
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Replies

  • lsmsrbls
    lsmsrbls Posts: 232 Member
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    I have not had any of those problems, but everyone is affected differently.
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
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    I've noticed that with a majority of negative side effects from Mirena that it's the version that came out late 2010 (the Mirena prior to 2010/2011 seemed to be better, less negative side-effects and such)
    :frown:
  • supahstar71
    supahstar71 Posts: 926 Member
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    I got one in July and I haven't experienced any negative side effects. Hope it gets better for you.
  • Sarah1023
    Sarah1023 Posts: 194 Member
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    I have not had any issues. Had mine put in about 6 weeks after having a baby in January of this year, have lost 45 lbs since then. Haven't noticed any changes in mood or anything like that either. I'm sure everyone is different, though.
  • MariaLivingFit
    MariaLivingFit Posts: 224 Member
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    I was on Mirena for about 3 months, but it made my belly pop out like I was 4 months pregnant (and this was after I had spent over a year getting my tummy area flatter after having 2 kids!). Maybe my body did not react well to the hormones - in any case I saw my doctor and had it removed. It affects everyone differently.
  • RobynDCrossman
    RobynDCrossman Posts: 252
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    I've had mine for five years.
    Getting my new one Friday.

    Didn't experience that.
  • morgaine108
    morgaine108 Posts: 53
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    I have not had any problems.....I don't know if any weight I put on was due to the IUD as I wasn't really monitoring my weight at the time. I have not had any problems losing weight up to this point, but I am just barely past the point you speak of. Also I have had my IUD for 3.5 years so I don't get as many hormones now. I have heard some people have trouble with it but it has been perfect for me. Other than some cramping at the beginning and some occasional spotting, I haven't had any trouble at all. I am also older and have had 2 children (I know they say it works better for women who have children, not sure if that is a factor for you).
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    My moods are better on Mirena than they ever were on any of the five pills I've tried, but I do still get mood swings. I've learned to accept them though. Other than that, ALL of my weight lost on my ticker has been done with my Mirena IUD.
  • perficktangel
    perficktangel Posts: 26 Member
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    I've had mine for 2 1/2 years & did not experience any of those things either.
  • fusion777
    fusion777 Posts: 197
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    I don't have Mirena but I am on Megace (it's the same type of hormone but I take pills vs. having the IUD). The doctors stressed that I could not gain weight taking it as it would make me more at risk for blot clots, etc.

    Happy to say that I have lost over 60lbs since I started taking it (not just because of that pill, I changed my diet, exercise now and joined here). As far as moodiness, I have always been a b**** lol so I am not sure if it's the meds or myself.

    I think some people gain weight when they start a medicine like this as they think they will get every side effect and "justify" it to themselves (as in, they eat because they think they are hungry because the side effect is increased hunger). (Not saying that about you, I promise!)
  • Runs4CupCakes
    Runs4CupCakes Posts: 132
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    yes i have this problem, the 1st one i got back in 2005 6 weeks after i gave birth i couldn't drop the weight i tried everything fast forward 3 years of yo-yo weight i got divorced and started dating i decided maybe the iud was my weight problem i took it out and 6 months later was down 45 pounds, fast forward again i am remarried to the love of my life i get a new iud, i gained 40 pounds since having the new one in 2010 and im once again on this journey to lose weight so far its been ok but i do have a hard time getting the scale to move
  • TheirEllie82
    TheirEllie82 Posts: 162 Member
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    I haven't noticed that many negative side effects. I do still have "PMS" when the girls I work with are cycling but no period to accompany it and in the beginning I just thought my IUD was making me crazy. I then talked to the girls I work with since we are all pretty close and realized that their crazy hormones are affecting me so I still prepare for that time of the month and go into that week knowing that I will be a little bit more moody and have more cravings...but at least I don't have a period afterwards.
  • smtillman2
    smtillman2 Posts: 756 Member
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    You should have your thyroid checked it sounds like you might have hypothyroidism.

    Edited to add that I have the Mirena IUD and was having the same issues as you and after consulting my doctor and a battery of tests I found out I had hypothyroidism. With all of the problems you are having you should consult your doctor.
  • Juliejustsaying
    Juliejustsaying Posts: 2,332 Member
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    I had my mirena for exactly 1.5 months...couldn't get that f**** ripped out fast enough..and it is still wreaking havoc on my system...hormonal overload...ugh. Run AWAY!!!

    :noway:
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    Mirena is the worst thing EVER get it out now! It caused me to have cysts and I may be facing infertility now. Worst thing I ever did was get that put in!

    ---side note, I wasn't trying to lose weight when I had it in, but I didn't gain while having it. It caused TONS of problems though.
  • Runs4CupCakes
    Runs4CupCakes Posts: 132
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    I don't have Mirena but I am on Megace (it's the same type of hormone but I take pills vs. having the IUD). The doctors stressed that I could not gain weight taking it as it would make me more at risk for blot clots, etc.

    Happy to say that I have lost over 60lbs since I started taking it (not just because of that pill, I changed my diet, exercise now and joined here). As far as moodiness, I have always been a b**** lol so I am not sure if it's the meds or myself.

    I think some people gain weight when they start a medicine like this as they think they will get every side effect and "justify" it to themselves (as in, they eat because they think they are hungry because the side effect is increased hunger). (Not saying that about you, I promise!)

    i do gotta say i agree with you some on this subject
  • sarahisme18
    sarahisme18 Posts: 574 Member
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    I've had one since late 2011, and haven't experienced any of those side-effects. In fact, I experienced them a lot BEFORE I had the IUD, then they subsided quite a bit after having it placed.

    You might want to get your thyroid checked, though, or your hormone levels. I was tested and found I had low thyroid levels and high levels of estrogen after going to see a dermatologist about my skin problems, but now am on medication and a natural supplement—that has helped with my weight loss and just feeling better in general.

    I'd suggest seeing a naturopath, too—they tend to look at the bigger picture. It might be unrelated to your Mirena at all, but still something that can be treated.
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
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    I didn't consider getting my thyroid checked... it's always been fine.

    But to other responses.... No I don't have any kids. I mainly got it a year ago because remember to take the pills was hard and to help regulate my heavy periods (which were never on a constant schedule anyways.)

    I have no sex-life or significant other (haven't for a few years), I'm really trying to figure out why exactly I got the IUD in the first place.. and since I'm currently trying to get into the Navy (so the lack of a sex-life or relationships isn't going to change--despite the stereotypes of Navy-life haha!)
  • peterson_jessica
    peterson_jessica Posts: 119
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    I got the Mirena put in when I was 18, a few months before I started my freshman year of college. I had tons of negative side effects, much like you did. I had zero sex drive, was moody and emotional, gained 25 pounds (may or may not be related) and also experienced bursting cysts resulting in extreme pain and cramping. I got it removed after 6 months, I think, went without birth control for about three months, and then started the pill again. I am on the generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen and am very happy with it. Another side effect of the IUD that my chiropractor mentioned is that it can actually have an effect on your spinal alignment, which in my case is not good since I already have neck and back issues. My advice would be to get it removed if you are having issues. There are many types of birth control out there, you just have to figure out which one is right for you.
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
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    Mirena is the worst thing EVER get it out now! It caused me to have cysts and I may be facing infertility now. Worst thing I ever did was get that put in!

    ---side note, I wasn't trying to lose weight when I had it in, but I didn't gain while having it. It caused TONS of problems though.

    I wasn't trying to drop the weight before I got it put in either... it wasn't until I decided to start training for the Navy that I realized exactly how overweight and how much weight I had gained.

    But before the IUD I was never moody or had any of the period-symptoms.... I had 2 heavy-days of bleeding and cramping and that was it... So it made me wonder if the resistance in weight-loss lately has been partially due to the IUD and hormones *shrug*

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