I have two questions, and then I'll share my experience:

(1) Are you sure your intake is appropriate? How many calories are you on, how closely do you measure your food, and how consistent have you been with logging?

(2) Have you been taking measurements? Weight is pretty irrelevant for lifters. Go look at Lorina's latest success post that is bumping right now for proof.

tl;dr: Give it 6 months, but chances are pretty high that this issue is not related to the Mirena. Look into other possibilities now.

My experience with Mirena was... I got it inserted 3 months post-partum. I definitely lost more slowly than I did with my son, when I was not using any hbc, but I did still lose weight. I did not do anything to try to lose weight. I plateaued about four pounds higher with her than I did with him, but I also weighed in at six pounds more right before I delivered. I started really trying to work on the weight at one year, like I did with my son, and it came off with him in about three months of fairly careful WW. After my daughter, I was running, but I wasn't being very careful about my intake. I lost weight excruciatingly slowly from 1 to 1.5 years with my daughter. Then I joined MFP, and the weight slid right off and continues to do so. I now weigh less, with the Mirena, than I ever did between my son and my daughter. And I'm definitely more buff.

However, I will say that I bled for a ridiculous amount of time after insertion. They say something like 4 weeks, right? It was NINE for me. NINE weeks of straight spotting or bleeding. I was completely depressed. It did eventually end, and after that, I felt fairly normal. I would say that my periods, such as they are, became more normalized around 6-9 months into the Mirena, but that's probably more due to changes with my DD/nursing/PP stuff than anything that is general to the Mirena.

Now... I was REALLY depressed. Probably PPD, looking back. I went to my midwife and said "taking this effing thing OUT of me!!!!" She said she was 99% sure that my problem was NOT the Mirena. She wanted to try testing to identify other problems, vitamins, and even anti-dx before she wanted me to consider taking out the Mirena. And she's a midwife, so it's not like she's totally pharma-happy. And I did get over it, without removing the Mirena (and without taking happy pills). Got my libido back, my happiness, my hatred of all other humans disappeared, my irritation went way down, and I'm losing weight. So I can't complain. That all happened right around 6 months into the Mirena, if it did have anything to do with it.

I guess this is all to say, yes, give it at least 6 months, BUT ... I suspect that you are dealing with something that is NOT the Mirena. Remember, all the women who say they are having problems with it are also just generally getting older. They have almost all had children. Gaining weight is just part of that. It doesn't mean the Mirena is causing it. And any sort of hormonal BC is likely to come with the same side effect. Mirena is actually a pretty low dose and localized like Tree said, so it's not really going to have as strong an effect on the rest of your body systems.

I gained 7lbs 6oz's with Mirena. He is 5yo now!

Vegas...I've been resisting this thread since my experience with the Mirena was so over the top horrendous. I do blame my body for this ...but for what it is worth here is my experience.

I was having some horrendous periods early last year...I mean "should I go to the ER?" and "I just fainted from blood loss" type of periods. I was so desperate for a solution and so resistent to surgery that I took the Mirena way out. Now if I had been thinking clearly I would have KNOWN that this wasn't a good solution for me. My body is highly sensitive to every hormonal and chemical change and reacts strongly. I KNOW this...and yet I had high hopes. So mid July I had it put in....then the fun started...I had one bacterial vaginosis infection, then another and another and another...one right after another..my weight started to go up and the mood swings were killer...throw in there that I was just ending one relationship and starting a new relationship. Yeah, it was a freaking train wreck. End of September I had it removed, my tubes tied and an ablation. I have continued to gain weight since then, but if I'm honest I think it has a lot more to do with it being winter than anything else. I'm slowly getting back to normal hormonally speaking, I am still having BV infections from the hormonal fluxuations..but only about every 6 weeks now...For me it was a total sh*tstorm of effed up.

I honestly don't know anyone who hasn't gained weight...but my sampling is small...I know my experience has to be on the extreme end, so if you like it...I'd just stick with it.

WOW, I'm a total Debbie Downer...

So this is the one thing that I would look into with respect to Mirena:

"Levonorgestrel may affect glucose tolerance, and the blood glucose concentration should be monitored in diabetic users of Mirena." <-- from the Prescribing Info.

I already know I have some level of insulin resistance, but even so, I don't really see that it caused any weight increase. But it wouldn't hurt to have a glucose tolerance test done, especially if you have ever suspected that you have PCOS, diabetes, or the like.

I would be tempted to say that 2000 could just be too high, but it sounds like you really gained the bulk of the weight on 1800. I don't really think you can count two pounds as significant "gain" - I can gain two pounds based on a beer I had two days ago. But the six pounds in that short a time is definitely something worth considering.

How long should I give it? I was initially thinking 6 months? Do any of you have any experience with this at all? Or have you had any experience with hormones in general affecting your weight?

I had 2 shots of Depo-Provera and it took me several years for my hormoes to get back to balance and for me to lose the weight I put on. 2 shots was all it took for my body's hormonal balance to tell me to go eff myself, basically, and that it was not happy. Oops.

You may be sensitive to the hormones in the Mirena.

I'm overly sensitive to any prescription meds which is why I mostly go the natural route.

I understand not wanting a period and that it's a pain in the a** to deal with (believe me, I know ... mine are super heavy for a few days), but maybe cutting them out completely is just not for you and your body is telling you to stop?

The Mirena doesn't really stop you from having a period. You still have your normal hormone cycle, it just inhibits your lining and makes your cervical mucus uninhabitable for sperm. I am more regular and ovulate more frequently on the Mirena than off.

But, I did just realize... I am probably a bad example. I gained a ton of weight when I came OFF the pill for the first time. Hormonal birth control keeps my wacky system more in check. So don't count me in the statistics, I guess. :laugh: I'm one of those special snowflakes you hear about.

I haven't had Mirena, but I know I'm sensitive to some of other contraceptions. I recently took Estelle to help with issues other than contraception and bang +2kilos!! I went to my doctor about a month later and pleaded to come of it, he suggested I wait another month! I stayed on it for another month and no matter what I did I couldn't lose the extra 2 kilos, I was working out every day and eating 1200 cals, still wouldn't budge. When I stopped taking it, about a month later, by body started responding to diet and exercise and I went back to my happy weight. (and yes I started eating more cals)