Mirena

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Has anyone had any weight gain from Mirena? i cant find anything online stating that it causing it but most birth control do.
Also if you love it or hate it let me know...i am thinking of switching to it
Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • ChristyMomx3
    ChristyMomx3 Posts: 176
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    I had the mirena put in right after having my daughter. I was overweight anyways and I saw my weight climb about 10lbs over the next couple years but that could of been from unhealthy eating. However I was stuck on my weight loss and I had my mirena removed. I dropped a couple lbs pretty easily after that. I think it makes weight harder to lose... I had it for almost 5 years
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
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    I also got mine right after my daughter was born, and I was overweight. I didn't gain any weight from it. I LOVED it! I would have it again except my insurance didn't cover it at my last exam.
  • QueenTrix
    QueenTrix Posts: 3
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    If you are considering an IUD, perhaps consider the ParaGard. It's copper and has no hormones. I've had mine for over 5 years. The only side effects I noticed was a slight thinning of my hair which grew back after a few months. The increase in copper in your body can have cause hair loss, but other than that I've had no other issues. Obviously, talk to your doctor and choose what's best for you.
  • QueenTrix
    QueenTrix Posts: 3
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    Keiras_Mom, If your insurance doesn't cover it talk to your HR department about it. I had the same issue when I got mine, but I plead my case for all women who (in my case) have issues taking hormones and my company actually modified our insurance plan to cover it. It never hurts to ask. Good Luck!
  • beckty
    beckty Posts: 118 Member
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    I have the Mirena. And like another poster said, I've had steady weight gain over the last few years. And I also can't tell how much is hormonal (because really, Mirena is VERY mild to my understanding) and how much is getting older with the same poor eating habits? I had it removed at one point, because I thought that was my issue...and I lost no weight. And I loved the simplicity so much that I went back to it. I've actually heard bad things about the ParaGard, such as very heavy bleeding (sorry guys!) and cramping. I have NO period with my Mirena. None at all. Total freedom.
  • ifaber
    ifaber Posts: 195 Member
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    I got Mirena right after my daughter as well. Didn't have any weight gain and I actually lost a whole bunch of weight while on it byt working out and modifying my eating habits. I still have it and will get a new one when it times because I love it! Its so easy, no thinking involved at all. It does get a little scary sometimes when your period doesn't come sometimes...its not 100% so the possibility is still there. But I love it none the less.
  • meadowsmummy
    meadowsmummy Posts: 108
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    my dr actually suggested the Mirena - i have been an Depo Provera for years and he says the Mirena should work the same (little to no period) as it is the same hormones. It is more cost effective and convenient then the Depo $125 over 5 years as opposed to $780 and wouldnt require me to miss time from work every 10 weeks for injections.
    I have read however about it perferating Uterus' and that is the only thing stopping me however the chances are very low.
  • Tsrwalker
    Tsrwalker Posts: 164 Member
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    I had mine for almost the full 5 years. prior to that I was on birth control pills for 9 years. I gained 60lbs while on it. I had mine removed on June 12th and since having it removed I have lost 4lbs. Plus my stomach doesn't stick out as much. It says that it has a 1 in 10% change of weight gain. Some people don't gain, but a lot of people do. It is possible to lose weight on it, but you have to be really strict with your eating. When I had it put in I had pain (cramping) for the first month and a half, then it went away. I would occasionally get cramps a certain time of the month for like a hour and it would pass. Prior to the mirena I never had cramps. On the pill I had periods for 1-3 days and they were constistent and light, on the mirena my periods stopped after month 3 and not until the month prior to getting it removed did I bleed again. Once removed I felt great then 2 days later I had a period for 5 days and was very emotional. I fell alot better now and it has been a week since removal. It is a synthetic hormone that is being released at 20mcg of levongesterol a day over the course of the five years. so once it is removed it is a shock to your body because that hormone is gone- it is a synthetic form of progesterone which aids in assisting with preganancy.. essentially it makes your body already think that it is pregnant. Everyone is different so the decision is up to you. I hope my experience will help you to make the right decision for yourself and your needs. Good luck on whatever you decide. I wish you the best.
  • MamaKeeks
    MamaKeeks Posts: 234
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    My gyno sang Mirena's praises and told me it would fix all of my menstral woes following the birth of my twins. Within a month of having it inserted I was miserable... low hormone or not, the hormones involved wreaked havoc with my body and my moods...I was angry, aggressive even, with everyone, even my kids.. it got to be too much so I removed it myself. Within a week I was back to normal. My gyno told me it was all in my head. I don't see her anymore.... lol

    Do your research and do what's right for you, but it is definitely not a guaranteed fix for everybody....
  • canhardlyweight
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    I've used Mirena for the last 8 years. Every 5 years, you have to have it replaced. My insurance covers the insertion, but not the removal (go figure!).
    I don't think it caused me to gain weight, but I've been overweight most of my life so it's hard to say if it will for you.
    I would recommend it to anyone. There's no way I would remember to take a pill every day, and the Mirena doesn't require any thought. The only periods I've had is one or two right after its insertion. Just think of all the money you'd save buying feminine products! :)
  • meadowsmummy
    meadowsmummy Posts: 108
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    Thanks everyone for your input...
  • mkcongrove1
    mkcongrove1 Posts: 81 Member
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    I got my Mirena a little over a yr ago and loved it! I had a little bit of cramping the first week but had my periods disappear within 2 months (that alone made it worth every penny since my insurance didn't cover it -I make payments). I didn't have any weight gain that I accredited to my Mirena, and I can lose weight easily with a proper diet and exercise. However, in the past 4 months I have had 3 ovarian cyst pop, they are extremely painful and I have since learned it is one of the "sever" side effects of Mirena. My gyno said that my Mirena had "fallen" and tried to "push" it back up, since then I have been bloated, having the worst mood swings (and when I say worse I'm talking about sobbing to extreme fits of rage, mood swings have never been a issue my entire life so I'm very weird-ed out by this side effect the most), and I've started a period again (boo hiss).

    That is just my personal story, but I FULLY believe every body is completely different and reacts differently. I know it's expensive (if not covered by insurance) but I would say give it a try. Like I said I was in love with it and preached it to everyone I knew until two months ago.
  • jesssi1984
    jesssi1984 Posts: 17 Member
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    Didnt read all the responses, but my experience was not so much as gainin weight as not being able to get rid of it. I was trying to lose lbs before my wedding; was eating OK, and biking a few miles for an hour or two for a few weeks. I was really incredibly upset when I didn't drop weight! I went to my doctor, had bloodwork for hormone & diabetic testing -- ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH ME. Doc suggested I wasn't working hard enough. At the time people were actually confusing me for a pregnant woman. Which was really not cool considering my daughter was 3 yrs! I ended up having it taken out, right before my dress fittings. I'm not sure how it ended up happening, because doc said mirena was NOT a cause for weight gain, but I had lost 15+lbs AND INCHES off my waist within 10 or so days of getting it out.

    Mind you, it's only a small portion of my weight gain, and I have another round of mirena after marriage, because I got the first out and ended up pregnant right away... And landed myself with even more weight than before the first was taken out! Moral - I loved my Mirena, never had a problem other than unexplained trouble with weight loss and I'm not about to do away with this one because ill probably end up with another 9mos of weight gain (nothing like being extremely fertile! LMBO).
  • pangy1958
    pangy1958 Posts: 151 Member
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    I had one over 10 years ago, it was awful. I developed a false pregnancy with symptoms of morning sickness, swollen breasts, no period every thing a expectant mother goes through. After suffering for 8 months my doctor took it out enough was enough she said. It unbalanced my hormones so much i never had a proper period again,