Anyone using Mirena and having trouble losing weight?

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Hi,

I'm using the Mirena IUD and it seems like my metabolism has slowed down. I haven't gain a significant amount of weight, though I'm still not losing any weight after dieting and exercising. Does anyone have this same problem?

Replies

  • shannonfarkas
    shannonfarkas Posts: 3 Member
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    I've been on the Mirena for almost 2 years and I don't have that problem, but everyone is different. Have you been on any other birth control with horomones and had the same issue?
  • candiigraham
    candiigraham Posts: 53 Member
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    It's different for everyone. My 1 friend loves it, my other friend hated it (she lost her hair and gained 40 pounds). I gained 20, was moody, had insomnia so bad that I only slept 4 hours a night. As soon as I took it out everything went back to normal. I still gained, but that was from the BC I was put on. I have been off BC for a month now and I can tell a difference. I only had mine in for 5 months, my friend who lost her hair had it in for a year. The insomnia is what put me over the edge and I had it removed. Do your research and hopefully some posts here will help, Good Luck!
  • becky611
    becky611 Posts: 77
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    I have had my Mirena for almost 4 years now and have had no issues with it. My weight was put on by lack of movement and too much food. Is this the only BC that has affected you like this?
  • _angua_
    _angua_ Posts: 35
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    I got Mirena about a month ago, the same week I seriously started to do something about my weight. Obviously its early days yet, but I have been losing weight at about the rate I would expect.

    Outside of weight side effects, I have been cramping for pretty much the entire month as if I am having a month long period. That hasn't been fun.
  • marcilly
    marcilly Posts: 1 Member
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    I feel like my weight loss efforts are greatly slowed by my mirena. I was off birth control completely for a few years and twice during that time I lost weight quickly with weight watchers and exercise. Last year I got the mirena, and I did WW for a year and saw no results. Now for the last 4 weeks I've been eating 1200 calories or so daily and working out 5x per week. I've lost a whopping 4lbs. I lost 7 to 10 by now the last two times I focused on weight loss. I'm not giving up, but it is frustrating. I would consider asking for a nonhormonal iud but I really don't want to go through the whole adjustment phase again.
  • AprilWine67
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    I had my first Mirena IUD put in in 2009...I didnt really pay attention to weight gain since i always have problems with my weight. In 2010 i got on WW's and was able to drop about 57lbs with the Mirena in. Unfortunately i gained most of that weight back by falling back into my old eating patterns.. Got back on WW's November of 2012 and managed to drop about 30lbs but got stuck at 151 and couldnt break it to save my life...but i also wasnt being diligent with my eating and exercise. Fast forward to August of 2014 I decided to really change my lifestyle and lose weight. Started using MFP and had been losing about 1.5lbs a week eating 1200 calories a day and walking 5 miles 7 days a week till last Thursday when I had my old Mirena taken out and a new one put in. Im now stuck at 150lbs and after reading a lot of other blogs about weight gain with the IUD im freaking out that it might be the cause of it. I'm going to wait and see but if im not losing anymore or gaining weight back without changing my habits I'm going to have it taken out..i have an appointment in December to have it checked. I know every woman is different and we all respond differently to things but i have worked too hard to get these 20lbs off of me and im so close to breaking out of my 150's right now it's maddening! I'll deal with my old horrible periods again if it means I can lose the rest of my weight! As for other side effects I've had leg and back pain, tension headaches and cramping from it. But not having horrific periods has been worth it for me up till now.
  • plw002
    plw002 Posts: 1
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    I had a mirena placed a month ago. I have been moody, depressed and hungry all the time. I went today for my check and had gained 4 lbs. I believe it because, I stay hungry. I asked my Dr and she said there wasn't enough hormone in it to effect you like that. So, I don't know, something changed. I have been bleeding off and on the enitre time. So hoping this goes away soon. I got the mirena placed due to heavy cycles so, my Dr said it could take 6 months for my body to adjust.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I have had my mirena for just over a year and have lost 30 pounds. Everyone reacts differently to hormones though. Have you been on hormonal birth controls before? It may be helpful also to open your diary so we could take a look.

    Edit: I just realized this is a really old thread that some how was brought back.
  • hayleyandres
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    Ok lost 35 pounds on the mirena while I was breast feeding as soon as I stopped feeding the weight slowly slowly started increasing even marathon training running minimum 10 km every 2 days. Took it out lost 5 pounds the first week!
  • ShortMrsN
    ShortMrsN Posts: 177 Member
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    I never had a problem when taking the pill (several different ones over 10-15yrs) but the mirena caused all sorts of problems for me.
    It started out great but things went downhill after about 8 months. The weight gain was not due to the mirena, but the inability to lose it was as far as I'm concerned! Never had a problem losing weight when I needed to but I was counting calories and exercising twice as much as I had been and it wouldn't budge. Had the mirena out and I lost all the bloating that made me look pregnant within a week. I have lost almost 6kg since it was out earlier this year.
  • kap328
    kap328 Posts: 23 Member
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    I have had my mirena for almost 4 years and in that time, I've gained 90lbs, I lost 50 last year by killing myself at the gym (2hours+ per day, 1200 calories per day, sometimes less! and OTC diet pills). This year, I have stopped taking the toxic pills, watch my intake, and exercise 3 times per week and have not lost a pound. Since having it in, I developed horrible cystic acne, weight gain and bloating, breast tenderness, cramping, anxiety attacks, irregular and sometimes very painful periods. I just recently started linking it all together so I will be having mine out SOON!
  • giaciccone
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    I wish I could blame my lack of discipline on my birth control.

    Ugh, if you don't have anything constructive to add to the conversation, then just get the hell out. If you'd bother to read, troll, then you'd know birth control and weight gain go hand-in-hand. It also clears up acne, lightens menstruation, & reduces cramps. So you know, bro... piss off.
  • giaciccone
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    ANYWAY...
    This was a great thread to read, as I am going to the gynecologist tomorrow to discuss IUD options with her. I'm wondering if non-hormonal would be more beneficial for me (especially because I have PCOS). We'll see!
  • wteachwo
    wteachwo Posts: 19 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Your mileage always varies.

    I got my Mirena placed in March. I've slowly but surely gained weight (however this was starting before I got my Mirena - I can prove it by looking at my weigh ins from my doc apps before then!) due to bad habits, a job change/extreme life change (divorce) becoming very lax with exercise, and eventually getting into a long-term relationship that meant more dinners out and skipping workouts. Honestly, I can't say that the Mirena has made a difference in my weight persay. In my opinion, a lot of other factors contribute to "coincidental" weight gain for ladies who get the IUD (maybe now in along term relationship which is why you got the IUD, which means more "date nights" and extra calories? Maybe got the IUD after just having a baby and dealing with less sleep, more stress and less time to work out/eat healthily?) Stuff like that.

    I will say that I am super sensitive to BC pills (and I've tried several of them) and can't be on them. I turn into a raging, weepy lunatic. The Mirena hasn't given me one iota of the issues I had on the pill. My doc actually has the Mirena herself and suggested I try it after all the issues I had with the pill.

    I'm not willing to pull my IUD out and mess with my birth control methods to 100% test it out as a surprise bundle of joy wouldn't be ideal right now, but there you go.

  • wteachwo
    wteachwo Posts: 19 Member
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    giaciccone wrote: »
    ANYWAY...
    This was a great thread to read, as I am going to the gynecologist tomorrow to discuss IUD options with her. I'm wondering if non-hormonal would be more beneficial for me (especially because I have PCOS). We'll see!

    I think I've read that Mirena can actually assist with PCOS, not sure that the copper IUD (the non-hormonal Paragard) can be used in the same way.

    Be sure to go to the follow-up visit and get your IUD checked yearly. Also, after every menstrual cycle, check your strings to make sure they are there.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    giaciccone wrote: »
    ANYWAY...
    This was a great thread to read, as I am going to the gynecologist tomorrow to discuss IUD options with her. I'm wondering if non-hormonal would be more beneficial for me (especially because I have PCOS). We'll see!

    No problems yet. My weight loss seems to be going smoothly. I had it inserted on July 25 this year.
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    While it's not causing me any problems that doesn't mean that it's not possible for you to have negative effects with it. Everyone's body handles BC differently.