Mirena Removal - Eliminating a possible cause of not being able to lose weight

Options
1235»

Replies

  • harpsdesire
    harpsdesire Posts: 190 Member
    Options
    theston412 wrote: »
    The OP mentioned having to have surgery to have her IUD removed. When I had mine removed, my OB/GYN just ripped it out. Is this not normal? lol

    Normally the doctor just sort of pulls them out by the strings.

    I think the surgery OP was referring to was for her tubes. (And if they took out the IUD at the same time while she was under for the surgery to spare her the death-cramp, then I think she is a brilliant planner :) )
  • theston412
    theston412 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    harpsdesire wrote: »
    theston412 wrote: »
    The OP mentioned having to have surgery to have her IUD removed. When I had mine removed, my OB/GYN just ripped it out. Is this not normal? lol

    Normally the doctor just sort of pulls them out by the strings.

    I think the surgery OP was referring to was for her tubes. (And if they took out the IUD at the same time while she was under for the surgery to spare her the death-cramp, then I think she is a brilliant planner :) )

    ahhh ok. Guess I missed that part.
  • LittleNell107
    LittleNell107 Posts: 71 Member
    Options
    harpsdesire wrote: »
    theston412 wrote: »
    The OP mentioned having to have surgery to have her IUD removed. When I had mine removed, my OB/GYN just ripped it out. Is this not normal? lol

    Normally the doctor just sort of pulls them out by the strings.

    I think the surgery OP was referring to was for her tubes. (And if they took out the IUD at the same time while she was under for the surgery to spare her the death-cramp, then I think she is a brilliant planner :) )

    They can get stuck!!! I had to have surgery to have mine removed... my GP and the consultant both tried the normal "grab and yank" approach, but it was unbearable agony because mine was stuck. They do get lodged in the wall of the uterus sometimes :(
  • galooshka28
    galooshka28 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I finally found the cause of my weight gain.The ultrasound showed a 4cm cyst on my left ovary.It will be monitored by my doctor.The ovarian cysts do trigger weight gain and it's harder to lose weight if you have one.
  • summerkissed
    summerkissed Posts: 730 Member
    Options
    I have mirena and it's been awesome!! No periods, no mood change, sex drive is great.....I had it put in 3 weeks after my last comp I was on levlen.ed while competing, the mirena is also the same ingredients but on a much lesser dosage....I put on 5kg but wasn't training either that was 3 years ago I'm now wanting to get back into it but I CANT LOSE WEIGHT!!! Tried everything! I don't want to have it removed as I love the freedom of it! I wanted my tubes done but a friend had hers done and bleed and bleed and bleed till she hit menopause....8 years!! She ended up having to go on many medications to stop her permanent period! I've tried other birth controls but this has been the best by a long shot apart from not being able to lose weight!!! Don't know what to do now!
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
    Options
    I think you're doing the right thing. I tried an IUD and had to have it removed after three months, what a disaster!
  • rrcoffey
    rrcoffey Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    I think this might be the first thread that I've ever read the entire way through - LOL! Everyone's experiences and stories are so interesting to read. Thank you to everyone for sharing!

    I'm on my 3rd Mirena . . . had 1 after my daughter was born, removed to TTC, then a 2nd inserted after my son was born, and had that one replaced after 5 years . . . the current device is about 1.5 years old. I haven't had a period since 2008 nor have I had any significant issues, so I've always considered it a win. But, some of the side-effects ya'll attribute to it I've experienced and never considered could be Mirena related. I've spent thousands of dollars over the years in treatments and dermatologist co-pays for acne (my entire face, but my jaw-line is susceptible) with no real improvement, but the "neck boils" really caught my attention. I have 3 healing at this very moment . . . and I usually get at least 2 at a time. I thought the hair loss was associated with the fact that I've grown my hair longer over the past year and wear it in a ponytail for the gym almost daily . . . and it may be, but maybe it's not? The weight . . . I've been stuck within the same 3-5 lbs for almost a year now, despite changes in my work out, playing with the diet (more calories, fewer calories, no carbs, no sugar, etc...). The belly bloating/pooch may or may not be related . . . I had c-sections, so it's possible it won't ever go away entirely, but who knows?

    This thread, though, has really inspired me to do more research and possibly consider making a change. I work hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle and it would be really disappointing to discover this device has been sabotaging it all along :(

    To the OP, glad to hear your surgery was successful, on all accounts!
  • sdmunsch
    sdmunsch Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    @essase - I am interested to hear how your weight loss has been recently, as it looks like your last post was April.

    I have also gained weight on Mirena. I got it right after a 4 lb weight gain from vacation (which is TOTALLY normal...lol.) But in addition to not being abe to lose that 4 lbs, I have gained an additional 6, and it's only been 1.5 months. I also have the bloated belly, which some days makes me look 3-4 months pregnant. I work out 5 days a week... SUPER hard workouts: bootcamp, HIIT, Tabata, etc. And some days I even run 2 miles before I take my class kind of as a warm up. My diet hasn't been perfect, but I am usually around 1,400 calories. Not bad at all. I haven't changed my diet, so the Mirena is the only thing that I can think of. I am wondering if I should give it a little more time or just have it removed now. It stresses me out, and is making me depressed. I mean, when you work that hard to maintain your weight and still see a gain? UGH!!!

    Anyone have ideas on BC that does NOT have weight gain? I am using it for BC, but also for my super heavy periods that are debilitating. (I can't leave the house at times...it's only about a day that it's like that still enough.)

    I have read on Mirena's website that the weight gain side effect only happens in "up to 5% of women." How is that possible when I keep seeing threads like this all over the internet?!
  • ColinsMommaOC
    ColinsMommaOC Posts: 296 Member
    Options
    Thank you guys for sharing this. I have had mine in almost 5 years, and have scheduled an appointment to have it removed at the end of this month. I have experienced the hair loss (large chunks of hair every time I brush, wash, or even just touch it) and breakouts on my jawline like others have had. My GP also said that it could be the reason my weight went up so quickly (100 lbs in less than 3 years), as opposed to the steady increase I had from over eating in the years before I got it in. Not sure if she is right, and I was still just over eating either way, but it made me stop to think. I had never heard of the Mirena Crash before reading this, does anyone know about how long I should expect it to last if it does happen to me?
  • carolbeths
    carolbeths Posts: 2 Member
    edited September 2015
    Options
    I gained 5 lbs within a week after my Mirena insertion. It may not sound like a lot, but I have always been very small, and as a percentage of my overall weight, it certainly made a difference. My clothes stopped fitting (perhaps should have left a bigger margin) and the people in my life certainly noticed the change. The weight is entirely in my belly, and I look a few months pregnant most of the time.

    I went back to my doctor several times, but to no avail. Got a lot of questions about whether I was sure that I wasn't just eating more (I wasn't eating more; besides, what would a person have to eat in order to gain nearly a pound per day?). My doctor encouraged me to wait a few months to see if the weight gain and other side effects subsided. When they didn't, I had my Mirena removed after about 3.5 months. This was in May 2015 (insertion in February 2015, right before turning 31).

    Fast forward another 3.5 months, and I have not seen ANY improvement. I cut 500 calories per day out of my diet and increased exercise. I weigh myself almost every morning on the same scale under the same conditions (pre-food or drink, pre-shower, naked) and my weight will fluctuate each morning by as much as 3 lbs from the previous day, which leads me to believe that at least some of this is water/fluid. I have hired a personal trainer/fitness coach so at least I will have some kind of witness to my effort and lack of results. He has reviewed my food diary and says it is unimpeachable. I have stopped menstruating altogether, which my doctor now thinks may be related to how little I am eating. But one would think that if I have restricted my caloric intake so severely as to cause amenorrhea, I would also be losing weight -- no luck. I am at a loss!

    I have to believe it was the Mirena, because the timing lines up perfectly and the gain was sudden and immediate, with no other changes to lifestyle. Blood panels have returned normal metabolic function and thyroid. So I am astonished that things haven't improved since removal. Has anybody else taken this long to reset post-removal? I am beyond frustrated and terrified that I will never return to normal.
  • summerkissed
    summerkissed Posts: 730 Member
    Options
  • gizmom19
    gizmom19 Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    IMO it probably won't make that much difference. I have lost weight on birth control and off and can't say it has made much difference for me. I love the Mirena. Have had about a year. Started trying to lose in January and have lost about 45 which is probably pretty average. I'm not having to kill myself to do it either. I have not had any of the other side effects mentioned either other than some minor spotting so maybe I got lucky!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,970 Member
    Options
    Several of you mentioned medications for very heavy periods. Have any of you tried LYSTEDA® (tranexamic acid) ? What was your experience? I don't want to take something with more side effects than the condition it's supposed to treat.

    I'm trying to hold out until menopause deals with my fibroid but it's getting increasingly difficult. I'm almost 49. Prometrium, a progesterone, worked for a number of years but has ceased to help reduce bleeding.

Categories