Did you lose weight after having the Mirena taken out?

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  • Shebri11
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    Update- tomorrow will be 3 weeks since having surgery which included, amongst other things, having my Mirena removed and my tubes tied. I have eaten like crap and not worked out (walking slowly on the treadmill every couple of days is not working out!). I weighed the morning of my surgery and two days ago. Two days ago, I was 7lbs down. We went out last night and drank and ate waaaayyyy too much. Lots of "bad" foods too. Not dehydrated as I drink a ton of water. Ate more when I got home- including half a big bag of chips. I weighed myself this morning to assess the damage. Down an additional 1.5 lbs.

    Yeah- it was the Mirena. Even when I went to see my doctor for follow up, I asked if it was the fibroid and endometriosis that caused my pain. He said, and I quote, "I think the Mirena caused the majority of your symptoms." I wanted to love the Mirena. I stuck it out for a year telling myself it was all in my head. Note- if you feel like he mirena is causing issues for you, have it removed. Don't listen to people telling you that it just can't be. If it works for you, that's fantastic! Just don't discount other people's experiences.

    I'm really happy for you. My weight is still going down - rapidly - as I have been really pushing myself at the gym & walking a lot. I have so much energy. I feel like a new person. Good luck. I'm sure your weight will continue to drop off. Just imagine how much you could lose if you really tried!
  • BabyGrl726
    BabyGrl726 Posts: 102 Member
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    I think every "body" is different. I would never discourage or encourage someone to get on any birth control or take anything that alters the normal chemicla processes your body has. I have read so many posts on mirena. Had mine placed 11\2013. I gained 20lbs since. My fave has been destroyed by acne and acne scars. My belly has distended as if im pregnant. I just had it removed on 9\8\2014...and im happy. Some people report loosing weight. Some have gained. I think you have to really know your body. At thid point, I have honestly tried almost every birth control out there. They have all had a negative effect. YAZ was the best for me regarding weight and skin...but I still had significantly decreased sex drive and arousal. At 33 and single, Im all done with birth control. I will never use another hormone or iud contraceptive. Im hoping to lose the weight ive put on and im working to get my skin back to a healthy place. I must also mention that i have pcos. That being said i have found that my story seems similar to other women who have gottent mirena place but also carry a pcos diagnosis. Good look to you all on uour journeys!
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    I had Mirena put in in January. (I've never had children but I was anemic due to heavy periods)
    HORRIBLE pain getting that sucker in there. Horrible pain for several weeks afterward. I've had gall stones and my appendix removed, broken bones too... this is still on the top as the worst pain I've ever felt!

    Immediately after getting it installed I had my period for 3 months consecutively with only maybe 5-7 days of no bleeding.
    I can't say I've had weight gain related to Mirena... I was eating terribly and super depressed. Who wouldn't eat badly and feel like s*** with a 3 month long period and horrible constant cramping???
    I don't even need to mention that my libido was pretty much a zero. :P

    Then finally it all settled down... after month 8 with Mirena I can now say I have had no period for several months. (Yay!)
    But now there are other side effects.
    For the past few months I've had horrible acne as bad as I had when I was a teen.
    Ovarian cysts are now a constant problem and I have sharp stabbing pains in that area almost daily and particularly when I'm tired and laying in bed. Ugh.
    ZERO interest in sex (I still jokingly tell hubby this is why Mirena is an effective BC... )

    I have lost weight since having Mirena in. I wouldn't say its been a contributing factor in my weight loss/gain over the past year.

    *sigh* I love not having my period. I love not having to worry about taking a pill. I love not having the night sweats and irregular bleeding that other BC forms have given me (I've tried the pill, the patch, nuvaring etc etc). But at the same time I hate Mirena and its side effects. :(
  • mortimer745
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    YEP! I am at the exact 5 year mark. I loved the freedom from periods. I do not love all the stuff that has gone wrong since year 3 that I am only now chalking up to Mirena (thinning hair - a lot!, low energy, zero sex drive, mood swings, weight gain) So Thursday I am meant to go in for a coil change... I am just having it out and leaving hormonal BC for good. It's been great, but I'd rather deal with periods than be bald, fat, and lethargic.

    It's a shame really, as I know Mirena is amazing for some people (hell, it was for ME for 3 years!)
  • RunRunMonkey
    RunRunMonkey Posts: 5 Member
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    I had my Mirena for about 8 years. And I steadily put on weight. I didn't have your symptoms though. I just couldn't go 2-3 hours without eating. I was constantly hungry. I gained about 50 lbs over those 8 years. After I got it out I was able to eat less, because I wasn't hungry all the time, and with walking lost all the weight. It was nice not having a period. But I HATED being fat!
  • SalinaA
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    I also had the Mirena put in 4 years ago w no children prior. I did lose a bit of hair but took biotin and it has gotten to nice and thick again. The hair loss was only really in the beginning. There was 0 sex drive. Was a bit painful with sex but it kinda has always been that way. I only had a 18 day cycle. So even though I really wasn't getting a period (very lite) the cramps and pms were always there.I used to have bad acne growing up and in the 4 years I have only gotten them on my chin around that time of the month. I gained about 10 lbs but recently been very faithful to working out and micro managing that I was starting to lose the weight. I am 37 years old and finally wanted to end it with bc. I have been on it since I was 16 and didn't want it no more. So last Tuesday Sept 9th I finally got the Mirena removed and got my tubes tied. I am still recovering so I haven't been able to do much. But I have been watching what I eat still and am at the same weight as before I went in.

    So all in all I will miss the Mirena for its lite periods but that's about it. Good luck to those of you who are on a mission to lose weight. I would recommend it (Mirena) to people still but am glad I don't have to deal with any birth control ever again!
  • erica62784
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    I have had my mirena in for 5 years. I am going to have it removed in 2 days. I can't wait! Just a little back story... I got my IUD placed at my 6 week postpartum appointment. it was great. I didn't have any complications at all (or so I was led to believe) and soon after I didn't have any bleeding. I have lost weight while having the mirena (40lbs), gained weight (45lbs) , lost weight again (63 lbs), and now I can't lose anything dispite working out hard 5-6 times a week and watching what I eat. Months after having the IUD placed I started to feel super tired, my hair was falling out by the handfuls, and I didn't have a sex drive what so ever. I went in to see my doctor, had some blood test ran. a couple of days later I was rushed into the doctors office because my thyroid levels were so far off that she didn't know how I was standing let alone living life. I believe that my thyroid being off has everything to do with the mirena. I was told to start taking a synthetic thyroid medication and my life would be great. That didn't happen. I started taking the synthetic thyroid med and I felt worse so I stopped taking it and went to several western trained doctors that all told me to use the synthetic thyroid meds and that my TSH levels were perfect when using them. I didn't feel like they were perfect or even normal. after educating myself on different ways to deal with thyroid issues I went on the search for a doctor that would work with me instead of against me. My current doctor put me on Armour thyroid meds which are all natural meds. within days I started to lose weight and I started to feel better but something was still off and has been off for a while. im still tired, my hair is still falling out and now I have bald patches throughout my scalp, I can't lose weight, and I am so sick of people telling me its in my head or its my low thyroid that is making me this way. Getting this tiny little devil out of me is my last hope. I pray that this helps me feel better, I stop losing my hair, and I lose weight. This struggle is real.
  • mortimer745
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    Got mine out an hour ago! Dr tried to convince me that hair loss/thinning was not a side effect. I told him, it's right on the manufacturer's website!

    Anyway, it's out, and now I will see if some of my problems will go with it. I have recorded my weight today, as well as photos of my thin hair. With that as a baseline, we'll see if Mirena was responsible for anything or just getting the blame. But I am excited that it is gone!
  • Araura1
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    calligas wrote: »
    I had my mirena over 7years ago, due to heavy bleeding and sorry to say I have had it removed 3 months ago. I went back after 5yeaRS for removal in case it went gammy in my womb. they said unless it is a problem they do not like to remove it. So I left it for 7 which honestly can say it was the best time as my bleeding a=had stopped. After the removal 4months ago my body has changed so much. good and bad.at 1st still not bleeding but still having cycles (mucus) this lasted 2 month, then the light period and now the 4th month back to normal. heavy clotted blood (almost looks lke liver), weight gain =3 stone in 7ears

    - very heavy liver clotty blood passing, this is why I had it in the 1st place.
    I have notice weight reducing as I am sure it used to make me binge eat all day, I don't think of food quite as much, lost 7lb 1 month without diet.
    I know this may have nothing to do with this but also my depression which I had worsened, I got snappier paranoid and felt suicidal at time. some days I was so lost with myself. I now have just gotta sort out what I can di with these horrendous bleeds any ideas ladies

    shirley

  • Araura1
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    I had Mirena inserted over 2 years ago due to fibroids which led to heavier then normal, irregular periods. I was told I needed a hysterectomy but decided to try alternative therapy 1st. Mirena was one suggestion. I am in the unlucky 5% catagory of people who still have periods.
    I have put on 16 pounds within the time frame since insertion. The scale slowly but surely increases with no change in diet & I work out at least on average, 6 days a week! I have never had an issue with maintaining my 5'8, 160 pound frame. If anything I now work out harder with little to no results. What's lost always returns & then some. I work out for 45 minutes a day. I feel puffier, bloated & utterly frustrated at my lack of weight loss with so much effort. Other then the weight gain I have not really had any issues with Mirena. But the weight gain is disheartening. Almost nothing in my closet fits me right & I feel down right uncomfortable that my increasing wardrobe is getting snugger with each passing day. I own allot of clothes!
    I don't recognize the girl in the mirror anymore. It's depressing. I have been considering having it removed but "the crash" I have been reading about is really scary. That is how I arrived here at this posting. Hoping to hear others stories that once Mirena was removed, weight loss became effortlessly achievable again. Any suggestions? The debate continues......
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Sorry but this post makes no sense...Mirena is removed after 5 years as that is how long it lasts...for a doctor to leave it in for 7 years wouldn't happen. The hormones run out after 5 years per the package and any information on it and it is replaced.


    ,
    my OBGYN told me they are good for 5-7 years.

    Per the website

    Indications & Usage

    Mirena (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) is a hormone-releasing system placed in your uterus to prevent pregnancy for as long as you want for up to 5 years. Mirena also treats heavy periods in women who choose intrauterine contraception.

    http://www.mirena-us.com/frequently-asked-questions/

    You need a new obgyn....

  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    You can leave a mirina in place for 10 years if you're not using it for birth control actually. Generally though it's worth replacing after 6 or 7 as the hormones will decrease. Not everyone uses it for birth control. They may just be using it for heavy troublesome periods.
    There's a lot of controversy over mirina! I don't think its for everyone but yep some people love it :-)
  • RunMamaMaya
    RunMamaMaya Posts: 8 Member
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    I originally got the IUD after my second child was born. I felt great and had no problems with it initially. Within 6 months I was able to drop the baby weight and got down to 125lbs. At around the year mark I began to feel depressed and subsequently asked my physician for anti-depressants, I attributed my depression to having two small children at home and feeling overwhelmed.
    Around my third year of having it my skin began to break out terribly with cystic acne and I began to gain a little weight despite being an athlete all my life. I was waking up running five miles x five days a week and couldn’t drop a pound. I decided to have it removed and my periods did not resume, but I did become pregnant very quickly.
    Following the birth of my third child I had the Mirena inserted as I wanted reliable birth control that I didn’t have to think about. I was assured that the Mirena IUD was not the cause of my previous issues. I got the same BS speech about how the hormones are only in the uterus. This time I quickly lost all of the baby weight, but I again had horrible cystic acne that covered the majority of my face and it was painful, not to mention embarrassing.
    To deal with the acne I went to a dermatologist and was put on Spironolactone (Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't recognize spironolactone as an acne treatment, it is often prescribed off-label to treat hormonally influenced breakout in women. This medication isn't a first line of defense against acne breakouts. It is only effective against acne caused by hormonal fluctuations. But it can be especially helpful for women with hormonal disorders that trigger acne or who suffer with other problems, like unwanted facial hair.) In addition I was given Retin-A. My skin cleared up through the use of these daily prescription drugs, my weight was under control, but I felt blah.
    I managed to keep this IUD in place for the full 5 years and last year went back in for a replacement. This is when things went downhill very rapidly!!! I don’t know if my body changed or the hormones were increased, but this one has been an awful experience! The depression associated with this one has pushed me back on to anti-depressants and the final straw for me was the 25lb weight gain over a year. I have ran 3 half marathons this past year, worked with a personal trainer for a year, do crossfit and have been unable to lose a single pound.
    All along I believed my physicians that the depression, acne and weight gain couldn’t possibly be related to the Mirena. I had thyroid tests done. My thyroid was fine and I continued to look for the root of the problem. I figured it was probably the result of the anti-depressants, so I stopped taking those. I counted every single calorie and worked out even harder. Despite all my efforts I still saw no change.
    Last week I had the IUD removed and the nurse and physician were skeptical. In fact the nurse even made a smart remark that implied I was just using the Mirena as an excuse for over eating. I will never go to that physician’s office again, but I would like to go there just to tell them I was right!!! I have not even had the Mirena out for a full five days and I am now down ELEVEN Pounds! I have been eating exactly the same and the only difference I have made is drinking a Detox Tea because I was hopeful that it would help push these synthetic hormones out of my body faster. The afternoon following the removal I had cramps and the next day began my cycle. I continued to work out like I always do and today on the 5th day of the removal I am thrilled to be down Eleven Frickin Pounds! One more bonus is I feel like myself again and my mood was lifted upon removal of the IUD. Only regret was not removing that thing sooner.
  • hayleyandres
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    Got mine out an hour ago! Dr tried to convince me that hair loss/thinning was not a side effect. I told him, it's right on the manufacturer's website!

    Anyway, it's out, and now I will see if some of my problems will go with it. I have recorded my weight today, as well as photos of my thin hair. With that as a baseline, we'll see if Mirena was responsible for anything or just getting the blame. But I am excited that it is gone!

    Did your hair get better I couldn't figure out my hair loss for the life of me when I was a kid I always complained my hair was too thick (no suck thing :( ) now I'm like borderline bald I swear I've cried about my hair countless nights. While I was breast feeding weightloss was no problem the moment I quit breast feeding I've gained 15 pounds just got that lil piece of hell out of me a couple days ago in a couple days I'm the weight I was a year ago bf even told me I look skinnier! I'm jumping up and down around the house excited. Even nicer and more interested in my wonderful bf!!!! But I want my hair back I know it will take a lil longer for that Miss my thick thick hair way more than being skinny!!!! And with that mirena weight gain I was running marathons and trying every kind of different cal in take???? I'm only 22 I should not be bald!!!

  • Tinakirk6
    Tinakirk6 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi all. I've had 2 mirena's and have loved them! not had any side effects really until the last couple of years. I noticed that my stomach has started to get really fat to the point where i look about 4 months pregnant :( I have tried eating healthy and doing exercise and ive lost zero! :( I love having no periods as they used to be really really heavy and i love how good it is as a contraceptive. Im starting to think i should get it out as the fat belly is really really getting me down now. IT seems to be getting worse the longer i have the mirena? What im wondering is has the belly fat gone after people have had it out? Im also a little worried that i go a little crazy with the sudden change in hormones if i have it out?
  • J383
    J383 Posts: 4,573 Member
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    I am on my second IUD and weight gain is not the cause of it. My horrible eating was the cause. I have lost 26 Pounds with my IUD in and have had zero issues with it or my first 5 year IUD. I wish you luck on your journey to the new you.
  • goodwifey82
    goodwifey82 Posts: 54 Member
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    I've gotta say, I LOVE my mirena. I didn't gain weight because of it. I gained weight because I was a Fatty McFatFat and ate everything in sight. I also haven't had any problems losing weight. I love the fact that I don't have periods with it, too. I never worry about TOM weight/bloating. [:


    ^^ This

    Same with me. I am actually booked in to have mine replaced after 5 yrs next week. Had no problems what so ever with mine.
  • Revealme
    Revealme Posts: 10 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I am going in next week to have mine removed. I have had it for 3 yrs and in the last 5 months have gained 10lbs. I am 5'6" and "normally" 134lbs, so a good, healthy weight. I have not had any food or exercise changes then whammo..I am now 146lbs. in fact 5 days ago I was 143....so something has changed either in the Mirena or in who knows what! I will update on any, if any, weight loss!!
  • firecrackrbaby
    firecrackrbaby Posts: 43 Member
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    I gained 20 lbs within two months of having the Mirena. There are tons of resources for women experiencing the same thing. Not saying it's normal for even half of women, but it's a side affect that's being overlooked.
  • doreenwhelan
    doreenwhelan Posts: 1 Member
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    So... My friend and I have been eating healthy and working out hard (5-6 days per week strength and cardio), calorie tracking... You name it. We gained muscle but no fat has come off! Losing weight has NEVER been a problem for me, and I've been eating healthier than ever the past couple years and have been more active than ever - and my weight just kept climbing!

    Finally I decided something had to change and I replaced the mirena with the copper IUD.

    It's also worthwhile to note that over the past few years I have had crazy nausea and migraines with several tests and consults with every specialist imaginable - and no diagnosis.

    Since this was my second mirena and I just hit the 4 year mark, my GP suggested it was worthwhile to see if it would help my nausea and headaches if I took it out - and perhaps weight loss would be an added bonus (he wasn't convinced it could be the cause but the package inserts list weight gain and headaches).

    The first week I had it removed I immediately lost 7lbs (water weight I am assuming) and now I seem to be relatively at the same weight for 2-3 weeks now.

    My obgyn suggested it would take at least one month until all of the drug is fully excreted by the body.. So I will hopefully update soon with more positive results.

    I should also say I had my previous mirena in for 4 years without problems but had it removed because I was having abdominal pain when running and as soon as it was removed the abdominal pain resolved.

    I think it's a great birth control option - just maybe not for everyone.

    Thanks!