Ladies only..

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SarahE0417
SarahE0417 Posts: 35
in Chit-Chat
Ok Ladies...I have an appointment with the ob/gyn tomorrow morning to get a different kind of birth control. I originally thought I wanted Mirena (thats what I told the lady who made my appointment)...but after just reading some comments online..I have no idea now. I was on the pill for about 4 years and stopped taking that in August to see if it had anything to do with me not being able to lose weight...nope it didnt. So i decided i wanted to try Mirena so I didnt have to worry about taking a pill everyday. But I've been reading that women have gained an upwards of 25 pounds since they got Mirena and it can also affect fertility in the future. So now I have NO IDEA what I should do.

Any suggestions/comments??
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Replies

  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,856 Member
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    pffffffffffft!!!!!! Mirena has been the only hormonal birth control i've tried that has NOT caused weight gain. and *bonus* my TOM is almost nonexistent.

    best decision i ever made. I'd recommend it to anyone.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    i have mirena ( 2nd one actually ) and i have not seen any weight gain..but they all work differently for different people, as the pill has different side effects too..i like it because there is no daily pill taking, and it lasts for 5 years..keep these questions in mind when you go in, to see whats best for you..good luck
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,856 Member
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    Well, I could swear i just responded to this... but here goes again.

    Mirena is the only hormonal birth control i've tried as of yet that has NOT caused weight gain with me. and as a bonus - TOM is virtually non-existent!!!

    I'd recommend it to anyone! Especially someone concerned about watching her weight.
  • OdinsHarryMom
    OdinsHarryMom Posts: 4
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    I am well beyond the age of keeping up on the latest birth control. But I am not beyond knowing that you can still control your wieght regardless of your birth control method. It is a simple matter of cutting back on food intake when you see the scale figures climbing. Select your birth control method according to what is best for your body. Continue to do your investigation of this and talk to your physican. I wish you blessings on your decision.
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
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    Go back to the Pill?

    I don't mind taking a pill every day, 1) because I have to for my thyroid medicine anyway, but 2) because I prefer to be in control of when I can stop and start. It's a pain to get through those 1st 2-3 months when you start the Pill but afterward at least you know what to expect.

    I'm on Yasmin right now. (Not Yaz). I haven't gained weight. My breasts went up about a half a cup size, but I was still able to lose weight despite that. I tried LoLoestrinFE because it was the lowest dosage I could get, but it was so low it didn't regulate my cycle and I still had symptoms from my PCOS coming through as well.

    Clearly, there are many factors here that could be causing weight-gain for me, but somehow they're not. The Pill doesn't make people overweight. Most people gain around 5lb, but it isn't permanent. Before your period, as usual, you will likely toss 3-5lb around, but that'd be without the Pill too, most likely.

    Anyway, whatever form of contraception you decide on, good luck both with it and with your weight loss.
  • DivaRenae
    DivaRenae Posts: 55
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    I say try mirena & forget the pills, mirena is an after thought once you get it & then you change it every 4-5 years...who wants 2 remember 2 take a pill everyday, especially in a busy busy world....I say try it & if you dont like it, tell them to take it out & besides, anything u take has side-effects, my friend has mirena & she loves it!
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    pffffffffffft!!!!!! Mirena has been the only hormonal birth control i've tried that has NOT caused weight gain. and *bonus* my TOM is almost nonexistent.

    best decision i ever made. I'd recommend it to anyone.
    agreed..my tom stops for 2-3 years, then comes very light for a couple days a month..SO NICE
  • StressedChaos
    StressedChaos Posts: 86 Member
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    First off, I've learned that when you look up reviews of any birth control all you are going to find is the bad stuff. People rarely write reviews if it is good. I had mirena for exaactly 18 months. I thought that it was my reason for not being able to loose weight, but I think that I just wasn't trying hard enough and blamed it on mirena. I realoze now that it is gone that I almost wish I could have it back, BUT my problem with it is that I had no control over it. Keep in mind that it has to be removed by a dr. It's not like a regular BC that you can just deside you don't want to take anymore and stop, there will be a waiting period to remove it.

    You mentioned that you read the reviews, but just want to mention that you will be bleeding/spotting for up to 6 months. Mine lasted a little under 2 months and was just a pain. I then had extremely irregular periods for 6 months, being as few as 23 days apart and as many as 31. After that it went to every 3 months and it would be 3 months worth in about 6 hours and was horrible.
  • Smelerz
    Smelerz Posts: 115 Member
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    I know in Canada they can do blood tests to see what your hormone levels are at and match it up closely to what is on the market. Maybe ask if your dr. can do that rather than just picking by the name?
  • thirtyandthriving
    thirtyandthriving Posts: 613 Member
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    The problem is that everyone reacts to hormones differently. I have had Mirena for 2.5 years. I have had problems, but I don't know if I can blame Mirena for them. If you are on here, and logging your calories, and staying under, you will not gain weight. I did gain weight, because I ate what ever I felt like and I don't know if that necessarily had anything to do with the Mirena. It is definitely worth the try. I haven't had a period in over 2 years and that is fantastic! :):)
  • jaajh
    jaajh Posts: 1,262 Member
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    I chose Mirena this summer too - and I don't regret it at all! After about 20 years of taking a pill every day (with breaks for having my children :-) ) this new option is wonderful. So nice not to have to remember to take a pill every day. NO weight gain for me either! Also my migraines (which were regular monthly nightmares for me) have almost ceased - it was the idea that this might well be a consequence of the change over to Mirena that finally persuaded me to go for it! As I said, I have no regrets whatsoever. And remember that you are NOT tied in to 5 years of this - if you ever decide you don't want this option anymore it CAN be removed BEFORE the end of the 5 year period.

    I hope whatever you decide works well for you.
  • Tywana
    Tywana Posts: 135 Member
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    If you already have children and is in a monogamist relationship, I advise the copper T IUD. It has no hormones and you can have it for up to 10 years, If you want to have children after what ever time you would just go to the doc and they would pull it. They' re some side effects as with everything else, but me I swear by it. I love it! The one I have now is my second one,. :bigsmile:
  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
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    mirena is a great idea if you dont mind not having TOM regularly. I have two very close friends who use it and absolutely love it.

    I, however, need that regular monthly thing or else I freak out (it's a comfort thing) so I use the nuva ring. Prior to the nuva ring, i was on the patch for about 5-6 years and it was fine but i started getting paranoid that it wasn't working as well because i was overweight.

    I switched back in February to the nuva ring and I think it's the best! It keeps me very regular, it's easy to put in and remove, and it was hilarious to watch my boyfriend's face the first time we had sex. him:"poke poke... what in the?" me:"oh that's just my bc." him"<giggle> i can feel it!" me: 'that's great dear" him:"poke poke <giggle>"

    tmi? sorry.

    Anyway. Both friends on mirena have gained weight, one only a little, the other a LOT. i haven't gained anything on the nuva ring.

    TL;DR: have two friends who love mirena, i swear by nuva ring.
  • lorna1002
    lorna1002 Posts: 185 Member
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    I have a Marina, and i've lost weight. No problems for me. You can get it taken out if you don't like it.
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,455 Member
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    I can not do pills (hello babies 1 and 3 :bigsmile: ) I got the Mirena 3 years ago and its been fabulous. No TOM so I dont get the cravings and mood swings. And Ive lost 90+ pounds this year. So the weight thing hasnt factored in. Having it placed was a little painful but nothing some ibuprofen and rest couldnt fix.
    The nuva ring is good too but like a PP said.... it can be felt. Thats a little weird to me.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    My doctor suggested Mirena. Then told me it might be extra painful to insert because I've never had children. No thanks...we got husband fixed, instead. :drinker:
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    Nuva ring.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    The nuva ring made me want to jump from a bridge. Mirena was ok. If really you do not want use any hormones, try a cooper IUD
  • AshjMusik
    AshjMusik Posts: 113 Member
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    Everyone experiences it differently. I have a friend (who has a 10yr old) who got it that bled very heavily for 3 months straight & gained ~15/20lbs b4 they took it out. I on the other hand, have had it for almost 2 years & LOVE it!! It's the first b.c. I've tried that has NOT made me gain weight (different pills ~4yrs & Depo for 2). I've only spotted lightly a couple of times, for the first 2/3 days after insertion & after particularly rough sex. Other than that no bleeding or extra weight gain at all. Unless ur man is really well-endowed or waaay up there u shouldn't have a problem with him feeling it (once my HB got a tiny little cut at the tip). Also I'll be honest, the insertion is NOT fun but it only takes about 1-2mins so just breathe deep & keep ur muscles relaxed. When the Mirena first came out they'd only give it to women who've already had children b/c the lining would hold the b.c. better, but now they're finding that's not necessarily true & ur Dr can check u out & let u know 4sure. I'm sooo thankful for my Mirena!! Good luck whatever path u choose!
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    I'm not a big fan of IUD's b/c 1) they're still not 100% and more dangerous if you *do* get pregnant with one IMO (possibility of miscarriage whether you leave it in or have it removed) and 2) if you decide it's not for you, you can't just stop, you have to wait for a dr's appointment for them to take it out. For me personally, I really don't like those 2 things. I know of a couple of people that have gotten pregnant when they were supposed to be protected by the IUD. In some cases it can end up in the wrong place (either wrong place in your uterus or even OUTSIDE your uterus - like in your abdominal cavity - rare but it *does* happen), and sometimes it can be expelled during a period without you noticing. That just makes me shudder. It's a tiny tiny chance, but I'm not comfortable with the possible outcomes of those chances (possible miscarriage, possibly needing surgery to remove a rogue out-of-uterus IUD - again I acknowledge the chance is SLIM but I know of women that this has happened to).

    If you're not comfortable with having to remember to take the pill at the same time every day, a possible alternative might be Nuva Ring like others have mentioned. You put it in for 3 weeks and it slowly releases hormones similar to those in the pill. I was interested in it, but unfortunately it is not recommended while breastfeeding b/c of the types of hormones used. Anyway, it's something that you don't have to think about *every single day* (although it is a good idea to check occasionally to make sure it's still there, especially after intercourse if you left it in during the act), and it's something that you can *stop* immediately on your own w/o waiting for a dr's appointment, should you feel that you are not comfortable with it anymore.

    The weight gain issue with birth control is extremely individual. You really don't know what's going to happen for *you* until you try it. Same goes with all other side effects - there's no way to know if you'll experience any or all of them until you try it. It's really frustrating b/c there is no 'one size fits all' method.

    There are also the 'all natural, no hormones or invasive procedures necessary' methods - condoms and Natural Family Planning or Fertility Awareness Method. But those last 2 require quite a bit of dedication and you have to learn some info you may not already be aware of in order for them to be successful. They're great for some people that want to avoid hormones/procedures/etc but definitely not for everyone. If you're concerned with the 'every day' aspect of the pill, they may not be great for you since they do require daily attention at least for part of your cycle. And condoms are not always convenient or desirable, and also not 100%, but then again no method is 100% other than abstinence.

    Go with whatever seems to make sense to you. It's different for everybody.

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