For the Ladies - Mirena?

I did post before I read your last post, which I totally agree with. But your earlier posts strongly imply (and maybe you didn't mean to) that those of us saying we gained on Mirena just aren't working hard enough or being honest. If that's not what you meant, I apologize.

That is absolutely not what I meant. I meant that I (me, myself, and I) used LOTS of excuses before I've gotten to the point where I am. I have struggled very hard to get to where I ignore other factors, because that's just what I've figured out that I have to do, through trial and error. I was simply saying that because I've had to condition myself to this mindset in order to lose and keep it off, if my mirena had caused plateau, etc. I probably wouldn't have realized it.

FYI my wife has Mirena... and during the time she has had it she has lost about 50lbs... so its not impossible to lose on Mirena. In other news, it has worked really good for us. She doesn't have a regular period anymore, which she likes. Haven't noticed any other side effects other than when she had to have it changed (she has had it for like 5 years) she was REALLY sore and spotting after having it taken out and the new one put in. Overall we give it an 8/10 for birth control!

As I said I am a nurse, but also used to be a birth control counsellor at a women's clinic.

To be fair, it is possible for some people to gain on mirena. It may not be the only factor, but clearly it is possible and therefore not our place to judge someone elses's experience. Like anything Mirena is very much a YMMV (your mileage may vary) product.

It IS possible to still have your period on mirena. There is no guarantee that you will stop your periods. I never lost my period, although it was significantly lighter. It is important that you check your strings regularly and if you can't feel them use a back up method until your doctor can confirm it is still in place. The most common time for your body to expel the IUD would be in the first three months, however ALWAYS check your strings at least monthly. If you're not comfortable checking your strings, get used to it or find another method of birth control, because it is that important.

I did have severe acne on it. Mine was cystic in nature and painful. I did not have serious problems with acne in the past. Sure enough, now 4 months after removal, my face is almost completely clear, and I don't get cystic acne anymore.

Anyone who suffers with severe depression should reconsider the value of a hormonal birth control method. The "local" hormones still make it into your system and could upset your balance if you struggle with this.

Mirena is NOT recommended for anyone who is not in a long term monogamous relationship. That is due to the fact that your increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease is much greater.

If you don't do well on the pill or on mirena, then depo is a really poor choice of birth control and I would suggest you look at an alternative method.

I have had Mirena for about a year and a half and love it. I did gain about 20 pounds since having it put in but it was due to eating and drinking too much and not Mirena. Since joining MFP in November I have already taken 11 pounds back off and without too much tremendous effort. I love Mirena.

My best friend had Mirena and not only did she gain a LOT of weight, but her horomones got all out of whack and she acted "crazy" compared to her normal self. Little things would set her off and she's definitely not the type. Once she had it taken out, she said it almost felt like instant relief. She is going to get the Nuva-ring here soon.

Thank you for your honest responses, i have been having a look on other forums and only seem to end up with horror stories about deep depression, crashed cars and massive boobs!

Yikes!

Honestly, other than the weight issue (for me), I have loved it. It cost me a $25 copay, so it's $5 a year where the pill was $10 a month. I don't have to think about it. My doc is very proactive about making sure it's in place so no accidents. My "periods" are light spotting every once in a while that don't even require a tampon and I'm not depressed or crazy or anything.

If those things were going on, I'd have it out. But I'm hoping some serious weight training might help the weight issue. If not, I guess I'm just screwed. I wish they'd just take my uterus out. I don't need it anymore. lol

It was terrible! Horrible. I had all the negative side effects. No thank you!

I'm much more concerned about acne than weight gain. I already have hormonal cystic acne so I have been too afraid to get the Mirena for fear that it will become much worse. Sucks having acne.

I had mine in for the full five years. I just got it taken out in October. Due to complications with my insurance not covering most of the procedure I had to opt for the pill. I miss Mirena badly. I had no side effects other than light or missed periods. No weight gain, no headaches, etc. I do know a couple people who had PID who had complications with it. If you have multiple sex partners there's a good chance you'll get infections easily. I had no problems with mine what so ever. Best birth control on the market if you ask me. As soon as the health care section on birth control goes into effect in 2013 I'm having mine reinserted.

How much does it cost wherever you are? I had to pay 33 bucks for the actual mirena and that was it - 4 appointments with Dr - all at no cost. Couldn't be happier with that aspect also. No buying the pill every 4 months for $33 a pop!!!

I'm much more concerned about acne than weight gain. I already have hormonal cystic acne so I have been too afraid to get the Mirena for fear that it will become much worse. Sucks having acne.

Go with the paraguard/copper or variant. It doesn't have hormones.

This is a question that I've asked my trainer multiple times.. I have had Mirena for about 4 yrs. I lost 60 pounds while I was pregnant.. (was bigger when I conceived); I gained weight back pretty rapidly.

I'm finding it difficult to lose weight now even though i'm clean eating AND exercising at least 5 days a week.

Have there been any reports of weight gain with Mirena and weight loss once removed?

I have had my Mirena since March 2010, and I had some pretty nasty side effects at the beginning, but now I love it. I haven't had a period in months, and once the initial spotting started to clear up it's been great. I didn't notice any weight gain or loss when I got it inserted, but I started losing weight in August of 2010 and I have lost almost 70 pounds since then, so I can't say that it affected/didn't affect my weight loss. I don't think it made it any harder, as I lost the first 50 pounds within 6 months. After that I plateaued for about 3-4 months, and then once I switched up my cardio/strength training routine, the weight started to drop again. In my experience, Mirena didn't really affect anything that I noticed. This is just my experience though, everyone is different.

I'm much more concerned about acne than weight gain. I already have hormonal cystic acne so I have been too afraid to get the Mirena for fear that it will become much worse. Sucks having acne.

So did I...mine cleared up after I got my mirena.

I have had my Mirena since March 2010, and I had some pretty nasty side effects at the beginning, but now I love it. I haven't had a period in months, and once the initial spotting started to clear up it's been great. I didn't notice any weight gain or loss when I got it inserted, but I started losing weight in August of 2010 and I have lost almost 70 pounds since then, so I can't say that it affected/didn't affect my weight loss. I don't think it made it any harder, as I lost the first 50 pounds within 6 months. After that I plateaued for about 3-4 months, and then once I switched up my cardio/strength training routine, the weight started to drop again. In my experience, Mirena didn't really affect anything that I noticed. This is just my experience though, everyone is different.

I should add on here that I haven't had kids, and I almost fainted when the obgyn grabbed the cervix (although he warned me this might happen), and was dizzy afterwards for about 20 minutes. It was not a pleasant experience, but was well worth it.

I have had mine since August. It was uncomfortable, felt like bad cramps but not painful to have it put in. I had spotting for about 6 weeks and haven't had a period since. Maybe just 3 or 4 random days of spotting. I haven't had any weight gain and have had absolutely no problems with the hormones. (this one contains progesterone)