Now I know - Mirena IUD - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

SassyPoppet · 10-18-2010, 08:32 AM

Last week I was feeling horrible - I figured it was the detox because I was well into a month of being on plan, and had started to work out. But every day was worse than the one before to the point I was beginning to think something was really wrong.

It was - Wednesday I woke up around 3am to some of the most excruciating pain I had since child birth..so I made my husband get up, pack up our daughter and we headed to the ER. Long story short, my IUD had migrated into my abdomen (and had been there for quite a while) and was knicking a bowel - thankfully it hadn't punctured it as of yet. But between that and my abdomen being full of fluid, it's no wonder I didn't feel good!

I was scheduled for emergency surgery and had it removed. They were able to do it laproscopically so that has made things much better in the recovery phase and I am truly starting to feel better. The bloating has all but disappeared, and the joint pain has started to subside. I had been having problems that I had been associating with the Mirena, but never in a million years could have thought "all that" was going on!

I'm thrilled to be on my way to being hormone free, but I would have preferred a different trip

and of course, I've lost almost 12 pounds in the venture which I will take. I'm heading back to the gym today and am hoping that this has been what's been hindering my progress. The doc said that the working out and extra activity probably brought this to light - so I'm going to chalk this up to a major NSV

I will say, that after the fact, I did a lot of research on this particular form of birth control - it was a huge eye opener. If any of the ladies are thinking of this route - please do your research before having it inserted. Almost 90% of the symptoms I was having I believe were related to this little contraption. I've had it for almost 3 years, and the doc stated that with the amount of tissue that had grown around the IUD, it had more than likely migrated shortly after having it put in!

So - That's where I've been and glad to be back!!!

MsCollins2B · 10-18-2010, 08:40 AM

OMG FIRST OF ALL IM GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE OKAY! 2nd Now I am worried sick! I have the mirena and I to have had it for about 3 years. I dont get excruciating pain but i do get pain in my abdomen quite often. I've checked for the strings occassionally and they are always there, did u ever do the check? if so were your strings there even though the iud was imbedded? I am always retaining water even when i watch my sodium and am quite moody sometimes i bet the iud has alot to do with it I never really thought about it affecting my weight or weight loss.if you dont mind me asking did u stop having a cycle? i have stopped completely for the last 2 years, occassional spotting every few months but nothing regular whatso ever just wondering if theres any links between us and if i shoud be concerned!

katy trail · 10-18-2010, 08:51 AM

oh here i am replying to your post mscollins lol. i hadnt realized untill a few days ago i keep answering your questions.
i'don't have an aswer about mirena. i was concerned about ANY symptoms/problems down there. so i got the implanon in my arm. i haven't had any problems. it's been in over 1 yr. i was already used to not having tom. i was on the depo shot before this. the implanon is good for up to 3 yrs.

SassyPoppet · 10-18-2010, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MsCollins2B

OMG FIRST OF ALL IM GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE OKAY! 2nd Now I am worried sick! I have the mirena and I to have had it for about 3 years. I dont get excruciating pain but i do get pain in my abdomen quite often. I've checked for the strings occassionally and they are always there, did u ever do the check? if so were your strings there even though the iud was imbedded? I am always retaining water even when i watch my sodium and am quite moody sometimes i bet the iud has alot to do with it I never really thought about it affecting my weight or weight loss.if you dont mind me asking did u stop having a cycle? i have stopped completely for the last 2 years, occassional spotting every few months but nothing regular whatso ever just wondering if theres any links between us and if i shoud be concerned!

MsCollins - you're asking the bazillion dollar question - I checked at first, probably the first 4-5 months, and then just forgot about it, and I'm not the best and sticking with the yearly gyno visit because they would harp about my weight, and yah, I already knew I was fat.

I stopped having a cycle immediately, but I hadn't had one in forever due to having only about 1/4 of an ovary left, and taking BC pills without a break.

My joint pain got really bad to the point I went to a rhumatologist who found nothing - and my moods were getting bitter. Looking back, things progressed over the course of a year and a half - I just thought it was work, stress, parenthood etc.

I will say do your research - there are two boards I went to and there were over 19 thousand posts on one board about Mirena side effects. Granted, the internet can be the devil in the wrong hands, but there were some very articulate, well written women who wrote as if they knew my symptoms perosnally. It was a huge eye opener for sure. Had I not had ended up in the ER, I was scheduled to have it removed on the 28th. I've only had mine out for a week and I can tell a big big difference, granted it's not poking me anymore. I also had a constant brain fog - this has disappeared completely!

A lot of women have a sensitivity to the levonorgestrel (a progestogen hormone) taken over an extended amount of time. I'd just suggest you do some research and read into the side effects that are being reported.

Feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to discuss in greater detail.

Kismet89 · 10-18-2010, 10:07 AM

My goodness, I'm so happy you are okay! I'm so glad you followed your gut (no pun intended) and got to the ER.

I tried to get the Mirena over the summer (2 babies in 2 years, I was looking for a break!) and my body rejected TWO of them. I had good initial placement, but it just was not meant to be for me. I take it as a blessing in disguise because during the short time I had them, I had STRONG side effects. I have lots of friends who swear by it, but it didn't work for me.

katy trail · 10-18-2010, 10:17 AM

oh yes! glad you are ok now sassy. hope everyone finds a solution that works for them.

Nikki6kidsmom · 10-18-2010, 11:05 AM

How scary! I must admit I was a better pregnant woman than I was a woman on hormone birth control ,hence the 6 kids LOL! But last year I made things permanent because I was very sure I was ready and it has been so great not stressing or dealing with the hormones.

After having baby #1 and #2 just 15 months apart I took the Depo shot for a year. It was truly awful for me and within a year I gained 40-50 pounds and was miserable.

Be careful and glad your ok. HUGS

SassyPoppet · 10-18-2010, 11:10 AM

The Depo shot and Mirena uses the same hormone (progestin) albeit the synthetics are different - and ppl are finding that if they had problems on the depo they had the same problems on Mirena.

Hubby is getting the snip-snip

And I'm thrilled to not have to take anything once that's all squared away.

AyeQueLoca · 10-18-2010, 11:19 AM

I had the Mirena put in at the end of April and after 3 months I had it removed. I had uncontrollable itching all over my body that wouldn't stop, so I talked to my gyno and she told me that it couldn't be the Mirena and blah blah blah. Sure enough after it was removed I INSTANTLY stopped itching. My friends and family swear by it but I couldn't be happier without it. The only thing that still doesn't make sense is that I have not stopped bleeding since I had it put in. Anyone else have that problem?

Ky30 · 10-18-2010, 11:28 AM

I will NEVER get an IUD ever and these are the reasons why, I wont do the shot either, and birth control pills make me break out in a rash, we use condoms everytime untill hubby gets the snip snip lol he already said he would because I have 3 babies and I am DONE.

EveLHaelf · 10-18-2010, 02:02 PM

this isn't about the iud, but i wanted to ask. I was on the depo shot. I had it done once, didnt have any problems except gaining like 5 pounds and i didn't have a period the entire 3 months but since hubby was going to be gone for 6 months i never got another shot and let it run out. That was around the beginning of Sept. It's october and I've had 3 regular flow cramps and all periods and i haven't stopped spotting either. It's very annoying and I'm wondering if this is a normal reaction?

oodlesofnoodles · 10-18-2010, 09:35 PM

That is INSANE! I'm so sorry that happened to you....

You're making me paranoid now

I have the copper IUD, and that's my biggest fear about it, even though I know that's really really rare for it to happen. I'm also afraid of it falling out.. I've never had a baby so putting it in hurt pretty bad, I imagine it falling out must suck.

I have no choice though, birth control makes me really depressed and makes me gain weight AND I act embarrassingly emotional. Not to mention breast cancer runs in my family, so I've been told to avoid hormones. Condoms are my last last last resort, my boyfriend hates them and they dry me out so yeah. And no freaking way I can get preggo.

BTW, the copper doesn't act as fake estrogen. My understanding on why IUD's work, and they don't even really know why, but their theory is that it expands the size of the uterus making it harder for the sperm to get to an egg.

katy trail · 10-18-2010, 11:24 PM

with the depo shot question. yes it can be normal. the same for immplanon (in the arm). they have the same or similar hormones. progestrone i think. each woman is different.
this hasn't been a problem for me. when i did let the depo shot run out, it took a few months to get a period.

i really love the implanon. it has no metals. i have had an increase in interest in my dh, but that could be my new life style. lots of exercise, self confidence.

EveLHaelf · 10-22-2010, 12:16 PM

Thank you both for answering my question.

I've tried the pill, the nuva ring, and most recently the depo shot. And with all of them I had spotting in between regular periods. I had a rough time remembering to take the pill. The nuva ring was the best out of the three for me. I was going to try the patch, while I was heavier, but my gyno said it wouldn't work for heavier women. I'm sure I meet the weight qualifications now though. My dh is very insistent that I be on some form of bc. He always has an increased interest when I am on it as opposed to when I am not just because he hates wearing condoms. (tmi? lol sry)

Everyday Miracles · 10-22-2010, 02:05 PM

After I had my daughter, I almost got the Mirena. I don't handle synthetic hormones very well, and somebody had told me that there were no hormones in the IUD. I also wasn't sure at the time how it worked, though I knew of the side effects. Long story short, I decided against it since I am not a big fan of any kind of birth control (for a lot of reasons, most of which are related to health rather than ethics). I'm SO glad I didn't get it. I've heard a lot of stories like these. One person I knew had hers somehow lodged near her rectum (not sure how that could possibly happen) and it was threatening the pregnancy she was carrying (since located *there*, it wasn't going to prevent conception).