Birth Control Question - Littleton,CO

I agree with Jana S. I had Mirena for 2 years and had side effects like bloating, tender breasts, water retention etc... even acne breakouts. I loved Mirena because it is very convenient but the side effects are not worth it. My doctor insists that all those symptoms I had were not due to Mirena because of its low dose of hormones but she was wrong. I had it removed and I had been symptom free since. I suggest sticking to the non-hormonal BC like the copper IUD if you have a history of problems with artificial hormones.

I have the Mirena and I love it! I have had it for 18 months and I have not had any problems with it. When I do have my period it is very light and only last for about 3 days. It is so wonderful not having to worry about birth control.

i'm constantly dismayed by women who find 'no periods' to be a positive thing. many of us have rough periods and yes, finding ways to make them bearable is crucial, but periods are natural necessary cycles in our lives and eliminating them is NOT healthy.
sorry. i know that wasn't related to your question. i just had to say it.
khairete
S.

What about NFP. (natural family planning) You wouldn't have to worry about the crazy bleeding or the horrible side effects of BC, or Mirena.

I had the Minera and was told I would stop having periods. yea! But instead I bled and spotted for 13 months straight and cramped for the for the first 3 months. I hated it!! All my friends that had one loved theirs, but my body just didn't like it.

I can't take the hormones anymore in the pill, patch, ring, etc. So I put my husband in charge of our BC. I did it for 8 years he is responsible now. And watching me suffer with migraines and such from all the extra hormones he totally agrees.

We are like yo have two, pretty sure we are done, but not ready to take the plunge.

HI!

I did Depo also--gained thirty pounds, no periods, had to take hormones to get things straightened up again and loose the weight. I came to the conclusion that those artificial hormones are just not what nature intended. Seriously, the old-fashioned birth control (barriers, etc..) is just safer for your overall health. Just my opinion--

Best wishes and blessingsd

G.

I've been doing a ton of research on BC. I'll be going with something more semi-permanent after I have my daughter in August, as we're done having kids.
The feedback for any IUD (Paraguard, Mirena or other) SEEMS to be that if you had issues on the pill or any other type of hormone, that you would have similar issues to varying degrees with an IUD. Now, Paraguard is hormone free (made of copper), but for ladies that have had issues with BC, there seems to be cramping and heavy bleeding attached.

The short answer is, you never know until you try. But overall, the general message seems to be that if your body doesn't tolerate one form of BC, your body tends to not tolerate any.

I had the same problem with Depo only I bleed for 6 months strait. I have a Mirena and have no period.
It works great for me, I do have PMS but like I said no period. The Mirena is a low dose of hormones unlike a birth control pill or the shot.
It does hurt going in , unless you've just had a baby, but for me it wasn't long.

I was told by my Dr that having no period is ok.

I got the Mirena a year after our last was born and had it for 5 1/2 years. (They're approved in Europe for 7 years, I guess the USA is just more timid?) I loved it! It was uncomfortable getting it put in (if you go for any IUD, take Motrin before you go to the appointment, like 800mg, and try to have someone to drive you, just in case) and I spotten on and off for the first 3 months. Then I had a light period every other month for a year and then no periods. And getting it removed was very easy.

I had some problems with Depo, too - I stopped having a period and it never came back until the Doctor put me on hormones (birth control pill) to get it back. I would ask your doctor how likely it is to have similar problems with Mirena as with Depo. If he brushes you off without addressing your concerns feel free to go to another Doc! (It's also better, I think, if you have an OB/GYN rather than a family doctor. They are more familiar with all the related issues)

I always used the pill when I used birth control. I used ortho tri-cyclen for years and never had a problem with it. I tried a low-dose pill after having my son (dr.'s choice to control bleeding problems I was having), but it made me feel crazy like I was constantly having the worst PMS ever so I stopped taking it. I didn't have another choice of pill because I was breast feeding at the time.
Honestly, we have used natural family planning (my mom calls it the rhythm method) for a few years. Has nothing to do with religious or any other belief system other than my husband doesn't like the idea of me taking extra hormones my body isn't producing on its own. I know my cycle very well and it is very regular so it is easy for us. Of course, we wouldn't be upset if we had an "oops", so not sure it would be the best method for you.

I had the mirena for over a year. It didn't hurt at all to get put in but I spotted for over a year and had it taken out. The strings were cut too short. I am of average weight, more on the slim side and the light periods were great... just not for 3 out of 4 weeks a month. I also did the natural family planning thing and it worked perfectly when I was on a schedule. Just used a condom for the two weeks we could concieve. Good luck

I used Mirena, but just had it removed. I had it in for 1 year and really actually liked it. Putting it in was painful for me, but not for everyone. For the first couple months I did bleed on and off, but after those months I maybe spotted a tiny bit every other month or so. I loved that part of it. The part I didn't like is that for some reason I cramped worse than ever. I finally had it taken out because the cramping was so uncomfortable. The cramping wasn't the type you would actually call "painful", just unpleasant. When I had it removed, the doctor said some women's bodies don't like the Mirena and cramp to try and get rid of it. I really did like Mirena, but since my natural periods are only 2 days and I never cramp, I decided to have it removed. All my girlfriends and my mom never had a single problem with Mirena, though. They all loved theirs.
Good luck and I hope that helps.

I have had the Mirena for about 2 1/2 years ever since I had my last child. I tolerated the pill very well. I also went through IVF and tolerated all of those hormones very well. It took my body a couple of months of constant bleeding to get used to the Mirena. After that, my body adjusted and now I have relatively light periods, but they are regular. It worked pretty well for me for the first 18 months or so. I don't know if it's because I've had it for awhile or if it's because I'm getting a little older & my body is changing, but over the past year or so, I've had increasingly annoying symptoms that can all be traced to the hormones in the Mirena - puffiness, water retention, headaches, tender breasts, PMS, worsened reflux, etc. My doctor even thinks a recent issue with a bulging disc in my back could have happened because of loosened joints & lack of support from my back brought on by hormones. I'm getting it out next week & I'm anxious to see if these conditions improve. My point is that all of these symptoms have come on gradually & been pretty subtle - it's taken me a few years to notice them & put it all together. But I will say that many of my friends have had the Mirena and loved it - many have no periods at all. I would just say that if you get it, pay attention to the subtle cues of your body to see how it might be affecting you.

I've tried the pill, Depo, and now Mirena. I had no problems with the pill, other than I would forget to take it on time. HATED the Depo shot. I gained 30 lbs in water weight and had terrible periods. I've not had any problems with the Mirena. Like you, we're not sure if we're done, it varies by the day :) It hurt like hell getting it put in, I won't lie. I did have some minor cramping after, but other than that no problems at all. I love it. I haven't had a period, but I'm still breastfeeding, so that could be why too. The best thing to do is to talk to your doctor and see what they recommend for you. I talked to my doc about the copper IUD and we decided the Mirena was the best way to go for me. It was kind of expensive since insurance only covered part of it, but still way cheaper than any other form of BC, except natural family planning of course!

i got the ten year one that has no hormones
its been great (and I chose it over the 5 year for the reason it is more natural to not have the artificial hormones)

I got the Mirena IUD for my first time last Dec. (2.5 months after my twins were born) and I LOVE it! I would say go for it. My periods (which used to be hard and heavy) are light and short. It was a bit uncomfortable when inserted, and you do spot for about 2-3 months afterwards, but after that, it's great! I would recommend it.

I am using the Nuvaring and really do like it. It is removable at anytime, but stays in for three weeks at a time. No problems with bleeding. It really is trial and error for each of us...Good luck!

Continual bleeding is a very common problem with Mirena-especially if you've had issues with hormonal bc in the past. If you are really wanting an IUD, Paraguard (that I think someone else suggested) is something to look into. After issues with bc I looked into IUDs, but there are some possible side effects that I was just not willing to risk. Though some of them are rare, they are not chances I am willing to take. I ended up using Fertility Awareness Method (read Taking Charge of your Fertility) and it's awesome. You couldn't pay me to do anything else anymore! 6 years later we have been able to avoid, as well as achieve pregnancy more easily that dealing with synthetic hormones involved in birth control, and with more accuracy (our first three babies were conceived on three different kinds of bc). I highly recommend looking into it!