The Mirena

just got it about a month ago and so far, so good. My best friend has had it for over 4 years now and LOVES it!

Hi F.,

I have had it about 2 years now and have had no problems whatsoever. I recommend it, under the close advice from and discussion with your ob/gyn. Ask all your questions and make sure you get satisfactory answers before you decide. I was told it's as effective as tubal ligation, 99.9%. And the benefit is you can have it removed anytime.

I don't answer these often, but I wanted to give you a list of my side effects. :) I had immediate weight gain (about 10 - 15 lbs), my face broke out, and I had spotting or bleeding pretty much the whole year I had it. I did have occasional times where I didn't have either, but there was no rhyme or reason to when it happened. I am also pretty convinced that it caused some kind of infection or something. I've had issues the whole year since it was removed, and am in the process of getting testing done. I think the Mirena just was not right for me.

When I went back to the gyn and asked her to remove it, she said NONE of those side effects could be caused by the Mirena. She was wrong because they all stopped after the removal. I even lost the weight, without changing diet or exercise, within the first couple of months.

Now given all of that, everyone is different and some people LOVE the Mirena. I have a sister-in-law who has had it for 4 - 5 yrs. She is very happy with it, but she did gain a lot of weight. She is just now realizing that the Mirena may have had something to do with it. Even so, she was happy enough with it to keep it.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. It might be great for you, you never know.

I had the mirena inserted about a year ago. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be and I had only mild cramping afterward in addition to some bleeding. I was still breastfeeding my daughter at the time so I didn't get my period until about a month or two after she was weaned. My period was very very light. I've been having occasional spotting on and off, nothing very heavy at all. I would totally recommend the mirena. It really is a hassle free form of birth control!

Hi F.,

Here is a web site. Hope it helps answer your questions.

http://www.contracept.org/iud-paragard.php

Good luck. D.

I've had Mirena for a year. I love it, though I can never find the strings and don't know if it is still in place... lol. I haven't had a period since i had it "installed' though I do have frequent spotting. Over all, I'd highly recommend it. It does hurt to have it put in (esp if you have never delivered a child vaginally) but it only lasts a few seconds.