Re: Check which side effects You have!

yes:) its a pity that everyone is not given this list before they agree to the mirena - dont forget all the warnings and cautions too - my main side effect of severe numbness did not appear on the side effect list but was on the Warning list - i printed it all out and gave a copy to my doctor, so she could be aware of what other patients might be going through that could be attributed to mirena.It was only after seeing the Warning section with my side effects listed that she was worried enough, thankfully to take it out there and then.
the caution and warning list is as follows - courtesy of the usual website..
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001706.html

....makes pleasant reading, doesnt it?:) and yet doctors STILL deny any of this can be caused by Mirena!!


"WARNING!
A gynaecological examination should be performed before insertion of this IUS. This will include a breast exam and the doctor will also check to find the position and size of your womb, that you are not pregnant and that you have no infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Further examinations should be performed six weeks after insertion and then yearly (or more frequently if clinically needed).


If you have any heart valve defects, you may be given Antibiotics when the IUS is inserted or removed, in order to prevent inflammation of the heart valves and sac surrounding the heart (endocarditis).


The insertion and removal of the IUS can be a little painful and you may want to take a painkiller such as paracetamol beforehand. It can also cause bleeding. If you get severe pain, or if any bleeding continues, you should let your doctor know, because the IUS might have penetrated the wall of the womb (‘perforation’).


An IUS may be expelled from the uterus without the woman noticing it, although an increase in menstrual bleeding or pain may warn you of this. The effectiveness of the IUS is lost if it is expelled, and is also decreased if it is partially expelled. You should be shown how to check the removal threads on your IUS when it is inserted, to make sure it is still in place. Consult your doctor if you cannot find the threads.


You may experience irregular bleeding or spotting in the first few months after Mirena is inserted. After this your periods will usually settle down and become shorter and lighter, or may stop alltogether. If you don't have a period within six weeks of your previous period, you should consult your doctor, to ensure that the IUS has not been expelled and you are not pregnant. However, it may simply be that the IUS is causing your periods to stop.


If you experience lower abdominal pain, particularly in combination with missed periods, or a recurrence of menstrual bleeding if your periods had stopped, you should consult your doctor.


The IUS should be removed if you experience recurrent pelvic infection or inflammation of the womb lining (endometritis), or if an infection does not respond to treatment within a few days.


If pregnancy does occur while the IUS is in place, the IUS should be removed. There may be an increased risk of miscarriage or premature labour if the pregnancy then continues.


You should inform your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms while you have the Mirena coil fitted: migraine or severe headaches; stabbing pains and/or unusual swelling in one leg; pain on breathing or coughing; sudden breathlessness; sudden severe chest pain; sudden weakness or numbness affecting one side or part of the body; increase in blood pressure; yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice); severe abdominal complaints; severe depression; or if you become pregnant.


The IUS provides effective contraception for five years and must be removed by your doctor after this time if you are using it for contraception or heavy periods. (It can be removed earlier than this if required.) If you have had Mirena fitted as part of your HRT you should have it removed after four years, because there are only limited data on its womb protective effect after this time.


This IUS will not protect you against sexually transmitted infections, so you may still need to use condoms as well.


USE WITH CAUTION IN


History of migraine or severe headaches


Known or suspected cancers in which growth of the cancer is stimulated by sex hormones, such as breast cancer


Leukaemias or other malignancies affecting the blood that are in remission (use only after specialist consultation)


Women receiving long-term treatment with oral or injected corticosteriods, eg prednisolone, hydrocortisone


History of ovarian cysts


Women with risk factors for disease of the arteries, eg high cholesterol levels


Angina


High blood pressure (hypertension)


Diabetes


Smokers


Jaundice


Women with a blood clot in a vein of the leg (deep vein thrombosis) or in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), or a past history of these conditions


Blood disorders that increase the risk of blood clots in the blood vessels, eg antiphospholipid syndrome, factor V Leiden


Epilepsy


Postmenopausal women whose wombs have shrunk significantly as a result of the menopause


Not to be used in


Known or suspected pregnancy


Vaginal bleeding of unknown cause


Abnormalities of the womb (uterus)


Uterine fibroids that distort the uterus


Uterine cancer


Cervical cancer


Inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis)


Abnormal tissue in the cervix (cervical dysplasia)


Genital infections


Current or recurrent pelvic inflammatory disease


Inflammation of the womb lining following birth of a child (postpartum endometritis)


Infection following an abortion in the last three months


Recent pregnancy with abnormal placental tissue that produces large amounts of the pregnancy hormone hCG (trophoblastic disease) - unless the hCG levels are back to normal


Current or previous severe disease of the arteries, eg that has caused a stroke or heart attack


Women with artificial heart valves or structural heart defects, who have previously had an infection of the heart valves and sac surrounding the heart (bacterial endocarditis), or severe pelvic infection


Acute or severe liver disease


Liver cancer


People whose immune systems have a decreased ability to fight infection and disease, eg due to conditions such as AIDS or immunodeficiency syndromes or treatment with medicines such as chemotherapy or immunosuppressants


Leukaemias or other malignancies affecting the blood, unless they are in remission.


This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.

If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.


This IUS should not be inserted if you are or could be pregnant. If you do fall pregnant while the IUS is in place, you should consult your doctor immediately and the IUS should be removed. There may be an increased risk of miscarriage or premature labour if the pregnancy then continues. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.


Levonorgestrel can pass into breast milk, but only in small amounts, particularly with the dose released from Mirena in the womb. This does not seem to have any adverse effects on a nursing infant, and Mirena can be used to provide contraception for women who are breastfeeding. It should not be inserted until six weeks after the birth of the child. Seek medical advice from your doctor."