I've had a whole slew of bad side effects from Mirena and various antipsychotics... constant panic attacks, night sweats, hot flashes, head aches mood swings, endocrine tumor, digestive, metabolic problems, et al. Years/months after the drugs have been stopped, I've finally started to get a little better, and I'd like to share the things that have been working.

If you're sick and can't figure out what the hell to do, I'd definitely try some of this stuff. I posted this originally as a reply and decided to repost it because it's worth a look. For a detailed account of where I started out a few months ago, see my blog post here //www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=1523842#i
and http://dearfda.blogspot.com/2009/12/little-blurb-from-blogger.html


First of all, don't let the doctor send you off to a psychiatrist for some antidepressant or any BS like that. It will probably only make matters worse. Your problem isn't a chemical deficiency, so adding more chemicals won't help in most cases. Besides, exercise and diet have been scientifically proven to work more effectively than psychiatric medications. Not to mention cannabis--a medicinal herb that is still unfortunately still illegal in most states--has a much more pleasing side effect profile than any behavioral medication on the market, and can sometimes treat the symptoms just as well. No, I'm not advising you to break the law. But it is legal in handful of states.

The one pharma I found helped with the panic attacks and headaches is Tramadol. Tramadol is a pain medication that also acts (as a side effect) on the adrenal system, which my doctors didn't know when they prescribed it to me, and still don't recognize, despite that I have told them that it relieves my panic attacks better than anything else. Taking a couple tramadols each day allowed me to start thinking clearly again...

That, and giving up Sugar and starch.

Diet plays a BIG role.

I was eating healthy from the start, but I came to realize that even some healthy foods--like whole grains and soy--seem to cause my symptoms to worsen. The diet I am on now consists of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and fish. I found that once I started avoiding starch (grain, corn, potato, beans, peanuts, et al) sugar, and dairy, my body stopped aching so much, leading me to believe it's some kind of autoimmune reaction... that or it's the result of months of adrenal stress messing up the digestive system. Or maybe for me, its that I've become diabetic as a result of a slew of mirena and other drugs. Perhaps eliminating the same foods can help you, or perhaps there are other allergens in your diet whose elimination could help.

If you haven't seen a nutritionist, you should perhaps try it. Some of your symptoms are most likely a result of nutritional/metabolic problems that were brought on/worsened by Mirena. Get a metabolic panel and find out what supplements may help. I was D deficient, on top of all the other stuff. A homeopath is definitely the way to go... As we've all seen here, conventional medicine doesn't have much to tell us! I was losing weight and getting sicker and sicker for months, then started taking vitamins/digestive enzymes (natural ones; the conventional ones just upset the stomach. I started with "Intramin" which is liquid trace minerals (and that made me perk up a bit) and seeing some homeopaths, and I can almost live again...

I recently started taking a couple of herbs "chaste tree berry" to lower prolactin (my bloodwork & symptoms showed raised levels), and "adrenal support liquid phyto-caps." Have not been on them long enough to discern the difference. I was advised on this by a GYN/homeopath, and I have a pituitary tumor and blood work results as indications... I don't know that I'd advise taking these so much as trying to find a homeopathic counselor with whom you can consult, and also, getting the hormone levels tested.

DETOX! I've been getting an ion-cleanse footbath weekly, which some people will say is "supported by weak science," but hey, so is the entire conventional medical field, and anyway, I've found it to really work. I've been doing that, coupled with reflexology (http://ladiehlcrr.abmp.com/), craniosacral therapy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniosacral_therapy), massage, and NES (http://www.nutrienergetics.com/infoceuticals.html). They all work vastly better than all the shitty advice the doctors gave me... though yes, some of these things do seem sort of "far out." If you find the right people, they can really really work.... At least it has been so for me.

I occasionally follow up about mirena on my blog, though lately have been primarily focusing on antipsychotics: DearFDA.blogspot.com ... there's a lot f info scattered about there about autoimmune disease, diet, hormones, medications, et al.

If you haven't gotten an MRI yet, do that if things don't improve. I discovered by way of one that I have a pituitary tumor that is causing some of the problems. Of course, I am delaying surgery in order to see which of the symptoms work themselves out over time through the avoidance diet, vitamins, detox, et al.

I also get this skin-crawling feeling. If you have that, too, soaking in a bath with a couple cups of Epsom Salt dissolved in it works pretty well.

I've been doing some light stretching/yoga every day to help ease the muscles. It definitely helps, if you stick to it... Just 5-15 minutes of stretching or yoga at morning/bed sometimes goes a long way... at least does for me.

The hell won't last forever...