Hi. I'm new here today and am happy, if you can say that, to hear so many horror stories about Mirena. I've had my Mirena in for exactly 3 1/2 years and am having it removed TOMORROW! I'm excited and nervous; excited for obvious reasons, but nervous because until I see improvements in my physical being, I'm worried that removing it won't help end my nightmare. I have one child who is twelve years old; after giving birth, I quickly got down to my pre-pregnancy weight (I was only twenty two years old). I used pills and the patch, and then one year I asked to have a Mirena put in place because it seemed like a very worry-free method of bc. The first year was like a dream, I quickly stopped having periods and didn't have to think about bc anymore. Now, three and a half years later, my once fit physique has been taken over by an excess 25-30 lbs which are carried primarily in my breasts and belly. At first it crept up on me slowly, but then I felt like I'd gain five pounds at a time, almost overnight, with no explanation. And trust me when I say I have tried everything to lose the weight without it budging AT ALL! I took up running, I ride my bike frequently and I go to the gym 3-4 times per week, with NO results. I eat less than an average person should in a day and it just seems to be getting worse. My doctor, bless her heart, has tried so hard to figure out what's causing me such torture. She has finally asked me to remove the Mirena (after taking me off Zoloft several months ago, adjusting my thyroid medication, and sending me for an internal u/s to rule out ovarian CANCER) and when she asked me to do so, I started inquiring online and found forums like this one here. I thought, like most of you, that I was going crazy!! I have some days I can't even walk up a slight incline without my legs/muscles/bones/joints aching like I imagine an elderly person might feel. Today I am especially bloated and last night, while trying to sleep, I was aware of the growing bulge in my mid-section. I'm used to being very fit and toned and am so ashamed of what I look like now. People comment on my weight gain and on the increase in my breast size (I went from a 36C to a 36DD, which is too small some days) and I feel like they assume I'm lazy and not taking care of myself. If anyone out there has any advice to offer someone like me, I'd sincerely appreciate it. I am looking forward to being Mirena-free tomorrow and would like to start losing weight as soon as possible.