I stumbled upon this document recently and found it very informative, so I want to share it with you! Ladies, please take Pottasium and Magnesium supplements if you are having (or planning to have) Mirena to reduce many of the side effects!

Research and Side Effects

The Mirena has been known to cause a hormonal imbalance in many women. Initially, most women with Mirena, experiencing problems don't realize what is causing them to feel so bad. But with research being done to explore the cause, some doctors are starting to find some answers.

Effects of Levonorgestrel (synthetic form of progesterone: main ingredient of Mirena IUD) in relation to Insulin, Potassium, Magnesium and its consequence in long term use:

1) Naural Progesterone causes concentration dependant inhibition of glucose stimulated Insulin release.

2) Levonorgestrel does not function as Natural Progesterone AND causes decreased production of Nat. Prog.

3) Mirena: initial surge of Synthetic Prog mimmicks Nat. Prog., could cause initial loss of weight

4) Subsequent ongoing usage causes the opposite, too much Insulin, weight gain: because of body decreasing Nat. Prog production( low prog=high insulin)

5) Constant use causes continually high Insulin causing Insulin Resistance.

The less Progesterone, the more Insulin release.

6) Low Progesterone. results in excess Oestrogen relative to Prog., triggering even more Insulin release

7) Pancreas starts suffering: Insulin overproduction

Excessive Insulin causes low Potassium : because Insulin promotes Pot. to enter skelettal muscle cells.

9) Leads to: Insulin Resistance: cells don't store Magnesium, lost through urine

Hence less Potassium because Pot. uptake requires Magnesium.

10) Magnesium lack causes blood vessels to constrict: bloodflow decreases: destructive ability of liver enzymes decreases.

11) Insulin causes Sodium retention, leading to even less Potassium.



A decrease in cellular Potassium would (under normal circumstances) cause less Insulin release.

Hence the body initiates more Potassium loss to decrease Insulin release (because the higher the Potassium level, the higher the Insuline release level, but the Insulin levels surge high in spite of Pot. loss because Nat. Prog. is absent/low)



What's essential after stopping Levonorgestrel to normalize levels:

Magnesium & Potassium supplement to kickstart decrease in Insulin release:

To aid pancreas and liver & strict nutritional change in carbohydrates because carb metabolism has altered (proven on Levenorgestrel: elevated Insulin levels).

Increased Potassium would have triggered Insuline release under normal circumstances, but the body is caught in a vicious circle between Synth. Prog imitant, too little or no Nat. Progesterone and a depletion of Potassium and Magnesium, which the body can not fully realise as its natural reaction is to decrease Potassium to lower Insulin: but Potassium has already run dry without taking effect on Insulin on account of Levenorgestrel mimmicking Nat. Progesterone. Levonorgestrel does evidently not perform the function of Natural Progesterone: to decrease and monitor Insulin release, therefore concurrently depletes body of Natural Progesterone and causes Potassium and Magnesium deficiency.

Intracellular Serum levels of Potassium are best tested in form of a hair analysis rather than a blood analysis, as the blood levels are easily influenced by nutrition at the time of taking the blood.



What does Insulin do?

Amongst other functions, Insulin decreases anabolic processes, Glycagon(promotes burning of fat and sugar) and HGrowth hormones (muscle/mass development: decrease leads to premature ageing) are suppressed.

PROGESTERONE DECREASE causes Magnesium and Potassium depletion, decrease in anabolic release, insulin resistance/metabolic imbalance and oestrogen dominance.



Insulin Resistance side effects:

Fatigue

Brain fogginess, poor memory

Low blood sugar

Intestinal bloating

Sleepiness

Increased weight/fat storage

Increased blood pressure

Depression

Food cravings



Role of Levonorgestrel: Prevents ovulation by mimmicking pregnancy.

No or irregular ovulation leads to a decrease in Natural Progesterone.

Low Nat. Progesterone leads to relative Oestrogen Dominance



Symptoms/effects of Oestrogen Dominance:

Failed ovulation

Follicle burnout

Fat cells produce / store oestrogen: weight gain

Sodium/Potassium ratio unbalanced: water retention and bloating

Loss of Magnesium which is essential for Potassium uptake

High blood pressure because of high Insulin level, no Magnesium

Reduction of Oxygen amount in cells

Interference with Thyroid hormnes (ie.Insulin, etc )means: low metabolic rate, low energy, cold intolerance, weight gain

Promotes Histamine release: allergies etc

Promotes blood clotting: stroke, embolism

Copper retention, Zinc loss: exaggerated stress reactions, mood swings,depression, overactive immune system

(Calcium antagonism: therefore Calcium supplementation not advisable/nor use of Copper IUD)

Fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, etc



Role of Potassium in Steriogenic shift:

1) Decreased intracellular potassium enhances progesterone production by dying granulosa cells.

2) No/low Nat. Progesterone leads to additional decrease of intracellular Potassium in the bodies attempt to increase Nat. Prog production.

3) Loss of intracellular Pot. facilitates FSH stimulated Prog. production.

4) Pot. levels affect Gonadotropin signalling pathway: direct causal relationship to Prog. production



If Potassium deficiency exists, which it must, regulatory function of Pot. in Prog. production is impaired causing further loss of Pot.

Potassium therefore needs to be supplemented to restore intracellular levels so that signalling pathways for Prog. production can be repaired.

prog. retains pot....... no prog. : no pot.

Levenorgestrel malfunctions on intracellular signalling level, otherwise Potassium depletion could not take place.

Pot. depletion causes cell death: premature ageing



Additional stress causes:

1) Nat. Progesterone turned into Aldosterone.

2) Excessively high Aldosterone levels, low Nat. Progesterone: causes excessive loss of urnary Potassium.

3) High Oestrogen levels: elevated Copper levels/Copper Toxicity

4) Already stressed system completely going out of balance in Salt/Potassium ratio



The amount of Aldosterone secreted normally is a direct function of the Serum Potassium. Potassium induces Aldosterone/Cortisol biosyntesis. Potassium should be strongly regulated at all Sodium intakes by Aldosterone when supply of Potassium is adequate. The supply of Potassium when supplementing Levonorgestrel can not be adequate leading to: high Aldosterone, Cortisol, Potassium/Magnesium depletion. Testosterone production may increase as a result, leading to excessive facial/bodily hair growth, head hair loss: masculinalisation.

Diet today is high in Sodium, low in Potassium and Magnesium (highly processed foods, growth soil mineral depletion) and supplemented with Xeno-Oestrogens: Nutritional uptake can not possibly rebalance Pot/Magn deiciencies nor lower Insulin levels. Only a strict protein, complex carbohydrate diet could assist.



Symptoms of Potassium deficiency:

Constipation

Muscular weakness/pain/cramps

Blood pressure elevation

Heart palpitations, arrythmia

Decreased liver and kidney function

Oestrogen build up

Progesterone decrease

Depression, panic attacks

etc.



Levonorgestrel supplementation can lead to all of the side effects (being symptoms of the final conditions stipulated here) above interrelatedly. The long term consequence of usage and following malfunctions and deficiencies are as follows:

Diabetes

Asthma

Liver disease, tumours

Blood-clotting disorder

High cholesterol

Seizures

Epilepsy

Migraines

Hormone related cancer (eg. breast)



The symptoms most women exhibit and experience on Levonorgestrel are warning signs of the above mentioned conditions.

Because the cause and effect pathway of the conditions varies in time length and intensity of onset, initial physical constituency of women when starting on Levonorgestrel should be taken into account. The better the physical condition, the longer it might take for initial onset of symptoms, but the symptoms will arise and the conditions will follow.

Most doctors do not seem to be aware of the causal symptoms arising from the longterm use of Levonorgestrel and are therefore incapable of a diagnosis.

Because the symptoms vary greatly, depending on the gravity of the effects of levenorgestrel and their severity in onset, they appear to be non-related and difficult to track.

Levonorgestrel is marketed as safe, especially cost-effective, and good for long-term usage (5 year iud)device. What constitutes the danger is the long term supplementation of levonorgestrel, not necessarily the short-term usage, hence a five year period pescription is irresponsible, to say the least. The manifestation of symptoms and disease is longterm and as varied as the women using it are. Obviously not all symptoms and consequences have been followed in the cause-effect pathway in this text, but the featured ones sum the main complaints of the women seeking help in Mirena forums up.



I hope the above has shown, that all different symptoms arising under Levonorgestrel usage as 5 year IUD do all have a singular cause, should be identifiable by a doctor and have different times of onset and severity depending on the individual's physical constitution, the nutritional habits as well as the amount of exercise of the woman does at the onset and during the taking of Levonorgestrel . Please do not let doctors tell you that your problems stand in no relation to the IUD. Rather tell your doctor to do their homework



http://www.hormonspirale-forum.de/viewtopic.php?p=25250&sid=74c4284467e07ad28...




Symptoms Of Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance is a term originally developed by Dr. John Lee, an extensive researcher of the relationships between estrogen and progesterone. The term estrogen dominance describes the condition that occurs in a woman's body when estrogen is the dominate hormone in relationship to its natural counter balance with progesterone. Many people are unaware that women can experience estrogen dominance even with deficient or normal levels of estrogen present in the body. Estrogen dominance in and of itself does not necessarily mean a condition of excessive estrogen. What it does mean is that estrogen is the dominate hormone in its relation to the level of progesterone in the body. So, the overall level of the body's estrogen can be at a normal level, or it can even be at a deficient level, however, if the level of progesterone is also deficient and at levels not sufficient to counterbalance the effects of estrogen, then there will exist the circumstance of estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance can have a number of causes, especially considering the excessive estrogen (or “estrogen-like” chemical compounds) that are now present in our everyday environment. These include products and substances we're constantly exposed to such as pesticide residue, plastics, meat products, an even furniture. Symptoms of estrogen dominance make for a long list. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

Acceleration of the aging process
Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thyroiditis, and possibly Sjoegren's disease
Breast cancer
Breast tenderness
Cervical dysplasia
Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction
Copper excess
Decreased sex drive
Depression with anxiety or agitation
Dry eyes
Early onset of menstruation
Endometrial (uterine) cancer
Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs
Fatigue
Fibrocystic breasts
Foggy thinking
Gallbladder disease
Hair Loss
Headaches
Hypoglycemia
Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes)
Infertility
Irregular menstrual periods
Irritability
Insomnia
Magnesium deficiency
Memory loss
Mood swings
Osteoporosis
Polycystic ovaries
Premenopausal bone loss
PMS
Prostate cancer
Sluggish metabolism
Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism
Uterine cancer
Uterine fibroids
Water retention, bloating
Zinc deficiency
These were the findings that were found as a result of Dr. Lee's research. For more information on his findings, visit http://www.johnleemd.com/


The findings of Dr. Lee's research go hand in hand with the numerous adverse side effects and reactions that women have reported having as a result of the Mirena, which is thought to be responsible for causing estrogen dominance. Here are just a few of the many side effects women have reported having:

Headache
Nervousness
Vulvovaginitis
Dysmenorrhea
Back pain
Weight increase
Breast pain/tenderness
AcneAbdominal/pelvic pain
Vaginal discharge
Nausea
Decreased libido
Hypertension
Migraine
Vomiting
Anemia
Dyspareunia
Alopecia
Eczema
Pruritis
Rash
Urticaria
Abdominal distension
Altered mood
Hirsutism
Edema
Suicidal Thoughts
Respiratory Problems(bronchitis, mono, athsma, etc.)
Pain in fingers, hands, arms, legs, etc.
Tingling and Vibration in various parts of the body
Heart Palpitations/Rapid Heartrate
Insomnia
Thoid yrproblems


and much more...