WOW! I am so glad I found this info! I've had Mirena for about 2 years and I'm going to have it removed this month. Insertion was not a problem, I felt a little bit of cramping and it was over, it was so easy. Problems I've experienced are breast tenderness - I've increased 2 cup sizes (I'm not happy about it), acne, WEIGHT GAIN, no sex drive, tired all the time. I don't have a clue what I'm going to use for birth control now, I'm done putting the chemicals into my body. When I went for my first check-up after insertion and asked about the breast tenderness and my doc laughed it off. I think this IUD has many side effects that the company won't admit to. Look at this board - so many people have complained of weight gain, lack of sex drive, and acne. I don't think it's a coincidence. My IUD is outta here!

I had problems at insertion and I want this IUD out now. Anyone who has had it removed, was it painful or any side effects at the time of getting it removed. The strings are not visible, she will have to use some sort of tool to look for them.. I have to wait 5 months go get it out because she recommends anaesthetic. I dont know if I should wait 5 months or just get it out now.. Any advice?

My son Liam was tragically stillborn in Aug. '03. Aside from feeling 'emotionally raped' having my precious baby taken from me, I was dealing more or less as well as could be expected.

I had the Mirena IUD inserted at my six week check up in Sept. '03. Within one week of insertion my mood just crashed. Within two weeks it was considerably worse. I started breaking out not just on my face, but my neck, chest and back, which has never happened before...even in my teens. I suddenly would feel like I was literally seconds from throwing up...often in mid-sentence. I started noticing random hairs sprouting up in places they shouldn't and never had before. I bled for four months straight with maybe a day here and there without. And perhaps most frustrating of all, after working so hard to lose alot of my pregnancy weight those first six weeks...the weight rapidly came back again, with no increase in calorie intake or reduction in activity level. Now I'm chubby and either yelling or crying at my DH and kids, or just wiped and exhausted beyond words ALL the time. When I approached my CNM (cert. nurse midwife) about these problems she made me feel like I was using Mirena as a scapegoat for my emotions and hormones after my loss. She swore there was NO WAY Mirena could cause these kinds of side effects. Although she had a nasty habit of dismissing all my concerns while I was pregnant as my 'paranoia', too, and now my baby is dead. So two days ago I switched to an entirely different Dr. in an entirely different practice...an actual OBGYN this time...who came HIGHLY recommended by several of my girlfriends. I now have an appointment to have Mirena removed in a few weeks. Also I wanted to add that my sister got her Mirena inserted after the birth of her third child in May '03 and has had the EXACT same experience. She is also making an appt. to have hers removed shortly. It's good to know we aren't the only two women in the world who hate this thing and want it out.