Severe depression, weight gain, etc
My partner just removed my Merina for me tonight. I think I feel a bit better already. Certainly relieved. Was going to the clinic tomorrow to have it removed but it seemed so easy from what we read on the web (& luckily he has long, thin fingers!) that we thought we'd just try. Apparently it's not recommended though.
I had the Merina in on the 25th of September, and more or less around my first period with it (Nov. 11) I noticed that I seemed to have suddenly put on lots of weight & was suddenly extremely depressed (in part, about the weight). It all got worse & worse, I was irritable, angry, and despairing. I have a history of
Depression (& complex PTSD) but have been seeing a therapist for over a year now & making good progress. The Mirena
Depression took me back to feeling the worst I've felt in about 8 years. It was horrible and frighteningly disempowering. I had not expected anything like this (in fact, I'd been led to hope that my periods & cramps & maybe even menstrual migraines would probably become less bad over time) because neither the Family Planning nurse who first told me about the Mirena, nor the gyn clinic where I got it put in mentioned the possibility of these kinds of side-effects. (I also had strange stabbing cramps in one leg, which is not normal for me.)
I think it's incredibly dangerous of the medical people not to at least warn women that there's a slight chance of these things. I was nearly suicidal. If it hadn't been for forums like this (& the fact that I'd researched the Mirena a bit before getting it put in) I would've probably assumed it was just me being impossible & anything could've happened from there. I would not be surprised to hear of the Merina being involved in suicides at some point, if it hasn't happened already. I find it outrageous that there is no warning on the packaging or from the medical people. It's really just a matter of time.
The device came out easily enough though. Dunno what we'll do for BC next, assuming my libido returns. Maybe the old diaphragm AND a condom. Maybe sterilisation for me. Hmmm.