Before reading on, this is a blog about my experience on Mirena IUD. I want to share this information with other women who are considering getting an IUD or have an IUD and want to know if other people are experiencing the same symptoms and side effects of Mirena. This is not my typical blog, but rather one that I feel is important information for women in regards to our health.
On December 10th, I decided to get the Mirena IUD, the inter-uterine device that releases Levonorgestrel, a hormone commonly used in combination with oral contraceptives (the "pill") and is similar to progesterone, as well as the main ingredient in the Plan B contraceptive. Levonorgestrel prevents pregnancy, which to me was easier than taking a pill every day and more cost efficient over five years time, which is the elapsed time that Mirena is good for. What I didn't expect was what my body went through in the four months time I had it.
But, before I get ahead of myself, let's go back to the decision of getting an IUD. I had been on the pill for about ten years, had a wonderful track record, and never had any problems remembering to take it every morning. That being said, it costs roughly $20 a pack per month. I knew several people who had the IUD and loved it, so I figured... why not? It saves me roughly $800 over the next five years.
Quick Math:
$20 a pak x 12 months = $240/yr = $1,200/5yrs.
OR
$380 for one IUD for 5 years.
That's $820 in savings. This, of course, backfired!
Prior to having the IUD inserted, I was advised to take several Advil (to "help" with the pain of the insertion) and told to administer two pills of Cytotec to dilate my cervix to make the insertion less "painful." The reason I put quotes around "help" and "painful" is because nothing could have "helped" with the pain that I felt because of the Cytotec pills. Read up on the side effects of Cytotec before using!! I experienced severe contraction pains in my abdomen. I was told by the nurse (and my mother) that the cramps and contraction like feelings are equal to, if not greater, than actual labour contractions.
LOVELY!
I forgot to mention that I had to insert these pills, I was directed not to take them orally, but rather inserting them is more effective. What my doctor failed to mention is the cramping would start at 3:30am the morning prior to my 10am appointment, and they lasted until 8pm that day. Basically, I had a 12.5hr labour minus the 9 months of being pregnant and wonderful little baby at the end of it to make it all worth while. Instead, I suffered through the next two weeks of on and off cramping. The type of cramping that you experience with a rather heavier than normal period, but I wasn't on my period. I wasn't even spotting. I would get very nauseous when I was experiencing cramps in the abdomen or lower back.
My body went through what I refer to as a shock period. It was adjusting to a foreign object in my body and deploying any means necessary to attack this evil thing that was altering my body system. Over the next four months I would experience side effects that scare the living hell out of most people. The types of side effects that you do not want to experience, the ones that make you question why you would put something in your body that you didn't know that much about to begin with.
Why did I get the Mirena IUD?
Because I trusted my doctor's medical opinion. Because my doctor said that every woman he has inserted the Mirena IUD in has had wonderful results. Because the little research that I did online on google showed that the side effects were minimal if any at all. Because I thought saving money was a good idea.
What side effects did I experience while on Mirena?
I'll give you my laundry list of side-effects:
-Headaches (migraines, where sleep was the only cure)
-Nausea (accompanied with my abdo and back pain)
-SEVERE abdominal pain
-SEVERE lower back pain
-SEVERE breast pain (to the point where wearing my bra was too much to handle)
-Dyspareunia (pain during intercourse)
-Acne (I felt like a 15yr old in high school, while I'm 29yrs old with little to no acne on a regular basis.)
-Decreased libido
-Irregular bleeding (this is to be assumed with Mirena, as your periods usually go away, but I'd have bleeding that would last up to three weeks at a time)
The scariest of all for me:
-In three months time I found three lumps in my breast!
After writing down all of the symptoms/side effects I had been having ever since inserting the IUD, I grabbed the handy pamphlet that my doctor gave me and read up on the side effects more carefully.
Risks of Mirena (In order from my handy pamphlet:)
-Circulatory Disorder (blood clots)
-Breast Cancer
-Irregular Bleeding
-Other drugs that interfere with Mirena (general information)
-Increased risk of a serious pelvic infection called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
The following side effects have been commonly observed in studies of women taking Mirena:
-Irregular Bleeding*
-Urinary tract infection
-Abdominal pain
-Pain in the muscles or joints
-Depression
-Headache
-Breast pain
-Genital discharge
-Ovarian cyst
-Vaginal infection
-Fibroadenoma of breast (benign breast lump)
-Acne
*A side effect that goes away as your body adjusts to Mirena.
After reading all of the above information, I called my doctor and made an appointment to consult him about the side effects I had been experiencing. Once I spoke with him and told him about my side effects, I was shocked at his answer, "Wow, you've experienced ALL of these? When did we insert this, oh December 10th. Wow! Well, all I can say is that some of these could be related to Mirena, but we can't say for sure. The only thing we can do is take it out and see if your symptoms go away. I'm just so surprised, all of my other patients on Mirena love it. You know some of these side effects will go away over time?"
I told him, "I just want it out!"
I was scared enough that my left breast had two lumps in it and the right had one. Not to mention that the handy pamphlet that my doctor gave me about Mirena says this about Breast Cancer in the side effects section:
"The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are increasing age and a strong history of breast cancer in the family (mother or sister). Other established risk factors include onset of menstrual periods before age 12, never having children, having your first full-term pregnancy after the age of 30 years, never having breast-fed a child, and daily alcohol consumption.
Some studies have shown that the risk of developing breast cancer does not appear to be increased by using progestogen-only forms of birth control like Mirena. However, more thorough studies are needed to confirm that there is no increased risk. You should notify your doctor if you notice any breast lumps. You should also discuss breast self-examination with your doctor. A yearly breast examination by a health care professional is recommended for all women."
The lines:
"More thorough studies are needed to confirm that there is no increased risk."
And,
Common Side Effects: Fibroadenoma of breast
Sort of stuck out in my mind as things that shouldn't occur because of birth control methods.
I actually had the IUD removed earlier today. I will be following up with the symptoms that I have been having and keeping an eye on those lumps in my breast. I am praying that they were caused by the Levonorgestrel and will subside once it is completely out of my system.
I had a strong urge to share this information for quite some time. I had been researching other women's side effects for some time now and found that I'm not the only one who has had a horrible experience on Mirena. Some women will be perfectly fine on Mirena, while others will not. What I'm trying to do is create an awareness about what could possibly happen and encourage more women to ask more questions to their doctor's about Mirena. Remember that doctor's promote the use of birth control methods, why else would pharmaceutical companies pay sales reps to visit doctors offices and try to get them to push the newest form of whatever cutting edge drug is available?
Do the research, ask questions, talk with your friends, family, and other women online who have used or are using Mirena. Remember that every woman is different and will have a different experience than the next, but take into account the risk factors when using Mirena IUD.
Love,
Katie
"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." -Gandhi
