Mirena IUD experiences, please

[dillonandmarasmom]

I will be having one inserted while on my next AF, and I would ike to feel somewhat prepared for what's ahead.
Some questions:
Is there any pain during insertion?
Will I notice it once it is placed?
Any changes in libido? (Due to the hormones)

I am sure I'll think of more....

[Avriel86]

I'm hoping you get some replies because I'm considering one at my 6wk pp visit...wondering what other people's experiences have been!

[dillonandmarasmom]

I remember a thread about it a while back when I first considered it. It seemed to have about a 90% positive experience response. I am hoping it will help with my menorhagia (very heavy bleeding). I like the idea of having a five year window of worry free snuggles with dh, too.

[rahans]

I wasn't going to respond as I didn't have anything positive to say about it but as no one else has responded yet on their experience, here's mine.

I had mine fitted at 10 weeks PP. Wasn't too bad, little bit of discomfort which may have been due to me not having a vaginal delivery. I think I took a motrin b4hand but wasn't really needed.

Pros: Worry free long term contraception
No periods
Cons: On and off nuisance spotting for the first few months. Nothing major.
Could feel it sometimes (OB checked strings and said they were fine)
NO (and I mean ZERO!) sex drive. I put some of this down to nursing.
HURT like hell when we did try TDTD. Dry, sandpaper feeling. Very painful jabbing on my right side (I've had my right ovary and tube removed so I think this may be why that side hurt so much). I ended up in tears many times.
Hair, skin felt awful.
I felt 9 months pregnant a lot!
No periods (yeah, I know I listed this as a pro earlier but I think this was really a con). I think my system knew this was not normal. Many pp do have periods though. I had none.

I got it removed after 8 months and felt better just walking out of the dr's office. I was surprised at the size of it - my OB left it there for me to see. I thought it looked pretty big. And sex drive (missing for almost a year) was back within 2 days and I was still nursing.

Sorry - I know this is probably not the info you're looking for and hoping someone will respond with more positive info.

As a sidenote, I was on the BCP for many years b4 TTC and never had any problems with it.

[waylonsmama]

I am getting my mirena removed on Monday...and I am so excited. I got it about the same time (10 weeks pp)...about two years ago...and I loved it until about 6 months ago. Since then I have been getting extremely crampy...and having some other issues with it. I have not had a PPAF yet...still bfing and IUD...I think it is my system trying to start up again but can't b/c of the IUD. I just got a copy of TCOYF and we are going to do that plus condoms when needed until we are ready TTC again. I have heard about many people having positive experiences though...it all depends on the person. Best of luck.

[Nathan1097]

I had the mirena for 5 years until a month ago when I had the essure tubal done. My sex drive was high on it and my periods eventually decreased to non-existant. However, I had times when I felt early-pregnant- I guess because of the progesterone. (Wasn't) It was a very good method of reversable birth control until I finally decided to get a sterilization.

[3kiddos]

Is there any pain during insertion? Extremely painful, thought I was going to pass out- though I've heard that was unusual, could be due to my tilted cervix
Will I notice it once it is placed? My strings were too long and jabbed me randomly until the strings softened- now I never notice it
Any changes in libido? (Due to the hormones)
My drive has stayed as high as ever

like a pp said, I have experienced early pregnancy symptoms now and then

[feminist~mama]

I've had the Mirena inserted twice. First time didn't take (a slight misunderstanding involving the difference between "don't put anything in your vagina" and "don't put anything in your vagina AND don't have an orgasm"

It was uncomfortable- worse the first time. I've had no periods at all with it in. My DP can feel it during sex, it's not terribly uncomfortable for him though. I will occasionally have a "twinge" in my cervix, which I attribute to the Mirena- not during sex, just randomly.

I've also felt early pg symptoms here and there.

[dillonandmarasmom]

Thanks for the replies. After these and reading another thread, as well as learning that my insurance doesn't cover it, we have decided to wait. I have had some success using sabina, and I have a few other herbal options to check out. DH and I haven't been too concerned about dtd without actual preg-preventing measures in place thus far, so that was never a big issue. Since the main concern was the menorhagia, I'm really not willing ot spend $1000 for something that may have some pretty nasty side effects.

Thanks again!

[Avriel86]

dillonandara'smom- what thread were you reading??

[DanelleB]

I don't have much to say about Mirena that's good. I wholeheartedly disagree with is that the hormones are local. They may be local for a while, but they build up in your system. They creep up on you so you don't even realize they're effecting you.

I had Mirena for somewhere around 3.5 years (still don't know exactly when it came out) and became pregnant while I thought I still had it. Personally, I don't recommend it.

[TefferTWH]

The first one hurt, the second one didn't.
I never noticed it once it was placed, but I had problems with it.
My sex drive tanked after a few months, which I'm guessing is a build up of the hormone.

I don't recommend it.

[flapjack]

Another failure here. I had what looked like thrush symptoms, excrutiating pain when DTD, the works. This was over the start of my relationship with DH as well, so the pain and difficulty DTD had a major impact on us- we worked through it and we're stronger as a couple than we were because of it, but just no. Yuck. Run.

[leighann79]

I have had it for 2.5 years about. I got it in at 8 weeks ppd I believe. Cramped a bit when it was put in. Spotted for a week or so. No periods at all. I have a day or so of very light spotting every few months. I don't think I have any real side effects.
Just incase I'm having it taken out on Oct. 2nd though. I have bipolar disorder and I don't want to take any risk of it affecting my moods now that I'm going off of my meds. I also miss having a period. We are going to TTC in about 8 months and I want some real cycles before then. If we were done with kids or didn't plan on TTC for a few more years I would most likely leave it in.
DH used to feel it occationally, but it's been awhile since he mentioned it. Oh, and my drive has been fine. Seems like normal up and down.

[nancybotwin]

Sounds like the OP's decision is made but thought I'd throw in my experience on Mirena. I give a mixed review, mostly positive. I have never had a baby or been PG and had it placed about a year ago. My libido has been unaffected, and it ALWAYS declined in the past when I've tried hormonal BC. Insertion hurt but I've heard it hurts a lot less if you've given birth prior to having it placed. Neither I nor DH has had any discomfort with it or because of it.
I never lost my periods, but they are regulated on a 28 day cycle which never happens when I'm off BC. My periods are also much lighter and cramps more bearable. What I don't like is the length of the periods- even though sometimes it is more like heavy spotting. I can have some spotting/light bleeding for almost 2 weeks sometimes.
It's a tradeoff to me because off Mirena my periods are SO heavy and crampy that lighter, longer periods are not worse- just different.
I've also not gotten pregnant so I'd say I've had success. I'll be having the Mirena out in about 2 months to prepare for TTC next summer and I'd consider having another Mirena later but prefer to stay hormone-free and chart to conceive or avoid for the rest of my fertile years.

[rrible]

My take on the situation is that no method is perfect - either there's the convenience issue, diligence issue, or direct effects of the method. I had my Mirena placed at 6wk PP after a C/S. The insertion was fine (took motrin ahead of time) and cramping was pretty minimal.
The combination of Mirena and breastfeeding does decrease the amount of estrogen locally in the vagina and can cause dryness and irritation during sex, so lube was essential. That has been my only "con" to the method for me. 2 years later, I love not having a period and not having to worry about birth control on a regular basis.
As for hormones, I've never really had a problem with them (even when i was on the patch and pill in the past), so can't really comment there. I know some people swear that they still notice the hormones in their system with Mirena. The dose is about 20 times less than with the pill, though.
I think I might actually miss my Mirena next year when I take it out to TTC again and have to start having periods again...

[knaught]

just to add, i had a mirena inserted at about 12w pp after a c/s. the insertion itself was painful and afterwards as i was getting dressed, i felt incredibly faint and actually ended up vomiting several times in their trashcan. lovely. had it removed about 6 weeks later after having terrible cramps, including some stop-what-you're-doing pain, as well as total lack of sex drive. glad it's out and am not looking back. dd is 9mos now and we may start ttc in another few months, but until then, condoms it is. looking back, we clearly didn't need a 5-year-fix option but i was hoping for something easy and to avoid an oops. ah well. it was a learning experience.

[reneeisorym]

It hurt like hell going in.

It hurt like hell for the next two weeks. (I was ready to give up totally!)

I never feel it at all now. I have periods every 31 days but they are light with little cramping.

I know my IUD became misplaced. I had surgery last year and the doc saw it was misplaced because my uterus is bicornuate. (heart shaped) I haven't had it removed.

[laprettygurl]

Mine really really hurt going in. I cramped for a few days afterwards and spotted and bled so much the FIRST YEAR. Now I barely get a period...

My skin breaks out all the time now, which I blame the Mirena for because it never happened before.

I've never checked the strings. I looked once and wasn't able to find them. I actually just had them checked a little while ago when I went in for a pap...Some docs cut the strings so short. The doc had to kinda dig into my cervix to find them. That was not pleasant. :/

AND at this very moment I am either pregnant or I am experiencing those 'early pregnancy' feelings. I mean... dizzy, nauseous, headache, big boobs, peeing all the time... (altho at this very moment I'd be sooo happy if I was pregnant. )

[kamilla626]

The insertion was rough. More pain that I was expecting, but I was able to catch my breath for 15 min. in the exam room and was able to drive home and crawl into bed for a couple hours.

I had mild cramping for the next day or two as the IUD "settled in", and I would get an occasional twinge here and there over the next several months - nothing scary though. Just the IUD shifting a bit.

I have NO symptoms now, and NO flow. It's difficult for me to tell where I am in my cycle, which is a little weird. But I LOVE not having to think about BC that much anymore.

Dd has noticed the strings a couple times, but not so much that it interferes with our activities.