They Can't Find My Mirena!!

[LexyLou]

I went in to the OB/GYN to have my annual and discuss my Mirena.

She starts the pelvic exam and says, "Wow, I can't see the strings at all. I mean not even way up there..."

Now, I have a tilted uterus so I know that can cause an issue so I'm not worried yet.

Then she pulls out the pelvic U/S and not only can she not find the mirena, she now thinks I have an extra "flap" on the floor of my uterus?!!!

So, now I have to wait until next week for my appointment at the actual ultrasound place who has higher resolution machines and technicians to see if #1 they can find my mirena and #2 what the heck this "flap" is on my uterus.

I just have to laugh because it's so 3 Stooges and so me...

I am a little concerned if the mirena self expelled only because I haven't had a period in over 20 months. I know with the mirena that's normal but if it's not there, how long has it not been there and why am I not having a period? I have a history of slight PCOS, so it worries me just a bit.

But really, it's just kind of funny and well strange.

Has anyone else had their Mirena either self expel or just disappear?

[nfowife]

That's weird. But, I would guess it's still in there somewhere if you haven't had a period. I got mine removed and within days AF was back. So hopefully it's just hiding.... maybe under the flap?;)

[WatchingThemGrow]

That happened to my friend a while back. They couldn't find it after several attempts, and they thought it had perforated the uterine wall (yikes!) They sent her in for surgery and eventually found it lodged somewhere without the string or with the string stuck to it, just not dangling maybe? Anyway, she's very happily pregnant with her 2nd now! I'm going to her house today so I'll get the whole scoop, mainly for my own good. It scared me out of getting the Mirena, but we need some form of BC, desperately!

[JBaxter]

I know 2 women that happened to. One it was imbedded in her uterus on it had completely perforated her uterus. Both had surgery to remove them

[pinkmomagain]

Oy! Just had my 2nd Mirena "installed" yesterday (ouchie!). I hope yours just ends up in hiding and becomes apparent in the high-res ultrasound. Sounds like it could very well still be there since you haven't had your period in quite some time!

[wellyes]

OK I'm NOT getting one of those yikes.
Good luck LexyLou, it sounds like you have a complicated uterus (that's good in this case!) so hopefully they'll find it!

[maestramommy]

There was someone on these boards a couple of years ago who got pregnant, and was wondering what happened with her Mirena. Her docs assumed the baby would be born holding it or something:p Her baby was fine, but I don't think they ever found it, so it might've fallen out.

[ErinMC]

I know 2 women that happened to. One it was imbedded in her uterus on it had completely perforated her uterus. Both had surgery to remove them

This happened to me in February - it perforated my uterus and was in my abdomen. Very rare apparently but of course I was one of the lucky few!

I had surgery last month to have it removed. Ask for an x-ray in addition to an ultrasound - the Mirena isn't always visible in an ultrasound but will show up in the x-ray. The surgery itself was laproscopic and I was home the same day and back to normal in a couple of days. PM me if you have any questions.

[mamicka]

Yikes! I'm hoping it's just hiding under your flap - if you have to have a flap then it better make itself useful.

[MMEand1]

I would ask for an x-Ray. I used to do them all the time for "missing" IUDs. They can tell rather quickly if it's still there or not. Good luck!

[aa2mama]

Yikes! Hope they find it hiding in there somewhere! I had the strings go missing a week after my Mirena was inserted, and the midwife couldn't find them either. She told me that she thought it had expelled itself and that I was pregnant. Totally freaked me out!!! An ultrasound ended up finding it in there, so I just let it be until I was ready to TTC again. The midwife was able to get it removed with just the normal office procedure but it took a little bit longer than usual. I'm betting where you haven't had periods that it is in there still!

[LexyLou]

double post

[LexyLou]

That's weird. But, I would guess it's still in there somewhere if you haven't had a period. I got mine removed and within days AF was back. So hopefully it's just hiding.... maybe under the flap?;)

LOL, seriously, I feel like a Kangaroo!


I know 2 women that happened to. One it was imbedded in her uterus on it had completely perforated her uterus. Both had surgery to remove them

Ok, so now I'm wondering if that "flap" is really something the mirena did to the wall. I mean no one has ever mentioned that flap to me before....


This happened to me in February - it perforated my uterus and was in my abdomen. Very rare apparently but of course I was one of the lucky few!

I had surgery last month to have it removed. Ask for an x-ray in addition to an ultrasound - the Mirena isn't always visible in an ultrasound but will show up in the x-ray. The surgery itself was laproscopic and I was home the same day and back to normal in a couple of days. PM me if you have any questions.


EEEKK!! So did it hurt? Is that how you knew? I don't have any pain, so I'm hoping this isn't what's going on. I thought you couldn't see a Mirena in x-ray...I'll ask my Dr. about this. I'm sorry you went through this.


As for my period. I have a history of having loooonnnnggg, irregular cylces, so I worry that if the mirena is out, I've stopped having them all together!

I guess I'll find out on Tuesday. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that this has happened too! Darn titled uteruses! LOL.

[ErinMC]

EEEKK!! So did it hurt? Is that how you knew? I don't have any pain, so I'm hoping this isn't what's going on. I thought you couldn't see a Mirena in x-ray...I'll ask my Dr. about this. I'm sorry you went through this.

No, the weird thing is that it didn't hurt at all - they were surprised that I hadn't felt any pain or discomfort. I just went in for my normal follow-up 6 weeks after insertion and they couldn't find it. As for the x-ray, it showed up ONLY in the x-ray, not in the ultrasounds I had. there is a technical reason for it (the lack of metal, maybe) that I should remember, but I don't.

[Octobermommy]

Next step is an x Ray. That will tell you for sure. It might have come out or be somewhere else in your abdomen. Hope it is okay!

[LexyLou]

AAAK, ok, I'm going to call tomorrow and ask them to give me a script for an x-ray.

[n2ou]

Mine was lost, too. This March was my Mirena odyssey.

First time, around year 2, I had an U/S to make sure it was still in. It was.

Year 5, time to get it removed. First the nurse practitioner looked and poked around. Then, a very confident Dr. tried. No such luck. It was perfectly placed (another U/S), just inaccessible due to lack of strings.

I ended up with a day in the hospital, general anesthesia, $$$ of medical bills just to get it removed.

It was annoying, yet, now I can laugh about it. Assuming this would happen only once in life to the same person, I got a new one put in a couple of weeks later.

Simone

[Piglet]

I have a stringless Mirena too. It freaked my OB when he couldn't find the strings after the follow up so I had to get an US to confirm placement. Then my regular doctor made me do it again at my next annual visit. I think I have many more US in my future?! I just figure I'd have a period if it was out (or it will be a baby that was really meant to be IUD or not).