Not feeling love for the Mirena right now

[wendibird22]

I think I'm regretting choosing Mirena. I realize that I'm still in the "honeymoon phase" having had it inserted almost 5mos ago and that I am probably still adjusting to it, but man I'm not sure how much longer I can/should wait it out. My biggest complaint is random side effects that come and go at no predictable pattern. I've started logging things to see if I could at least say hey this happens every 4 weeks but nope, nothing consistent. My side effects are:

1. heartburn for several days at a time

2. acne-sometimes on my face, sometimes on my back, sometimes on my upper arms (I actually worried about bed bugs one time because I broke out in tiny white heads on both upper arms with about a dozen on each arm)

3. bloating-very uncomfortable upper abdominal bloating that lasts at least 24hr. I'm not gassy or constipated, just painfully bloated both in feeling and in looks. My stomach gets distended right below my ribs and all the pain/cramps/unformfortableness is located at my midsection, not my intestinal area. I've tried taking gasx and tums to help relieve the symptoms but nothing helps but time. The bloating also makes me nauseated and yet I'll feel starving but have trouble eating because I'm so uncomfortable. It's like the feeling you get after eating a huge meal when you really overindulged.

4. exhaustion-I'm a mom to 2 and the 1yo still wakes me at night so I regularly feel tired. But a few times a month I feel knock down exhausted. Today I'm ready to curl up on my office floor and nap. I forced myself to go to the gym for 30mins of cardio hoping it would give me a boost but I'm still utterly exhausted. Last night I could have gone to bed at 7pm with the kids.

5. spotting-it's gotten better but I still have unpredictable spotting and also spot for a few days after DTD. It isn't much but it is annoying.

So that's my tale of woe. Some days, like today, I just feel really really crummy and not at all like myself. I recently had a physical so I know all my bloodwork is normal. I'm not sick. I'm not pregnant (cause when I had all these symptoms back in November I tested a billion times to make sure!). I eat pretty well. I started working out regularly recently. Nothing has changed in my life or lifestyle. So, the only thing I can attribute the above to is the Mirena.

I'm just not sure if I should stick it out a while longer and see if this stuff all improves or throw in the towel, have it removed, and hope that's the solution.

[wendibird22]

Still struggling with what to do. What a difference 24hrs makes. The bloating is gone and I'm not nearly as exhausted (even though DD2 had me up 2x last night). DH thinks I should have it removed because he doesn't think I should have to put up with this stuff when there are other options.

[ShanaMama]

Sorry you are feeling so yucky. You helped me by posting, though, because I have a lot of yucky symptoms with the Paraguard & my midwife just suggested switching to the Mirena. I don't want it & you gave me more reasons.
I wonder if some of this is your hormones fluctuating but not necessarily caused by the Mirena? My hormones seem to have settled into a whole new wack routine since DD2. ETA: I can't blame my IUD cuz it's non-hormonal. So I know it's my own hormones messing me up. Severe breakouts at PMS & ovulation?? Crampy ovulating- I can literally feel myself ovulate?! Much more moody PMS than previously? and the acne.....

[wendibird22]

Funny that you posted about Paraguard because I've wondered about switching to that!

I've always had mild PMS and I have always had very strong ovulation pain and acne breakouts around my cycle. But this is just way different. I think I am mostly bothered by the bloating. It's so severe that I feel sick to my stomach and look 6mos pregnant. It lasts 24-48hrs and makes me feel miserable. But I can't pin down when it'll happen. Since I feel myself ovulate I know it isn't happening mid-cycle consistently and it isn't happening with AF arrives consistently, but sometimes it does coincide with those times. Today I woke up with menstrual like cramps but it isn't time for AF.

I hate the thought of going back to a BCP because I just don't want to be bothered with remember to take something daily. But, at least on BCP I don't have all these crazy side effects and I know when I'll get AF and how long she's going to stay. We are done having kids but not yet ready for DH to get snipped. That is why Mirena was appealing.