Ladies question, Do you use Mirena as birth control? What are the side effects you have?

First of all, I commend you for asking this question. I feel that there is a lot of things that people should know up front before considering the use of Mirena. I had a Mirena in place for close to four years, until I had to have an emergency hysterectomy due to widespread endometriosis.

Mirena works like an IUD in that it is placed inside of the uterus. It has a T shape like traditional IUDs, and this is what holds it in place. However, it is technically considered an IUS (intra-uterine system) because of the fact that it also releases hormones much like birth control pills or other methods of contraception like Depo-Provera.

The levels of hormones and types of hormones used are similar to what is in the Depo Provera injections, so if you have used this before, you can kind of have some kind of idea of the side effects. Side effects are going to vary depending upon your own level of hormones, but for me, there really were no side effects at all. I think I may have had more headaches than usual, but nothing that I couldn't control with a daily supplement of fish oil.

The Mirena was inserted right after I had my son, and it is recommended by doctors as a form of birth control for mothers who do not plan on having any more children any time soon. When I got the Mirena, it was still relatively new, and there was not a lot known about any risks or long-term effects. I think there is a lot more that doctors will warn you about now, but I think the general consensus is that Mirena is still much safer than some other forms of birth control.

When I was first diagnosed with endometriosis and had to have the hysterectomy, I couldn't help but think that the Mirena had something to do with this. The doctor who performed my surgery said that he had never seen such widespread endometriosis, and it was obvious that this had developed in a short period of time and spread very rapidly. Since hormones play a very big part in the growth of endometrial cells, it was natural that I assume the cause was Mirena.

However, further research and a discussion with a doctor about the issue later gave me better insight. Studies have been done on this, and it has been proven that Mirena does not in fact cause endometriosis, but in fact treats and prevents it. In my case, there were just so many other overpowering factors, that Mirean could not do much good by itself.

There is however, one exception to this, and this is what I think is important for other people to know about. One of the benefits of using Mirena as a form of birth control is that it will cause you to have much lighter periods (much like Depo Provera). In some cases, you will not have a period at all or have a barely noticeable period.

Mirena is NOT supposed to cause you to not have a period at all for several months on end. If you do have a Mirena in place, and you have not had a period for several months, make an appointment with your gynecologist. There are other hormones that they can give you that will prompt your body to have a period, and this is very important.

A lot of times, we as women tend to think of how relieving it is not to have to deal with this every month, and we forget that we do that for a reason. Menstruation is the body's natural way of eliminating that excess tissue that builds up during our normal cycles. While not having a period for a couple of months may not cause a lot of side effects, if this happens for several months on end, it can result in serious health consequences.

There are also certain kinds of people that should not ever use Mirena. Talk to your health care provider about this, but in my situation, it was determined that due to a predisposition to anemia and abnormal ovarian cysts, I probably should not have ever been prescribed the Mirena in the first place. With that being said, I still feel that Mirena is a very effective method of birth control, and that it works well for a large number of people.

I just think that people need to be aware of all of the things that can happen. Another important thing to keep in mind is that the Mirena can and doe fall out from time to time (I know...scary and weird). There are two strings that stick out from the bottom of the uterus when the Mirena is in place.

If you are in a heterosexual relationship, and you have sexual intercourse, your partner may note that they can feel these strings during sexual activity, but I really do not think this is that big of a deal to a lot of people. There are ways that you can check for the strings yourself to make sure that the Mirena is still in place (I won't give you the details, but I am sure that you can figure this one out. ), or you can have your doctor check for it during routine exams.(A Mirena will also show up on ultrasound in some cases.).

Whoa, Nellie! If you're in a monogamous relationship, it's much easier on a man to have a vasectomy than it is for a woman to have her tubes tied. Seriously, there's a bit difference!

I'm going in for Mirena tomorrow afternoon, after bleeding for nearly 4 months straight. I have endometrial hyperplasia, which just means that the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) grows too much. If left untreated, it can become cancerous (this is another reason that you should check in with your doctor if you're having abnormal bleeding).

This is caused by high levels of estrogens and low levels of progestogens - which is where Mirena comes in. Mirena releases a progestogen into the uterus, which keeps the growth of the endometrial tissue in check. This is also why many women eventually experience lighter or non-existent periods.It's okay to not have a period if it's because there's no endometrial tissue to be shed.

Mirena can be used for up to five years, but removing it is a simple, in-office procedure, so you just have to decide how much hassle you're willing to go through for the amount of time you need birth control. My doctor showed me the insertion tube, and it's just a bit larder than the tube she used for my biopsy. Based on that, it can hurt like hell, but only for a few seconds.

It might hurt less, since the biopsy involved scraping tissue from my uterus, whereas Mirena isn't supposed to scrape anything. Check with your doctor, but it should be okay to take Advil or Alleve beforehand. Your doctor will probably numb your cervix first, too.

My doctor has me take Valium beforehand, but that's because anything touching my cervix hurts. If a wuss like me can deal with the level of pain involved, it's a safe bet that you can, too :) I've been told to expect more bleeding in the first few months, I guess because it takes a while for your body to react properly to the hormones. The reason I've decided to go with Mirena is that regular birth control pills destroy my sex drive, not to mention the estrogen & progestogen pills increase the risk of blood clot-related problems (heart attack, stroke, etc. ) in long-term users over the age of 35.

Progesterone pills messed with my mood, too, and condoms aren't working for us. I'm hoping that Mirena will take care of the hyperplasia and the birth control without messing with my mood, since the hormones are being delivered directly to the uterus instead of my entire body. You will have to check at least once a month to make sure you can feel the strings.

There is a small chance that heavy cramping could push it out. Some women develop ovarian cysts, but only a few of those women will feel any pain, and the cysts usually go away on their own. The creepiest thing, although it's really rare, is Mirena working its way through the wall of your uterus.

The way it's been described, it sounds like some women don't even feel it, which is weird. I guess that's part of why it's so important to check for the string every once in a while. I hope this helped a little.

Even though I haven't had this done specifically, I've had so many people poking and prodding me down there over the years that I figured I could give some general information. Good luck to you :) PS Check out the last link I put in the sources - it's a website with stories from women who use/have used Mirena. Mymirenaexperience.com.

Mirena is definitely for long term birth control, and it isn't like an IUD; it IS an IUD. Mirena is just a brand name of IUD made with different chemicals. It's inserted by a doctor and left in for about 4 years.

The main difference is that old IUDs are made of copper and don't use hormones, it works by making your uterus uninhabitable. Mirena is made of plastic and releases Levonorgestrel (another hormone). Many doctors will only give it to people who have had children already, and it's great for people that can't remember to take the pill.

The downside is that it can lead to bad cramping and long, heavy periods, especially for the first two months. Back when I was researching this I heard a lot of personal accounts of people saying they bled for 3 to 4 months after it was put in. It's not as bad for cramping as old IUDs, but it's still pretty rough.

After some amount of time, the lining of your uterus will start to grow in thinner, so you might start getting lighter, or no periods at all. I've heard from people all over the scale on this - some get no periods, so get heavy, frequent periods, and some get regular periods. Some start heavy and fade off.It seems that you take your chances with Mirena.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know a lot of people who swear by it, mostly because you don't have to remember it, but it's definitely only right for certain people - those who have had kids and can deal with the cramping, and those it's treated well. You can expect the day or two after you get it to be pretty nasty as far as pain and cramping, but it should get better. Definitely something you need to talk to your doctor about.

If your interested in hearing about alternatives, I've heard great things about NuvaRing from EVERYONE that has tried it... I literally have not heard a single bad review. It is also left in for an extended period of time so.. maybe it could be an option for you as well? Good luck!