Mirena - Did your side effects settle?

[Willow]

I've had mine in for about a month now and have had constant bleeding (initially just spotting which lasted a few days after insertion then stopped. Then I DTD and it started again, hasn't stopped since...about 2.5 weeks now ), headaches and feeling a bit narky at times (but hey, that could just be me )

I'm mostly annoyed because I am b'feeding and given past history, wouldn't get AF for at least 9 months normally, yet here I am bleeding every day. It's not just spotting either, it's pretty much like AF.

If there's a big chance these issues will continue, then I'd rather just have it taken out now.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Hi Willow.

I don't have the mirena but had a similar experience with Implanon and it settled down after about 3 months... However mine was more like spotting. I would have a week of heavy, heavy period, and then two days off and a week of spotting and then another few days off and a period - that was the first month. After than I spotted constantly for about a month and then it settled down.

I wanted it out but only one Dr. could insert/remove and it took 2 weeks to get in and then i missed the appointment, by the time i got around to booking agian it was all better.

Not sure of this helps at all, but thought I would share nonetheless.

[Jahzara]

Hi,

I had a Mirena in for a couple of years.

It did take 6 months to settle - i bled for pretty much the whole 6 months apart from about 1 week. It did drive me nuts - pretty much like AF for the whole time but i stuck with it.

When it settled it was fantastic - not a single bit of bleeding or spotting at all.
Dont remember if i was hormonal or not and i only had a migraine the day it was inserted.

Dont regret having it.
If it wasnt for the fact that DH is getting the snip then i would get a Mirena again.

Goodluck
xo

[Willow]

Thanks CM. I expected the bleeding, I know it's really common and normally it wouldn't annoy me so much only that I'm b'feeding so wouldn't normally get af anyway.

I know it can take a few months to settle, but to be honest, I'm not sure I can wait it out.

I made my gyno/ob promise that if I called and told him I wanted it out, he would see me straight away, not make me wait weeks for an appt.

Will give it another few weeks maybe...

**ETA: CB - six months??!!! I'm soooo not doing this for 6 months!

[Turkish Delight]

I never had any side effects like that but am loving Mirena, you will too, once things settle down.

I am however getting itchiness much more often down there and that is side effect of Mirena, but i will have my tubes tieds mid next year, so i am hanging out for that. If i knew how great Mirena was i wouldn't have taken the pill for all those years.

I've had it for 18 months and now i hardly ever get AF, it is great.

GL xxoo

[Trillian]

On the intructions it says leave it in for 3 months to give it time to settle and then go from there bascially. I had mine in for 5 and it was the worst 5 months of my life because all the side effects never went away. Mirena is evil IMO

[Spring Angel]

I've never had one but a friend had one and had bleeding pretty much constantly for almost 7 months. She was really hoping it would settle but it didn't.

She ended up getting it out, couldn't be bothered with the bleeding and the cost of all the pads.

Hope this isn't your experience and it settles soon.

Spring x

[Janie]

I too had a friend who had one, and her side effects didn't settle down. She did wait for awhile (like, over 12 months) because she was very keen on the idea of the Mirena, but in the end she couldn't hack it anymore, and even her Ob/Gyn said she should have it out.

I hope it settles soon for you hun, so you can leave it in! I don't blame you for not wanting to put up with constant bleeding/spotting, I couldn't either. Especially when you're supposed to be getting a holiday from it

[Willow]

Especially when you're supposed to be getting a holiday from it

That's my biggest gripe!

I have an appt booked with him for early Feb so if I want it out, he'll do it then (unless I call before that).

BUT...if this continues it's seriously going to ruin my xmas holidays (beach, swimming etc)...what to do...what to do...

[Trillian]

Thats a long time to wait hun. Is there anyway you can get in sooner?

[Willow]

Yeah, I can. I was hesitant to get it put in but he promised me if I didn't like it I could call and he'd fit me in no matter how busy he was (he's booked out till Feb, which is why my appt is so far off).

[Trillian]

Well I guess it's up to you - maybe set a date and if things still aren't improved by then, get in and get it out before feb, but if you reckon you can stick it out then keep the feb appointment. I know when I made the decision to have mine out it was so hard to wait the 6 weeks till I could get it out as I had to have a D&C to remove mine.

[Willow]

I had to have a D&C to remove mine.

[Trillian]

Only because when I saw my gyno to have it out, he went to get it and couldn't find it! I had never been able to feel the strings on mine and I just though he cut them short, plus my fingers aren't exactly long but after a scan it turns out that the entire thing was inside my uterus, pressing up against the uterine wall and there was a small amount of tissue built up around it. So that's why the D&C, to remove it and the tissue.

[Willow]

Holy crap Trill, lucky you didn't leave it any longer!

I might give this a few more weeks and if the bleeding doesn't stop, I'm calling him.

Although I should wait and see when he's going away over xmas...

[Willow]

Just wanted to update this thread and say that side effects settled right on the 6 week mark so I was pretty text book. Haven't had an issue since and wouldn't even know it was there. So far, I'm a fan. It's working really well for us.

[Olive]

6 weeks or 6 months willow??

im over mine and its only been 6 weeks though im sure it well get better!!

[didispunk]

I had the Mirena for 6 months and was awful HORMONAL wise.. My doc said bleeding for 6 months spotting was normal.. so that was ok. BUT my hormones were so up and down I got it taken out.. was awful.

GOod luck i hear otehrs have better experiences!