# Mirena IUD and side effects - my experiences and survey



## AverageMarriedGuy (Jul 17, 2012)

Hi, first post here though I've been lurking for some time. Similar to this thread about the pill.

Think of this as some qualitative research I'd like to get a feel for other's experience and think others can benefit from whatever comes out here as they explore birth control options.

My wife just had her Mirena (hormonal) IUD birth control (BC) taken out after 5 years. Just prior to removal, she noted that she really didn't have any libido during that time. We had sex typically from 1-2x per week during that time, and she has responsive desire (meaning she'd usually get into it after we started) but never initiated during that time. During this time, she probably had infrequent bouts of depression where she'd go on some antidepressants (wellbutrin), usually during the winter. Also, despite extensive exercising and usually pretty good eating (paleo) she's been stagnated on any weight loss. Since having it out (couple weeks) she's lost three pounds in spite of any potential bloating/water weight from PMS. We're currently using condoms, and will be exploring options, but vasectomy is probably high on our list of options.

So my questions to those men and women who use(d) this method of BC:
1) Did you notice any drop in libido during that time? If yes, do you attribute to the birth control or to something else?

2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC?

3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD?

4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again?

5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? What was the old/new BC method you employed?

Thanks in advance for sharing. I've checked out other random forums and did a "search" here, but didn't see this subject brought up in a similar manner as I'm employing.


----------



## StatusQuo (Jun 4, 2012)

I had a Mirena placed at my 6wk post-partum appointment after the birth of my first child. I hated it. To answer your questions though... 


1) Did you notice any drop in libido during that time? If yes, do you attribute to the birth control or to something else? *Yes, but I attributed it to the fact that I had a newborn and was breast feeding.*

2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC? *Yes, but all hormonal birth control has that affect on me.*

3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD? *Yes, but it was deemed to be post-partum depression*

4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again? *My overall experience was negative. I wouldn't use it again.*

5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? *Yes, because the new method was non-hormonal.*
What was the old/new BC method you employed? *Tubal ligation*


----------



## Kathrynthegreat (Apr 23, 2012)

My story with Mirena is a little different. 

Within the first month of having it, the device perforated my uterus, migrated out, and ended up embedding itself in my liver. Considering the amount of viscera between the uterus and liver I would not have thought this possible, but that's what happened. I had to have abdominal surgery to get it removed. I would not recommend Mirena to anyone.


----------



## StatusQuo (Jun 4, 2012)

Kathrynthegreat said:


> My story with Mirena is a little different.
> 
> Within the first month of having it, the device perforated my uterus, migrated out, and ended up embedding itself in my liver. Considering the amount of viscera between the uterus and liver I would not have thought this possible, but that's what happened. I had to have abdominal surgery to get it removed. I would not recommend Mirena to anyone.


A friend of mine had a very similar experience with Mirena! Soo scary!!


----------



## COGypsy (Aug 12, 2010)

My experiences have been just the opposite. I LOVE my Mirena. I'm on my second one, and will probably do one more before I start looking into hormone checks to see if I'm in or close to menopause.

I've had no discernible side effects, I love not having periods, it's one less medication to track and of course, the whole "no baby" thing is great too :smthumbup:

I honestly can't imagine NOT having them. I swear, I'd probably raid a pharmacy and hoard them like the Seinfeld chick did with the Today sponge :rofl:


----------



## Cherry (Sep 23, 2009)

1) Did you notice any drop in libido during that time? If yes, do you attribute to the birth control or to something else? *No, it was already non-existent at the time I got it and during
*
2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC? *No*

3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD? *Not that I know of*

4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again? *NO, I can't 100% attribute my stroke to it, but I was on it when I had my stroke, my doc wanted me to keep it in... I had him remove it a few weeks later, it had gotten lost and he had to dig around to find it... painful to say the least *

5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? What was the old/new BC method you employed? *New BC method -- H got a vasectomy
*


----------



## in my tree (Jun 9, 2012)

I currently have Mirena in but am going to schedule to have it taken out. First off I have to say that I didnot have it put in for BC. I had it put in due to terrible menstrual cycles.

1) N/A - I'm not having sex so I ignore any libido that I do have.
2) Possible weight gain but I have other health issues so it's hard to say.
3) Possible but again I have other issues going on in my life that could contribute to this.
4) Negative - I would not use this again. Mine was put in September 2009 and I am now having regular periods with it in. This is not supposed to happen.
5) I did not notice a big change when I started Mirena with mental/physical health. Before that I was not on any birth control so this stopped my period (for 2+ years anyway) which was the goal for me. Again, maybe some weight gain but as I said before that could have been due to other issues. 

Kathryn - that is awful!! I am so glad that you got help before it became more serious. As it was, well, I don't have to tell you. *shudder*


----------



## SimplyAmorous (Nov 25, 2009)

Kathrynthegreat said:


> My story with Mirena is a little different.
> 
> Within the first month of having it, the device perforated my uterus, migrated out, and ended up embedding itself in my liver. Considering the amount of viscera between the uterus and liver I would not have thought this possible, but that's what happened. I had to have abdominal surgery to get it removed. I would not recommend Mirena to anyone.


OMG ! I often recommend the non -hormonal Copper IUD (Paragard) on here cause I adore mine, never an issue, no hormones, no fuss, zero side effects & can be in for up to 12 long yrs.......but stories like yours are truly the scary part of an IUD. Though it is very rare, it still happens to some.


----------



## notsocool (Jul 4, 2010)

The Mirena has been great for me, had it for 18 months now. 
I'm prone to both depression and weight gain, but haven't noticed an increase in either since the Mirena. 
Usually have a high drive and don't believe that's been effected at all.
Used to use condoms, so I was wary of trying anything hormonal and was watching for side effects.
The only discernible difference I noted was my natural lube became 'runnier' not as thick.
Periods have disappeared except for a trace each month, so it's all good as far as Im concerned.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## StatusQuo (Jun 4, 2012)

Cherry said:


> 4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again? *NO, I can't 100% attribute my stroke to it, but I was on it when I had my stroke, my doc wanted me to keep it in... I had him remove it a few weeks later, it had gotten lost and he had to dig around to find it... painful to say the least *


Whoa! Cherry!! I had never linked the two together. I had a small stroke while I had the Mirena in place. It never once was mentioned that it may have been the cause, nor did I consider that it might have been. However, hearing you mention it makes me wonder. I hope you had a full recovery.


----------



## Cherry (Sep 23, 2009)

StatusQuo said:


> Whoa! Cherry!! I had never linked the two together. I had a small stroke while I had the Mirena in place. It never once was mentioned that it may have been the cause, nor did I consider that it might have been. However, hearing you mention it makes me wonder. I hope you had a full recovery.


Thanks, miraculously I did have a full recovery. I was 36 at the time... And it was a clot at the base of my brain. It left me completely paralyzed on my left side. It was a devastating ordeal and my twins were only 8 months old at the time.. that was the hardest thing.

The first doctor said it needed to come out, but the risk of pregnancy was also a huge fear, so my GYN wanted to keep it in and explained that it couldnt be the cause of the stroke... But stopped short of saying he was 100% sure it wasn't the cause. 

My H got a vasectomy 4 months later. 

I hope you had a full recovery too. My primary care physician explained that had I been older, my body wouldn't have been able to recover as strongly as it did from the kind of stroke I suffered.


----------



## StatusQuo (Jun 4, 2012)

I was 28 when I had mine. It was a constricted blood vessel within my brain that caused it. I had right sided paralysis in my right arm and leg. My daughter was 18 months old when it happened. Full recovery, but up until about 8 weeks ago I was still dealing with debilitating migraines which I had never had prior to the stroke. 

I had the mirena removed for other reasons. My body wasn't reacting well to the hormones in it. I became pregnant (unplanned) about 6 months later. Physically the pregnancy went quite well, but I was being monitored very closely by two sets of neurologists at two different hospitals, my regular OB, and a team of highrisk pregnancy specialists at the "big" hospital about an hour away. The fear over the pregnancy, and all the doctor's appointments and tests was enough to make me opt for a tubal ligation when my son was born. He was a perfectly healthy baby, 9lbs 8oz, delivered via c-section since the risk of laboring after the stroke was too high.


----------



## Cherry (Sep 23, 2009)

StatusQuo said:


> I was 28 when I had mine. It was a constricted blood vessel within my brain that caused it. I had right sided paralysis in my right arm and leg. My daughter was 18 months old when it happened. Full recovery, but up until about 8 weeks ago I was still dealing with debilitating migraines which I had never had prior to the stroke.
> 
> I had the mirena removed for other reasons. My body wasn't reacting well to the hormones in it. I became pregnant (unplanned) about 6 months later. Physically the pregnancy went quite well, but I was being monitored very closely by two sets of neurologists at two different hospitals, my regular OB, and a team of highrisk pregnancy specialists at the "big" hospital about an hour away. The fear over the pregnancy, and all the doctor's appointments and tests was enough to make me opt for a tubal ligation when my son was born. He was a perfectly healthy baby, 9lbs 8oz, delivered via c-section since the risk of laboring after the stroke was too high.


Wow. Much in common! Yes, I had the migraines too after my stroke, I still had the mirena in, which it sounds like you did too for a little while at least. That was part of the reason I wanted it taken out. I was just too scared with the stroke, the migraines, the continued lack of sex drive. Not to mention my H was terrified for me! Like I mentioned, my H opted for a vasectomy 4 months later as my GYN refused to voluntarily put me under to tie my tubes, not just because of the recent stroke, but because I'd had severe complications during the birth of my twins... An unexplainable heart condition.

So happy to hear you delivered a healthy baby boy, especially being high risk .


----------



## StatusQuo (Jun 4, 2012)

The migraines were horrible, and being that I was pregnant, and then breastfeeding, I was very limited on what I could take to treat them. After I finished breastfeeding, my neurologist put me on a pretty heavy daily dose of topamax to attempt to prevent them. That seemed to lessen the frequency of them a little bit, but I'd still get them. They were to the point that I was taking 800mgs of ibupophen, 2 imitrex, and vicodin, and still was unable to function through them. I was having 2-3 days a week where I was incapacitated due to the headaches. Then a couple of months ago, my neurologist suggested taking B-complex and Magnesium, and I haven't had a headache since!!! :yay: Unfortunately, around the same time I had to go off the topamax because it caused me to have a kidney stone (omg, I'd rather have a migraine than go through that again). I've since weaned off the topamax, and now just with the B vitamins, and magnesium, I'm migraine free.


----------



## deejov (Sep 24, 2011)

AverageMarriedGuy said:


> Hi, first post here though I've been lurking for some time. Similar to this thread about the pill.
> 
> Think of this as some qualitative research I'd like to get a feel for other's experience and think others can benefit from whatever comes out here as they explore birth control options.
> 
> ...


There are very many horror stories out there about Mirena.
People swear it caused them issues. But the hormones are not supposed to be active in your body, only within the uterus, so it's hard to pin anything you might experience on the IUD.

I cannot take the traditional hormones. Because I'm diabetic. So you can bet I researched this a LOT before getting the Mirena. And it has NO effect on my blood sugars. Prgoesterone counters the affects of insulin, and since it's prog. based, if it was affecting anything other than the uterus... i would certainly feel the effects. It has helped me more than anything. I no longer get blood sugar swings every month due to my monthlies. 

Hormone imbalances can be common. They are usually estrogen or testosterone related. and the Mirena has neither. 
According to my endocrinologist, it's the ONLY hormonal b\c safe to be prescribed to type 1 d's, because it won't affect blood sugars. 

But you have to assume other hormones arent balanced if you are having issues with libido \ weight gain, etc. Thyroid is a big one. 

That's just my experiences. It's been the best thing for me.


----------



## Sprout (Jul 8, 2012)

1) Did you notice any drop in libido during that time? If yes, do you attribute to the birth control or to something else? Yes! Had it placed at 6 weeks postpartum, so thought it was because of new baby. After baby was getting older and it wasn't getting better and I had other side effects, I fully blame it on the Mirena. 

2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC? Yep! Couldn't lose the baby weight.

3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD? Yes! Anxiety was a big one for me while on the Mirena. Also mood swings and just a short temper. I would cry about anything. I was pretty much PMSing for the 3 years it was in. 

4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again? I thought it was great for the first year because any side effects I just thought was because I had just had a baby. They got worse into the second year though and added headaches, hip pain, and ovarian cysts to the list. 

5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? What was the old/new BC method you employed? I felt physically better as soon as it was out. I felt emotionally better in about a week. We switched to a mix of condoms, withdrawal, VCF and Fertility Awareness Method. I had another baby a few years later and can't believe how awesome I feel emotionally (and my great libido!!) afterwards without the Mirena. Baby weight plus 10 extra pounds was gone by 5 months PP. I'm sad that I spent those first years with my first baby in such misery. We are now planning a vasectomy.


----------



## Homemaker_Numero_Uno (Jan 18, 2011)

I think there will always be a lot of different responses when the birth control is an implanted uterine device. This is because these devices do not prevent pregnancy. Instead, they prevent the implantation of a pregnancy in the uterus. The pregnancy occurs in the fallopian tubes, and then travels down to the uterus to implant. I'm always surprised at the number of women and men (couples) who are against abortion but have a uterine device for birth control. If you become pregnant, there are a lot of hormonal changes and changes to your body (structural, etc.) that occur between implanation and when your body realizes it cannot sustain a pregnancy in the uterus and sheds the products of conception. Depending on how fertile a woman is and whether or not there is conception will depend on how the device plays out experientially. Also it really depends on whether you have endometrial tissue outside the uterus. 

Some birth control pills work the same way. They don't prevent conception but instead when the hormone changes (or doesn't, despite the body trying) the product of conception is prevented from implanting in the uterus, or having implanted, is forced into detaching and shedding.

I think that a lot of the differences in how birth control like pills, coils and iuds work is due to conception due to nonconception and also presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. As well as structural differences in the woman's body due to muscle tone, health history, etc. 

I don't use birth control except for condoms. I don't want to practice birth control by using any methods that result in becoming pregnant and then having the product of conception shed. I just think it's way too brutal on the human body. We were not made to be treated that way, having multiple cycles of conception maybe even a few a year. After a while the body just doesn't know what's what. The hormones are always in flux, arteries and capillaries and breast tissue is yanked here and there every time there is conception whether or not carried to term. 

Early in my adulthood my physician took me aside and explained this, and I think it's one of the reasons why I never had any kind of menstrual/female problems except for one instance of retained placenta (which was almost a killer.) But after surgery for that, I went on to have three healthy pregnancies. And no known miscarriages. I'm 48 1/2 and still regular, same 28 day cycle I've always had, I only get a twinge in the morning that lets me know I've started to menstruate, my menses are 3 days and done with.

Personally, I feel that birth control really takes a toll on the women, and if you are done having babies, unless you had a C-section where it might have been easy to have your tubes tied, it's best for the male to have a vasectomy. Even having your tubes tied, can cause a lot of surgical scarring. It's not just tying, it really can cause a lot of scarring internally, sometimes it's just a big mess because the body tries to heal itself, and is often quite desperate to do so. Yah, I feel bad for the male surgery too, but given a choice one or the other, I think as a couple the decision leans way towards the male. It's cheaper and easier and also easier to test to make sure the procedure worked.


----------



## Created2Write (Aug 25, 2011)

AverageMarriedGuy said:


> Hi, first post here though I've been lurking for some time. Similar to this thread about the pill.
> 
> Think of this as some qualitative research I'd like to get a feel for other's experience and think others can benefit from whatever comes out here as they explore birth control options.
> 
> ...


Yes. I had the Mirena for about three years. The first year was fantastic. The second year I had some major issues with pain in my cervix and a loss of libido...like, going from every day/ever other day, to maybe once a week. There wasn't any other factor we could attribute it to. When there wasn't any pain, sexual intimacy occurred quite frequently. By the third year though, there was pain every day. Eventually it fell out.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> ]2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC?


A little, yeah. But more than anything it made me feel icky all day so my diet was all wacked. I couldn't exercise usually cause it would cause pain, so I did gain about five to ten pounds.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD?


YES. I was depressed all the time. It wasn't anything really serious, or at least it didn't quite develop to anything serious, but I had major depression on the Mirena. Since being on the pill I've noticed stability in my negative emotions and I am happier, so I think I can say that it was the IUD that caused the depression.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again?


Mostly negative experiences. It hurt like heck being inserted, and towards the last few months of it being in, I had massive cervical pain every day. I wouldn't use it again if someone payed me to do so.



AMG said:


> 5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? What was the old/new BC method you employed?


I switched to the pill, and the changes have been positive. My body still doesn't know how to handle having a period every month, but slowly my libido is returning, I no longer have cervical pain, and I am not depressed. Oh, and the weight has fallen off too.


----------



## Wanting1 (Apr 26, 2012)

So my questions to those men and women who use(d) this method of BC:
1) Did you notice any drop in libido during that time? If yes, do you attribute to the birth control or to something else? 

No drop. Pretty much the same when I first got it. Now, I am experiencing a massive increase in libido. I'm in my late 30's. So, I think that is the reason.

2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC? 

No.

3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD? 

I have had had situational depressive issues, but nothing related to my IUD.

4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again? 

I love it! I'm on my second one. . 

5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? What was the old/new BC method you employed?

In the past, I had major side effects from BCPs. I felt like a guinea pig, changing them every few months. I ended up pregnant with the my first because I wanted to take a break from the pills. I have tried patches, pills, and fertility awareness. Fertility awareness was very successful for us. I used it for 3 years (between kids). At first to avoid pregnancy and then to get pregnant. During that time, I was fine with the risk of pregnancy because we were planning on having another child at some point. So an accidental pregnancy would not have been an issue. After the second kid, I knew I didn't want more and felt uncomfortable with that method. Even though we had used that method successfully, I wasn't willing to risk it. So i looked into other methods. I really didn't want to go back on BCPs or the patch because of side effects. I gave Mirena a try because the effects of the hormone are supposed to be localized to the uterus. And I have to say that for me that appears to be the case. I love not having to stress about remembering to take pills or reapply patches. I love not having side effects from those hormones. I had really bad ones from the others that I used---- physical and emotional symptoms. I love not having to deal with periods. I get light spotting a few times a year. I still get PMS symptoms. And because of my experience with Fertility Awareness, I am able to recognize when I am ovulating and when I would normally be having a period. So I am very aware of the effects the Mirena has on my body.



A thing I would like to add. When I had the first Mirena in, my husband really couldn't tell. Now that the second one has been in place for about 18 months, he does complain that he can feel it during sex. A couple of months ago, after some seriously vigorous sex, he complained of some irritation to his penis that he believed was caused by the IUD. I did a little research and apparently, if the strings are too long it can cause some irritation to the penis. So, I'll be asking my gyn to shorten the strings at my next visit. If it continues to be a problem, I may have it removed. But hopefully the problem will be solved with some trimming. It didn't bother him for the 5 years that I had the first one, so I've got my fingers crossed. I really don't want to go back to the drawing board for birth control.


----------



## AverageMarriedGuy (Jul 17, 2012)

My wife's strings were too long also and had to be cut down.

She got her period for the first time in 5 years last week, but during and since then has been super tired/wiped out. Am hoping it's just a phase and things steady back out. Not sure how long it takes for things to stabilize after having it out.


----------



## Anomnom (Jun 25, 2012)

Did anyone experience months of spotting when they first had the mirena put in? 

I'm thinking of getting one but just weighing up the pros and cons so it's good to read everyones experience with it.


----------



## Cherry (Sep 23, 2009)

Yes, I did experience spotting for the first few months it was in.


----------



## deejov (Sep 24, 2011)

Yes, I did have spotting.
I went from very very heavy periods to some very light spotting that was annoying... because it was "whenever" but to me it was worth it. And it stopped eventually. It was an option to a hysterectomy... and I'm glad I choose it.


----------



## Wanting1 (Apr 26, 2012)

I continued to have bleeding during my regular period time for the first 6 months. It gradually lessened during that time. Lighter bleeding and shorter duration. After 6 months, regular periods disappeared to be replaced by very light spotting (I mean pantyliner light) a few times a year.


----------



## COGypsy (Aug 12, 2010)

AverageMarriedGuy said:


> My wife's strings were too long also and had to be cut down.
> 
> She got her period for the first time in 5 years last week, but during and since then has been super tired/wiped out. Am hoping it's just a phase and things steady back out. Not sure how long it takes for things to stabilize after having it out.


I used to get just stupid tired right before and during my periods. Now that I'm not having those, it's not really a problem. However, it could be hormones, it could be low level anemia depending on how heavy/long it was.

The hormones secreted by the Mirena are topical and localized to the uterus, so they should disippate fairly quickly. According to the literature, fertility is restored within 1-2 cycles for the majority of users.


----------



## COGypsy (Aug 12, 2010)

Anomnom said:


> Did anyone experience months of spotting when they first had the mirena put in?
> 
> I'm thinking of getting one but just weighing up the pros and cons so it's good to read everyones experience with it.


Maybe for a month or two. And maybe 2 or 3 periods that were more like spotting after that, but since then, not much really. I think my last noticable period was something like 8 years ago?


----------



## deejov (Sep 24, 2011)

Isn't that wonderful??? It takes awhile to get your energy back, low iron is so darn hard to recover from. But yeah I don't miss that at all! Whoot hoot


----------



## deejov (Sep 24, 2011)

Someone was telling me it's not normal or safe to not have periods all the time, it's not "natural". So I asked my doc... and he said:
Before b\c.. women only had a few cycles a year. They were either breastfeeding or pregnant most of the time. It's because of b\c that women have 12 cycles a year, and low iron is sooo common now because of it. He says the body isn't really designed for 12 cycles. It's more normal to NOT have periods. I never looked at it that way.


----------



## jasmin0flower (Aug 30, 2014)

The mirena causes serious damage to the female body, and the only way to get rid of these side effects for good is to remove the mirena and take natural supplements, herbs and foods and consider natural therapies that will eliminate estrogen dominance, help restore the balance of progesterone and estrogen hormones, and detoxify the body from all the toxins present in mirena such as silicone and copper. Mirenadetox has been immensely helpful to my recovery and I seriously recommend it


----------



## ariel_angel77 (May 23, 2014)

I would suggest Nexplanon/Implanon, they are inserted in your arm but have the same benefits of Mirena (not doing anything for 3 years). It is quite fabulous.


----------



## alonetogether8 (Aug 25, 2014)

I myself have not have one, but I have several friends who have, and they have horror stories, so I would never get one.

All of them had problems with weight gain, cramping, random bleeding all the time and a few of them had it cause scarring and pain.

One of my friends can't get pg, and she thinks it's because of it. She's been trying for a long time. 

So, those are experiences of my friends who've had them, so I will never get one.


----------



## Personal (Jan 16, 2014)

AverageMarriedGuy said:


> Hi, first post here though I've been lurking for some time. Similar to this thread about the pill.
> 
> Think of this as some qualitative research I'd like to get a feel for other's experience and think others can benefit from whatever comes out here as they explore birth control options.
> 
> My wife just had her Mirena (hormonal) IUD birth control (BC) taken out after 5 years. Just prior to removal, she noted that she really didn't have any libido during that time. We had sex typically from 1-2x per week during that time, and she has responsive desire (meaning she'd usually get into it after we started) but never initiated during that time. During this time, she probably had infrequent bouts of depression where she'd go on some antidepressants (wellbutrin), usually during the winter. Also, despite extensive exercising and usually pretty good eating (paleo) she's been stagnated on any weight loss. Since having it out (couple weeks) she's lost three pounds in spite of any potential bloating/water weight from PMS. We're currently using condoms, and will be exploring options, but vasectomy is probably high on our list of options.


I'm sorry to hear your wife has had problems, I hope that both of you find what works best for your situation.

As to a vasectomy, I have some friends who have had no problems going down that path.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> So my questions to those men and women who use(d) this method of BC:


I've just asked my wife (43yo) about her experience using the Mirena birth control IUD. She is now on her second one which was inserted during 2012 the first one was in 2007.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 1) Did you notice any drop in libido during that time? If yes, do you attribute to the birth control or to something else?


There has been no loss of libido, we average 4-6 times a week which is typical of our frequency when she started using it in 2007.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 2) Any weight gain you attribute to this method of BC?


No.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 3) Any depression issues possibly correlated with this IUD?


No depression issues at all, on the other hand she did have mood swings throughout the month on the pill and now, no longer experiences that.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 4) Overall, experiences positive or negative with this? Would you use it again?


Her experience is positive as she prefers it over the Pill with the issue of remembering when to take it and having mood swings through using the pill over the Mirena.

Yes, she would use it again.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> 5) If you switched BC methods to/from mirena, did you notice a change (positive or negative) in mental or physical health? What was the old/new BC method you employed?


Covered above.



AverageMarriedGuy said:


> Thanks in advance for sharing. I've checked out other random forums and did a "search" here, but didn't see this subject brought up in a similar manner as I'm employing.


I hope what I have shared is of some help to you.

My wife also adds it's awesome she hasn't got pregnant using it.

P.S. My wife's understanding is that it is better to use it when your family is complete and you are not wanting more children which is the circumstance in which she has used it.


----------



## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

I had for three years and it killed my libido completely. it came back couple months after I had it taken out.

I have many friends with Mirena and they all very happy with it.


----------

