Should i get mirena iud

Every months, my periods still powered through the active pills. One of my fellow residents walked out of the operating room with blood splashed over her lap. She was on her period and realized that she had bled through her pad and onto her scrubs while she was in surgery. I scheduled my IUD appointment. Most of my patients know the story from here. Since I have never had a vaginal delivery, my gynecologist gave me misoprostol a medication to open my cervix to make it easier to place the IUD.

I am a weeny when it comes to pain, so I pre-medicated myself with the maximum dose of Aleve and Tylenol. The insertion process was quick. It felt like a pap plus the worse period cramp I ever had, and then it was over in a few seconds. I cramped off and on for 3 weeks, alternating between Aleve and Tylenol as needed most of my patients tell me they only cramped for a few days after IUD insertion. Because I knew that weird bleeding was expected for the next months while my body was adjusting to the IUD, I kept taking my birth control pills for 6 months to suppress my periods.

IUD hormones are so low dose and mostly stay locally at the level of the uterus, so my body only really registered that I was taking the birth control pills. Since then, I have not had a full period. I had some spotting for the first year or two, but now I have not had a drop of blood going on 8 years I replaced my old IUD after 5 years.

It has been glorious. Be careful not to pull on the strings. About a month after Mirena is inserted, your health care provider may re-examine you to make sure Mirena hasn't moved and to check for signs and symptoms of infection. It's also important to contact your health care provider immediately if you think Mirena is no longer in place. Your provider will check the location of Mirena and, if it's displaced, remove it if necessary.

Mirena can remain in place for up to five years. To remove Mirena, your health care provider will likely use forceps to grasp the device's strings and gently pull. The device's arms will fold upward as it's withdrawn from the uterus.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Mirena is a hormonal intrauterine device IUD that can provide long-term birth control contraception. To prevent pregnancy, Mirena: Thickens mucus in the cervix to stop sperm from reaching or fertilizing an egg Thins the lining of the uterus and partially suppresses ovulation.

Mirena placement Open pop-up dialog box Close. Mirena placement The Mirena intrauterine device IUD is inserted into the uterus by a health care provider using a special applicator. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. I only was able to afford it because my student health plan covered most of the costs, otherwise I would have postponed or just never got it. I hated the pill. Too inconvenient. Mirena made my period disappear yay!

I accidentally removed my Paragard when I was using it with a menstrual cup. No pain, however, just stupid of me. Got the Mirena after. IUDs are inexpensive throughout their usage life and wonderful. I got the Kyleena hormonal IUD about 1.

I love my IUD! I would recommend taking some painkillers before insertion to help with cramping. The insertion process was painful but fast. My partners have not noticed it at all during sex. Getting it inserted was very smooth but I took a lot of ibuprofen ahead of time. For the next couple days I had a bit of cramping and pain but not too bad.

Having it in has been fine; I don't feel it and it doesn't impact intercourse. I do think I'm reacting to the hormones, even though it's a much lower dose, but I'm learning how to manage my emotions.

It's nice to have the peace of mind of contraception without the stress of a daily pill or a weekly patch that for me regularly fell off. I got a Mirena in I've had issues with my period since I first got it as a teen. You name it. I've been on hormone pills, the regular pill, several combined pills and the hormone stick you implant in your arm.

None of them agreed with me. The pain especially would sometimes leave me unable to function normally for days at a time. The Mirena was sold to me as a low-dose option that concentrates the hormones right where they need to be. So, feeling like I had nothing to lose, I went for it. I went from painful irregular periods to no periods and no pain.

It's absolute bliss! However: to get here I had to endure a painful insertion and the 3 weeks afterwards were absolute misery. I couldn't walk. I couldn't sleep. I was in tears constantly because of the pain while the IUD settled the insertion had been difficult because I haven't had kids. Also if you suffer period pains the settling period is apparently worse. Luckily I work from home, otherwise I would've had to call in sick.

But, I'd happily take that 3 weeks of hell again for the amazing feeling I have now, and I won't need to change this IUD for 5 years!

It's the best decision I ever made! I can actually function for a whole month without pain and bleeding and hormone issues. Large studies suggest that these are the most common side effects of the Mirena IUD in people who have used it for 5 years :. Right after a doctor places the Mirena IUD, there might be unwanted effects, including pain, dizziness, and bleeding.

These should go away within several days. If these issues last longer, speak with a doctor, as it may mean that the IUD is not in the correct place.

PID may be a more common complication in people with other risk factors for the disease. For example, it may be more likely to develop in someone with a sexually transmitted infection STI.

Some people report weight gain while using the Mirena IUD. However, most studies have not found a conclusive link between hormonal IUDs, such as Mirena, and weight gain.

A study comparing hormonal IUDs to another form of progesterone-only contraception, the injection, reported that participants using the injection gained weight while those with the IUD did not. Another study found different results.

In a diverse cohort of women, the researchers investigated the effects of the hormonal IUD, the copper IUD, and the birth control implant on weight gain.

After 36 months, hormonal IUD users gained 0. After 60 months, this figure rose to 1. This may indicate that the synthetic hormone in the Mirena IUD leads to a slight gain in weight. However, many factors can influence weight gain, including age. Some people experience mood changes while using hormonal contraception. Data suggest that around 6. However, it is also worth noting that some people use hormonal contraception to manage mood changes caused by conditions such as premenstrual syndrome PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder PMDD.

For people who experience significant mood changes due to hormonal fluctuations, a long-acting contraceptive such as the Mirena IUD may have a stabilizing effect. In very rare cases, people using the Mirena IUD experience:. All of these are serious issues that require immediate medical attention. For example, if the IUD perforates, or pierces, the uterus, the person usually needs surgery to retrieve the device. If the IUD does perforate the uterus, it no longer works to prevent pregnancy, so the person may need a different method of birth control.