Experience with Mirena?

[aristocatz]

I'm considering tying this birth control method & I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts or experiences with it?

I was on Yaz and I HATED it Gained an immense amount of weight & had anxiety. My doctor said it was the estrogen that caused this. She talked to me about Mirena & said that I might have less chance of side effects.

I'm a little nervous about trying this. Will it make me infertile? Bad side effects?

I currently have no children but plan to within the next 5-7 years.

Thanks!

 

[mrszrw]

I love it! have not had a monthly visiter in the last 2 years since 3rd child was born.
I was worried about fertillty also, but it seems it does not have an affect on that after it is removed! NOT that I want more children, but I didn't want to do anything that would affect my chances later should I decide to take a crazy pill and have one more.

 

[mla1977]

I just got it 2 months ago and so far I love it. It was really uncomfortable for the first few hours, but my body adjusted quickly. They say that you may have more bleeding or spotting for you first year and then it will taper off, but I stopped bleeding the next day and have had nothing since.

Some background: I was on Seasonale for about 4 years and on a monthly pill (same hormones and dosage as Seasonale). At my annual exam, but blood pressure was high enough that my ob/gyn said to stop the pills immediately and see my regular doc to get my blood pressure under control. After a very stressful month (relationship stress due to the lack of pill), my blood pressure was at a healthy level and my doc gave the ok for some birth control but no estrogen. The only thing I've noticed with no estrogen in my system is that I have slightly darker facial hair on my lip and chin than I ever had before. That sucks, but now I just need to have waxing done on them. Grr!

Also, I haven't had any children and read that one of the side effects for women who have never been pregnant is that they could expel the device. I was really nervous until my one month check up, but everything is okay and the doc said I am fine until my next annual exam!

 

[Piecey]

Hmmm... I'm really glad this thread got started.

Interested in all the responses... this is what my OB suggested for me and I have to make up my mind so she can order it to put in at my 6wk check up after having Lucas.

I can't tolerate pills, I go whacky crazy psycho. Not sure I want another baby.

Keep the info coming, thanks OP for asking!

 

[beattyfamily]

HERE's a pretty long and informative thread on the Mirena.

Good luck!

 

[aristocatz]

HERE's a pretty long and informative thread on the Mirena.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for this link and for these replies!! That other thread and this one are much more uplifting than when I Googled "Mirena reviews"-I read a whole lot of nightmare reviews!! But I'm wondering if people who go out of their way to review a med are usually the ones who had bad experiences and those who had good experiences don't bother posting a review on their own?

 

[beattyfamily]

Thank you so much for this link and for these replies!! That other thread and this one are much more uplifting than when I Googled "Mirena reviews"-I read a whole lot of nightmare reviews!! But I'm wondering if people who go out of their way to review a med are usually the ones who had bad experiences and those who had good experiences don't bother posting a review on their own?

You are very welcome. It helped me with my questions and concerns too.

I've had it for almost a year and I have no complaints.

I think you are right. More would take the time to post negative reviews over positive ones.

 

[Nancy]

I know nothing about the device but I work for an insurance company and I know a lot of our plans don't cover it (or any other IUD) They cover the office visit and cost of insertion, but not the cost of the Mirena...not sure why but we get calls on this a lot.

Just a heads up for you.

 

[kpipkin]

I love Mirena! I have had it for 6 years; just had a new one put in last year (they last 5 years.) After the birth of my 2nd child, the pill was making me really sick during the first week of the pack. I had wicked mood swings and was just miserable on it. My OB suggested Mirena and I've had it ever since! I no longer have mood swings and no monthly visitor since 9/03! For the first 3 months or so, you'll have intermittent bleeding, which is kind of a pain, but so worth it! Now I thought Mirena was only an option for people who have already had at least one child. Might want to look into that.

 

[aristocatz]

I know nothing about the device but I work for an insurance company and I know a lot of our plans don't cover it (or any other IUD) They cover the office visit and cost of insertion, but not the cost of the Mirena...not sure why but we get calls on this a lot.

Just a heads up for you.

My doctor advised me to call my health insurance co. as soon as I left there today, to make sure they will cover it & they do cover the Mirena and the insertion. I would just need to pay the $10 copay!

 

[beattyfamily]

My doctor advised me to call my health insurance co. as soon as I left there today, to make sure they will cover it & they do cover the Mirena and the insertion. I would just need to pay the $10 copay!

Wow, you are SO lucky. I think I had to pay $150 or so but I certainly don't think that's too bad for 5 years.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

This is a great thread, thanks for starting it. My Dr had recommended this to me at my last visit as a way to deal with some of the issues I had brought up. She highly recommended it, said it was the physician's birth control of choice. She made it sound wonderful and I was ready to do it, I didn't even care what it cost.

But when I got home I did a quick internet search and found a few message boards for women having severe side effects, even months after having it removed. Has anyone here had a bad experience with Mirena?

 

[nephthys43]

I love my mirena! I've had it for over a year and it's fantastic! I haven't had any funny problems with it either.
It does state that it is for women who have alreay had a child, but I haven't and my doctor didn't have a problem with it. They may want to do an ultrasound to make sure your uterus is large enough for it. From what I've heard, they are making a smaller one to be released within the next year or so.

As for damaging your fertility, there is always a chance that it could perforate your uterus. But I believe it a small chance. The website will have those statistics.

And do check with your insurance. I had to pay out of pocket for the mirena itself, while the visit and insertion was covered. Then I submitted the claim form for the mirena and was reimbursed.

 

[wdwiala]

Interesting thread. I had complete coverage approval from my insurance company (submitted to insurance to control heavy menstraul bleeding). I went on the internet and read the reviews and then chickened out. Some of those reviews are scary!

My friend has one and loves it.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I went on the internet and read the reviews and then chickened out. Some of those reviews are scary!

That's exactly what happened to me.

 

[Nancy]

My doctor advised me to call my health insurance co. as soon as I left there today, to make sure they will cover it & they do cover the Mirena and the insertion. I would just need to pay the $10 copay!

Gee, I wonder if I talked to you today?

You are lucky it is covered. I don't know why they won't cover that but they over the BC pills, tubals and a vasectomy. Seems to me the cost of the IUD would be less over time than paying for the other stuff.

 

[mla1977]

My insurance covered it 80% after my deductible. I hadn't met my deductible so my cost was about $300. Not bad for 5 years of birth control.

I asked my doctor about the "having a child" requirement and she said that it was because there is a greater chance of your body expelling it. She said that in her entire practice they had only had one patient lose it.

 

[precious pixie]

I have had the mirena for 6 yrs (yep Im on my second) and I couldn't love it more. I had severe problems with bleeding and pmdd and I rarely even get a period now. The info floating through the internet can be scary but I also found that not all of the chatter was about the mirena or even a modern IUD. During my annual visits my dr will give me an ultrasound just to be sure it is in place

 

[luvmy3]

My doctor advised me to call my health insurance co. as soon as I left there today, to make sure they will cover it & they do cover the Mirena and the insertion. I would just need to pay the $10 copay!

I have been using another form of BC but I am switching to Mirena this month. When I called my insurance company they told me it was completely covered as well but they stressed that its only covered if the doctor's office provides the device. It will not be covered if my OB/GYN writes a script for it and I get it at a pharmacy. I just thought you'd like to know in case yours is the same way.

 

[onelilspark]

A bit of a different question...anyone use Mirena (or similar) who was a chronic migraine sufferer? Did it lessen or increase the frequency of your migraines?

I'm on a migraine preventative right now, which works wonders, but my worst week is when I'm on the placebo pill since I don't have the hormones coming into my body like the rest of the month. (Screw up hormones, my body freaks out and I get a migraine ) Wondering if this would be a way to help my migraines...