Tanya’s Story

My gynecologist told me about the Mirena and he explained to me that it would be 5 years without period, obviously after suffering from heavy periods and cramps that would take me down, it was like a dream coming true!!!

He explained to me that the IUD would work releasing hormones during that whole time making my uterus ‘think’ I was pregnant, therefore… No periods! Awesome right?

Well he forgot to mention that it would be the entire thing, tender breast, nausea, weight gain and everything that being pregnant implies.

This is my story….

It all started because I suffer from PCOS and Hashimoto’s. Part of having both things comes with dealing with depression and anxiety.

After a couple years dealing with different doctors and treatments for the PCOS I found a new gynecologist.

He told me about the Mirena and he told me that it would be 5 years without period, obviously after suffering from heavy periods and cramps that would take me down, it was like a dream coming true! He explained to me that the IUD would work releasing hormones during that whole time making my uterus ‘think’ I was pregnant, therefore… No periods! Awesome right? Well he forgot to mention that it would be the entire thing, tender breast, nausea and everything that being pregnant implies.

I had to wait for a couple months to get it because of money reasons, so during the wait I did my research (I wish I did it even more deeper) because all i could find was wonderful things so on February I finally did it.

Exactly 4 days later I had an appointment with my nutritionist and I had already won 2 pounds (which was weird because for the last 2 months I was losing weight not gaining at all), they explained me that it could be in fact because of the IUD that it was ‘normal’ and I could lose it easily.

8 months later and all I did was keep gaining weight. I’m 55lbs up. And it’s heartbreaking because I do everything to be as healthy as possible!

As I said before I suffer from depression/anxiety and I started having awful episodes and I couldn’t understand why, because I was under treatment (by a psychiatrist) so in the middle of my desperation I switched psychiatrists.

After a few sessions I told my new psychiatrist I was being suspicious about my IUD and the effects it was having on me.

I told him my mood swings were so bad, and even taking two antidepressants I found myself still struggling badly with my depression and anxiety attacks (that later he told me they were anguish episodes, and had to add another med) and that I felt lost, also my period is there like 20 days a month.

So he explained to me that the hormones the IUD was releasing could be the reason my psychiatric treatment was not working as it should and that all the other side effects I mentioned could be coming from it.

I got infected with Covid-19, it has been really hard and because of the Mirena and the constant bleeding I can’t take the treatment as I should. I need blood thinners that I can’t take because that would mean making those 20 days of light period a lot worse.

I know I’m going through a lot in life, but I also know it could be easier without the side effects of the Mirena. If I had knew/read any of the ‘bad’ things that could happen to me while using it I would totally said no to it. I wish there was more about the side effects on the internet and not just the ‘wonders’ it can make.

Submitted on October 10, 2020

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