I had a Mirena IUD put in the first week of November. Not for birth control but to control my endometriosis. So far, it's doing that spectacularly well. I used to live in constant pain, had pain during sex and it got even worse during/around horrendous cycles. Now I'm living almost completely pain free, the two periods I've had since it was put in were easy and light and sex is fantastic again.

But I also noticed that my weight completely stalled out for a bit there. I'm also moving, and our orders were put on hold AFTER we'd left Germany but BEFORE we hit our next assignment, so we're hanging in limbo and it's definitely a stressful time for us. I don't want to blame the IUD when there's a bunch of other stuff going on, too.

I've had the light bleeding/spotting for 5-6 weeks now. During those weeks my weight actually went up three pounds and stayed there consistently. I also lost a pant size during this time, so inches were coming off despite the stall. Now that the bleeding seems to have run it's course, I've dropped seven pounds in the past week. That's never happened before.

I'm just curious to hear from other women using Mirena - is this type of gain/stall common? I've been a bit of a sluggish loser from the start, but I wonder if anyone noticed a change once they had the IUD. Or, if anyone has endometriosis and is on a successful treatment, has the weight started falling off? I don't usually lose weight this quickly, and I hope it's not a fluke. I'm also not complaining about the stall - yeah, I'm "only" down 60 pounds in five months, but I'm between a 12 and 14 and I wear L tops, so there's nothing to gripe about.

Anyway, I'd just like to compare results with anyone that's got one.

~Cheri

Thanks CLK & Liomari, that's excellent info. At my heaviest my periods became awful affairs, at one point the cycle completely flipped itself, 4 weeks of bleeding and 1 week off which went on for almost a year. It's better now post-op but I have hair growth on my face that indicates hormonal imbalance and sometimes the pain during a cycle knocks the breath out of me.

Thanks CLK & Liomari, that's excellent info. At my heaviest my periods became awful affairs, at one point the cycle completely flipped itself, 4 weeks of bleeding and 1 week off which went on for almost a year. It's better now post-op but I have hair growth on my face that indicates hormonal imbalance and sometimes the pain during a cycle knocks the breath out of me.

I'm not sure if you're stateside again or not, but I recommend a checkup/labs to see if you have PCOS and maybe even a lap to check for endometriosis. Being diagnosed for sure won't help, but it will at least point you in the right direction for treatment options. From age 12-19 I had 3 on, 1 off with my cycles and it was pure hell. It got a lot better after pregnancy and then wasn't as bad until about 2 years later. Then things got steadily worse. It's way TMI, but we're talking cycles were I could use super plus Tampax and overnight pads at the same time and STILL have overflow after two hours. So yeah, if you're having cycle hell like you're talking about, Mirena really could be a great option - I'm "normal" now, not experiencing horrible pain and long, heavy periods each month any more.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide. If you do have PCOS, you know that's a real culprit when it comes to weight loss, don't you? You've been slow (and steady) the whole time, but hormonal imbalance will impede your loss.

~Cheri

I'm not sure if you're stateside again or not, but I recommend a checkup/labs to see if you have PCOS and maybe even a lap to check for endometriosis. Being diagnosed for sure won't help, but it will at least point you in the right direction for treatment options. From age 12-19 I had 3 on, 1 off with my cycles and it was pure hell. It got a lot better after pregnancy and then wasn't as bad until about 2 years later. Then things got steadily worse. It's way TMI, but we're talking cycles were I could use super plus Tampax and overnight pads at the same time and STILL have overflow after two hours. So yeah, if you're having cycle hell like you're talking about, Mirena really could be a great option - I'm "normal" now, not experiencing horrible pain and long, heavy periods each month any more.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide. If you do have PCOS, you know that's a real culprit when it comes to weight loss, don't you? You've been slow (and steady) the whole time, but hormonal imbalance will impede your loss.

~Cheri

Yes, I do have PCOS, but what can I do about it that will increase my weight loss? I feel like I have all three - PCOS, endo, & thyroid. =C =C =C

Hi, just thought I'd add my experience with the Mirena. I had mine put in in July and I love it. The only side effect I have had is acne along my jawline which is really irritating. I was previously on the pill and didn't have that issue. Otherwise, I never think about it. Periods were very light but I am just 4 weeks out from surgery so now they are a little whacked out but i know they will return to normal soon. Hope this helps just a little bit...

I just got my Mirena on Dec 15. I feel like I dont want to lose anymore, as I am 173 and losing my curves.

My appetite is voracious and I have had spotting/period for 8 days now. I havent gained anything I havent lost in the next 2 days but its noticeable.

Im hating it! I had discharge and some "smell" for the first week after it was inserted and now the never ending bleeding.

Im depressed. If the bleeding does not subside by the time I go for my 6 week check up I'm having it removed.

It's normal to have spotting for the first 6 months after having the Mirena inserted. Some people have it some don't but everyone is different. You need to try and give it six months before removing it. It is very typical to not have periods with the Mirena but you need to try and give it the full six months. Spotting is irritating but it beats full blown periods every month. Good luck!

Hi, just thought I'd add my experience with the Mirena. I had mine put in in July and I love it. The only side effect I have had is acne along my jawline which is really irritating. I was previously on the pill and didn't have that issue. Otherwise, I never think about it. Periods were very light but I am just 4 weeks out from surgery so now they are a little whacked out but i know they will return to normal soon. Hope this helps just a little bit...

Mirena is non-hormonal and birth control pills are hormonal that is why you didn't have acne when you were on birth control pills. If the acne gets too much for you, you can see a dermatologist or go back on pills to control the acne.

Mirena does have hormones. The copper iud doesn't

I had my 1st Mirena placed at the end of 2002 after my twins were born. Never had a period t/o except for some spotting here and there. Then, after my 5 yrs was up had another one put in. Only thing is....after my sleeve on 11/29/10 I went from never having periods to having them. I had 2 in December and then I have had them every 2.5 to 3 wks since. Very odd....not sure why??? I need to call my OB/GYN and ask what the deal is. My guess is since the weight is coming off maybe my hormones are changing and it's trying to normalize like everything else??? I'll let you know what I find out.

Can you get Mirena if you have never had a baby.....my girls are from China! I do have PCOS also and underactive thyroid....been on bc pills forever but need to get off when I have surgery..right? Any thoughts? Tracy

Can you get Mirena if you have never had a baby.....my girls are from China! I do have PCOS also and underactive thyroid....been on bc pills forever but need to get off when I have surgery..right? Any thoughts? Tracy

You definitely can, but I've read/heard that it's more uncomfortable to have it placed if you've never had a child, because the cervix has to be open to insert the IUD.

~Cheri

I am getting Mirena on Thursday. I am glad I was able to read this post, and the effects I might experience after surgery. Have any of you ladies heard if the Mirena is still effective after surgery with all the estrogen pumping through your body? Does it still prevent pregnancy? Or will that take a while to stabilize?

Wishes

I have it, it was painful for two months, it's been "bothering" my husband the entire time. I've had the strings cut 3 times, i'm still bleed after intercourse & still bothering my husband. I think I'm gonna have it removed, the bad thing is it hasn't stalled my weight loss & my skin looks great!

I went with the paraguard, which is copper coil and no hormones. It does effect my periods, longer, heavier, more painful. But it's been in over 5 years and I have been overall very pleased with it.

Is anyone having problems only bleeding after intercourse! I think this things gotta come out

Mandy - bleeding after intercourse is common enough that there are literally hundreds and hundreds of posts about it online. I didn't have this particular issue, but I did have problems with my husband being able to feel the strings even after having them trimmed and after they'd had long enough to soften.

Go with your gut - if you're unhappy with this method of birth control there is no reason to continue to use it. Based upon my own experience I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but those suffering from endometriosis. I used it for that purpose and even with the side effects (and I had one IUD fall out and had one replaced shortly after!) I'd probably consider using it again just to control the pain of endo.

Be warned: infections are more common in IUD users and bleeding after intercourse is a possible indicator of an infection. I'd make an appointment and talk to your doc. At that point, let him/her help you make the decision about the best course of action and whether nor not you should remove it.

Good luck,

~Cheri