A Break Up Story (with Mirena IUD)

After Max was born, I was really unsure what form of birth control I wanted to use.  I don't love hormonal birth control and hadn't used it since before our wedding, but for a number of reasons, I decided to get the Mirena IUD.  I talked with a number of doctors and midwives at my practice and was told repeatedly how awesome the Mirena IUD was.  I wasn't completely at peace with the decision, but it was my best option at that time.  Things were pretty uneventful for the first few months I had it, but then strange things started to happen.

My stomach was constantly upset.  I thought maybe it was something I was eating; I've had problems with dairy in the past.  Maybe it was that?  I started getting strange tingling sensations in both my wrists and hands.  Maybe I was getting carpal tunnel syndrome?  I've always been an anxious person, but was able to cope with my anxiety pretty well.  All of a sudden I was having panic attacks where I'd start sweating and shaking uncontrollably.  My heart would race and I'd feel sick to my stomach, all while doing something as innocent as sitting on the couch and watching Netflix.  Maybe I was just too stressed out?  Then, for the first time in my life I started having high blood pressure.  I have never had an elevated blood pressure, even when I was hugely pregnant with both boys.  It started off with a slightly elevated blood pressure at my dentist's office.  I thought maybe their blood pressure monitor was incorrect.  Later at my chiropractor's office I told her that I'd had a high blood pressure at the dentist; she checked my blood pressure manually herself.  Sure enough, it was high.  I bought a blood pressure monitor on Amazon and started checking my blood pressure myself.  Every time it was high.  Let me tell you, there's no surer way to worry a former dialysis nurse than to have high blood pressure.  It just didn't make sense.  I've never had high blood pressure.  The only thing that had changed was the Mirena IUD...

I started doing research on high blood pressure and Mirena.  First I was discouraged because most articles I found said that Mirena was actually a good birth control choice for people that already had high blood pressure, because it's a progesterone-only form of birth control.  Estrogen containing birth control has shown to induce an increase on blood pressure, but Mirena doesn't have any estrogen.  After probing a little deeper, though, I found many many accounts of women claiming that they'd developed high blood pressure after getting the Mirena.  In all the instances, the hypertension resolved after the Mirena was removed.  After reading that, I decided to get the Mirena removed.

After having the Mirena removed, I immediately noticed that my digestive system was getting back to normal... like the very next day I was fine and I have been since.  Slowly the numbness and tingling in my hands started to fade, but a new and concerning symptom started.  I was getting horrible headaches.  I've never had migraines before, but these were debilitating.  I was having more days per week with headache than I was without.  My house was a mess.  My kids were tired of hanging around the in our pajamas while I lay on the couch miserable.  I went to see my primary care doctor.  I saw an eye doctor - maybe eye problems were causing the headaches?  I even had an MRI of my brain and neck to make sure something more sinister wasn't going on.  I was an anxious mess.

It's been almost two months since the Mirena was removed and I'm finally starting to feel normal again.  My anxiety is pretty much back to my baseline.  My blood pressure is totally normal again.  The headaches have mostly subsided.  Almost every doctor of midwife I told about my symptoms did not think that they were caused by the IUD, until it was removed and the symptoms went away.  My chiropractor told me she's heard lots of stories from women who've experienced similar issues with Mirena.

I'm not telling you all of this to scare you, but more to emphasize that hormonal birth control (while I'm super thankful it exists) is not without side effects!  Also, do your own research and be your own advocate!  I knew that something wasn't right with my body, and I'm so glad that I got the Mirena removed when I did.  If you have the Mirena IUD and you're happy with it, great!  But if you start having strange symptoms, maybe keep this story in the back of you mind and question if your symptoms could be caused by the Mirena.

Have you had any strange side effects from Mirena or another hormonal birth control method?

Please keep in mind that this is my own personal experience and story.  I don't have any hard proof that Mirena did this to me other than the fact that my symptoms started to resolve after it was removed.  Make sure to consult with your healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.