Is it Mirena and not Fibro or Lupus or RA??
So, I've done a little more research on Mirena (shocked aren't you?). Every time I read yet another horror story (read the comments too) I feel like someone out there wrote my own history for me. There are literally thousands of personal accounts from women who have the following issues since having a Mirena IUD put in place.
I honestly chalked all my problems up to the birth of my boys. I could point to the calendar and say, "That;s when it started." It was also when I had the IUD put in place. There was nothing in the materials I read about it that listed any of these things. The pamphlet I was given listed the common side effects associated with any hormone-based birth control: spotting, irregular periods, small amount of weight gain (5lbs it said), headaches, possible acne. That was it and those were things I could live with.
Today, I downloaded a physician's fact sheet (mind boggling medical jargon and then clinical study information) put out by Mirena. It was there that I saw anything that included the list of reactions below. However, according to the clinical studies performed by the company that makes Mirena IUD, these happened in less than 5% of women who use it. All you have to do is Google "mirena side effects" and you will see quite simply how many women out there that suffered like I have.
Their stories include the following health issues:
1. Major skin problems: acne, eczema, rashes, allergic to makeup and cleansers they weren't before, dry skin, dandruff, rough patches, cracking skin, pre-mature aging (I have had my skin biopsied and am on prescriptions for eczema - which I didn't have until Mirena)
2. Depression/anxiety: worsened or new, it was all there (It was easy for me to accept this, especially since losing Patrick)
3. Sleep problems: either not sleeping or not sleeping well (Yep, on meds for that too)
4. Constant pain in muscles/muscle spasms and cramping (Check and double check)
5. Join pain that isn't arthritis (I took stock in Aleve this year because I take about 6 a day)
6. Feeling of swollen hands/feet (See pile of unfinished knitting projects)
7. Weight gain: usually 20-30 pounds over 3 - 4 years (Oh yes. Yes.)
8. Exhaustion/fatigue (HA!)
9. Mood swings/irritability (Me? Never.)
10. Heart palpitations (I was in the ER with an elevated heart rate that no one could explain)
11. Vertigo/dizziness (Went to physical therapy for this. Twice. It didn't help.)
12. Breast tenderness (Nope. Well, at least there's one I don't have!)
13. Forgetfulness: the feeling of being in fog (Wha..?)
I'll stop right there. The list goes on and on and on. The stories include phrases like, "I feel like an 80 year old woman" and "I used to be so healthy and active" and "they just can't figure out what the heck is wrong with me". I can't believe this. I feel like a spotlight is being shown on me. I just said a couple weeks ago that I feel like I'm just not in balance, like there is something wrong with me and I can't get past it. Most of these women talk about going to rheumatologist after rhuematologist and being tested for Lupus, MS, RA. All the very same things I've been going through. Cortisone shots that don't work. Meds that don't make me feel better. Diagnosis of fibro.
I can't wait to have this removed. Most of them reported that literall within a week the skin problems cleared up and then slowly over a few months all the other symptoms slid away. They started being able to sleep, to get off pain meds or anti-depressants, they lose the weight again and they aren't in pain any more. You have no idea how much I want this to be what's wrong with me. No idea.
What really gets me is that not a single doctor suggested my symptoms could be related to my IUD. Even though I told every single one I saw that I had it. I don't know whether to feel pissed off or relieved to be honest.
I honestly chalked all my problems up to the birth of my boys. I could point to the calendar and say, "That;s when it started." It was also when I had the IUD put in place. There was nothing in the materials I read about it that listed any of these things. The pamphlet I was given listed the common side effects associated with any hormone-based birth control: spotting, irregular periods, small amount of weight gain (5lbs it said), headaches, possible acne. That was it and those were things I could live with.
Today, I downloaded a physician's fact sheet (mind boggling medical jargon and then clinical study information) put out by Mirena. It was there that I saw anything that included the list of reactions below. However, according to the clinical studies performed by the company that makes Mirena IUD, these happened in less than 5% of women who use it. All you have to do is Google "mirena side effects" and you will see quite simply how many women out there that suffered like I have.
Their stories include the following health issues:
1. Major skin problems: acne, eczema, rashes, allergic to makeup and cleansers they weren't before, dry skin, dandruff, rough patches, cracking skin, pre-mature aging (I have had my skin biopsied and am on prescriptions for eczema - which I didn't have until Mirena)
2. Depression/anxiety: worsened or new, it was all there (It was easy for me to accept this, especially since losing Patrick)
3. Sleep problems: either not sleeping or not sleeping well (Yep, on meds for that too)
4. Constant pain in muscles/muscle spasms and cramping (Check and double check)
5. Join pain that isn't arthritis (I took stock in Aleve this year because I take about 6 a day)
6. Feeling of swollen hands/feet (See pile of unfinished knitting projects)
7. Weight gain: usually 20-30 pounds over 3 - 4 years (Oh yes. Yes.)
8. Exhaustion/fatigue (HA!)
9. Mood swings/irritability (Me? Never.)
10. Heart palpitations (I was in the ER with an elevated heart rate that no one could explain)
11. Vertigo/dizziness (Went to physical therapy for this. Twice. It didn't help.)
12. Breast tenderness (Nope. Well, at least there's one I don't have!)
13. Forgetfulness: the feeling of being in fog (Wha..?)
I'll stop right there. The list goes on and on and on. The stories include phrases like, "I feel like an 80 year old woman" and "I used to be so healthy and active" and "they just can't figure out what the heck is wrong with me". I can't believe this. I feel like a spotlight is being shown on me. I just said a couple weeks ago that I feel like I'm just not in balance, like there is something wrong with me and I can't get past it. Most of these women talk about going to rheumatologist after rhuematologist and being tested for Lupus, MS, RA. All the very same things I've been going through. Cortisone shots that don't work. Meds that don't make me feel better. Diagnosis of fibro.
I can't wait to have this removed. Most of them reported that literall within a week the skin problems cleared up and then slowly over a few months all the other symptoms slid away. They started being able to sleep, to get off pain meds or anti-depressants, they lose the weight again and they aren't in pain any more. You have no idea how much I want this to be what's wrong with me. No idea.
What really gets me is that not a single doctor suggested my symptoms could be related to my IUD. Even though I told every single one I saw that I had it. I don't know whether to feel pissed off or relieved to be honest.
wouldn't it be great to sit on the floor at xmas and not be in pain when you are crawling around with the kids, playing in the snow and you not have to come in because your in so much pain I REALY HOPE THIS WOULD END ALL OF YOUR PAIN JENN LOVE YA KIDDO
ReplyDeleteWow, Jenn! Unbelievable! I really hope and pray that having it removed ends all the pain you've been in the last few years.
ReplyDeletei have had the exact same symptoms.....been tested for everything you could possible think of! this has effected my quality of life! then it came to me the other night that it might be the mirena. i've had it for 3 years and have been sick for 3 years. do you feel better now that it has been removed?
ReplyDelete