Mirena & Depression - Five Fucking years of my life!! AIBU to have the rage?

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I've been depressed for 5 years now. I've had depression in the past and have learned how to manage it very well, I know what signs to look out for and how to look after myself etc. Or so I thought.

Then shortly after DD2 was born I became fairly depressed. Not PND, more a general depression. And it became worse once I stopped BF. This was also around the time I left my abusive XP. So I attributed the depression to be living with an abusive arse (and suffering from gas lighting, very abuse, emotional abuse and a bit of financial abuse for good measure for several years).

I did have a wee surge of happiness after leaving him, but generally the depression continued. It was different than I had suffered before - more of a flat line depression.

My self esteem was rock bottom. None of my usual coping/self care tactics worked. I've been feeling so damaged. I've had 2 lots of counselling - nothing has really helped or got to the bottom of it.

Before having DD2 I was in a very happy place in myself, despite my rubbish relationship and difficult pregnancy. It now occurs to me that the only times in my adult life that I haven't been using hormonal contraception, coincided with me feeling normal, myself, happy, in charge of my life and not depressed.

Just last week I had a penny drop moment after reading about the Mirena coil & it's link to depression. And I realised I started feeling this way shortly after having it inserted after DD2 was born. I didn't notice the connection - at first I was BF and had all those happy hormones, I believed the doctor who talked of "localised hormones" etc, my relationship was rubbish and home life difficult and it simply never occurred to me that my "wonderful contraception solution" was actually an evil fucker, messing with me from the inside.

I thought I was one of the people who had got along with it - I loved having no periods, no hormonal fluctuations etc. I thought I had no side effects.

So I've been doing some reading around and I'm pretty sure that the Mirena is contributing to or even causing my unliftable low level constant depression.

It's been like living with a rock around my neck for all my daughters life. What a fucker.

And I just had a new one put in a couple of months ago. I'm making an appt to get it removed asap. Not once at any stage of the process of having TWO Mirena coils fitted did any one mention depression. When I talked to my GP about my ongoing depression Mirena was not mentioned or questioned.

I have read many threads where women have had acute reactions with the Mirena.

But AIBU to think I am not alone in this and there are many other women with similar revelations after a period of time being otherwise happy with the Mirena???

AIBU to think there is no joined up thinking in healthcare?

You have every right to be absolutely incandescent with rage about this.

OP your post has really resonated with me. Slightly different but I didn't realise the link between my contraceptive pill (Cerazette) and my horrendous anxiety/depression until I became pregnant. I was like this for around 4/5 years, and dropped out of uni in my first year, wouldn't socialise with anyone and lost many friends, missed out on so many opportunities and put a massive strain on my relationship.

I was much better when I was pregnant, but I assumed it was just down to hormones etc. After having my dd, I had the implant and the anxiety etc returned with a vengeance. It was only then that I made the connection, and had it removed immediately. I now have the copper coil (no hormones) and I haven't had a problem since.

I'm like a different person now. I'm who I am meant to be, not an anxious mess. It's still weird getting used to the fact I'm not making plans then cancelling them because I am feeling too anxious about it, or when people tell me I'm really sociable and easy to get on with as I always thought I was just an awful awkward person. It makes me so upset when I think about what I missed on on during this period, as it was from around the ages of 18 to 23 and I should have been out living my life and having fun. And it was all down to the fucking contraceptive pill

Same with me and the pill. Tried it as a student. Sank into a black hole of depression. Didn't connect the dots till one day I was sitting in the bathroom sobbing helplessly thinking "I haven't felt like this since I was a hormonal teenager... hormones... the pill." Stopped taking it. Got better almost immediately. Tried again about 10 years later thinking "maybe they've improved them" - got depressed again. Stopped - got better!

Yet most of the HCPs I've ever mentioned it to have poo-pooed the possibility. Oddly I'm coping okay with HRT - though I do notice I'm a bit under the weather for the 10 days I have to take the progesterone pills.

Also my libido went to nothing, and hasn't really returned at all I am 26 ffs! I didn't realise this was the cause of no-libido until recently. It's so frustrating and I'm wondering if it will ever return.

Oh god - teh loss of libido. I'd forgotten that. In the midst of the black depression I used to have flashes of dark humour over that one: "not surprised it's 99.9% effective - you don't want to shag at all ever when you're taking these things!"

I don't know anything about Mirena but had depression, mood swings and angry rages when I was on different versions the pill. I was so angry when I realised that it had been the cause. I'd had a hellish few years and embarrassed myself at work because I kept crying one minute, losing my temper tbe next. I didn't know what was wrong with me, I thought my personality had changed for the worse, and it had but it stopped when I finally came off. I had no idea just how bad the effects could be.

Yes to hair loss- I got my thick, waist length hair cut to a bob, because it was all thin and horrible from falling out in handfuls

I can't see how something stopping the body doing it is supposed to do would be good.

You see I never had a problem with not having periods.
Women in years gone by would have had a lot more pregnancies, and BF more and so would have had a lot less periods and regular blood/iron loss than modern women do.

That was my thinking anyway. It would be interesting to know if there was evidence to back this up.

I used to have flashes of dark humour over that one: "not surprised it's 99.9% effective - you don't want to shag at all ever when you're taking these things!"

I too have though that many times over the years!

I had the mirena in for 14 months

Despite the doctors insisted that it was a localised contraception and it won't affect the rest of me, I suffered headaches on a daily basis, no sex drive and my anxiety rocketed.

The second time I went see my doctor about having it removed and when I mentioned those symptoms she just nodded and didn't try to persuade me to change my mind.

I've had it out 4 weeks now and I feel so different

Whilst it agrees with others, it certainly didn't agree with me and I am cross that I was fobbed off so much with it

for you all!!

This seems to be very common. So why aren't GP's more clued up on it.

When you think how may of their patients will be taking contraceptive medication - my GP never thought to say "Hummm you've been depressed for X years - what contraception are you using? When did you start that?" which seems like an obvious place to start. Not that I necessarily would have made the connection then as there was so much going on in my life. But still at least they would have planted a seed.

Very shocking the poster up thread who's GP refused to take the coil out

Here is a link to the articles that got me thinking ..... they are reporting on a recent study, but the link has been known for some time.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/03/pill-linked-depression-doctors-hormonal-contraceptives

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/28/women-taking-contraceptive-pill-more-likely-to-be-treated-for-depression-study-finds

the doctors insisted that it was a localised contraception and it won't affect the rest of me
This is a recurring message given out by GP's re the Mirena and it would seem to be completely false.

BuggerMyOldBoots I had a lot of hair loss too - still do actually though the rate had slowed. I credited stopping BF DD2 with that though it never happened with DD1.

Yep. It's their fall back motto.

Along with "it needs time to settle"

the doctors insisted that it was a localised contraception and it won't affect the rest of me

Yep, this is exactly what I was told, repeatedly, when I requested a copper coil as I didn't want to use hormonal contraception. My GP was surprised I wanted the copper one and spent a long time extolling the virtues of the mirena alongside the downsides of the copper.

I stuck to my guns and even during the appointment to have the copper one put in, she kept saying what an odd choice I was making, that 9/10 coils she fits are mirenas, that although it's hormonal it's localised and would not affect the rest of me.

I just cannot see how that can possibly be true.

It's not true - I've read all over the place the last few days how they have found the hormones from Mirena in breastmilk. Clearly it's not contained locally. It's not a barrier method which is the only "local" birth control I can think of.

Why aren't GP's with all their training about human bodies, aware of this?

I never had a coil, but I did take the contraceptive pill for years.

The first one I was on, I didn't notice too many problems - yes, my moods were all over the place and I put on weight, but it was easy to assume that was down to other external things.
But then my GP said I needed to change pills and put me on Cerazette, which amplified the mood swings and weight problems .
DH eventually talked me into quitting it - he'd noticed a connection before I had. It was amazing how quickly my mood stabilised - to a much more happier and relaxed baseline - once I stopped taking the pill. Even when some majorly stressful work stuff kicked off later that year, I was still happier and more relaxed than I had been when I'd been dealing with ordinary day to day stuff on the pill. Plus my appetite nosedived once I stopped the pill, resulting in something like a weight loss of a stone in a month without even trying.

I just hadn't realised how badly it had been affecting me until i stopped taking it.

In fairness, only 10% of people get any side effects. My sister has had mirenas for at least 15 years and says they are the greatest invention ever.

But for those of us who have side effects, they can be devastating. I absolutely believe anyone with a history of depression should be monitored extremely closely if they choose any form of hormonal contraception.

I haven't read through the whole thread so apologies if it's been mentioned but I don't think it's isolated to the coil. I have never suffered with depression/anger etc until I went on a contraceptive pill shortly after dd was born. I didn't even feel myself getting bad until one day I honestly felt like I wanted to punch my mum because she wanted to look at apples in Asda. Then I realised that I had felt low, crappy and upset/angry all the time. I stopped taking the pill immediately and the feelings stopped soon after. I was only on it for less than 2 months so god knows what it would have been like after a longer period on it.
I think that anything messing with hormones will do it to you. I was just lucky I didn't get anything the 10yrs prior when I was on the pill. I'm not going back on any since this happened after DD as it isn't worth the emotional rollercoaster

In fairness, only 10% of people get any side effects.
I think this is another line/myth perpetrated by the drug company - I'm not sure I believe it.

I doubt my case will be counted in the 10% - I got it done at a clinic, it will come out at a clinic. Who is logging my side effects? As this is my 2nd Mirena I probably get counted as a satisfied customer.

But even if it is true 10% is a heck of a lot and GP's must be aware.

Any hormonal contraception doesn't work for me. I use the copper coils and have never had any issues with this. Condoms is just a nuisance.

Peppa not it's not limited to the coil. But the Mirena is pushed GP's as the hormones being localised so people who have had problems with the pill are recommended it.

The recent study found Mirena coil users have a higher risk of depression than pill users. In fact when I first read the article I thought to myself "thank goodness I'm not on the pill anymore and I have the Mirena, it's localised yada yada yada" - and then I got to the bit where it says Mirena users suffered depression at an even higher rate than pill users!!!

This thread is making me so angry!! So many women have suffered through taking/ using hormonal contraceptives. RNBrie having to take out your own coil because the GP refused to do it? Utterly shocking!! So so sad that so many women are having their lives seriously blighted by this when it could be avoided. I don't have any daughters but if I did I'd sure as hell be advising them to avoid any form of hormonal contraception!!

I had the Mirena for about 8 or 9 months. It made me feel like shit. I wasn't depressed but I had full on PMT like symptoms all the time. I could have quite happily killed DH, he only had to look at me the wrong way and we had a huge row. I lost my libido, got migraines, spots, put on weight, bled all the time. It was horrible.

I saw my GP and she said "yes iit can do that" and took it straight out. I saw a gynaecologist recently and he said it's either really good or really bad.

The 10% figure would have come from clinical trials before it was released to the general public. As the gp of Gwenci said, 90% of the coils fitted are Mirena ones and no one goes on line to start threads about how amazing their contraception is.

But nonetheless, I agree GPs should be more aware of how awful the side effects can be for those of us affected.

Op, get yours out asap and then see how you feel in a couple of weeks time. Fingers crossed it will be the solution to many of your troubles.