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

[BeMorePanda]

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?

It's certainly an interesting thing to think about isn't it

Could be something as simple as in the past, women wouldn't have had a choice but to deal with not having a baby. No IVF, nothing they can do

Now days people have the chance to try.

in the last 50-60 years there have been so many changes in women's lives - not only the availability of pill but changing societal expectations, limitations and emancipation.

I think it must be a web effect, with many many variables rather than straight lines of direct causation.

On the one hand the pill played a massive part in women's liberation and on the other it has contributed to the hyper sexualisation of women we see in today's society. Violence towards women from men and the disrespect and disregard so many people have for women are also tied up in part to our "liberation" from the home and our biology. If we can't be used one way (at home raising babies, no money, no power) we will be used another way (objectification, rape culture, porn society etc).

Not to mention the health issues & constant medicalisation of our fertility, when we are actually only fertile for a few days a month.

It's a fascinating area. If I ever become independently wealthy I shall go back to uni FT and study all the links.

I've been to see the health practitioner at my surgery this morning about my prescription.
I said I've decided to stop the mini pill and I already feel better.

She spoke about the recent article and seemed to agree with it.

It's out!!

Everything crossed! Including my legs :)

Though she did send me off with some condoms.

I'm going to keep a mood/symptom diary to log how things progress from here, if at all.

Doctor did mention there was a new 3 year coil product coming onto the market in January -but I assured her I very much doubted I would ever have hormone contraception again. Unless off course my suspicions are incorrect but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Fingers crossed for you

I had alot of pain for a few days but once that pain was gone I felt so much better

Mcirogynon has the exact same effect on me as described by PP. Sudden black fog and disconnect from DC, DH within a week of starting it. Stop taking it, 2 days later, symptoms disappear. Has happened all three times Ive taken it. Hate the stuff. Took me the last time to realise that was what was causing it.

*bemore please keep us posted about how you're feeling in a couple of weeks. I actually started to feel better within 2 days of it coming out.

Panda hope it works for you. I've been reading and watching this thread since you started it; it has rung some big loud bangers for me (I hope).

Had first Mirena fitted almost 6 years ago because of terrible, long, heavy painful periods coupled with horrendous pmt. Couldn't use tampons (3 vaginal births, tampons kept falling out so the coil seemed the answer to my dreams...

What, no periods? And contraception? Wowsers.

Anyway, 2 horrific years after the coil was inserted (so scared that this might be anecdotal but I don't think it is) I had a light bulb "I'm depressed" and gp prescribed ADs.

Nothing about Mirena and possible progesterone/depression links. I'm actually cross with myself for being too trusting (a trait of mine that can go well or badly).

Fast forward to now.... I'm 45, on 2nd Mirena, just weaned off Sertraline ver, ver, slowly. Almost 3 months clear of ADs but total and utterly sad bitch this week and also about 5 weeks ago. I get nasty to DH and resent the kids - then I cry and cry.

Going to gp for a referral to Gynae Cons as soon as I can take some time off from work.

Thank God for this thread X

Snooks sorry you are going through this too.

I go through times of being cross with myself too, but this really isn't our fault. Like I was, you are probably dealing with lots of other stuff. The connection gets lost, overlooked, easily.

Some people here have talked about strong, acute, identifiable reactions to their contraception. And for some of us it's not like that. So it gets very hard to identify.

I really feel that if one health professional over the years had just mentioned depression / Mirena link to me, I would have put everything together much earlier.

I'm glad this thread has been helpful.

Yes I will keep you posted, though I might ask for the threat to be moved to health/contraception.

That is where I first looked for other threads and there are lots of unanswered threads about the Mirena there. So I posted in aibu for traffic. But I think health is a better place and hopefully others can find it there and add their own experiences.

The thread had been so helpful to me. I feel like my life has spun right around since waking up yesterday morning.

It really upsets me to think of all the women out there, living only half a life just because of the hormones in their contraception.

More really needs to be done to raise awareness in women and in GPs.

My first period after removal was horrific and no one had warned me so be prepared for that

Yanbu but it is onky like 2 mini pills a week so you must be very sensitive.

I had one removed as thought my side effects were caused by it. Turms out later it was cause by something else. So sometimes it is hard to know.

I have PCOS so am no stranger to hormone-related issues. Various contraceptive pills over the years have given me all sorts of problems, rages, misery - it's a terrible state of affairs. I think, in general, if you think it's your contraception causing the problems, stop it or change it. Hormones are difficult things but hormone-related problems do seem to be treated in a rather cavalier fashion by the medical establishment on occasion. And yet hormones have a massive influence on our wellbeing.

We're done having kids, so now I just have to persuade a squeamish DH to have the snip! I'm not going anywhere near hormonal contraception ever again. I'll take my wonky but natural hormones any day.

One thing I will say just by the by for those having difficult periods - try a menstrual cup. I know, everyone evangelises about them, but I used to have horrendous cramps and 7 day heavy periods. Now using the cup, very few cramps and shorter duration. Stress-free periods - bliss.

oooh AuntDot I can buy a mooncup now!

I hadn't thought of that - I had always felt slightly deprived that I never got to use one (as the Mirena stopped my periods before I'd ever heard of them).
Excited!

can you get Mooncups at Boots?

Yanbu but it is onky like 2 mini pills a week so you must be very sensitive.

Not necessarily - the recent Danish study showed those on so called "low doses" like Mirena suffered much higher rates of depression than those on the pill.

Boots do Mooncups, yup, but only Mooncups and there are hundreds of different ones out there. I couldn't get on with my Mooncup, but I bought a Lola Cup (currently unavailable on Amazon unfortunately) and love it. If you're considering getting one, I'd recommend seeing if you can get a pack of 2 different sizes and see which suits you better. I'm using the small one despite being over 30 and having had a kid and all the other things they say mean you should use the larger size. These things are so individual and personal!

The pill makes me slightly bonkers - angry, tearful and generally unhappy. Tried different brands but hated them all. Haven't taken it in over a decade now. Just used condoms.

There's quite a few tech companies out there at the moment, trying to help people control their fertility by cycle tracking, then condoms would just be needed a few days a month. If you're lucky enough to have fairly regular cycles, and are disciplined enough to take your temperature it'd be worth looking at. I'm thinking something like this : www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/04/13/this-app-can-replace-the-pill---with-no-side-effects/ (but maybe a cheaper option, seems pricey - sorry I don't need contraception at the moment so haven't researched what's available myself properly)

Hope you feel better after the hormones come out of your system OP. YANBU. I think in the years to come when we have more advanced and less invasive solutions, we'll be shocked at how much hormonal contraception was prescribed. Imagine before you have sex you put a sensor in your mouth and it tells you whether you need condoms, say... there are totally companies out there working on this sort of thing or similar, I've a friend who set one up!

I think I know why the progesterone in the Mirena can cause more depression than women taking an oral birth control pill.

I know that much of oral progesterone gets lost as it's processed by your digestive system, and liver. So it's effects might be lessened.

Whereas, the progesterone in the Mirena is released locally, and so by passes your liver. Hence it is more concentrated in your system.

I have to take oral progesterone as part of my HRT. I dread taking it. Last month, for the first time I tried using it, vaginally (as you also can) and I noticed my PMS symptoms were much more severe, than when I've taken it orally.

That makes sense MaQueen

And it seems "released locally" has been confused by the pushers GP's with "contained locally" which clearly it isn't.

This is an interesting article in the Independent today.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/severe-pms-periods-psychosis-during-menstruation-warning-a7369146.html

playg yes those sensors will be revolutionary - where do I invest? let's hope it happens & soon.

As I am approaching menopausal age, fertility tracking won't be any good for me as my cycle will possibly be unpredictable now - once it returns that is. And I only think it's really any good if you are prepared at some point to get pregnant anyway - I know far too many babies conceived using this method. I was an "old" Mum at 43 & have no desire to be a super old pregnant person at 50.

ihatethecold interesting article. Once again it talks of women's issues not being taken seriously. Women continue to be stoic and crack on in the face of much pain and distress. I have had the PMT crazies - it really helps if I can identify that it is PMT, but often you are in the middle of a crazy before that thinking kicks in.

In good news I see that there are cycle tracking aps now - so I can testify that a lot has changes in the world of menstruation since I stopped having periods when I conceived DD2 in 2010 :)

I wonder if they include a mood/feelings log thing too - I'll take a look.

Hope you start to feel better now it's out op.
I've come off hormonal contraception for the first time in 10 years and feel so much better for it. I will never, ever go back on it now.