Mirena coil and depression/anxiety?

[Molesworth]

Has anyone else using the mirena coil experienced side effects such as 'brain fog', depression and anxiety?

I had mine put in at the beginning of 2004, and since then I have been incapacitated by depression and anxiety. I've always been prone to depression and anxiety, so I put it down to some traumatic life events over the last few years, but I have never been this unwell for this long. I have mentioned the possibility that the Mirena may be a factor to several health professionals, only to be told that it can't possibly have anything to do with my mental health since the progesterone level is much lower than that of the pill. However, I've come across a recent research study that found hormone levels to be double that of the minipill!

Having done some research on the internet I can see that thousands of women are reporting side effects from the Mirena, some of them very serious. In a lot of cases these symptoms have disappeared or lessened greatly after having the thing removed. Some women are taking legal action against the manufacturers and the FDA (in the US).

I've made an appointment to have mine removed next week. It'll be very interesting to see what difference it makes (if any!). If I make a miraculous recovery I'll be relieved, but also furious that this supposedly harmless device has effectively ruined my capacity to cope with life for four years.

I could be barking up the wrong tree, but thought it worth posting to see if anyone else has had similar experiences with Mirena.

Hi all - thanks so much for all your posts. I had my mirena fitted 6 months ago and since then have suffered anxiety, depression, and panic attacks to the point where I could not work or look after my kids. I don't know what made me google the mirena and anxiety but am so glad I did! Within 4 hours of having it out I felt the fog lift, within 24 hours I felt so much better, whether it is psychosomatic I dont care. Ladies trust your instincts, if you think the mirena is causing or making existing conditions worse then get it taken out!

OMG! Don't tell me what I been through (ANXIETY HELL!) COULD BE DOWN TO THE COIL I HAD 5 YRS AGO! :( been prescribed 200mgs of Sertraline developed psoriasis and was told I had an ANXIETY DISORDER!!! No mention that it may be down to the coil!!! Be visiting my doc asap cos I mentioned to her many times that it may be the coil cos funny enough my symptoms only began when I had the coil! Her reply was always NO no its not down to the coil! Tamping! :(

After reading all these threads and from my own experience feel we have all been victims of being used as guinea pigs! Looks and sounds like GP's are instructed to endorse any meds, coils etc no matter what! (even if they do believe it could be the coil etc!) even after seeing and hearing their patients woes of the side effects it brings!
This infuriates me even more! Seems they have been pressured into protecting the coil, meds etc names more than their patients lives even though it making their lives worse!
I have had the coil for 5 yrs or more and then + ONLY then did I lose control of my life by the devastating impact it brought me!.... EXTREME ANXIETY, PSORIASIS, DEPRESSION! BUT like many of you here also put it down to GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME IN LIFE! TO BE HONEST I HAVE BEEN SO CONFUSED ANXIOUS ETC THAT I DIDN'T KNOW MY ASS FROM MY ELBOW IN THE END!!!
NOW After stumbling across this site reading all the other threads and having time to sit and think back what I have through KNOW that I was right along! But have been just so consumed with the devastating side effects to function properly to do anything about it!

BY GOD I WILL NOW!

ITS CRAZY!!! NO WONDER THE NHS MENTAL HEALTH ETC IS AT BREAKING POINT! BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THEY ARE PUTTING PATIENTS ON THESE COILS ETC AND OPENING UP A WHOLE NEW CAN OF WORMS!!! MAKING THINGS WORSE AS WE THEN NEED MORE HELP SUCH AS COUNSELLING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY WE FEEL SO CRAP+PERSONALLY FOR ME PHOTO THERAPY FOR MY COIL INDUCED PSORIASIS CONSTANT GP APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE WE FEEL SO ANXIOUS ETC AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THEN PLEASE KNOW NOW THAT ANXIETY MEANS FEAR + FEAR ITSELF IS THE WORST FEELING A HUMAN CAN HAVE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT!

WHICH I KNOW NOW WAS BROUGHT ON BY THE COIL! [ANGRY]

Reading this has made me realise that I need to get mine taken out. I have had panic attacks and an anxiety disorder in the past which I had got under control due to CBT. However I then had the coil fitted due to severe endo and heavy periods. It's weird that once a month I get this intense feeling of panic and foreboding which comes for about 24 hours then goes just as quickly, it's really very strange and disrupts my sleep with the pounding heart ,racing pulse and restless tingly legs symtoms then it's gone.I'm seeing my Gynaecologist next month any way so I'll discuss further management then.

I am in tears reading this thread!

I had the MC fitted about 10 months ago, when my little one was a year old and I felt fully recovered from the pregnancy and birth. Since it was fitted my hair has halved in thickness to the point I am embarassed by how awful it looks and it really worries me. I've also had really bad mood swings to the point where my husband and I have been on the point of leaving each other as I saw everything in such a negative and angry way. Some weeks i just cry! My hips hurt, my legs... feels like the bones hurt. Thought I was getting arthritis... or had a DVT at one point. I have psoriasis develop on my chest. I don't want to socialise or talk to friends anymore as feel so hopeless and worthless. I have migraine like headaches that put me in bed to sleep off. I'm sooo tired and lethargic.

Had several trips to the GP suspecting it was the Mirena but was told it couldn't possibly be. Have been tested for Thyroid problems, anemia, diabeties etc. Was told it was most likely post natal depression and I was struggling to adjust after the birth... yet I was fine in the year after the birth until I had the coil fitted.

I adjusted my diet and started taking multivitamins and fish oil supplemnts as I thought perhaps my lack of energy was because I was so busy looking after LO that I wasn't eating properly but it made little difference.

Had an appoitment to get it removed but the nurse managed to convince me my symptoms aren't symptoms of the Mirena so still have it.

Have got another appointment today to remove it as I'm convinced the coil is causing all these problems! Just read about the 'Crash' here and can't believe that having it out may not be the end of it! Am soooo nervous : (

I just want to firstly say a massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time & effort to post on this thread, you have honestly changed my life.

I would like to share my story with you, I separated from my husband after a 16 year marriage last Nov & as I started to pick myself up I had to consider a method of birth control as my ex had the snip many years ago. As I had an issue with heavy periods my GP reccomended the Mirena, so in early feb I had it fitted. I felt that I was starting to deal with my break up and things were starting to get back to normal, until several months ago and I started to suffer from terrible anxiety & palpitations, the frightening thing for me was that this could happen for no particular reason, I become very scared & firstly thought it was due to my break up, but as I am a Health professional myself, I just thought I knew my own body & my mental health enough to think that something else was going on. I was not taking any medication & the Mirena was the only change that I could think of, so I googled Mirena & anxiety which lead me to this thread. I felt such a sense of relief reading other peoples post & I immediately thought I am going to get it removed even if it just to rule it out & then I would have to deal with my anixety if it wasnt linked. When I visited my GP she said very firmly that the Mirena would not cause anxiety & that she didnt want to remove it, but I stood my ground & said I needed it to be taken out. Well that was one month ago and I can safely say my GP was wrong & I feel 90% better already and I think the other 10% is just a natural reaction following my break up, I feel normal & in control of my feelings again & no palpitations at all. I think it is terrible that an IUD and cause these terrible side effects for some women & this should be researched further. Thanks again for sharing your experiences & I am delighted to feel normal again:)

It took me six months on citalopram to get the anxiety and depression under control after having a mirena coil, my worst moments were going to bed every night thinking it wouldn't be at all bad if I died in my sleep, I did not want to commit suicide but I wasn't that bothered about living because I felt so awful and I just wanted it to stop. The relief I felt when I googled mirena was immense, I went back to my gp and told her what had been happening and she said 'oh yes that can happen'. Thinking back now it's frightening how ill I felt.

Hi. I had the same type of coil and it cause a serious deppression,maybe it was because I had it fitted to soon after childbirth and it trigged my post natal deppression. I can not prove itbut deep down I feel this was the cause of this and then some events after that destroyed by life because of the deppression. Remove it get the copper coil would be my adviceif you even suspect it is because of this.

Also its worth bearing in mind that your brain and thoughts can make strange things happen so if you really think your becoming deppressed because of the M Coil then you may not feel better untill its removed even if this was not the caused the deppression for you.

Hello
I came across this thread this evening after trying to find info on effects of St Johns Wort on Mirena coil. I have been shocked at what I have read and wanted to share my feelings.

I have always been fairly highly strung and a bit of a control freak so when I presented to my GP in Nov 2011 and April this year with acute anxiety and panic I was willing to try whatever was offered and gladly commenced Citalopram 20mg. I have been feeling so much better since taking it but due to unwanted side effects decided today to ask GP about St Johns Wort.

I had the Mirena Coil fitted in April 2011 after finding that my periods were getting heavier after using the copper coil for 6 years and I fancied a change. Mirena Coil was always pushed as preferential but always ignored it until this time. 6 months after it going in I was commenced on Mirtazipine for anxiety but it never sat right with me and after 3 days I threw them in the bin. My anxiety, paranoia and forgetfulness increased so greatly, that April this year I took a month off work due to being overcome with feelings of helplessness and agitation and it was then that the GP started me on Citalopram. In the 12 months of having the coil in I have noticed a 2.5 stone weight gain, thinning hair, enormous breasts and complete lack of concentration. My insomnia has worsened and I just don't feel right.

I have argued with my GP today as I have low ferritin levels and blamed this for my depression even though he thinks I may always have been anaemic due to being vegetarian all my life. Not once did I mention Mirena and neither did he... Until now.

Looking back, this last 12 months have been the worst for me psychologically, I have a very loving husband and 2 children but even they have noticed how more uptight I was.

I will be making an appointment on Monday to have this device removed and will see if I notice a change in my anxiety levels once it's out. I will hang fire on the St Johns Wort as this thread has really interested me. I will post again once I have had it removed. I am so hoping that I will start to feel normal (albeit slightly highly strung as years before) soon! Ps I am a Midwife and Nurse and not completely bonkers which is how some people make you feel lol :0)

I have to add as a mild depressive and anxiety sufferer the coil has made no difference at all. According to my GP who specialises in placing these coils it contains the same as the pill and if you had no problems with the pill then the coil should be fine.

I love the coil its perfect and yes I get highs and lows but its deffinately not the coil.

Thank god I found this thread!!!

I have been experiencing anxiety, panic attacks and a sense of being overwhelmed and worrying constantly. I also suffer with headaches and migraines. Symptoms have got progressively worse over the past few months. My Dr put me on anti d's and beta blockers but I could not work out why I was feeling so low and completely out of control. I started to do some research on the mirena coil and anxiety and found this, what a relief to know I am not going mad! I had the mirena coil fitted 1st march 2012 and my symptoms started about May time. I was even taken to A&E with problems breathing and feeling light headed which turned out to be a panic attack!

I suffered with post natal depression after having my dd but that was 5 years ago and have been fine or years, never had a panic attack in my life! I have also never experienced such bad headaches and migraines along with my head feeling foggy all the time. My anxiety is through the roof and sometimes I think I'm going to pass out.

I went back to see my GP today and she does think it could be the coil causing my symptoms so is removing it next week. I am hoping this will resolve my problems and I can get back to being normal again. I'll post on here how I get on.

I hope other women pick up this thread and realise they don't have to suffer. The mirena coil should come with a warning of these possible side effects, it is evil!

I am in floods of tears here. Have been reading all these blogs for the past 3 hours, cant believe what i have been reading. I got the mirena coil fitted 3 years ago after i had my 3rd child for contraception reasons , I have just realised today that it is the cause to all my problems ,which is a big relief. My marraige is in a mess i cant agree with my husband about anything i feel he is alway against me and dosn want to be around me , i spoke to him this morning after reading this and he assures me he is still very much in love with me and wants the old bubbly , kind ,confident , caring , loving me back as quick as possible.
My symptoms have been the same as most people here sore breasts (was referred for a mammogram last year which came back clear), anxiety, mood swings , low self esteem, constant worrying, no interest in sex (havnt had sex in 6 months even when i was having it i didnt enjoy it so looking forward to getting my sex drive back).
I have an appointment with my Gynaecologist next friday , I am going private costing me 150 Euro i really dont care about the cost as long as i get relief.
Would love my husband to get the snip but he keeps saying no , so i am going to look into sterlization.
This is my first time to write on any website , have totally enjoyed reading other peoples success stories thank you all for this , will be in contact in the next week or so to keep you informed .

I hope your appointment goes well monaghanwoman, it sounds like you too have been suffering. I had the mirena coil out last Thursday, so nearly a week. I don't feel any better yet but hoping that once I get my period out of the way I Will start to feel normal again.

I think my anxiety has actually got worse over the past week and now I am emotional and crying a lot too. My period started yesterday and my boobs are still very sore, I couldn't lie on my front at all last night in bed because they were so painful. I really feel at the end of my tether, finding it hard to keep my chin up and soldier on. I try to hide it infront of my 5 year old daughter as don't want her knowing mummy is unwell. I sobbed my heart out tonight whilst cooking tea, at least it did make me feel slightly better, having a good cry!

I will keep you posted on how I feel in a few day, fingers crossed I start to feel normal and the headaches, anxiety, worrying, cloudy head, sore boobs and crying all go away!!! Oh yeah and no more panic attacks please!!!

Hello, I read all your posts yesterday and promptly phoned the FP clinic to have my mirena coil taken out. Have had it for 4 years and have experienced lots of what others are saying - anxiety, depression, panic, anger, back pain and general fatigue - all of which has become much worse recently. Had an appointment at the doctors this coming Monday to ask for anti-depressants, however am going to cancel this and see how things go. Coil removed earlier this morning, although woman at clinic clearly thought I was a hypochondriac, telling me there's absolutely no way the mirena could affect me in the way I was describing, and that she's never heard of anyone else with similar problems. I directed her to the Internet to get herself an education. I'll post again in a few weeks with an update. But in the meantime, thanks so much to everyone who has posted here - at times I've seriously thought I was mentally ill, and its been very reassuring to learn that I'm probably not.

Can't believe what I'm reading on here! I had the mirena coil fitted when my little girl was 12 weeks old (last October), went in painlessly and have been having regular periods since. I've been telling everyone how great it is and recommending it.
I can't really remember when it started but I feel like since I had my little girl I've just been feeling so over whelmed and weepy. I have no motivation to do anything and snap at the kids (I also have a 3yr old daughter) for the slightest thing and then burst into tears, hating myself for being such a bad mother. My health visitor diagnosed pnd at my daughters 1yr review and sent me to my doctors. The doctor referred me for councilling and offered me anti-depresents which I declined. I'm still waiting for my councilling but my health visitor thinks I've gotten worse and I'm due to go back to the doctor next week and I know she is going to push for anti-depressants again.
I heard about someone getting pregnant because her coil fell out so I decided to google it to see how common it is and was led to this thread and to say I'm shocked is an understatement!
I will be ringing my doctors first thing in the morning to make an appointment to get this thing our of me!!!

I thought I should write a post to update anyone who has been following this thread.

Where do I start! I have finally discovered what was causing my symptoms and it WASN'T the mirena coil. Things got worse and my symptoms especially anxiety, panic attacks, tiredness and brain fog got so bad that I broke down in work and was sent straight to my GP where they ran a blood test. I was shocked to discover that I have an under active thyroid. It all makes sense now, looking back at how gradually symptoms came on me.

My main reason for posting in here today is to tell you all that there could be another reason why you are having symptoms and it might not be the coil that is the problem. The trouble with diagnosing an under active thyroid is that there is a 'normal' range for thyroid function so if you are tested for it, results may come back normal but if like me your normal range drops then you will start to slowly show symptoms of what is called 'hypothyroidism'. Until your thyroid level drops to abnormal, that is only when it s picked up in a routine blood test. I am now taking thyroxine which takes a long time to kick in but slowly a
I am starting to feel better. No more panic attacks and far less anxiety, I don't feel 100% but getting there.

I've just been reading some posts on here and they sound very familiar to the symptoms of an under active thyroid. Other symptoms are irregular or painful periods, joint aches, especially in back, arms and legs, fatigue, weight gain (I didn't have that one surprisingly), confusion, memory loss and constipation. If you have any of these symptoms I'd get to your GP and ask for a thyroid function test. Normal thyroid range is 10-25.

Good luck ladies x x x

Hey ladies been researching on the net about the Mirena coil,

I had it put in 4 weeks ago now after having my baby girl, it's been awful! I was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder a few years ago and have gone through a lot of different meds to get me on the right track, but after having this its set of a whole load of trouble! Rage, anxiety, terrible mood swings depression the list goes on .... So have decided I'm having it removed, my health visitor did warn me that this might happen, so if any of you feel like this go and see your gp before it gets any worse. I'm hoping to get back to some normality when it's out. X

Just wanted to say thank god I found this site as I thought I was going stir crazy, I had the coil fitted 3 months ago against my wishes but was promised it was the best thing and everyone in the clinic wanted one apparently. Anyway a week after having it fitted I noticed I started feeling agitated all the time, since then i am an emotional wreck crying all the time and feeling so low with zero zest for life which isn't me at all. My poor husband is doing everything he can to be tolerant with me but I just can't help the way I feel, anyway enoughs enough now and I think I've just spoilt everyone's Christmas by being so miserable so I'm getting this horrible thing out on Thursday, here's hoping I can have my happy mental state back. We shouldn't have to suffer with these stupid hormones. Hope everyone's feeling better xx

I've had my second Mirena in for the last 2.5 yrs. My first was in for only a year or so, six months of that with severe anxiety that eventually responded to SSRIs. I blamed life events for that. Had it out to have another child, then returned back in 2010. Wham, within a couple of months I was back in the dark places. Not until a week ago did I put two and two together. Well, hopefully. Anybody who switched Mirena to Paragard IUD who had improved their anxiety issue? How long does it take to start feeling better? I have an appointment for a physical next week, my doc wants that first before she takes the Mirena out and gives me the Paragard. Thank you for any insight. This thread has simply changed my life. I am so angry for losing these years...

I,m amazed at the amount of comments on here regarding the Merina coil! I had mine fitted nearly five years ago, i bled initially for around 5 weeks which i was reassured would settle and it did. My periods completely stopped which was a great relief after suffering heavy long ones for years. I thought it was an amazing thing until.....1 year after having it fitted i had a death in my family and woke in the night with a panic attack, my shoulders/ upper back was burning, my heart was pounding and I could not settle at all, i can remember walking round in circles in my living room trying to slow my breathing down, eventually my husband called an ambulance and i was taken in, i was left in a little cubicle with a chair to calm down. After a while i decided to leave and felt as though i was stupid and an inconvience. When i got home i managed to go baxk to sleep but when i woke up in the morning i was in a right state....i completely lost all concentration, i was once again panicky, couldnt eat couldnt drink, couldnt sit still, couldnt be left alone i was completely out of my mind (or so i thought). Anyway went to docs a was put on anti D's and it was put down to the bereavement in my family. It took along time for the anti d's to work, i was infact in this state for 3 weeks before i started to feel better. Anyway we are now 4 years on and i am still on the anti d's as i tried to come off them around a year ago and started having panic attacks again so carried on with them. I mentioned to the doc about hormones and he ran a blood test to check it, it came back ok so that was ruled out. I just can't believe that the initial death has caused this for so long.....i still think its got something to do with the Mirena. Its great that i dont have a period but i do not want a new one inserted when this expires if its this causing my anxiety. I am still having random episodes of fear and burning shoulders, mainly when i am trying to go to sleep. Helpppppppp

OMG READ THIS PLEASE!!!!.... DONT GET THE COIL FITTED!!!!

Hi, im 21!

I had the marina coil fitted end of November 2012 - for the reason that i suffer from heavy periods and painfull ones, and was told by my gp this would help with that..since i had it fitted i bled EVERYDAY obs not like when your on a full blown period but eveyrday i had some kind of bleeding, and my actual periods where so heavy and painfull.. then i started to get really low and from then everything went down hill!! im usually a really confident happy person with a stress free life but since the coil, i started to become so depressed and self concious of myself and my body image. i would cry nearly every day!!! and hated life and just wanted to hide myself away from everyone! i lost all my self confidence and my mood swings were terrible. i also lost a alot of hair! me and my bf started arguing alot due to the fact i was so down and was gettin him down!!! i honestly can say i even had days where i didnt care if i was to die!!!! ive never sufferd from depression or anything like that b4! i also started to get regular panic attacks!! i finally went to the gp and decided to have the coil removed hoping this would be the reason for my current state of mind. i had it removed a week and half ago february 18th 2013. I can honestly say since then i feel like the girl i was before i had the coil fitted! i havnt cried once and im feeling confident and happy within myself agaiin!! i honeslty think having the coil fitted was the most worst desicsion of my life!! i never want to feel like that again!!! if your thinking of getting the coil fitted please be aware of the side affects as i was not warned about these when i went to have mine fitted!!! i would NEVER recomend the coil myself xxxx

Thank goodness for threads like these! I honestly thought I was loosing the plot and will to live before I came across your posts.

I had the Mirena fitted in September 2012 - one year after having my first child. It sounded like the perfect contraception -"last 5 years and little/no periods after 6 months". I thought why would any woman want any other contraception.

Well little did I know that my life would turned upside down thereafter. Depression and anxiety set in and my brain felt murky all the time. I wasn't functioning in meetings at work, was constantly snapping at those closest to me, felt like I had a ton of bricks sitting on my chest by the end of the day and just felt like running away all the time. It only dawned on me that the Mirena could be causing all this ill feeling (and not the usual stress of life) when a friend mentioned that she felt like a different person when she had it removed. Thanks to your posts, I called the doctor immediately and scheduled for it to be removed yesterday. I look so forward to feeling normal again in the next coming days!

Thank you ladies.

Thank you ladies for all of your posts. I literally feel like I have been living in Hell on Earth for the last 10 months. Like many of you, I have felt at times like I was literally going crazy and that I would never be happy again. Here is my story.

I had my first child last March of 2012 and had the Mirena inserted at the end of April 2012. I have suffered from depression and anxiety in the past and have been on many anti-depressants, benzos, mood stabilizers, etc. When I found out I was pregnant, I stopped taking all medications. I started walking every day for at least 20 minutes and started taking a huge amount of vitamins, including high doses of fish oil. Well..whatever I was doing must have worked because I hadn't felt so good in many years. After I had my son in March 2012, I still felt really good. No post partum depression which was a huge relief. It was in July of 2012 that something changed. I started feeling this nagging anxiety that would come and go. I started fighting with my boyfriend all the time which added to the anxiety. My ability to cope with stressful situations was down to zero. As the months went by, the anxiety got worse and worse to the point that I felt anxious every single second of the day. The only way I can describe it is it felt like I had drank four cups of coffee on an empty stomach. I was jittery, scatter-brained, shaky, moody and just felt plain awful. I only had to think of a negative thought in my head, and my body would go into panic mode that I couldn't get out of. Elevated pulse, shaking hands, inability to concentrate, memory problems, etc.

In addition to the anxiety, I have felt this debilitating fatigue about 70% of the time. For many months I attributed that to being a new mom with an infant who didn't sleep through the night. When my son started sleeping all night, I became concerned that no matter how much I slept, I was so tired. I was walking around like a zombie all the time.

The memory/focus/concentration issues have be so terrible as well. I have to write everything down or else I forget simple things almost immediately.

In addition to the above, I have felt waves of depression and absolutely no sex drive. In fact, the idea is kind of repulsive. (That is definitely not ordinary for me). I am slightly naseous most days and have very little appetite.

During this time I started a new job after being out of the work force for nearly two years. It has been a daily struggle just to keep this job as I fell terrible every second of the day.

I have been two several doctors and they just want to put me back on mood stabilizers and anti-anxietys meds. I refuse to go down that path as I am very skeptical of pharmaceuticals at this point.

After googling Mirena and anxiety, my suspicious began to grow that these terrible symptoms are hormonal and related to the Mirena. I pray this is the answer for me and I have schedule with my doctor to have the Mirena removed on April 1st.

I certainly hope I notice a difference within a couple weeks of removal and I will update my post if I get noticeable results.

I am SO glad everyone took the time to post so I was able to get a possible solution for my very debilitataing issues. I know in my heart that if these symptoms continue, I will lose my job, my friends and my sanity!!!

Hi All,

I have read the above posts with great interest. I had a mirena fitted in feb last year following diagnosis of endometriosis. After several weeks of bleeding constantly then spotting, things did settle down - I now have no pain, no periods and from that point of view things are great. However, since having it in I have never cried so much in my life. Pre mirena I wasn't a tearful person, but I reckon I cry most weeks now over the smallest thing and without any real rationale. I'm not really sure what to do. I have no children, I am single, and have no desire to go on any medication, but I don't think I can go on like this for much longer. What is priortiy, well being or the pain threshold?

I thought I was becoming a monster. I had my Mirena placed in April 2013. I've only had it for about a 6 weeks. In these six weeks I've experienced aggression, uncontrolled anxiety, EXTREME mood swings, and aggressive thoughts and suicidal ideations.

Now, I've dealt with PPD and that stemmed into manic-depression. Never have I ever felt this low or this unstable. I don't feel in control. The past two weeks my actions and feelings have caused me a separation from my son's father and I have become a person to fear in my family. I've even become afraid of myself! I'm grateful that my son has not seen any of my outlandish behaviors.

Anyhow, I made the decision to research the root of the cause of this sudden change and first spoke with my psychiatrist about it possibly being due to other hormonal issues I've experienced and not just an extreme manic/depressive episode. I explained that I've had to go through various methods of hormone therapies to tackle some uterine issues and was advised by my ob/gyn that an IUD would be last resort. I simply asked my psych, "Could the hormones that I'm on and off with and possibly the Mirena hormones trigger depressive episodes for me?" The doctor told me it could send me into a depressive state but he wouldn't relate it to the Mirena. I thought What?! Did you just say yes and no in the same sentence? So I did research on all the medicine that I've recently had to take and find a root to this new behavior.

I started in on the anxiety, the negative thoughts, and the constant crying. It began with the Mirena. So I looked up side effects and even checked out forums because I feel like sometimes manufacturers omit some serious stuff. Sure enough I've found that I'm not the only person going through these extremes. Some women didn't have them until later than others or didn't realize it until later but the symptoms are linked nonetheless. There was so much hopelessness that I've dragged into in the past few weeks. I seriously feel like such a monster.

I've found hope. I'm calling my ob/gyn doctor first thing Monday morning and getting this thing removed!!