Hormonal birth control, yay or nay. Is my Mirena making me sick?

[Ellefunch]

I know everyone is different and our bodies and hormones change throughout our lives but was wondering if anyone wanted to weigh in on how they feel about hormonal birth control. I currently have a Mirena IUD which I've had for just over 4 years. I've been having various ailments for the last 2.5 years and I'm starting to wonder if my Mirena may be the cause. I spoke with my doctor and she told me that my issues were not documented side effects of the Mirena and because I was one of the lucky ones to have my period stop with it that I should not think about taking it out. I have to admit not having a period for almost 4 years has been great (but is that REALLY the best thing for my body?) and not having to worry about pregnancy is fantastic.
But overall I just haven't felt like myself, my testosterone and dopamine are low and my cortisol is high. I gain weight really easy and have a really hard time losing weight, I'm consistently up 20lbs from my previous easily maintained weight set point (my doctor said its just because I'm older now so I need to work out more and eat less even though I work out 6 days a week including strength training and running, walk 4 miles a day and eat a predominantly whole food and plant focused diet.) My fingers are swollen, I can no longer wear my wedding ring. I wake up in the morning feeling like I didn't sleep, my energy is low, and I just move slower. My mind is foggy and I find myself forgetting things more often. My moods are all over the place and I just often feel sad or angry without understanding why. I'm easily overwhelmed and don't deal well with stress. Now admittedly I've always been a bit of an anxious person and clearly 2020 didn't help with that, but it feels so much more consistent that it ever was before the Mirena. I have issues with my neck, pressure behind my eyes and sporadic pain that often wakes me up at night. Sporadic and random chest pain (had a whole cardiology workup and nothing was found) All of these things could have other causes but they all started within a short time of each other after I'd had the Mirena. Am I crazy? Is my Mirena making me sick? I know that no one can answer that question for me but I'd love to hear some other experiences. I have listened to podcasts on the topic and while many of my symptoms are talked about I haven't heard mention of sustained weigh gain, swelling, chest pain or neck issues.
Anyone out there have Mirena (or any other birth control) success stories or horror stories they want to share? Do you use a non hormonal method that you can recommend?
I think I'm going to push to have my Mirena removed, see how I feel and just chart my cycle.

 

[Frazzled Minnie]

I had crazy mood swings and just felt outside myself while I was on the pill. I truly believe that doctors have our best interests in mind when they recommend hormonal birth control. They look at the data and recommend the option with the highest efficacy. After all we go in there saying I want something that is going to keep me from getting pregnant. It does feel very much like being stuck between a rock and a hard place though. I stopped taking the pill and we use condoms now. I'll admit I still get a little nervous about it, we have 3 kids and I'm really done. I wish there was a no fail non hormonal option other than abstinence. Theres the copper IUD but that can cause heavy periods and there is some talk about risks from the copper itself. I haven't looked at that in any detail because the thought of heavy periods ruled that one out for me. Honesty genuine question, why would you consider keeping the IUD if you think it's making you sick?

 

[Ellefunch]

I had crazy mood swings and just felt outside myself while I was on the pill. I truly believe that doctors have our best interests in mind when they recommend hormonal birth control. They look at the data and recommend the option with the highest efficacy. After all we go in there saying I want something that is going to keep me from getting pregnant. It does feel very much like being stuck between a rock and a hard place though. I stopped taking the pill and we use condoms now. I'll admit I still get a little nervous about it, we have 3 kids and I'm really done. I wish there was a no fail non hormonal option other than abstinence. Theres the copper IUD but that can cause heavy periods and there is some talk about risks from the copper itself. I haven't looked at that in any detail because the thought of heavy periods ruled that one out for me. Honesty genuine question, why would you consider keeping the IUD if you think it's making you sick?

I forgot to add that I developed painful cystic acne, my doctor agreed that was likely caused by the Mirena and gave me a prescription to get that under control. So now I'm on two hormone altering drugs.

That's a really good question and I keep asking that myself. I guess there are a few things. I'm concerned that I'm really going to have to push my doctor to remove it and that's just a hassle. I'm also concerned its going to hurt like a bitch. But my biggest concern is that I'm getting my hopes up too much. What if I get it removed and in 6 months I feel exactly as I do now except with the added fun of a painful and heavy monthly period? It seems too good to be true to think that I can just get the Mirena removed and in a few months I'll feel like my old self again.

 

[I'm Fine...]

I forgot to add that I developed painful cystic acne, my doctor agreed that was likely caused by the Mirena and gave me a prescription to get that under control. So now I'm on two hormone altering drugs.

That's a really good question and I keep asking that myself. I guess there are a few things. I'm concerned that I'm really going to have to push my doctor to remove it and that's just a hassle. I'm also concerned its going to hurt like a bitch. But my biggest concern is that I'm getting my hopes up too much. What if I get it removed and in 6 months I feel exactly as I do now except with the added fun of a painful and heavy monthly period? It seems too good to be true to think that I can just get the Mirena removed and in a few months I'll feel like my old self again.

I can completely relate to your fear of getting your hopes up! I was just talking to a friend about that recently. I'm a self proclaimed self help junkie so I'm constantly searching for that thing (behavior, knowledge, product, whatever) that will make my problem(s) go away. So many times I've had that feeling of this time I've found the solution and everything is going to be better only to have it stay the same or cause me to be even more overwhelmed and then make the situation worse. Sorry that's not really at all helpful to you but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in feeling that way!
On the specific topic on the Mirena you could have it taken out and if you don't feel better get another one couldn't you?

 

[Ellefunch]

I can completely relate to your fear of getting your hopes up! I was just talking to a friend about that recently. I'm a self proclaimed self help junkie so I'm constantly searching for that thing (behavior, knowledge, product, whatever) that will make my problem(s) go away. So many times I've had that feeling of this time I've found the solution and everything is going to be better only to have it stay the same or cause me to be even more overwhelmed and then make the situation worse. Sorry that's not really at all helpful to you but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in feeling that way!
On the specific topic on the Mirena you could have it taken out and if you don't feel better get another one couldn't you?

Thanks!
That is most likely the approach I'll take. Have it removed and just keep in mind that I can get another one down the road if I'd like. The decision doesn't have to be permanent one. It's just that route is an extra potentially painful procedure. Why aren't there some more male birth control options!?!

 

[Lost Girl]

That sounds awful, I hope you can find a solution one way or another. Its so frustrating that as women our physical concerns are often brushed aside by medical professionals. We aren't crazy!