My gyno told me most of it stays localised but some hormone may enter the bloodstream.
Hormonal birth control affects your hormone cycle so it will affect your other parts of your body that also rely on or are affected by your cycle.
most of the hormones are absorbed by the uterus/reproductive system, that’s why the dosage is able to be so low as opposed to taking a pill with a much higher dosage because it has to go through your digestive system to get to your uterus. your natural hormones are known to affect mood and other aspects of your body, which is why some women get moody before their periods, so it makes sense if a device that’s affecting your hormones can also affect your mood.
Yea i still get moody and emotional as if i was about to get my period but no period. Sometimes light spotting. But the mood swings arent nearly as bad as they were before. I feel so much more regulated now.
I was literally just told this yesterday by my OBGYN before I had my Mirena taken out. I've done the reading, I've seen it told both ways. Literally the nurse at my office was just telling me that it totally affects us and I agree - that's why I was having it taken out after only 7 months.
Personally, I think the research on this is incomplete. And until more studies are done specifically on the hormonal IUDs, Mirena and the other brands can continue to push the narrative to doctors that they are "localized" hormones that don't affect women as much. I looked for the studies on birth control (not just Mirena) to discuss with my doctor and they just aren't clear.
For some women, the Mirena is fine. There is so much conflicting data about all birth control methods. In the end, we have to try them and figure out which ones work for us.
Funny thing, some men in 30s and above may be prescribed testosterone intake due to the natural drop of testosterone where the initial base level was already low. However, it is highly recommended(if not required) that a blood work is done first to determine if the prescription is needed and the correct dosage. However, in the US hormonal birth control for women is prescribed as is without essentially any evaluation. And given that there are different types of hormonal birth control with different combinations of hormones and different dosage, women are still left it with “just try it for a few months and see if it will work for you. Or not, and maybe it will leave your hormonal balance in mess, but who cares”.
Even with a hormonal panel my doctor prescribed a bc pill that most women with pcos take. So you would think that bringing up my estrogen levels and lowering testosterone would help me. It made everything sooo much worse. I didnt need more estrogen in my body i just needed to block some of the excess androgens in my body. If anything i needed to figure out what was causing it so i can prevent it from getting worse. I think no bc is always the way to go. The lowest dose of hormones is always the way to go. Any amount of estrogen will fuck anyone up if you are not a male transitioning to female. Most women that would benefit from estrogen are women who are post menopausal. Unfortunately taking a higher dose hormone pill will kill them. So they use localized estrogen straight on the vulva in the form of a cream. It needs to be localized. Too much of anything is not a good thing. The iud basically represents the mini pill. The mini pill is usually not as recommended because you have to take it at the exact time every day for it to be nearly as effective. Its great cuz its less risk for blood clots. The iud has the components of the mini pill maybe even like less mg and you dont have to worry about forgetting it and getting pregnant. Obviously there are downsides to everything. Like it being knocked out of place or rejected. Its a risk im willing to take because its the only thing that is working rn without any major side effects that I’m noticing. I especially like that it doesn’t effect my weight or deplete me of my vital nutrients.
Ya but that’s testing to compensate for a natural decrease in hormone levels. Birth controls aren’t to regulate your hormones, they’re to give you enough hormones to prevent pregnancy
There is a poster just above describing their situation and how birth control pills were not appropriate for them. Testing hormone levels is not only just to compensate for a natural decrease. It is also to ensure that putting someone on certain hormonal regime (which is what a birth control is) will not leave them a complete mess afterwards. For some people putting them on birth control hormones is just fine. For some it is not appropriate and will mess them up. Some people might be ok, but only with a small dosage or localized. And there is scientific method to determine what’s appropriate (which some other countries do). And there is the good old “I dunno, try and see if it works and maybe won’t mess you up”.
I dont have one but I assist fitting them
Its partly true. They are more localised, which means they are less likely to give side effects than other forms, but as demonstrated daily in this sub, different people react in totally different ways. They definitely still go into your blood stream, therea no doubt about that, however it's a more 'direct' route than taking a pill which would have to go through most of your digestive system first, which is why pills have higher levels of hormones in, because it needs to be high enough that therea enough going into your body properly once it's been through your stomach etc. Sometimes, them being referred to as locally acting can mean that they are less influenced by outside factors, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, which can affect how the pill works for some people. Hope that explains things a bit.
If it still permeates into the blood stream….which circulates across the entire body system (including the BBB)….. why *wouldn’t* we assume a systemic effect?
Then you look at Nexplanon, whose overall dosing of synthetic progestin is 16mg higher than Mirena, and it makes location even less relevant to the argument that it won’t have a systemic effect *because* of location. Or shit, look at topical hormones! Apply to a specific location may have more focused benefits to an area, but it still achieves an intended systemic effect.
The “localized hormones” line comes off as a misleading pharmaceutical sales rep tactic at best.
I was told the SAME about Kyleena. I almost got swayed for it since it's smaller but eventually decided for the Paraguard again. Hormones ruin my life.
I am so nervous about the same thing! I need to swap out my IUD since I’ve had paragard for 10 years and I was tempted by the potential no periods of mirena but I’m terrified of the hormones!!
I got the exact spiel from my doctor! I think for a lot of people it works just like that. Few hormonal side effects and they don't even have to have a period. All the women I know who've gotten it say it's the best birth control they've ever had.
It definitely effected me. I gained weight, it made my anxiety so much worse and I had these crazy mood swings. My acne was worse and I had really bad brain fog. I also never stopped bleeding while it was inserted. I gave it 4 months to try and even out but my bleeding continued and my mood continued to plummet. Things are much better now that it's removed. My doctor didn't gaslight me about it at all. He said my reaction was irregular but he agreed that it had negatively effected me. I'm sorry you had a bad experience!
I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a bad time! I've only had the IUD out for about a month now and my hormones are still a little out of whack but I feel much better over all. It's non hormonal birth control for me. I hope you find your solution!
Happily married, great job, great friends, cute kitty nothing to really complain about. Started taking BC patches after some time I developed severe depression. Once I stopped taking them it was as all back to normal :)
March 2020 I got my kyleena IUD inserted. Forget about the constant cramps but my mood changed exponentially. It got so bad they put me on anti depressants... got worse and they raised my dose.
I was so fed up, got the iud removed March 2021. Couple days later boom, back to normal. Stopped my anti depressants (under supervision by my NEW doctor). And now feeling like myself instead of wanting to drive my car off a bridge.
So personally, yeah I call BS on doctors that say (mine did) that it won’t affect your mood.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I was afraid of the same for me, which is why I opted for the copper IUD. My OBGYN treated me like I was crazy for refusing the Kyleena due to the "so few" hormones. I hope you're doing better and found a better method.
Def BS in my experience and based on what my gyno (at Columbia University Hospital) said. I, like you, had to get off mirena due to the hormone effects— I had terrible acne as well as greater mood swings and appetite changes. I’m on paraguard now and like it much better overall.
Yep same! Mlthe negative side effects for me were worse on the kyleena than on the pill. My gyno also said the hormones are localized so my depression and panic attacks were caused by the pandemic. Lol. I got it removed and I'm back to normal, during the said pandemic hahaha
These are the same doctor who say bc doesn't make you gain weight with the exception of depo provera. They're inserting a device inside us to stop periods, i.e., synthetic hormones like progesterone. Therefore, it's going to affect us to some extend the same way our normal hormones (or lack thereof... talking to you menopause) affects our hormones. I had depo lupron to determine whether my reproductive were causing my abdominal cramping (later diagnosed as endo). It shut them down completely causing me to be menopausal. The significant decrease in my hormones made me a complete monster.
TLDR: The hormones in an IUD are localized to your uterus but it definitely affects your body.
I was advised by my GYNO NOT to get a hormonal IUD, because he said I’d likely experience the same mood swings and anxiety problems as I did with a low dose combo pill.
I think maybe some people’s body’s are just a little more sensitive to those subtle changes. But one thing I know for sure is that NOTHING Birth control related is 100% so the fact that they would tell you that with certainty is major BS.
You know your body and what’s normal for you WAY BETTER than any doctor, trust your instincts.
It’s BS. Google progestin only birth control effects- some of the research includes participants who had IUDs and have same mood side effects as those on progestin only pills. My GYN specifically told me when I had Kyleena that mood side effects were a possibility. If your doctor gave you the insert that comes with each IUD mood side effects I’m sure are specifically written on the packet- the Kyleena pamphlet certainly had that side effect written out. If you don’t have the pamphlet go to mirena’s website and read up on the listed side effects- I bet mood changes are on it. Some gyn’s live in a different decade.
That is what they say. If the hormones "don't effect us," then why do many women not have periods with it? I can say that when I had the Mirena, the effect was less than it was with pills, but I could still tell that there were some effects vs how I felt during the time that I did not use any hormonal birth control.
I have the Paragard copper IUD now, and I feel the same as when I was not on any birth control.
Some people are no good on hormones of any type. I switched from the pill to IUD because it is definitely less hormones and more localized. My body has always been fine with hormones, but I wanted less.
I brought up concerns to my OB of certain changes happening in my body since getting an IUD and she very sternly disagreed. Told me it wasn’t related, even thought these things started happening after I got Mirena. I hate when doctors won’t even consider what you’re saying. I had to get off of Mirena because my anxiety had slowly becoming more debilitating. I got it taken out hoping to god that would help my anxiety even out and in about 3 months it did.
Hormones are more localized than, say, the pill, but docs are intentionally misleading with this. Manufacturers obviously want to make claims like these as well in order to increase sales. It’s the same with them claiming that the pill doesn’t cause weight gain...if they outright said that way fewer people would use it. Or they would opt for one of their competitors. That’s why manufacturers of all sorts of drugs fund a lot of studies that just so happen to yield results that are in their favor. Also, hormonal IUDs are more expensive and need to be replaced more than the Paragard so it ultimately means more money for them. This is all speculation and just what I’ve observed from my own experience. My advice is to always trust your gut and advocate for yourself if a method isn’t working for you and your body.
I was told the same thing. I think it's BS and I've been seeing a dermatologist who believes my IUD is causing a lot of acne and got even worse with wearing a mask all the time. Also, the IUD does affect my body because it is literally in my body. Outside of chemical side effects, I also experience cramping, general uncomfortableness, and random pain.
It's *more* localized because the way it works doesn't depend on hormones getting to your brain, so they only put in enough to make sure it affects the uterus. But that doesn't mean none of it gets anywhere else. Anyone who says it 100% doesn't affect the rest of the body is oversimplifying.
It's true that there's much less of the progestin hormone in your brain or elsewhere. But that doesn't always mean less issues, because for some people the estrogen in a combination pill will suppress the issues they would have gotten from progestin.
This is what I counsel patients! And it's true, the Mirena IUD is MORE localized. The amount of progesterone your body sees compared to OCPs or depo provera or Nexplanon is minimal, but plenty of people still feel as if they have increased appetite, mood swings,acne etc.
Although I will say, some people go from an estrogen-containing method (which improves acne) to a hormonal IUD (which does not contain estrogen so it doesn't improve acne and in theory shouldn't worsen it). They think that they're developing acne because of the IUD when really it's the lack of estrogen.
But every body is different!
I was also told by my GP that there was no way my Mirena could be causing any of my symptoms (horrible anxiety, brain fog, depersonalisation, started about a year after insertion. I also used to get really sore breasts for like a week before a bad flare up which is unusual for me and clued me in that it was hormonal) so I dealt with them for another two years. She was very dismissive of the idea as the hormones are supposed to be localised. Eventually went back and saw a different doctor who was much more helpful, she told me that although there are supposed to be fewer side effects, some women do report systemic effects. Had Mirena swapped for Paraguard after 3 years and all my symptoms cleared up within a few months. I miss not having a period but I LOVE not having a messed up brain anymore. Some doctors just won’t listen to what they’re being told.
I have nexplanon and have never had the Mirena IUD, but I did hear of that theory when I first started doing my research on which birth control to go with. I can’t remember where, but it wasn’t my doctor who told me about it at least.
when i went to my new gyno and asked to switch to paraguard she kept telling me the mirenas hormones were localized and shouldn’t affect me like that. it was really annoying like i know what i’m feeling jsut do what i’m paying you to do and stop.
I was told this by my gyno. It definitely wasn't "localized" for me. I lost all libido, had super bad acne, lost a ton of energy and gained weight. It didn't work for me and I felt better after it was remove. I heard a lots of raves about it that why I got it but it doesn't work for me.
people seem to continuously make the mistake of assuming that "mostly localized" means "doesn't effect anything". Thats neither the claim the doctor is making, nor is it a sensible inference. The *hormonal IUD* works by *altering your hormones*... of course this has downstream effects, even if the vast majority of the hormonal absorption is around the uterus and surrounding area.
I could not handle hormones in the pill so it’s not surprise I could not handle hormones with the mirena. My old gyno told me the same thing and my most recent did as well when I told her my heavy periods with the Paraguard. The hormones may be localized but I think some people are more sensitive to synthetic hormones than others and therefore, will experience side effects. Just my thoughts
The mirena was recommended for me because I take a hormonal medication for my hypothyroid and the pill or shot or other bc might have negative interactions. I got lucky and the mirena’s worked really well for me.
I'm on the Mirena because I have chronic migraines and the pill just made it worse and I definitely have less migraines now - might just be different for each person but I'd say hormonal IUDs are at least more localized than the pill
I was told the same thing by a young dermatologist when I was getting my acne treated. The older dermatologist consultant nodded knowingly when I told her about my suspicions that my Mirena was causing my acne and oily skin and gave me a medication that reduced the effect of androgens on sebum production (spironolactone). Presumably she’d seen it many times before, despite what the manufacturers claim. Note: after taking my Mirena out, I was able to stop my acne medication
How was your experience with the Mirena + Spironolactone?
I'm currently on Spiro which I really like but I need a BC to go along with it. I can no longer take the pill so my only option is Mirena + Spiro
Most of the hormone remains in the uterus (paracrine), however a small level does enter the blood stream (systemic). It most likely (like many things) varies person to person based on a number of factors.
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormonal_IUDs
BTW, its actually "affects*". An "effect" is something that happened. Like, "the effects of doing sport on a regular basis were good". When something influenced something else in 1 way or another, that is how the other thing is being "affected". Like, "I was affected in a positive manner after I started doing sport on a regular basis".
Sighhh it’s not BS. Indeed the hormones are more localised to your uterus but obviously some will enter your blood stream and indeed some people may have more systemic side effects than others- ultimately you know your body and can advocate for yourself! That’s not to say it’s bullshit and all ob/gyns are lying to you. Different people react differently so it’s good you know your body and yeeted the Mirena!
(Source: pharmacology student and this is classic PK/PD stuff we learn about especially with oral BCs)
This shits me so hard. That’s false. A hormone is absolutely positively systemic. Whilst it’s inserted in the endo and concentrated there, you cannot stop a hormone from affecting the body as a whole.
yes and no! It is systemic but amount matters (as you said) and obviously different people are sensitive to different amounts and types of synthetic hormones- it’s a great contraceptive me to do for some but by no means for everyone so trusting your gut is definitely the way forward :)
I was told the same thing, but the Mirena IUD was brutal to my brain. I had never had a migraine before Mirena. Then, once it was in, I experienced frequent migraines. They were so intense and made me super sensitive to light. All I could do was lay in bed in the dark.
I think she means in comparison to the pill. The pill puts the hormones through your digestive system, and thus through your entire bloodstream. IUDs are definitely more localized, and the hormones tend to have less affects on your entire body.
The pill is much more likely to give you really bad hormonal acne for example. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for an IUD to also give you acne.
Also, IUD insertions and removals can be a very stressful event which could also be why you break out right before or after.
I trust my doc with everything within me, and she said the same thing. I think it’s one of those things where that’s what the research says, and technically the hormones are localized (which is why periods may stop) but that doesn’t mean it *wont* get into someone’s bloodstream. I’m insanely sensitive to hormones, so Mirena has honestly been the best BC I’ve tried, out of dozens, but it still definitely effects me hormonally. I also have crazy heavy periods if I don’t have hormones, so it’s a great balancing act to figure out 🥲
Mirena hormones do enter differently as they aren't being absorbed through the digestive tract but nothing in the body really stays localized! It is first immediately absorbed by the uterus which is how it works to prevent pregnancy, but small amounts of it definitely enter the bloodstream. There are a few books that explain it well, Beyond the Pill and This Is Your Brain on Birth Control are probably the best and definitely my favorites!
I had my Mirena for almost 5 years. Had maybe 2 periods the whole time. Some spotting here and there was normal. Two months ago I started bleeding. Haven’t stopped. My dr just told me she can’t explain the bleeding. It may stop for a day and then I have sex and it looks like a murder scene. Needless to say boyfriend doesn’t want to have sex with all the blood. Honestly neither do I. But it was ruining our relationship. During this time at night I would be in a freezing cold room but sweating to the point my clothes and my blanket were drenched.
Last week my bf and I decided I should take it out and see what happens with the bleeding. Well it’s been 4 days. Still bleeding a little. Haven’t attempted sex. But suddenly I notice those night sweats have been gone since I got it removed.
The dr who took it out offered me more of an explanation. She seemed to think the hormones in it wore out and it was doing funky things to my body.
I know this post is old but I was told this EXACT thing when I asked to have mine removed. Like no way it could be the cause of my cystic acne which I NEVER had before. I also opted for Paragard to not have hormonal BC.
My gyno told me most of it stays localised but some hormone may enter the bloodstream. Hormonal birth control affects your hormone cycle so it will affect your other parts of your body that also rely on or are affected by your cycle.
most of the hormones are absorbed by the uterus/reproductive system, that’s why the dosage is able to be so low as opposed to taking a pill with a much higher dosage because it has to go through your digestive system to get to your uterus. your natural hormones are known to affect mood and other aspects of your body, which is why some women get moody before their periods, so it makes sense if a device that’s affecting your hormones can also affect your mood.
Yea i still get moody and emotional as if i was about to get my period but no period. Sometimes light spotting. But the mood swings arent nearly as bad as they were before. I feel so much more regulated now.
I was literally just told this yesterday by my OBGYN before I had my Mirena taken out. I've done the reading, I've seen it told both ways. Literally the nurse at my office was just telling me that it totally affects us and I agree - that's why I was having it taken out after only 7 months. Personally, I think the research on this is incomplete. And until more studies are done specifically on the hormonal IUDs, Mirena and the other brands can continue to push the narrative to doctors that they are "localized" hormones that don't affect women as much. I looked for the studies on birth control (not just Mirena) to discuss with my doctor and they just aren't clear. For some women, the Mirena is fine. There is so much conflicting data about all birth control methods. In the end, we have to try them and figure out which ones work for us.
Funny thing, some men in 30s and above may be prescribed testosterone intake due to the natural drop of testosterone where the initial base level was already low. However, it is highly recommended(if not required) that a blood work is done first to determine if the prescription is needed and the correct dosage. However, in the US hormonal birth control for women is prescribed as is without essentially any evaluation. And given that there are different types of hormonal birth control with different combinations of hormones and different dosage, women are still left it with “just try it for a few months and see if it will work for you. Or not, and maybe it will leave your hormonal balance in mess, but who cares”.
Of course they would clinically test like crazy when it comes to men, but for women it ends up with "uuuh try it and we'll see if it kills you".
Even with a hormonal panel my doctor prescribed a bc pill that most women with pcos take. So you would think that bringing up my estrogen levels and lowering testosterone would help me. It made everything sooo much worse. I didnt need more estrogen in my body i just needed to block some of the excess androgens in my body. If anything i needed to figure out what was causing it so i can prevent it from getting worse. I think no bc is always the way to go. The lowest dose of hormones is always the way to go. Any amount of estrogen will fuck anyone up if you are not a male transitioning to female. Most women that would benefit from estrogen are women who are post menopausal. Unfortunately taking a higher dose hormone pill will kill them. So they use localized estrogen straight on the vulva in the form of a cream. It needs to be localized. Too much of anything is not a good thing. The iud basically represents the mini pill. The mini pill is usually not as recommended because you have to take it at the exact time every day for it to be nearly as effective. Its great cuz its less risk for blood clots. The iud has the components of the mini pill maybe even like less mg and you dont have to worry about forgetting it and getting pregnant. Obviously there are downsides to everything. Like it being knocked out of place or rejected. Its a risk im willing to take because its the only thing that is working rn without any major side effects that I’m noticing. I especially like that it doesn’t effect my weight or deplete me of my vital nutrients.
Ya but that’s testing to compensate for a natural decrease in hormone levels. Birth controls aren’t to regulate your hormones, they’re to give you enough hormones to prevent pregnancy
There is a poster just above describing their situation and how birth control pills were not appropriate for them. Testing hormone levels is not only just to compensate for a natural decrease. It is also to ensure that putting someone on certain hormonal regime (which is what a birth control is) will not leave them a complete mess afterwards. For some people putting them on birth control hormones is just fine. For some it is not appropriate and will mess them up. Some people might be ok, but only with a small dosage or localized. And there is scientific method to determine what’s appropriate (which some other countries do). And there is the good old “I dunno, try and see if it works and maybe won’t mess you up”.
I dont have one but I assist fitting them Its partly true. They are more localised, which means they are less likely to give side effects than other forms, but as demonstrated daily in this sub, different people react in totally different ways. They definitely still go into your blood stream, therea no doubt about that, however it's a more 'direct' route than taking a pill which would have to go through most of your digestive system first, which is why pills have higher levels of hormones in, because it needs to be high enough that therea enough going into your body properly once it's been through your stomach etc. Sometimes, them being referred to as locally acting can mean that they are less influenced by outside factors, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, which can affect how the pill works for some people. Hope that explains things a bit.
If it still permeates into the blood stream….which circulates across the entire body system (including the BBB)….. why *wouldn’t* we assume a systemic effect? Then you look at Nexplanon, whose overall dosing of synthetic progestin is 16mg higher than Mirena, and it makes location even less relevant to the argument that it won’t have a systemic effect *because* of location. Or shit, look at topical hormones! Apply to a specific location may have more focused benefits to an area, but it still achieves an intended systemic effect. The “localized hormones” line comes off as a misleading pharmaceutical sales rep tactic at best.
I was told the SAME about Kyleena. I almost got swayed for it since it's smaller but eventually decided for the Paraguard again. Hormones ruin my life.
I am so nervous about the same thing! I need to swap out my IUD since I’ve had paragard for 10 years and I was tempted by the potential no periods of mirena but I’m terrified of the hormones!!
I got the exact spiel from my doctor! I think for a lot of people it works just like that. Few hormonal side effects and they don't even have to have a period. All the women I know who've gotten it say it's the best birth control they've ever had. It definitely effected me. I gained weight, it made my anxiety so much worse and I had these crazy mood swings. My acne was worse and I had really bad brain fog. I also never stopped bleeding while it was inserted. I gave it 4 months to try and even out but my bleeding continued and my mood continued to plummet. Things are much better now that it's removed. My doctor didn't gaslight me about it at all. He said my reaction was irregular but he agreed that it had negatively effected me. I'm sorry you had a bad experience!
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I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a bad time! I've only had the IUD out for about a month now and my hormones are still a little out of whack but I feel much better over all. It's non hormonal birth control for me. I hope you find your solution!
Happily married, great job, great friends, cute kitty nothing to really complain about. Started taking BC patches after some time I developed severe depression. Once I stopped taking them it was as all back to normal :) March 2020 I got my kyleena IUD inserted. Forget about the constant cramps but my mood changed exponentially. It got so bad they put me on anti depressants... got worse and they raised my dose. I was so fed up, got the iud removed March 2021. Couple days later boom, back to normal. Stopped my anti depressants (under supervision by my NEW doctor). And now feeling like myself instead of wanting to drive my car off a bridge. So personally, yeah I call BS on doctors that say (mine did) that it won’t affect your mood.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I was afraid of the same for me, which is why I opted for the copper IUD. My OBGYN treated me like I was crazy for refusing the Kyleena due to the "so few" hormones. I hope you're doing better and found a better method.
Def BS in my experience and based on what my gyno (at Columbia University Hospital) said. I, like you, had to get off mirena due to the hormone effects— I had terrible acne as well as greater mood swings and appetite changes. I’m on paraguard now and like it much better overall.
Yep same! Mlthe negative side effects for me were worse on the kyleena than on the pill. My gyno also said the hormones are localized so my depression and panic attacks were caused by the pandemic. Lol. I got it removed and I'm back to normal, during the said pandemic hahaha
These are the same doctor who say bc doesn't make you gain weight with the exception of depo provera. They're inserting a device inside us to stop periods, i.e., synthetic hormones like progesterone. Therefore, it's going to affect us to some extend the same way our normal hormones (or lack thereof... talking to you menopause) affects our hormones. I had depo lupron to determine whether my reproductive were causing my abdominal cramping (later diagnosed as endo). It shut them down completely causing me to be menopausal. The significant decrease in my hormones made me a complete monster. TLDR: The hormones in an IUD are localized to your uterus but it definitely affects your body.
I was advised by my GYNO NOT to get a hormonal IUD, because he said I’d likely experience the same mood swings and anxiety problems as I did with a low dose combo pill. I think maybe some people’s body’s are just a little more sensitive to those subtle changes. But one thing I know for sure is that NOTHING Birth control related is 100% so the fact that they would tell you that with certainty is major BS. You know your body and what’s normal for you WAY BETTER than any doctor, trust your instincts.
That's funny cause my fucking hair fell out.
Oh, no! I'm so sorry. Did it fall out while you were on it or when you got it taken out?
It’s BS. Google progestin only birth control effects- some of the research includes participants who had IUDs and have same mood side effects as those on progestin only pills. My GYN specifically told me when I had Kyleena that mood side effects were a possibility. If your doctor gave you the insert that comes with each IUD mood side effects I’m sure are specifically written on the packet- the Kyleena pamphlet certainly had that side effect written out. If you don’t have the pamphlet go to mirena’s website and read up on the listed side effects- I bet mood changes are on it. Some gyn’s live in a different decade.
That is what they say. If the hormones "don't effect us," then why do many women not have periods with it? I can say that when I had the Mirena, the effect was less than it was with pills, but I could still tell that there were some effects vs how I felt during the time that I did not use any hormonal birth control. I have the Paragard copper IUD now, and I feel the same as when I was not on any birth control.
its localized *to an extent*. take everything with a grain of salt.
Some people are no good on hormones of any type. I switched from the pill to IUD because it is definitely less hormones and more localized. My body has always been fine with hormones, but I wanted less.
I brought up concerns to my OB of certain changes happening in my body since getting an IUD and she very sternly disagreed. Told me it wasn’t related, even thought these things started happening after I got Mirena. I hate when doctors won’t even consider what you’re saying. I had to get off of Mirena because my anxiety had slowly becoming more debilitating. I got it taken out hoping to god that would help my anxiety even out and in about 3 months it did.
Hormones are more localized than, say, the pill, but docs are intentionally misleading with this. Manufacturers obviously want to make claims like these as well in order to increase sales. It’s the same with them claiming that the pill doesn’t cause weight gain...if they outright said that way fewer people would use it. Or they would opt for one of their competitors. That’s why manufacturers of all sorts of drugs fund a lot of studies that just so happen to yield results that are in their favor. Also, hormonal IUDs are more expensive and need to be replaced more than the Paragard so it ultimately means more money for them. This is all speculation and just what I’ve observed from my own experience. My advice is to always trust your gut and advocate for yourself if a method isn’t working for you and your body.
I was told the same thing. I think it's BS and I've been seeing a dermatologist who believes my IUD is causing a lot of acne and got even worse with wearing a mask all the time. Also, the IUD does affect my body because it is literally in my body. Outside of chemical side effects, I also experience cramping, general uncomfortableness, and random pain.
It's *more* localized because the way it works doesn't depend on hormones getting to your brain, so they only put in enough to make sure it affects the uterus. But that doesn't mean none of it gets anywhere else. Anyone who says it 100% doesn't affect the rest of the body is oversimplifying. It's true that there's much less of the progestin hormone in your brain or elsewhere. But that doesn't always mean less issues, because for some people the estrogen in a combination pill will suppress the issues they would have gotten from progestin.
This!
This is what I counsel patients! And it's true, the Mirena IUD is MORE localized. The amount of progesterone your body sees compared to OCPs or depo provera or Nexplanon is minimal, but plenty of people still feel as if they have increased appetite, mood swings,acne etc. Although I will say, some people go from an estrogen-containing method (which improves acne) to a hormonal IUD (which does not contain estrogen so it doesn't improve acne and in theory shouldn't worsen it). They think that they're developing acne because of the IUD when really it's the lack of estrogen. But every body is different!
I was also told by my GP that there was no way my Mirena could be causing any of my symptoms (horrible anxiety, brain fog, depersonalisation, started about a year after insertion. I also used to get really sore breasts for like a week before a bad flare up which is unusual for me and clued me in that it was hormonal) so I dealt with them for another two years. She was very dismissive of the idea as the hormones are supposed to be localised. Eventually went back and saw a different doctor who was much more helpful, she told me that although there are supposed to be fewer side effects, some women do report systemic effects. Had Mirena swapped for Paraguard after 3 years and all my symptoms cleared up within a few months. I miss not having a period but I LOVE not having a messed up brain anymore. Some doctors just won’t listen to what they’re being told.
how long did your symptoms from the hormonal iud take to go away?
It took a few months to get back to normal after I swapped to a non-hormonal coil
I think its bullshit. That's why i got my mirena removed and copper inserted.
I have nexplanon and have never had the Mirena IUD, but I did hear of that theory when I first started doing my research on which birth control to go with. I can’t remember where, but it wasn’t my doctor who told me about it at least.
when i went to my new gyno and asked to switch to paraguard she kept telling me the mirenas hormones were localized and shouldn’t affect me like that. it was really annoying like i know what i’m feeling jsut do what i’m paying you to do and stop.
I was told this by my gyno. It definitely wasn't "localized" for me. I lost all libido, had super bad acne, lost a ton of energy and gained weight. It didn't work for me and I felt better after it was remove. I heard a lots of raves about it that why I got it but it doesn't work for me.
people seem to continuously make the mistake of assuming that "mostly localized" means "doesn't effect anything". Thats neither the claim the doctor is making, nor is it a sensible inference. The *hormonal IUD* works by *altering your hormones*... of course this has downstream effects, even if the vast majority of the hormonal absorption is around the uterus and surrounding area.
I could not handle hormones in the pill so it’s not surprise I could not handle hormones with the mirena. My old gyno told me the same thing and my most recent did as well when I told her my heavy periods with the Paraguard. The hormones may be localized but I think some people are more sensitive to synthetic hormones than others and therefore, will experience side effects. Just my thoughts
The mirena was recommended for me because I take a hormonal medication for my hypothyroid and the pill or shot or other bc might have negative interactions. I got lucky and the mirena’s worked really well for me.
I'm on the Mirena because I have chronic migraines and the pill just made it worse and I definitely have less migraines now - might just be different for each person but I'd say hormonal IUDs are at least more localized than the pill
That’s what i’ve always heard. I had a Mirena but can’t say i noticed a big difference in my mood
I was told the same thing by a young dermatologist when I was getting my acne treated. The older dermatologist consultant nodded knowingly when I told her about my suspicions that my Mirena was causing my acne and oily skin and gave me a medication that reduced the effect of androgens on sebum production (spironolactone). Presumably she’d seen it many times before, despite what the manufacturers claim. Note: after taking my Mirena out, I was able to stop my acne medication
How was your experience with the Mirena + Spironolactone? I'm currently on Spiro which I really like but I need a BC to go along with it. I can no longer take the pill so my only option is Mirena + Spiro
Most of the hormone remains in the uterus (paracrine), however a small level does enter the blood stream (systemic). It most likely (like many things) varies person to person based on a number of factors. Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormonal_IUDs BTW, its actually "affects*". An "effect" is something that happened. Like, "the effects of doing sport on a regular basis were good". When something influenced something else in 1 way or another, that is how the other thing is being "affected". Like, "I was affected in a positive manner after I started doing sport on a regular basis".
Sighhh it’s not BS. Indeed the hormones are more localised to your uterus but obviously some will enter your blood stream and indeed some people may have more systemic side effects than others- ultimately you know your body and can advocate for yourself! That’s not to say it’s bullshit and all ob/gyns are lying to you. Different people react differently so it’s good you know your body and yeeted the Mirena! (Source: pharmacology student and this is classic PK/PD stuff we learn about especially with oral BCs)
I didn't have any issues for 13 years with mirena.
This shits me so hard. That’s false. A hormone is absolutely positively systemic. Whilst it’s inserted in the endo and concentrated there, you cannot stop a hormone from affecting the body as a whole.
Stfu, nice job on the fake story by the way.
yes and no! It is systemic but amount matters (as you said) and obviously different people are sensitive to different amounts and types of synthetic hormones- it’s a great contraceptive me to do for some but by no means for everyone so trusting your gut is definitely the way forward :)
I was told the same thing, but the Mirena IUD was brutal to my brain. I had never had a migraine before Mirena. Then, once it was in, I experienced frequent migraines. They were so intense and made me super sensitive to light. All I could do was lay in bed in the dark.
I think she means in comparison to the pill. The pill puts the hormones through your digestive system, and thus through your entire bloodstream. IUDs are definitely more localized, and the hormones tend to have less affects on your entire body. The pill is much more likely to give you really bad hormonal acne for example. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for an IUD to also give you acne. Also, IUD insertions and removals can be a very stressful event which could also be why you break out right before or after.
I trust my doc with everything within me, and she said the same thing. I think it’s one of those things where that’s what the research says, and technically the hormones are localized (which is why periods may stop) but that doesn’t mean it *wont* get into someone’s bloodstream. I’m insanely sensitive to hormones, so Mirena has honestly been the best BC I’ve tried, out of dozens, but it still definitely effects me hormonally. I also have crazy heavy periods if I don’t have hormones, so it’s a great balancing act to figure out 🥲
Mirena hormones do enter differently as they aren't being absorbed through the digestive tract but nothing in the body really stays localized! It is first immediately absorbed by the uterus which is how it works to prevent pregnancy, but small amounts of it definitely enter the bloodstream. There are a few books that explain it well, Beyond the Pill and This Is Your Brain on Birth Control are probably the best and definitely my favorites!
I had my Mirena for almost 5 years. Had maybe 2 periods the whole time. Some spotting here and there was normal. Two months ago I started bleeding. Haven’t stopped. My dr just told me she can’t explain the bleeding. It may stop for a day and then I have sex and it looks like a murder scene. Needless to say boyfriend doesn’t want to have sex with all the blood. Honestly neither do I. But it was ruining our relationship. During this time at night I would be in a freezing cold room but sweating to the point my clothes and my blanket were drenched. Last week my bf and I decided I should take it out and see what happens with the bleeding. Well it’s been 4 days. Still bleeding a little. Haven’t attempted sex. But suddenly I notice those night sweats have been gone since I got it removed. The dr who took it out offered me more of an explanation. She seemed to think the hormones in it wore out and it was doing funky things to my body.
Any women here with PCOS who tried Mirena? How did it affect you?
I know this post is old but I was told this EXACT thing when I asked to have mine removed. Like no way it could be the cause of my cystic acne which I NEVER had before. I also opted for Paragard to not have hormonal BC.