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I debated about whether or not I wanted to write this post. It is personal and private but maybe it will provide me with some insight or give someone else comfort.
This is literally my first month on the IUD, Mirena. How could I have enough time to offer an accurate account...but from day one I was miserable and I should share that.
The issue I have with my periods isn't an insane amount of blood flow. I have an insane amount of pain because of cramps and back pain. Even the back of my knees hurt when I have my period. I'm also one of those lucky women that get vertigo a few days to a week before my period. Birth control in general is supposed to help lessen some menstrual side effects.
Yes, cramps, heavy blood flow, and back pain are side effects of a menstrual cycle to me...Do I need all of that to let me know I have unused eggs?
Nope, I don't.
My sister is on Mirena and has had nothing but GLOWING, and I mean GLOWING reviews about this tiny little
T looking thing. I told her before I joined the Mirena club that she should be the spokesperson.From her account the insertion of Mirena could have been difficult.
It was HELL. I don't know if it is the fact that I have a curved cervix (way TMI) or because I have never had children (so my cervix wasn't stretched) but I felt there were nails being imbedded into my uterus. My doctor said things would get intense and I was all "whatever".
I was clutching the table, lifting my ass off, holding my breath, trying lie still just so it could be done and over with. It was maybe 5 minutes of sheer horror.
On a scale of 1 to 10 the pain was a 12.
I was sent on my way and told that I would have some mild cramping.
When I got back to work (surely I didn't need to take a half day. It was a 1, 2, 3 type thing...pffft) a friend/co worker asked what was wrong with me. I looked exhausted. I felt exhausted. I was in my dr.'s office for maybe 15 minutes...and I came out looking like I hadn't slept for days. I shuffled my feet towards the table in the break room and flopped down, doubling over...The cramps felt like they were intensifying.
The cramping lasted a good week.
I expected some cramping. I didn't except this dull, twisting pain to assault my body in the afternoons like clockwork.
I quickly got online as day two was progressing. I read that other women had experienced the same thing. By day 4 I posted a question on Facebook. I just knew this device with becoming embedded in my uterine walls. Nope...everyone said what I was experiencing was normal.
My sister thought (still does) I was (am) crazy. Her experience with Mirena has been like my experience on the pill WONDERFUL.
Week 2 after insertion I am having some spotting. Thanks to my trusty period app I know my period is due in the next week or so...
Once I got that familiar feeling of I hate everyone, crying because I see a lone flower on a bush, and that need to eat everything, I knew my period was coming.
Please keep in mind cramps are my issue not heavy-I-have-to-wear-a-pad-and-tampon bleeding.
My period started on May 26th. The blood flow was so light (lighter than the spotting after insertion) that I doubted this was my period. My sister said "No, this is it...Just wait."
Even though this conversation was via text, the tone of it was supposed to convince me that my period would come and go within 5 days like it usually does and I will barely notice.
NO!!!!
The 26th was on a Monday and I was at work, sitting at my desk when all of a sudden my stomach got a
POW!!!!!! I got hit with another gut wrenching, twisting grip of pain.
I thought to myself "WTF". I sent a text to my sister who said she never had anything like that and I should just relax.
One thing about me...I know my body. I know when things are off. At 16 I was the first to diagnosis myself as I diabetic because I recognized the symptoms. I know when something is working with my body or against.
Mirena appears to be working against.
From what I read what I am going through is the norm...
Gut wrenching contraction like cramps is a normal experience. Add to that my normal back and back of the knee pain and I was in a foul mood.
So I can't even attest to any mood swings because I was in pain...who the fuck is going to be happy when every 5 minutes it feels like their uterus is being ripped out?
I popped some Aleve and waited a good hour. YES an hour for the pills to kick in. The Aleve made a dent in the pain but not all was gone.
I was so pissed that other women talked about how great this IUD was but for me I felt I was better when I didn't have it.
Now let's get into the nitty-gritty of things- like the cramps isn't enough-.
The blood flow that really isn't but kind of is; heavy.
Again I am going to say heavy blood flow was never a main issue.
My periods would start off heavy and decrease as the days passed.
When I was on the pill I would have heavy to medium to light flow but ZERO cramping the entire time.
For the past 10 days I have had a light to a medium flow. I can use a tampon for literally a 24 hour period. Super absorbency...Toxic Shock Syndrome notwithstanding...I have come pretty close to proving my blood flow isn't heavy.
Buuuuuuuuuut my blood flow is LONGER. 5 day periods have ALWAYS been my max. I am on day 8 and I am still bleeding, still having some cramping, and back and back of the knee pain.
The worst part is on the rare moments when I don't have the hellish cramps I'm thinking my period is over and I go pee...I look down and the toliet is filled with red water. Not even pink, I'm talking full red like I am on my first day.For the most part my super tampons have been super a pantyliner isn't needed...then again a pantyliner wouldn't work because of the steady but slow stream of blood.
I thought about calling my dr and asking to remove it. I'm not happy with it. But the only thing that stops me is the fear of the pain of the removal. Especially if it is anything like the insertion.
I don't like the idea of periods that last longer than 5 days with increasing blood flow each day. I don't want to be hasty...but I since I didn't get Mirena strictly to prevent pregnancy I'm thinking maybe I should get off it. In terms of preventing pregnancy I loved the idea of not taking a pill each day. I loved the idea of the hormone level with IUD's to be less than the pill. The last pill I was on (can't remember the name) was horrible, mood swings, weight gain, acne, headaches.
I have a pimple now but I'm not ready to blame it on Mirena. I sometimes get a monthly pimple.
Another thing to note...I did have sex, which the dr said was perfectly fine. It was a day, day and a half before the start of my period. Sex has always had moments of pain for me. My dr says it is because of my curved cervix.
HOLY...MOTHER...OF...HELL
I have never never never felt pain that intense during sex. It felt like (again) nails digging into my uterine walls.
I was curled up in the fetal position for an hour before I was able to move my body. My partner thought he did something to hurt me. Google provided some relief when I read other women talk about the same thing happening to them.
Sidenote- all of the not-so-great-remarks about Mirena list the same reasons as I have.
I will give the IUD 3 more months. That is more than enough time to see if my body needs time or if my body is rejecting the IUD.
Of course I will keep notes if only to let other women know that they too might be one of the 15% that don't love Mirena.
disclaimer: I made up that %. I'm too lazy to do the real research...I do believe the % of women who don't love it like my sister is small.
Have you had Mirena? What have your experiences been? Are you pro IUD or pro pill?
Let me know
Until next time,
Xo
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