How does Mirena IUD work?
T-shaped and plastic, Mirena IUD slowly releases small doses of the hormone levonorgestrol into the lining of your uterus. It is inserted into your uterus by a healthcare professional.
There is no single explanation of how Mirena IUD works to prevent pregnancy. The IUD may keep sperm from reaching and fertilizing eggs, thin the lining of your uterus, and stop your ovaries from releasing eggs. It is believed that the combination of these 3 actions help to prevent pregnancy.
What are some benefits of Mirena IUD?
- No birth control to take every day or worry about forgetting
- No fumbling with diaphragms, condoms or creams
- Only requires an office visit with your doctor for insertion or removal
- Pregnancy prevention for (up to) five years
- No routine to follow once the Mirena IUD is accurately inserted and the threads on the bottom of the Mirena have not changed in length
- May also provide menstruation benefits, such as 90% reduction in menstrual bleeding after one year (About 20% of users have no bleeding at all)
- Lesser menstrual cramping in most users
- You can decide when you want to try to become pregnant again
- Unlike sterilization (tubal ligation or vasectomy), Mirena IUD lets you keep your birth control options open
Are there any side effects or serious complications?
Side effects with Mirena IUD are most common during the first 3 months after insertion and decrease over time. Some may include:
- Menstrual changes
- Cramps
- Acne or other skin problems
- Back pain
- Breast tenderness
- Headache
- Mood changes
- Nausea
Serious complications are uncommon but may include:
- Mirena penetrating the uterus, which may require surgery
- Mirena may come out by itself, which can lead to unwanted pregnancy. Should this happen, use back-up birth control, such as a condom, and call your doctor.
Who should not use Mirena IUD?
Women should not use the IUD if they:
- Think they may be pregnant
- Have ever had pelvic inflammatory disease
- Have had a serious pelvic infection in the past 3 months following pregnancy
- Currently have an untreated pelvic infection
- Have more than 1 sexual partner, or a sexual partner who has more than 1 sexual partner
- Get infections easily, including women with immune-system problems, leukemia, AIDs, or who abuse intravenous drugs
- Might have cancer of the uterus or cervix
- Have unexplained bleeding from the uterus
- Have liver disease or a liver tumor
- Have or have ever had breast cancer
- Have had, or are at risk of having, an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy occurring in the fallopian tubes)
- Are already using an intrauterine device
- Have a condition that changes the shape of the uterus, such as large fibroid tumors
- Are allergic to levonorgestrel, silicone, or polyethylene
If side effects persist or worsen while using Mirena IUD, please consult your doctor as soon as possible.
BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line.
For more information, call 1-866-732-0305 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/
Birth Control Buzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, types of birth control(prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line. For more information, call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.
I am pregnant with the iud and it is hard for me to find any info on this topic. The doctor could not retrieve the iud so it must stay. if you know anything that could help me my email is lpickell83@yahoo.com
Comment by Anonymous — June 22, 2007 @ 11:19 am
http://depts.washington.edu/hhpccweb/article-detail.php?ArticleID=102&ClinicID;=13I posted a link for you. Please read. According to the information, IUD should be removed immediately if pregancy occurs during use.
Comment by Anonymous — February 4, 2008 @ 11:16 am
can you get pregnant with the iud if you are taking antibotics
Comment by cheryl — January 4, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
I was asked to share my experience with Mirena. I was attracted to Mirena because I wouldn’t have to worry about anything for 5 years. No pills every day, no changing a patch every week. Also supposedly you aren’t supposed to get a period anymore either. I was really excited, so I decided to get off Ortho Evra(patch) and try Mirena.Getting it inserted wasn’t too bad at all. Felt a little crampy like regular period cramps. My doctor was pretty good. I went home and did some laundry, and felt ok. The next couple of weeks I was extremely bloated. It was incredibly uncomfortable. Someone online suggested a dietary supplement called Evening Primrose Oil, to help relieve these symptoms. It really helped!Unfortunately for the next 4 months though, I was bleeding almost the entire time. I would have a couple days of no period, and then weeks with one. I was getting very tired, my hair was coming out a lot more than normal. I did not feel right at all. After 4 months, I went back to the doctor and I broke down in tears asking her to remove it from me.She speculated that my body was rejecting the IUD (my body tends to do that with piercings as well). So she took it out quickly and I was free from Mirena!It’s been about 6 months since it’s been out and I decided to not go back on any kind of hormonal BC. Just using condoms when needed. My period just started to get back on track last month. I’ll probably go back on the patch in a few more months. 🙂
Comment by ITgirl — April 1, 2009 @ 5:05 pm