Hey ladies, You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that I am not alone... I have never really responded to any blogs like this before.. But this one... I must! I am 23 and I had my daughter June 19th 2008. About a month or so later I decided to go ahead and get the Mirena because as so many of you have also said.. The drs. really so talk it up. They told me it was the best thing they had our right now.. Very little side effects, and i would have a very light period of I even had one at all.. Well shoot.. My period only lasted about 3 days before i ever got pregnant.. and it had always been light.. And when I was pregnant I did enjoy not having to worry about. So why not.. Well I gave it a try.. I spotted for about a month or 2 if I remember right.. and then nothing.. I didn't have a period. Besides an occasional light spotting every once in a while. So far so great... So I thought.. I got the abdomal (if that how its spelled...) pain.. Shortly after I had it put in.. and I mean SHORTLY after.. I began to notice an odor down there.. and it was not a good one at all! It was soo embarrassing.. I kept thinking it was all in my head.. I was living with my boyfriend (soon to be husband) at the time.. and I showed him.. I wiped my hand on my creases and he smelled it and said "ya that does kinda stink... You just need to take a shower.. So do I".. So even more so I thought it was in my head.. But as time went by I kept telling him how the smell doesn't go away after I take a shower.. It's as if I haven't even showered... I knew something was wrong.. But didn't once think it may have been the IUD... Me and my boyfriend had some problems through out our relationship.. He slept with other ppl... So that worried me, and I constantly wondered what was wrong and did he accidently get something from someone... I went and got tested multiple times. And let my midwife know that I was worried about the odor.. and that I never had it before.. My boyfriend tells me I never had a smell and he always loved how clean I was.. I did NOT feel clean anymore.. I felt so modest... and insecure.. I didn't know what to do.. I didn't know what to think. It was summer and I didn't go anywhere or really do anything because the smell was sooo strong.. You could smell it through my clothes.. the smell doesn't go away till I wash my clothes.. So my laundry basket stank! I began to think that I may have been experiencing a bacterial infection.. So she gave me some medicine for it cuz she noticed the smell as well... But my test results ended up coming back negative all around.. I went back in a couple weeks later cuz the smell was still there and stronger than ever.. she said "well all of your tests have been negative... Are you sure its not just way my body smells?".. I told her I didn't think so... cuz it never smelled like that before.. and she replied. "well you had a baby. Your body changes after a dramatic experience like that." So again I thought I was trippin.. And Just letting things get to my head.. But deep down I knew something wasn't right..
I also noticed my hair... I have ... well had (cry) extremely thick long curly hair my entire life! I almost didn't know what to do with it all cuz there was SOO MUCH! I have always had some hair come out when I would wash my hair.. That is natural. But as time went by I noticed my little balls of hair were getting bigger and bigger... And as i would wash my hair my hands would be consumed by hair that just.. fell out.. Me and my man both figured it was cuz of stress.. and all I ever heard from people when I would bring it up was "most people lose hair after having children.."... ok... So I just did all I could to stay stress free.. Which was pretty hard being a new parent... And having this odor and hair loss. And all the other side effects.. ( Which I just recently read through and I couldn't believe I had just about every one that I read.. It made me cry) For the time I had it put in, I believe it was late july 2008 till about 6 months ago... Feb 2010.. I have been dealing with the horrible side- effects and not getting any answers for them what so ever! I would go to a friends house and they would smell it.. but not say anything.. Just say "what is that smell!?" I would play dumb... What else was I to do..
Then the abdominal pains began to get extremely painful.. I have always been pretty good with dealing with pain.. And I wasn't going to take myself to the ER for someone to tell me im fine.. when I know Im NOT! It got to the point to where the paing was almost constant.. The times it would finally go away was such a RELIEF! I charished it! But it wouldn't take long before the pain was back .. I could barely bare to walk, sit, stand, anything.. Pushing on pain didn't help at all.. There was no stopping it.. I convinced myself the mirena had to be in wrong or something for these things to be happening! so I finally went in and told my midwife I wanted to take it out! I couldn't take the pain.. I told her that if things didn't change after taking it out I would maybe get it put back in.. or maybe look into the birth control that goes into your arm.. I am not having sex anyway. So I really don't have a need for it. And when I do I will look into getting it again.. (HELL NO!) I WILL NEVER LET THAT THING ANYWHERE NEAR ME AGAIN! I will NEVER reccommend it to anyone! I told my little sister she should get it.. Till I learned all the side effects were because of it.
I have had it out for about 6 months now.. The abdominal pains when away immediaty after it was removed! Had only slight cramping from time to time. But NOTHING like it was.. I was losing so much hair that I started washing my hair only once a week because It was soo depressing to wash my hair and when I take my hands from my head all there is is hair. You can't even see my hands.. I cry just typing about it.. ...And now my hair is less than half as thick as it was before I got on this stupid DEFECTIVE birth control! It has changed me completely! And I hate that I waited so long to find all this out! I was just scared I suppose... My love is the only one I talk to about it.. Besides the hair loss. But with that everyone just says its stress.. I know that is wrong though not only because I now have this proof.. But because My life has been stress free for the past year almost.. Besides the fact I am stressin about my odor and My darn hair falling out! GO FIGURE! .. Now im just wondering how long its going to be before these symptoms go away... Or what I can do to get them treated.. If anyone knows anything please let me know..
Also I am willing to fight this 100% in a law suit! Lets get this thing going! They need to get it off the list of birth control! It's the worst thing that has ever happend to me.. It has ruined my social life.. because I don't want to go around people cuz in a matter of time the smell will be noticeable..
Thanks for listening to me ramble on.. It feels pretty good to actually get it out with people that have experienced some of the same things...
thanks!
In Need of Advice/ Help..
I am 100
Sorry for the lengthy response, but I feel this needs to be said.
I'm a 28 year old female with some medical experience. I've been a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) for two years and attending college for nursing. I'm not saying I have all of the answers - I haven't had enough research and I'm not a doctor, but for those that are experiencing the same problem, this is what has worked for me and hopefully it will help you.
After numerous hours of research and coming across many women who have had the same problem as I did, I was on the fence and ready to have my Mirena removed due to the same embarrassing odor and discharge that I noticed after a couple of weeks after insertion.
I got it inserted May, 2014 and started to notice after a couple of weeks that embarrassing, indescribable fowl odor. Like others, I don't experience an odor coming from my vaginal region unless there is something wrong (lets face it, most of us have been through a yeast infection, especially if we have ever taken antibiotics). I was about ready to remove it myself, but then it donned on me...us women are introducing a foreign object into our cervix and expect everything to be okay. Well OF COURSE this is going to cause some abnormal reaction! Any time we introduce something foreign into our bodies, our immune system will recognize this and try to attack it. This is also causing so many of us women experiencing a pH imbalance.
*MY ANSWER* After this realization, I first thought that I would just eat a yogurt on a daily basis, but knowing me, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up since yogurt isn't my #1 food choice (I like it on the occasion, but not on a daily basis). After doing some research on what to buy, I bought some ProBiotics. At the moment I am taking "accuflora."
NOTE: If you're lactose-intolerant or have any milk allergies, then I wouldn't recommend this brand because it has milk in it and is advertised as "The good stuff from yogurt."
This ProBiotic is fairly inexpensive, I've been taking it daily for nearly two months now, and after about two days, the odor and discharge is gone and STILL is gone. YAY!
For those that are lactose-intolerant, there are other ProBiotics out there. The main bacteria that you need to look for are different Lactobacillus species and Bifidobacterium bifidus. I could give you a whole explanation of why, but you can do the research for yourself. I hope this helps others out there and saves you the time, money, and embarrassment of this common side-effect. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Cheers and good luck!
Mirena is 100% TOXIC to the body! Adverse reactions are immediately noticeable. I had not taken any type of birth control hormones in over 4 years and previously had taken the pill. I briefly discussed options with my OB/GYN during my most recent annual PAP this year and he highly recommended this Mirena. I trusted his recommendation that this was the "safest" option and most commonly chosen on the market. My body reacted negatively immediately. I only kept this in for 1 month because I couldn't not function thru my day to day life, it chanf=ged my moods completely. I was fatigued, irritable, depressed, could not think straight or focus on anything. I was dizzy all the time, pain and numbness in my limbs, fingers and toes. Severe abdominal cramping and sharp pains, bloating, discharging brownish blood every day, sex was messy because of this discharge that stained all my clothing and sheets. Headaches, restless legs, hot flashes, sleep disturbance, ACNE- all over my face and I am known for a clear beautiful complexion. And by the 2nd week I started to notice an abnormal and unpleasant odor when I would urinate, this is when I phoned my doctor. He assured me that I needed to allow my body time to adjust to this. Fast forward 2 weeks later, symptoms were not getting better but more pronounced and disruptive to quality of life so I demanded it be removed.
ANY one considering having one placed- DO NOT! If you have one and you are being told these issues are not a result of the Mirena, you are being misled, listen to your body! I only had my Mirena for a little over a month, and today it has been a month and a half since removal and I still have very bad acne all over my face, depression, fatigue, mood swings..exhaustion all day no matter how much sleep I get. My primary care doctor said it could take up to 6 months before my body is able to recover and regulate my normal hormonal balance again. This is by far one of the worst decisions I had ever made and i am still suffering from it.
NEVER EVER EEEEVERRRR let anyone insert that little alien device filled with horrible chemicals in your body, two words HORMONAL IMBALANCE waiting to happen. What they put in this innocent looking T shaped device is Levonorgestrel; I used to tell some of my friends that would take the day after pill (or plan B) somewhat often that there was no way that could be healthy for you, come to find out that I PAID my doctor money to insert a device that released this hormone over and over again into my body for a period of several years! I almost want to punch myself in the face for being so naiive. Terrible pain, odor, yeast infections over and over again, swelling, no sex life... had it removed and now i'm dealing with hormonal cystic acne that for all of you experiencing it you know how life shattering it can be, especially also coming from a puberty (and until the IUD) with flawless milky perfect complexion, always was told how amazing my complexion was and how lucky I am. Well I demand my life back, i want the volume my hair used to have and I want to have a face that doesn't make me sob when I see it in the mirror and I can go out and feel confident with. I am now trying to solve it all with hormonal balancing vitamins and not eating any caffeine, dairy, sugars or red meats, and it will take months to come back and I will NEVER have the face I used to have without all these scars. Needless to say I am staying away from birth control and my husband is getting fixed, do your own research and see all the possibilities before jumping into the birth control bandwagon because the side effects, if you get them, can change your life, and certainly not for the better. My doctor to this day defends the IUD "could never cause me yeast infections and ppl just dont have pain on it! and sometimes ppl just develop cystic acne in adulthood..." well yes indeed, sometimes ppl in adulthood remove their IUDs to uncover a face full of boils, thanks again.
Wow I can't believe I finally found this, I've had the mirena since July 2011 and I've been dealing with ugly cystic acne all over my body, discharge all day and I always feel like I smell . About 2 weeks ago I went to my doctor to see other birth control options but I feel like they were no help. What are you ladies currently on. After removing iud?
I had the mirena put in july 2008. I was told it had no hormones as I cant use hormonal based birth control. I had no period EXTREME mood swings (im talking SEVERE depression), VERY VERY dangerous high blood pressure, my heart raced constantly, EXTREME fatigue, i fainted 1x from my blood pressure (which I have never done before), HORRIBLE back aches, dibilitating cramps, lost numerous jobs do to symptoms, no sex life, insomnia, weight gain, hair loss, acne and greasy/dry skin and hair. I struggled for over a year between 2013/2014 to get a doctor to remove it. I finally found a doctor who took.it out in april 2014 3 months shy of having this thing for 6 years. I was very concerned considering its only supose to be in for 5 years. Its now january 13 2015. I have had periods that just come and go, a yeast infection, no sex drive, still fatigued and VERY moody, EXTREMELY depressed, HORRIBLE back aches aand migraines, a continues discharge thats suppose to only happens when your ovulating, disfunctional uterine bleeding (where you diolate and bleed as if having a miscarage), put on this HORRIFYING medication to force my body to ovulate because the doctor said im not ovulating on my own and no baby still. The worst thing is no one will say the. mirena is related to any of these things. Im 25 soon to be 26 I was 2weeks shy of my 20th birthday when I had my son. All I wanted to do is be responsible and smart and waif till we were ready for baby 2 and now there may never be baby 2 and my body may never be my body again! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE NEVER GET THE MIRENA IUD! ALWAYS RESEARCH EVERY OPTION OUT THERE BEFORE MAKING A A POTENTIALY PERMANENT LIFE ALTERING CHOICE!
Hi everyone. My bestfriend recently told me that stainless steel works. it cleans the vagina and you can purchase it on Amazon
hope this is of some help
I apologize for my lack of spelling and grammer...I got my mirena about three months after i had my daughter to me it didn't hurt going in... At first I cramped really bad.. Hospital twice for ultrasound (perfect placement).. But within a month I felt good about it... I started getting acne... Deep painful pimples... My husband couldn't touch my face.. My son would look at my face and say to me ouch mama your face has to hurt... I thought well, it will go away with time... It would get slightly better than get bad the pain was terrible, burning pain.. And the only relief was to pop them (not good for the face). I had my daughter I weighted 285... (I'm really tall and big boned 8 inch wrists lol) I got down to 264 losing baby weight fast (day i got my mirena in) (me in shape is 180-200lbs) My mirena came out on its own... 328.lbs (It's all around my belly (ew)...i got it in March 2014.. It fell out july 31st 2015... well I was in that time period rxed with depression, arthritis, bi polar disorder, the worst migraines ever (i never had headaches before) and a few other fun problems... A few times I swore I was pregnant.. My husband even wondered.. Which was odd because I had noo sex drive... He thankfully is amazing... But we almost divorced from all the "mental' problems i had... I couldn't stay awake for 10 minutes... My body hurt 24/7, i couldn't even sit down.. I had to be laying down... and I wanted nothing to do with my kids or him (who wouldn't want to divorce that) I ate like a pregnant woman... All the time... I stunk to high heaven... (My husband had his sense of smell ruined by a chemical accident at his job... He smelled me) I felt dirty all the time... I was so frazzled all the time... Like I was in a fog.. I couldn't put all my symptoms together... It has been out less than a week (i got on the mini pill after it fell out it curbed the mierna rage for the most part) face cleared... Peed so much pee (it smelled awful)... Smell clean (not like a dead skunk) (even while bleeding) my joint pain is almost gone gets better by the day(it felt like I was 1000 years old and got beat with a baseball bat)... I have my energy almost back... I actually want to touch my husband.. He actually said.. It's good to see you happy again.. I missed you... He is still a little shell shocked from this awful experience.. . I still get tired sometimes... I'll feel great and then bam... 10 minutes of feeling like crap... I have always been high energy and up for adventure (loved rock climbing)... We put all my symptoms as having two kids and stress. Sahm is hard work... A week after it fell out I am 85% better... I still need to lose the weight... (No weird cravings now.. ) But my hubby will eventually have his hot wife back... I also have bad insomnia right now... I actually feel rested after sleep... Yeah... I had no period for a year and a half... But it almost destroyed my life... Do not get this.. I thought it was great... Yeah... It almost cost me my family... Hope all you other ladies find peace and heal yourselves..
Me too thanks ladies. The longer I have the marina in the worse the amonia smell and the pain gets. I've noticed that the smell is worst during ovulation than the rest of the month, has anyone else noticed this?
I'll be arranging g to get it out ASAP now!
Hi Ladies, I am having same symptoms. All of which started shortly after having the Mirena IUD inserted in September of 2014. In January of 2015 I began losing feeling in my arms and legs as well as memory loss (brain fog). I've had every possible test done to try to figure this out. MRI's, X-Rays, blood tests. I've been to a neurologist and an endocrinologist both have told me everything is fine and nothing that they can tell is wrong with me. I've come across other blogs of women having same symptoms. I took this information to my PCP and I could tell she thinks I'm crazy. The other sites listed Silicone Toxicity as the cause and suggested getting a blood test to check your levels. I just started exercising again after having an almost 9 moth hiatus due to all of the neurological issues (at one time I actually thought I had MS). But now the odor I get after exercising is so bad. I feel very certain that this is all the cause of my IUD. I'm hoping my neuro will be willing to do the Silicone test because my PCP was not. Has anyone that posted been in touch with a lawyer?
I haven't even had mute a in for a month and I'm freaking out reading all these posts which confirms my worries about the horrific odour! I have NEVER had an odour down there in my life and always felt secure in never having a smell but now... I could puke I smell so bad! My boyfriend asked if I had changed my diet and I have not (I'm vegan). I can't believe in 3 weeks this rapid change has happened. I also have sitting every day and must wear pads/liners 24/7. Reading about hair loss as a side effect has me doubly worried as I have thin hair already... I can see my scalp now and am now wondering if this new phenomenon is because of this bloody thing! What the hell is the point of having this as a form of protection when it's basically halted any sexual intimacy because I reek like a fish factory?! If there is a lawsuit pending please post details, I'm in Canada but would get on board with any legal action concerning this product!
I had a mirena put in about two months ago. After I went to the toilet shortly after the insertion I came out and asked my daughter of she noticed an odd odor in the toilet add I had no idea what it was. It didn't take long to realize it was me. I had this really bad, chemical like odor. It turned out that it was only in my lower region. I did not experience this kind of odor under my arm pits so I started to put two and two together and thought it must have been the mirena so I Googled it. Sure enough I found your blog. Now need to know what to do about it as there is a medical reason why I had it inserted. My copper levels in my blood were way too high. This caused my depression and anxiety much worse. My psychiatrist recommended I try it. Sure enough my copper levels dropped almost instantly. So do I stick with it or not?
I am totally freaking out! I’ve had the Mirena for a little over a year now, it definitely works but has thee worst side effects. I’ve NEVER liked this device from hell for a reason!
Long story short, about a few months ago I started discharging the most foul smelling mucus like thing out of my vagina, it smelled like rotten salmon and old dog crap (my apologies for being so blunt). DISGUSTING! I am very picky with my Vjay and don't even let my husband give me oral unless he has brushed his teeth and rinsed with mouthwash right before... Anyways, No matter what I tried I couldn’t get rid of it, even took some left over antibiotics thinking BV was to blame but it always came back. It ruined me as a woman… My husband lost interested in being intimate with me and everyone else could smell it threw my clothes… Running out of options I desperately searched the web for answers and came across a few forums that stated that Mirena was giving them this awful smell too! Ok, so took a deep breath and felt a sense of relief, as I wasn’t alone in this miserable journey, and as many others suggested I decided to remove it…. MYSELF!
Just did so today... Aaaaaand guess what was attached to my strings? A hairball! Of my own hair… I’m sick and I think I will be for a while.. Can get this image out of my head. If you can relate please email me! I’m still shook… Agostochristal@gmail
100% know from reading this plus all the other comments below it and all over the web that my mirana IUD is coming out this week! I'm over this!
I want to thank you ladies for the info I def was just looking into getting the Mirena cause it was highly recommended by the doctor for polycystic ovarian syndrome. This will be one birth control I will NOT be making a decision on, due to the brave info you hav wrote about. I am Sorry such a thing can happen to a women. Hope all is feeling better and found better treatment
I had Mirena inserted in January of 2013. I've had constant discharge and odor since then as well, which is unusual for me. I don't have any infections though. I suffered orthostatic hypotension (extreme lightheadedness upon standing) for the first two years until I had a back spasm that turned into uterine spasms that felt like I was giving birth to the Mirena. The spasms must have moved it into a different position because the hypotension ended, and the next time I went to the doctor, my strings were longer. I can feel the iud move and then I get occasional periods of hypotension that last until it shifts again. The odor is never-ending, my periods consist of a week of spotting and a heavy 10 day period with cramps. It's great birth control because who wants to have s*x when your v****a smells like wet dog, you have a constant thin watery discharge, and you bleed for 17 days of the month? It's coming out at my next appointment!
After I had my son in Febuary 2010 I had the Paraguard put in 3 months lateer, and my cramps turned intensified. Just backin November of 2015 did i switch over to Mirena. I have noticed the moist panties and the feeling of hot flsahed, the lack of sex drive, the random dizziness. OH YEAH, AND THE STINKY ARMPITS, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT..I DONT WANT MY MAN TO SMELL THAT. My periods are non existant, i feel a bit more moody, my cramps are gone...BUT I AM HIGHLY CONSIDERING REMOVING IT, Anyone figure out how to get rid of the smelly armpits AFTER REMOVAL or does it just fade away over time ?
Here's proof!
Omg...me too!
This is so embarrassing, but sharing because others need to know risks/complications and we’re not alone! This weekend, I accidentally pulled out my Mirena and there was a giant hair all attached to the strings!
Long story short, I felt what I thought was a lost tampon string (I didn’t remember losing one..and would be hard to miss!)
So I pulled pretty hard on the string and finally it came out..my entire mirena and a hair ball!
It was the worse smell, literally vomited from the smell and shock of what just happened.
I was in complete shock, jumped online and was shocked to hear this happened to others..suddenly all my symptoms made sense..weight gain, headaches, skin problems, abdominal pain and a foul smell from day 1.
I can’t tell you how much better I feel! I feel lighter, headaches are gone, foul smell is gone, and I swear I was getting arthritis in my hand/joints and it’s all completely gone. Please ladies, don’t blindly follow your DR’s advice, listen to your body and if your gut tells you something is not right, investigate like crazy..
Added a photo below for the brave to see 🤢