Adventures of Mel

So This is the Dreaded Mirena Crash (and Burn)

IUD or intrauterine device

Written by

Mel Lockcuff

in

Experiencing and coping with the Mirena crash, following removal of the Mirena IUD. Symptoms, feelings, and helpful tips for getting through it.

IUD or intrauterine device this recipe

The Mirena IUD… All I can say is never again. Ever.

I used Mirena for a very long time. And yes, I’m experiencing the Mirena crash at this very moment and have been for the last week and a half, though I really didn’t know exactly what I was experiencing until I started to do a little more research and reading. 

I can say that I wish I’d researched the IUD more before deciding to go down that path. I wish I’d been more concerned about my health when I was younger, more concerned with living a more natural lifestyle.

Now that we do care more, we’re also getting a little older; I’m no spring chicken. And though my family may be shocked to read this (if they read this), we’re also planning to try for another baby (more on this in a near future post, I promise).

We weren’t going to tell anyone and just keep our secret all to ourselves, but Dan and I both decided maybe I should write about this and share my story.

Mirena removal side effects seem to be something that many women experience, but if they’re like me, they may not fully be prepared for them or even know they’re coming.

What Causes the Mirena Crash?

In short, the Mirena Crash is due to hormone imbalance following Mirena removal.

Now that I’m experiencing the crash, I’m seriously wondering if some of the problems I’ve experienced while having Mirena as a form of birth control have been due to that little foreign contraption hangin’ out in my uterus. So many things make a lot of sense when I think about it.

For the longest time, I’ve woke up with night sweats, had severe abdominal pain and issues with what I thought was my colon (nothing found on colonoscopy and other tests), mood swings, hair loss (you wouldn’t believe the amount of hair I’ve cleaned out of my brush time and again), weight gain that just seems stuck no matter how much exercise or eating right I do, etc., etc.

Mirena Crash Symptoms

Symptoms of Mirena crash can include the following:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety
  • General malaise and feeling of just not feeling good

Since having the Mirena IUD removed about a week and a half ago, I’ve crashed (and sorta burned). Well, not literally, but I’ve honestly felt like it.

Headaches

Oh my word, the headaches. I can honestly say the only headache I’ve had that’s been worse than these headaches was due to altitude sickness because they’re killer.

No amount of ibuprofen or essential oils help. Nothing. It’s like I’ve gone cold turkey, and I just have to wait for the pain to subside, and it eventually does, but it can last all day.

The pain is all over my head, even in my neck. I’ve even had pain shoot up from my shoulder/neck area to my head. Awful.

woman experiencing a headache, one of the Mirena crash symptoms

Fatigue

I’m sooooo tired! I could sleep 12-14 hours straight.

Well, I can’t, but if I could… So tired.

Mood Swings

One minute I’m fine, the next I feel like I’m raging inside. Well, raging is what my boys call it when you get angry, so I’m going with that.

I’m irritable and grumpy.

Anxiety

I think this has been the worst of it all. I wake up at night, can’t go back to sleep, and feel this elephant of anxiety in my chest, mind, and spirit.

I can’t put my finger on exactly why I’m feeling that way. There’s no reason to feel anxious.

I mean, I have the normal deadlines for work, the normal family stuff going on, the normal chores and stuff that need done, but nothing out of the ordinary. I can’t put my finger on why I’m so pent up and worked up!

It’s like doom, gloom, and anxiety all rolled up into one tightly wound little package. It’s got me feeling like I’m going C-R-A-Z-Y!

And until I learned about the Mirena Crash, I thought I was going crazy.

General Malaise and Feeling of Just Not Feeling Good

I’ve almost felt like I’m coming down with something.

It’s just a general feeling of not feeling good. It’s yuck.

So, What Am I Doing about It? Mirena Crash Detox

(Disclaimer: If you’re experiencing Mirena crash symptoms, please do your own research, and talk to your health care provider. This is simply my own experience.)

Citrus fruits on a cutting board with a knife

Honestly, I’m just waiting it out and taking a few steps to help myself go through a bit of a Mirena detox.

  • I’m using my essential oils for emotional and general well-being, and I’m so glad I have them.
  • Drinking a lot of water. My water bottle helps me stay well hydrated.
  • Eating more citrus and berries and trying to eat things that will hopefully help me detox just a bit and get through this. My favorite blueberry spinach smoothie and tropical fruit smoothie are just what I’m craving.
  • I’m on a food-based prenatal vitamin.
  • Also, I’m exercising every day, sweating it out; and let me tell you, exercise does wonders for the emotions and for building up a feeling of strength.
  • I’m using my calming bedtime foot rub to both help with feeling anxious, and it helps my restless legs and arms.

From what I’ve read, I think my body is just freaking out a bit, trying to get back on track, and figure out what is going on and what it needs to do.

Hopefully, this won’t last much longer; most people say it lasts for a short period of time, about a week or two… A select few have gone longer or more long term.

I’ve also read that it gets better with menstruation. Can’t say I’ve ever looked forward to that ’til now. Oh but I do.

I honestly feel like I’m on the tail end of the crash. Yesterday was better, today is ok, tomorrow can only go up from here.

Why Share All of This?

I can’t tell you what to do in your personal life, nor do I want to; but I do want you to be aware.

Do your own research, study up on things before you say yes, know what you’re putting into your body.

Get to know your own body. Don’t ignore problems.

Ask your health care provider, and don’t be afraid to go to your visit armed with a whole list of questions.

Your health really is in your hands.
Grab on to that responsibility for dear life, and don’t let go.

Of course, I also write this to share my story and relate to others who’ve experienced it, as well.

With that said…

Have you experienced the dreaded Mirena Crash? What has been your experience?

IUD - Mirena Crash and Burn - Symptoms and Mirena Detox

Comments

215 responses to “So This is the Dreaded Mirena Crash (and Burn)”

  1. Francesca

    Thanks for putting this out there for us to find. Had the Mirena for 3 years and loved it. I would argue with people that their negative symptoms maybe weren’t Mirena related bc I was just so pleased with mine. Well, after some bouts with bloating and ovarian cysts (which, looking back, I started getting while on Mirena), I finally decided to have the Mirena removed and start birth control pills since I needed to resolve the cyst issue (and my obgyn suggested the pill would help with the cysts). I had it removed on July 7th. In all fairness, I already had an anxiety disorder and a slight panic disorder. Removing the Mirena threw it into overdrive. I had a massive panic attack like never before on 7/10 and had them daily for almost a week before meditation and yoga started to help. While my bloating mostly went away, I’ve been nauseas, dizzy, my vision gets blurry, and I’m so, so, tired. I’ve also started birth control pills, so not sure how much is Mirena Crash vs. BC pill side effects. But the panic I definitely contribute to Mirena crash. It was absolutely awful. I literally thought I was losing my mind. It’s only been 12 days, I’m sure things will get better in time. Best of luck to everyone else dealing with this.

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Francesca, thank you for sharing your experience. I truly hope that everything begins to get better for you soon!

      Reply
  2. Emily

    Sounds like a horror story! I got my Mirena on August 21,2012 and absolutely loved it until the past week or so.I have been experiencing abdominal pain,bleeding and cramping for a few weeks now.I went tony Gyno today because of the feeling that something wasn’t right and cramping. The first of bleeding and cramps since 2012. She did an ultrasound of it and it had totally turned around in cervex,she was in total shock and had never seen this before.Well needless to say with trouble she removed it and I’m looking forward to my partial hysterectomy soon

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Oh Emily, I’m so sorry this happened! I hope and pray everything goes well for you.

      Reply
  3. Nancy

    Like many of these lady’s I too am experiencing the beginning of a mirena crash. I took my mirena out 4 days ago. And I can say before that I was already dealing with depression and anxiety that I knew wasn’t me. I’ve always been a happy person but like they say the symptoms get worse while you have the mirena and sure enough I removed it right at a time I am dealing with depression. I can’t get my Dr to believe me as they assume there’s no such thing. I did see my endocrinologist today for some lab work to check k my thyroid levels as I have hypothyroidism. Dr says I’m depressed and should seek a physiatrist. I’ve really put my family through the ringer. They know I’m not myself, I wish I could just run from this all.

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Nancy, hang in there. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Please don’t hesitate to seek help if you need it. Seeing a counselor may be just the thing to give you the tools you need to get through this. I hope and pray that you’ll be feeling better soon.

      Reply
  4. vanessa

    thank you for posting this. i too went through the mirena crash. after i got the mirena i started to feel anxious and scared for no reason. my chest would also hurt and i got terrible headaches that would last all day. the worst part was the anxiety attacks. i would get so anxious, to the point where i couldn’t leave my house because i was scared of getting an anxiety attack in public. i finally got it taken out after three months, and the same day i took it out i woke up in the middle of the night because my heart was beating fast. i got scared but i remembered reading about women who have gone through the same thing. i was able to call myself down after 10 minutes. i am much better after 2 weeks of having it out. if anyone out there is going through this just remember you are not alone and you will get through this. once again, thank you mel. btw thats my daughters name! :)

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Vanessa, thank you for sharing your story!

      Reply
  5. Jacqueline

    Hi! This is my first and only time sharing my story. It has been a long journey to my healing. I had the mirena for a long time (7 yrs). Perhaps I ignored the symptoms the first 5 years, but after i had it replaced it’s when it almost ruined me. I’ve always been active, with regular excercise and eating healthy but convinced after two babies I was going through the struggles of managing working full time, wife and mommy duties and everything else in between….

    October 2014- I was at work one morning when I had what felt like a major anxiety attack – I thought I was going to die. Went to the hospital to find nothing wrong with me. According to my symptoms (left arm feeling heavy, dizziness, rapid heart palpitations, anxious & feeling faint) they said most likely a TIA. What?! I was 34 and I was in disbelief. I was released only to find myself going back that same night (then again 2 other times thru Dec.)…. I was afraid to be by myself, I honestly felt I was going to die. All test results came back good – I was healthy! In the course of 1 yr, I made several doc visits to follow up, seeking to find answers and all I got was a prescription to Xanax to treat my so-called “anxiety disorder”. This truly hurt me more in every way, shape and form. I was not depressed – I had a great life with my kiddos, husband and most importantly our loving heavenly Father Jehovah. I of course did not take that!! FYI – these type of meds worsen anxiety, so you cannot just stop taking it (doc disclosure – anxiety sky rockets) wow. Pharmaceuticals is nothing but a money business.

    The only thing left to question was my IUD – so I had it removed. I didn’t care at this point, I needed a solution not something to mask the problem!
    Why was this happening to me? I researched online looking for answers and found similar blogs and was so thankful to know I was not going crazy and finally find comfort without worrying people thinking I’m truly sick.
    I read about detox and how this was eminent to get better sooner. I found a nutritionist and learned about Nutrition Response Testing (vitamin deficiency triggering health setbacks) – this is when I learned how the Mirena ruined me without knowing any better. Our adrenal glands produces a variety of hormones – lacking in specific vitamins can cause concerns. I started to take natural vitamins (food in capsules rich in vitamins) for a couple of months – it helped to speed up my well-being.
    This worked for me. We are all different and can only say that it alleviated the uncertainty I had as I didn’t find any answers with doctors.

    In the course of a year, I dealt with the panic attacks that came from no where, feelings of doom, emotional roller coasters and much more. But I prayed excessively and kept busy at the gym every chance I had and drinking lots of water. Yes, I kept getting better and better as time passed. I couldn’t have done it alone, without God. I can say now I’m back to the me I once knew.

    I hope my experience helps and comforts anyone out there. You are not alone! Look to Jehovah God in prayer and see how he guides you through this. As I look back, I can see how He helped me. Things don’t happen as coincidences… Psalms 34:18 & 55:22

    Reply
    1. Amanda Hutchison

      Jacqueline your situation sounds very similar to mine! I only had mine in maybe a year, right at. Roughly around 5 or 6 months i started getting numbness in my face, which i started with my neuro doc on. Never once crossed my mind that the mirena thing could be causing any issues. After all the tests were done and I was cleared of stroke issues,etc, we thought maybe it was a new symptom of my migraines, until it progress to the whole right side of my body and intensified in feeling (to include the inside of my mouth being numb).

      It was almost like a little voice in the back of my head was telling me to think of the timeline of when it all started and think about it, that’s when i really started looking hard at the mirena side effects and low and behold what i was having was the worst one possible. Luckily my gyno was very receptive of what i was telling her, had me in her office that day and took it out that day no questions asked. It’s been 4 days with it out and i already have noticed a huge reduction in those symptoms. The very day after she took it out there was not spotting it was a full blown cycle, heavy one and now I feel so sick to my stomach and threw up twice. Is this normal? I had horrible chills last night too. I surely hope this doesn’t last long and really wish i had researched this better before hand. This was an option since regular BC is too strong and causes my migraines to be horrific.

      Thank you for listening and any advice you can give is appreciated.

      Reply
      1. Mel Lockcuff

        Amanda, I’m not sure if that’s all a normal part of the effects, but I would definitely discuss with your doctor. I hope you are feeling better!

        Reply
  6. elaine greenan

    Thank you for this! I got the mirena removed a few days ago and feel like crap! I found this in my search for answers and felt as tho it was written by me! Sent it to my husband too for him to understand better how I’m feeling as I struggled to put it into words

    Xx

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Oh Elaine, I’m so glad you found this but so sorry you’re going through this. I totally understand. I hope and pray you get to feeling better very soon.

      Reply
      1. Kim

        Hi- I just got my Mirena out last week. I went to the hospital yesterday with dizziness vomitting and anxiety hey said its vertigo I think it’s the Mirena crash but every doctor I call has never heard of it and says it anxiety and vertigo. Have u spoken to any doctors can you give me any kind of reassurance that it’s the Mirena crash and not something actually physically bad wrong with me?

        Reply
        1. Mel Lockcuff

          Kim, I would definitely encourage you to talk to your doctor about all of your symptoms, even seek a 2nd opinion if needed. I don’t want to give you any advice, and I definitely can’t give you any assurance of what the diagnosis may be. I do hope and pray that you find the answers you’re seeking and hope you are feeling better very soon. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing all of this.

          Reply
        2. Lindsay Prichard

          I think vertigo can be related to it, inter cranial something (?) the class action law suit sites mention a neurotically connection which involves vertigo and tinnitus. I think that might be causing the vomiting for me, in addition to the crazy emotional side effects

          Reply
  7. mirenasucks, getting better though

    Over the past 3.5 months I have come back to this page and find it comforts me soooooo much. To see that I’m A) not the only one and B) there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to share my story in hopes of helping someone. Since I am not out of the dark yet, I PROMISE to update in a couple months with my story. Here is my story so far:

    I had the Mirena for 3 years and had never once experienced a panic attack or depression. I have difficult things in my life like everyone else, and I have always been able to deal with them. In December of last year, I had my first panic attack after an argument with my husband. I could not calm myself down and I felt so scared but couldnt figure out why. One phone call to my mom and I was able to calm down. 2 days later I started my period. That was EXTREMELY odd because the Mirena had stopped my period. I called my mom and we chalked it up to bad PMS. The same thing happened about a month later. Panic attack and period came. I decided to get the Mirena removed since my cycle had clearly changed. My OBGYN said sometimes the Mirena can break and release too much fake progesterone or not enough. GREAT.

    I felt amazing for about 2 weeks and then out of no where I was experiencing 24 hour anxiety, diarrhea, zero appetite, blurred vision, floaters in my vision, extreme shakiness even when laying down in bed, trouble falling asleep. I literally thought I was dying. I finally went to the ER because I wasnt even able to take a nap without jolting awake as I was drifting to sleep. I thought I was having a heart attack. The ER doctor did a standard blood test and everything came up normal. I left with a diagnosis of Anxiety and a prescription for a mood stabilizer. Although I’m relieved all of my tests and MRI are normal, I am left in the dark still trying to help myself get better. I take supplements, eat healthy, and need to work out more. For a long time I punished myself for various things. For getting the Mirena in the first place. For not being able to handle the crippling anxiety. For not working out enough and eating like a saint. It’s not our faults ladies!! It’s just life and we can get better.

    I have just started my 4th cycle off of Mirena and each cycle is a tiny bit better. When you are talking about anxiety and panic attacks, a tiny bit does not go a long way. But taking a step back and telling yourself that each month it WILL be better is the best thing you can do. All of my symptoms were at a 9-10 when this all started. 3.5 months later they are sometimes at a 1 and sometimes at a 5. That is progress. It sucks we have to deal with it, but I think the best thing to do is to keep moving forward and allow yourself to cry, heal, punish, forgive, whatever. I’m hoping the next 4 months will continue at this rate and I will be able to update with what we all want.. For life to go back to normal.

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Thank you so much for sharing your story. It truly makes a difference knowing you’re not alone. I hope and pray you’ll be feeling much, much better in a short time. Be encouraged and know that your story is an encouragement to others!

      Reply
  8. Francesca Knee-Wright

    Thanks so much for writing this post. I had the mirena put in 3.5 years ago and ever since haven’t felt right. In the last 6 moths though things have been coming to a head- crippling headaches, joint pain, weight gain, ZERO sex drive, bad eczema and acne, facial hair…just BLUEGH! I’ve kept putting it off having it taken out as it just seemed convenient but now I’ve finally made an appointment for 2 weeks time to have it removed and I cannot WAIT!!
    Quite scared about the potential crash so am looking for ways to help that along.
    But yeah, thanks again for sharing this post and helping for us to not feel alone!
    xxx

    Reply
    1. Mel Lockcuff

      Francesca, I’m so sorry you’ve been going through this. I pray everything goes well and you feel better.

      Reply
  9. Cynthia

    I think I may be going through this. I have got my iud removed today and have had horrible stomach pains all day and just don’t feel comfertable in general.
    Anybody tips to make this time as comfertable as possible?

    Reply
  10. Raye

    I just had my IUD/Mirena removed on April 5, 2016. I felt great having it out. I had a lot of complications with the Mirena.(Massive weight gain, anxiety,stomach pain) I spoke to my GYN and he told me that I should talk to my primary care doctor about anxiety issues and thyroid issues. He didn’t believe me when I said it all started after having the IUD. After loads of tests, my primary care physician told me that my thyroid levels were off, but not enough for medication. It has been a terrible ordeal.
    Having the IUD out has been refreshing. I was great until this week. I have been experiencing nausea, mood swings/tears, smells make me want to throw up, indigestion, headaches and general discomfort. Granted, I haven’t gotten my period yet and my husband thinks I am pregnant. I think I am experiencing the Mirena crash. I don’t think I could get pregnant in that short a time frame. I figure I am going to wait and see what happens.
    I don’t think doctors should be pushing IUD’s without giving all the facts.

    Reply
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