Mirena IUD?

Hello,

My name is Angie and I am new here.  I am 34 years of age...I am scheduled for a mammogram (first one) on Thursday.  I have not been diagnosed with cancer and really I am not concerned until I need to be...but I just felt this urge to check up on the Mirena vs breast cancer diagnosis.  I had a Mirena inserted after my son was born (2002) and just a couple of weeks ago had a second Mirena inserted.  I found this site and thank you ladies so much for your insight and advice.  My heart goes out to those of you fighting cancer...I know you will win and come out stronger:)  I had second guessed myself getting the Mirena a second time and going with the Paragard...but I haven't had any problems with the Mirena so I decided to stick with it.  I hope it wasn't a mistake on my part...but even if/when the mammogram comes back normal, I may decide to switch to the Paragard.  I have noticed mood swings and weight gain (in the beginning...within the last year, I have lost 30 pounds).

Anyways, I am glad to have found this site because it has given me a different look into this Mirena and maybe hormonal contraception just isn't right for me any longer.

Hi  I was considered a very healthy person an d always being very careful when I made healthy choices. I exercised 5 days a week and haven't had any close family member ever  w/ cancer. I had my mammograms every year . Last year around the same time of my mammograms. I was inserted  Mirena IUD (plastic w/ Levonorgestrel)  from that day I noticed changes in my body, loss hair, sleep patterns, mood changes, headaches, etc. on sep 2010  had been diagnosed w/ Breast  Cancer in my left breast. the Drs namem it  IC- HER2  agressive. Never take pills, not vitamins, no surgeries. I do not believe in bad luck and I can tell my body was affected since the first day I was placed the IUD.  I know drs said that the amount of hormones is minimum but if you read the list of risk of adverse reaction published by the same company you wonder how such "small " amount of  progesterona can produce:  nausea, nervousness, vulvovaginitis, dysmenorrhea, back pain, weight increase, decreased libido, cervicitis/Papanicolaou smear normal/class II, hypertension, dyspareunia, anemia, alopecia, skin disorders including eczema, pruritus, rash and urticaria, abdominal distention, hirsutism and edema.  Also I found out shocking that there were spontaneous reports of breast cancer during postmarketing !

simply Mirena point out  that ". Because spontaneous reports are voluntary and from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to use postmarketing data to reliably estimate the frequency or establish causal relationship to drug exposure". I will keep researching and I will update any findings. Thanks for your post and be aware.

Interesting- I am currently waiting on a biopsy result right now on a thickened area that has grown in the last 2-3 three months taking over almost the whole upper/inner quadrant of my right breast (A/B cups so very easily felt).

I am on my 2nd Mirena- inserted in 2008 after my son was born. First one was removed in 2007 because it was imbedded. I really do love the mirena but this makes me nervous, there isn't any other birth Control out there I have been comfortable with. After the first Mirena was removed I got pregnant within a month unfortunately it turned out to be partial molar and I was not suppose to get pregnant again for a year and was placed on Progestrogen only BCP and got pregnant again.

I hope this biopsy comes back B9, but there are a lot of things that are now stacking up against me.......

Hi, I'm 35 years old and I have just had the surgery because of invasiv BC. As far as I know I have no risk factors for BC. I have Mirena for 2 years, and I loved it - till now. I don't know if it has a role in developing the cancer or not, I think in that moment we don't have enough information about it, and I still don't know yet if my cancer is hormon positive or not, but I do really everything, that I think it may helps. To get rid of Mirena may help? Maybe yes. I can live without Mirena, but I can't live with cancer. Then, why are we thinking about it??

(sorry about my middle-eastern poor english)

I am two weeks out from having  mastecomy surgery on my left breast.  I had my mirena iud approx 3 years ago and I too had a fast growing mass.  My doctor elected for me to do chemo before surgery as my tumor was growing incredibly fast.  All of my doctors have said leave it in since I was a triple negative; however, I am not sure now... I am almost 42 (will bein April) and single.  The thought that I introduced something into my body that caused my BC scares the crap out of me!!! 

I had the Mirena IUD inserted in November of 2009 and was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in my left breast in October of 2010.  Breast cancer does not run in my family and I tested negative for the cancer gene.  I am POSITIVE that the Mirena IUD caused the breast cancer and I had it removed the same week I found out.  My OBGYN does not believe that the Mirena caused the breast cancer but I beg to differ.  I would also like to know if there are any Mirena lawsuits.  I would most definitely be on the top of this list to join!  I had four small tumors which were removed during a lumpectomy.  I just finished 4 chemo treatments and will start radiation at the end of this week for 6 weeks.  I wish I would have known about this site before I had the Mirena IUD inserted.  Biggest mistake of my life! 

Wow. I'm 38, waiting for a biopsy on a lump seen on US but not palpable. All professionals so far believe it is a fibroadenoma and reassured me not to worry (yeah right). I too have a Mirena since Oct2010, for heavy, painful periods. I have 2 children 8yr and 2yr and breast fed both. I have BC history on both sides of my family, but not primary members.Wish me luck. My heart goes out to all of you battling. Kia Kaha

I had a Mirena inserted in July of 2007.  By the following July, I had gained 40 lbs.  Nothing else had changed in my life.  I finally had the stupid thing removed in July of 2010, hoping to lose weight.  I had a mammogram in July of 2007 which was negative.  I did not have another one until this past August, at which time I had a tumor of 1.1 cm, plus an area adjacent to the tumor which turned out to be DCIS.  I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction a month ago today.  I begin chemo as soon as I'm healed from the surgery.  I regret the decision to have the Mirena placed every day.  I feel quite certain that if the progesterone from the Mirena could cause me to gain weight like I did, it could definitely have everything to do with my breast cancer.  I have two teenage daughters that I now will counsel to NEVER, no matter how "safe" something is supposed to be, use any type of contraception that uses hormones.  Waiting for the class action suit against the makers of Mirena.  I'm sure there will be one at some point!

I am shocked to be reading all of this right now.  I am 33 years old and just diagnosed with DCIS.  I have had the Mirena in for almost 5 years and I am getting it out next week.  I always thought it was such a blessing to have this birth control... no periods and I loved that.  I would have taken a period twice a month to not have to go through this upcoming surgery, radiation and therapy.  I think it's time for my husband to get snipped!

My doctor recently suggested the Mirena for me due to prolonged and heavy bleeding. Am in my 40's and also high risk for breast cancer. As soon as the Mirena was mentioned, my gut reaction without having done a shred of research was "no way". I just started to google on the issue and up popped this thread. Am grateful to all those that posted here. This does not sound like something I want to get involved with. Am and I very sorry to hear of all these young women having been diagnosed and to see there are those who had been diagnosed and not told to remove the Mirena. 

Hi Moomoo39. Just wanted to tell you you are not alone. I am 37 with two little boys and have just been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer that has also affected several lymphnodes. My worst nightmare, other than my children becoming ill. I also have the Mirena IUD which I am having removed. I am otherwise healthy (and kind of a health nut). I made a concerted effort to do everything to reduce my risks (breastfeeding, eating healthy, working out). After reading these posts and doing research, I am more and more convinced that the Mirena has something to do with this. I wish I had listened to my instincts and not agreed to leave something foreign with hormones in my body. Stay strong!

I'm also 25 and I too had the mirena implanted after my daughter was born in 2009. I found a lump one day in the shower and had it checked. 1/30/12 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and the following week I had it removed. I can't help but wonder if the iud played a significant part in my diagnosis. Its doesn't run in my family and it came back negative when they performed the genetic testing

I just sent a big thank you to judmy10. Her post was so detailed. But it was her mention of the specific word "Alopecia" that caught my eye and made my heart race. Like many of you - I had to start looking into a different form of birth control. "Hormone free." My obgyn suggested the Mirena IUD. Well, after researching the product online - seeing that the company Bayer - mentions in their patient information packet that if you have/had breast cancer you ARE NOT TO USE THE MIRENA IUD. I was shocked that my doctor would even suggest this product - when the product's company advices against it. My brother, an oncologist (as well as my oncologist) said absolutely no to the insertion of the Mirena. And this is after both oncologists had to look into it.  

So I came onto this site - to see what women in our situation are feeling about their new birth control options...what they are finding helpful. Even though - I was not going to use the Mirena IUD - I was still interested in seeing what all of you were posting. judmy10 posted such a detailed list of side effects...many I had read of before on other sites - but not the specific word Alopecia (condition of hair loss - complete baldness). This is why my heart sunk. A few hours before I had read her post - I was at a dinner party - talking with a friend. This friend mentioned she was on the Mirena - loved not having periods....BUT she also has alopecia. This happened three years ago. For the last three years she has also been very depressed, irritable, loss of libido, extreme fatigue, anxiety...you name it. She said that night that she really felt she was losing it. And sad regarding her displayed irritability towards her children. After reading judmy10's post - my OCD kicked in high gear and I was up until 5:00AM researching the Mirena product, by Bayer. I have some experience in research.

This is what I have collected after reading/comparing the content of several blogs, websites, and Bayer documents... As we all know - often times posts on sites are of a negative nature - and do not reflect the overall experience of the majority. However, the documented literature says it all, as well as supports the negative claims of those of the minority. 

This by no means constitutes as an in depth research based study. lol This is just a compilation of a few interesting hidden observations/facts. 

On one blog - a person mentions how her midwife did not believe her regarding her alopecia, being associated with the Mirena IUD. The midwife let the woman talk to the Mirena rep - when the rep was in her office. The woman posted that the Mirena rep personally told her that they are hearing of cases of alopecia with women who just had the Mirena inserted after birth...and which includes women who are breast feeding (as it was with my friend). From all of the complaints I had read on line - there is definitely a vast mention of having the experience of extreme side effects show up in the patient after the product was inserted post child birth ...and majority of the patients mention being breast feeders. Same seems to be true in this forum.

I found that a woman online had created a petition (online) trying to push action against Bayer, regarding how Bayer presents information (intentionally misleading consumers) regarding the products possible side effects. This was back in 2009. A lot of women seem to be posting many complaints regarding their Mirena IUD during that year. That is also the year of my friend's IUD insertion and immediate failure of health. The petition states that the word Alopecia, along with several other side effects, are ONLY MENTIONED in the physicians' info packet NOT in the patients' information packet. I downloaded and read both documents, this statement is still correct. The mention of Alopecia can be found around 8+ pages into the physicians' document - section 6.1. No mention of the word Alopecia in the patients' information packet. Again - several other side effects have been left out of the patient info packet. My friend, like so many others, have - and are continued to being told by their physicians that there was/is no way the Mirena caused their hair loss - or is the cause of numerous side effects. Physicians are NOT reading the information provided by Bayer? It is all right there. Or are physicians reading the patients' packet - the "Cliff Notes" version. lol Come on - if you took a book report test on the Hunger Games and only watched the movie...you wouldn't do to well on that test. lol.

Although, regarding the side effect Alopecia, after complaints, Bayer did make a minor adjustment to the patient info packet by saying that the Mirena IUD may "cause growth or loss of hair". Still not the word Alopecia. Big difference.  Still leaving out a lot... 

There are three class action law suits forming regarding the failure of Bayer to present the side effects accurately to the consumer. I found it very difficult to find much info regarding the pending actions. There was also something mentioned of a misleading "moms' blog" in/or was in existence secretly sponsored (or something to that effect) by the Bayer company,  providing an "unbiased" forum praising the Mirena IUD. And that Bayer was reprimanded for for the site. I'd have to research the validity of that statement. Interesting if true. 

What I do find interesting is that the Mirena IUD is the only government approved IUD - for sale in the US - aside from the copper IUD (which really posses no threat in product/sales  for the Bayer company). Europe has several IUD products from various pharmaceutical company competitors to choose from.

I called my friend - first thing Sunday morning - she was blown away by what I had found. She had the IUD taken out that Monday. Three years ago when her hair fell out, and her physical/mental health began to decline immediately after having the Mirena IUD inserted, she said that she strongly felt that her condition was being caused by the IUD. Her doctor insisted that it was NOT the Mirena IUD that was the cause, but the birth of her child and stress. We need to go with our strong gut feelings. She believed him because tests were run...because of the information out there regarding PPD ...because our bodies and minds change after having children. We conclude that the side effects we are experiencing are one thing - because they are common in description. Think - how many of us are on Tamoxifen? You do NOT want to get pregnant on Tamoxifen. Birth control is a must. Your doctor suggests the Mirena IUD. Tamoxifen shares many of the same side effects of the Mirena IUD. What if you are experiencing a bit of hair loss? Doctor says it's not your IUD...Tamoxifen mentions hair loss. Irritability, loss of libido, depression...those symptoms run a muck all over Tamoxifen discussion boards. Say you started the Tamoxifen around the same time the Mirena IUD was inserted...Some people can actually tolerate the Tamoxifen quite well, what if you are one of them? But your oncologist - like mine - doesn't really know about the Mirena or its side effects - or even know or remember that you have one inserted. You will be prescribed medications you don't even need - or that might not even help give you relief.  

My friend, she is doing much better - feels like she has her life back. The withdraws were not fun...BUT her hair is starting to grow! A couple of eyelashes started to make their way out. She actually notice peach fuzz on the Wednesday after she had the IUD removed. Her head and body was absolutely hairless. I had more hair growth than her while I was going through my chemo. She had her IUD removed on May 7th, 2012 and today she can't believe she is so hopeful and happy.

One more thing to add to my list on how my cancer was a good thing and has made life better - if I hadn't of had cancer I would have never had been on this site...and now my friend feels 100% better. Her husband and children get the real her back. She gets herself back. Thanks judmy10! I am so glad you posted!!! And that was judmy10's only post she had ever contributed to this site. It was a good one! Good karma coming her way.    

hello, i just found this website and have been searching for something like this.  my wife is 32 and was diagnosed with BC in Feb 2012, she is ER/PR+.  she had the Mirena IUD inserted in Aug. 2007 after the birth of our daughter.  in 2010 she was diagnosed with fibrocycstic breats.  my wife has no family history of BC, fairly healthy with no major health problems and breast feed our daughter for a full year after her birth.  She had the IUD removed in Mar. 2012 after being diagnosed at the request of the oncologist and surgeon.  She was also dealing with all of the side effects that go along with this IUD: breast tenderness, acne, moody, tired, spotting, abdomen pain, lower back pain.  She has 1 more chemo treatment and is scheduled to have surgery in Aug 2012.  it might never be proven that the Mirena IUD caused my wifes BC but i feel that it did. family history might not have anything to do with it and cells can mutate into cancer cells but i dont think its a coincidence that this many women have BC and also have had the Mirena IUD.  it seems like there is a connection to me.

I find it interesting that so many doctors (obgyn) are suggesting that women who have/had breast cancer use the Mirena IUD; when Bayer even says it is not to be used by women in our health situation. And to think doctors are still insisting their point that it is fine. Are they receiving a kickback? And why is it that our country has only approved the Mirena and the copper, when Europe has several IUD products to choose from. They have a monopoly. I would love to see a news journalist research this product. There is definitely a story there.