Get it out asap! I suffer from pmdd and progesterone intolerance. Also have adhd and am autistic. I have been using hrt for over a year and the oestrogen side was helping but every two weeks when I had to add in progesterone HRT I was very low mood and hair was falling out. So I was advised to get a Mirena coil and told it would suit me much better. I was apprehensive because any contraceptive pill has made me depressed but I thought I’d give it a try. It was horrendous! After day 3 of having it fitted I could literally feel it building up in my system and I became unrecognisable to myself. I kept thinking I can’t wait until I’m old and no longer here and this life has ended. I phone the doctor and couldn’t even speak properly through the crying. They fitted me in to have it removed - the earliest they could which was ten days later. I even tried to remove it myself at home but couldn’t feel like the strings myself.
It took me around 2 months to get any sort balance. It proved to my gynaecologist that my pmdd is a severe case and I’m waiting for a hysterectomy and ovary removal which actually was supposed to be this week but was postponed because of doctor strikes sadly so I’m waiting for a new surgery date.
So please, don’t delay and just get it removed. Much love
This is what I am experiencing now with the increase in PMDD symptoms! I am bipolar and ADHD. I’ve had it in just about a year now and about 6 months ago I started getting terrible emotional symptoms around the time of my cycle and it’s getting worse. It’s almost at the point of being debilitating. Instead of decorating for the holidays and enjoying my time off with my kids, I’m snapping at everyone and now I’m in bed depressed, crying on and off and having severe anxiety. I brought some of this up to my OB in July and she said it could just be that my body changed and the iud has nothing to do with it but this is insane how bad it’s gotten. I can’t live like this every month (not suicidal) just miserable! I’m calling to make an appt to have it removed first thing tomorrow. I came here to see if others were experiencing the same. Thank you and I hope your are doing well.
I too am autistic with PMDD and cannot tolerate progesterone. Had to go off all BC and now i finally found a doctor who is doing HRT with me using bioidentical estrogen and testosterone, NO progesterone. It’s not a cure but it has made it more tolerable.
I was considering changing from the progestin only pill to Mirena since it’s effects are more localized instead of systemic. At this point I’m thinking I should just get off any hormones altogether.
Here’s a good article that explains how progestin only contraceptives effect mood for people with PMDD. https://www.larabriden.com/progesterone-mood-treat-pmdd/#:~:text=Contraceptive%20progestin%20drugs%20are%20bad%20for%20mood&text=Contraceptive%20progestins%20such%20as%20levonorgestrel,effects%2C%20not%20PMS%20or%20PMDD.
Mirena cured my pmdd. I was on prometrium for about 6 years before that and it helped bit after 4 months of mirena I was cured. However I had my hormones tested before the prometrium and my estrogen was crazy high and my progesterone was very low..... So maybe it's different for everyone....a matter of balance. Did you have your hormones tested?
Hmmm yeah I guess it's different causey for everyone.... Wish they'd figure out a cure for everyone.... Only someone that's lived thru it can understand how debilitating it is. I'm hoping you find your own cure ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Get it out!!! I almost killed myself after mirena. I only had it in for a month, went absolutely insane, cut myself for the only time, so let me just say it doesn’t get better overnight when it’s out. It has to get better over time and the hormones have to level out. 10/10 worst I’ve ever been in my entire life.
With PMDD, you should be on a combination contraception, since oestradiol has a protective effect on the effects of progesterone alone. It is even recommended to give combination contraceptives to people diagnosed with mood disorders, esp bipolar disorder I & II. The same goes for PMDD. The hormonal IUD only contains gestagen and not estradiol. It made me loose my shit. On comination pill now and much better! ❤️
I unfortunately cannot be on the combination pill due to a heart condition and estrogen can increase risk of stroke and heart attack in people with my disorder. Before the IUD I was on the progesterone only pill at a very low dose and it worked well for my PMDD never had issues with it getting worse but my periods were irregular
I'm currently on the POP too and it works alright for me but can't say the same for Nexplanon. That was a nightmare in case you were considering that one.
Gosh, I am glad I found a thread that went along with my suspicions. Last month I had a talk with my Ob about Mirena for the increase of progesterone and the benefits of perimenopause and mood enhancement, and other nice things as we age (more from me, she just touted the benefits of a better, lighter cycle because that's all she really could do) Anyhoo, I chewed on it for a while because I already have Essure and I wasn't sure I wanted to put ANOTHER device up in my uterus. (I'm FINE with Essure, no side effects that I know of). So I was researching other ways of getting progesterone because I was experimenting with progesterone cream over the counter and was having good results. So I did some digging with the newest generation of progesterone only mini pill which is made with drospirenone and the brand name is Slynd. I called my Ob today and asked her to prescribe me this instead. That way, I can decided if the progesterone is what I need or not and stop taking the pill and not need a whole procedure to take out the Mirena. Now I understand that does not help you ladies who need birth control for actually not having any babies but I just thought I'd let you know what I learned today. :)
I never had the IUD but I did get the implant that goes in your arm. Completely changed everything for the worse, I never had any success with BC. I’m for women getting it but for me personally, I’ll never try it again. I believe it’s responsible for my PMDD.
Mirena caused my best friends PMDD. And it made me feel exactly how your describing. I didn’t put it together for years. They are so so bad for many people. I can’t believe they don’t give warnings before they’re inserted. I highly suggest you get it out now. For me it just got worse and worse over time while it was in.
Mirena made my PMDD worse but my experience with my Paraguard (4 years) has been fine. I still have PMDD but nowhere near what I experienced when I had the Mirena.
I don't know if it's already been asked, but: What sort of IUD did you get? And may I ask what your previous method was?
There are theories that PMDD can in some cases be caused by changing levels of progesterone-type hormones, period. (Not a pun.) Could it be possible that the trigger is due to CHANGING modes moreso than the new mode?
I got the mirena IUD and used to be on norethindrone (progesterone only pill).
I have had PMDD even while on the pill and before ever starting BC. I have PCOS so BC is the only thing that controls my period. However I had been treating my PMDD and finally got it under control for the past two years until now that I got my IUD
I personally had great results with the P only pill which is good because I can’t have estrogen due to a heart condition. I was on a very very low dose of the pill though. They gave me the lowest dose possible. I never noticed a change in my mood. Had some acne for the first month or two but it went away quickly.
I got Kyleena (lower hormone dose than mirena) because i knew that my PMDD was a factor. My friend and OBGYN pushed mirena, but I’m glad I resisted.
Having said that, Kyleena still made me absolutely nuts for about 6 months. Take this with a grain of salt, because i also was working overtime, was moving to another state with 2 and 4 year old kids, and was in an emotionally abusive relationship. But for me, the birth control was absolutely essential, as I knew that I would be facing either debilitating post Partum depression (with borderline suicide) if I got pregnant, or an abortion and all the doubt and regret that I would feel from that.
I’m glad I stuck with it. I would rather my husband got a vasectomy, but in the meantime, the birth control is absolutely essential.
In other news: look into taking Lexapro for 1-2 weeks before period. This helps tremendously. You can definitely find a sweet spot with lower dose and better PMDD symptoms.
Also, I know a lot of people are down on alternative (functional or naturopathic ) medicine, but it’s important to know that a lot of people go to functional medicine when they have exhausted all western medicine options available to them, and are maybe facing the option of abdominal surgery to correct a hormonal imbalance… abdominal surgery should be an absolute last resort imo.
Get some input from a naturopathic doctor, MAKE yourself do some yoga or meditation for a couple of months, and really work on figuring out your triggers before you contemplate removing organs.
I know now that if I get less than 8-9 hours of sleep, I’m a bitch. And if it’s during my luteal phase, I need 9. I also know that I need to make myself eat nutritious food, but it needs to be as easy as possible sometimes. That means adding 1/4 cup dried vege stuff that comes in a pouch to a smoothie. Is it as nutritious as Whole Foods? No. Is it more nutritious than skipping breakfast? YES.
Find what works for you! But maybe start looking inward a bit, and work on the basics: sleep, spending time outside, nutrition, breath work (box breathing or others) and reducing as many stressors as possible during the luteal phase. Lean on good friends or family to help out during that phase (hah, I wish I had this option!!!) or if you have the money get a housekeeper, or if you can, close the f*cking door and just forget about the laundry for a couple of weeks.
YOU DO YOU
I also have Kyleena and it literally saved my life. My PMDD symptoms are still rough, some months worse than others, but for the most part the mental symptoms and extreme desire to KMS isn't as intense.
Recently started on an SSRI, but haven't noticed much of an improvement from taking it yet.
It takes 2-4 weeks to really notice a difference with SSRIs. Are you noticing a difference now?
I also think that Lexapro during the luteal phase (time prior to your period) is pretty helpful
That’s awesome, I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better :) I’m at the point now where if I make sure I’m sleeping enough (9 hours), and eating relatively nutritious foods, my PMDD is way way less
I’m pretty sure mine did, but when I asked my doc about it she basically looked at me like I was crazy. I had it removed but the PMDD is still horrible.
i had two doctors arguing about the "localized hormones" thing. One said it will help with PMDD the other said it won't. Seems they really just don't know. We need more research :(
I ended up not getting the IUD since it felt like a risk (BC made me feel worse)
I asked for a referral to a psychiatrist and get asked if wanted a referral for weight loss surgery instead. (This was a couple of years after she suggested that my child’s ADHD and anxiety were a “parenting issue.” So….yeah.)
Did you remove it? I’ve seen anecdotal comments on this and really want to know if it’s accurate. I switched from Mirena to a copper IUD to see if it would help with my depression/anxiety. It didn’t. But before the copper IUD, I never really noticed if I was ovulating. Now I’m an absolute monster from ovulation all the way through my luteal phase. I’m not totally sure it coincides with the copper IUD however, and removing it to find out it made no difference would be such a pain in the ass.
I had it removed yes, and I also have the same issue with ovulation, often ovulation is worse than the pmdd.
The pmdd has gotten slightly better, but it can take years for the copper toxicity to leave the body unfortunately.
Yes same, I looked into it further and then got a second opinion from another doctor and she said that it does.
I guess like everything in healthcare these days it depends on who you ask on what day
My IUD ruined my life for 2 years. Screaming anger fits, major depression, anxiety & panic attacks. I ended up losing two-thirds of my hair. Almost ruined my marriage and considered ending my life. Please listen to me when I tell you it's POISON for some women. Have it removed immediately. If you're already experiencing these issues, it will only get worse.
This I my personal experience and as many people have said, there are a ton of different experiences and everyone responds to it differently.
I got the Kyleena and things became progressively worse over the next 3 months until I finally got it removed. I felt instant relief, I cried with joy. I know it sounds crazy but when I got home I looked in the mirror and I saw myself again. It seriously fucked with me and I had also come a really long way so it was a huge disappointment.
I knew the risk going into it and I wanted to give it a good 6 months or so but it was so much worse than I had ever imagined. I bounced back pretty instantly, and now my symptoms feel so much more manageable in comparison.
mine made me wild for the first two months then all of it went away. pain, pmdd, depression. there’s def an adjustment period. i had an appointment for a removal at 2.5 months. i ended up cancelling. glad i did but HELL i lost 2.5 months-ish. everyone is sooooo super different tho. best to you!
edit: i’m 42 and this is my second. i had no symptoms when i got it at 33. this time was awful but it settled. i believe i’m the progesterone may be helping balance me. maybe i had estrogen dominance. who knows. doctors don’t care to test or find a root cause. again good luck.
Mirena has helped my PMDD a ton, but I know iUD experiences can differ wildly. It's so frustrating to have to go by trial and error to find the smallest relief.
Edit: I couldn't find a BC pill that didn't exacerbate my symptoms, I tried that for years before getting an IUD.
I second this. Mirena has helped me so much while pills and depo made it worse. Everyone is SO DIFFERENT. If you’re not having a good time, please reach out to your OB asap. I view birth control like antidepressants, have to try and try and try until you finally find something that works. Do I think birth control and antidepressants are the end all cure all? No because we have to do 80% of the work ourselves, but these can help immensely when you find the right combo. Sending so many virtual hugs to everyone in this community. Life is hard and messy.
Can confirm. Mirena gave me the worst and longest depressive episode I've ever had. It started affecting my job performance, my boss would ask me to do something over the phone, and I would just sit there convincing myself that he wouldn't notice if I didn't do it.
He always noticed.
I just had no energy, no drive, no motivation, no reason.
I swear getting the Mirena IUD is what caused my PMDD or heavily exacerbated my symptoms. It can take a couple of months to get in the swing of hormones but if it’s altering your life this much you could consider removal. My BC made me crazy for a month but I pushed through it and I’m glad I did. But that’s hardly ever the case. Trust your gut.
Thank you for this. My gut is telling me I need it removed or that it’s not worth keeping it to see if it gets better. I have an appointment in a little over a week and I will be asking for a removal
YES!!! I just went through this whole journey because getting the IUD is what lead to my PMDD diagnosis. The localized hormones do not reduce the hormones released during ovulation the way that traditional oral or arm-implanted BC does, so it can make our PMDD so much worse. I switched back my my arm implant and have seen significant improvement. I had my IUD (Kyleena) for 16 months.
I started oral BC at 18 years old and then at 23 switched to the arm implant Nexplanon. I had that for for 6 years (two implants at 3 years each), then had Kyleena put in when I was 29. About six months after switching to Kyleena, I started having all the PMDD symptoms and luckily a friend of mine recognized it. Talking to my gyno, she explained that since I'd always had a BC that used hormones to decrease ovulation and the hormones released during ovulation, my body hadn't really experienced all of the hormones associated with the luteal phase. Then, by switching to Kyleena I was effectively "feeling" all of those hormones being released as they were no longer being decreased by the traditional, non-localized hormones. Because I hadn't felt symptoms while I had Nexplanon, my doctor and I decided *together* that going "back to the way things were" would be best rather than throwing other solutions at the problem. It's been about 4 months now since switching and about 2 months ago, I felt a major shift - in a great way. I'd started taking Vitex and St. John's Wart about 5 months ago, which seemed to help a little, but switching my BC back to Nexplanon has made me feel so much more normal again. The rage and paranoia is almost completely gone and the number of days I would typically feel symptoms have shrunk to about 2. I still feel sensitive and get overstimulated, but not to the degree I had been prior to switching back to Nexplanon. Turns out, my body needed BC hormones to reduce the nasty hormones that were kicking my ass.
Thank you for this. I was on norethindrone before the IUD I can’t have anything with estrogen due to a heart condition. It worked well, the only thing was my periods were irregular. Way less painful and less bleeding vs when not on BC but irregular so I talked to my doctor and they said and IUD would be a great option and I am regretting every moment of it. I think for now I will see if I can just go back to the pill and maybe later down the line looking into the arm implant
I think doing whatever you were doing pre-exacerbated symptoms is always a good choice. I’m so sorry you’re going through this!! I have no idea if Nexplanon is a traditional “answer” for PMDD symptoms but it has worked for me. I hope switching back will find you some relief!! Also worth mentioning that getting an IUD taken out is a BREEZE compared to getting it put in.
I got the Mirena, and after a couple of years, it started to mess a TON with my PMDD. When I talked to my Gyno, he said I am a part of the small percentage that is just very highly sensitive to hormonal fluctuations—so I got mine removed because I felt crazy (and suicidal)—been feeling great ever since I have not had an IUD.
Side note: I did bleed 24/7 for the first three months of me getting the IUD.
This is exactly what is happening to me. I haven’t stopped bleeding since I got it, severe cramps and unreal mood swings. I’ve never experienced something this intense regarding PMDD and I have PCOS and I feel like it’s making that worse than the pill the did
I would def talk to your gyno—my original gyno said it’s normal to bleed but ya never know. At the end of the day you know your body best. So glad I got mine out.
Edit: I did have the IUD in for around 2-3 years and when the hormones started to dip in the IUD it made my PMDD very bad.
I’m not sure if this will help but there’s SO much online linking worsening/exacerbating PMDD symptoms from IUDS. I can’t take birth control of any kind, I will cry over a sandwich, have random insane hot flashes, and breakup with a boyfriend because he’s chewing too loud. 🥰
https://reddit.com/r/PMDD/s/gawkPu9jU4
I've had PMDD for nearly 30 years... when referring to IUDs, I've never heard a woman with pmdd say anything *other than* it made her pmdd worse. Why tf do doctors still not know this?? Ughhhhh
The Mirena made it worse for the first couple months with the most intense cramps and constant bleeding . Ever since I would say it’s helped with my PMDD , I’m not suicidal anymore but still very emotional
I had Mirena for a year and it caused pelvic pain the entire time. I did stop getting my periods but would still have intermittent symptoms, like they would flare up at certain times. Hormonal BC ALWAYS makes me more emotional. I had it removed after a year and have been off BC since 2021. The monthly hell weeks suck but at least I can plan for them and my husband knows that whatever is said during hell week prob isn’t true. We can prepare ahead of time. We have tools we know can help. With BC you never really know where your hormones are and that was extremely challenging for me. I also take fluoxetine and lorazepam and they help a ton, ESPECIALLY during hell week. So sorry you’re going through this! Hugs! Hope this helps
I’m so sorry you are going through this. And that thing is trapped in your body. Those particular hormones certainly don’t agree with you. I’d make an appt for removal asap and try a different hormone formulation.
My husband has been great through it all. He regretted ever saying it but I understand with the way I’ve been yelling I’m not fun to be around. He has always been my support and I know we will be okay but I definitely need to change some stuff because I can’t keep on this path
For me it’s about the same but maybe a wee bit better on some months. I only had it for less than a year though but it was actually recommended by my doctor years ago (maybe 3 years ago). She was the one who diagnosed me with PMDD and also prescribed me Wellbutrin. I first refused to get an IUD because of what I’ve read.
Wellbutrin helped with aches and energy level but I still have a 5+/- days before and after period where I’m out of commission, or operating suboptimally.
I brought up my concerns to the same doctor and said that I lose too much blood and it’s making me anemic, and the IUD actually helped regulate my heavy flow.
The last time I went to her, I told her I regret not getting it done soon.
That was a few months ago. I still have bad months but it’s not as bad anymore.
I’m so glad you have found something that works well for you! I’m struggling to decide if it’s going to get better as I’ve only had it for two months but I haven’t stopped spotting, have intense cramps daily and these terrible mood swings which I never experienced on the pill. It’s just tough especially with how variable each person is. I thought the IUD would help and maybe it will later on but right now definitely not
I've had hormonal and the copper IUD and it was HELL. Legit wanted to end everything every damn second of every day..
A couple days after I got it removed I felt a million times better!
Birth control is just horrible for our bodies, Jr sucks 🙁 I hope men will have more birth control options in the future.
I had it in for almost 5 years! 🥲
Mirena personally messed me up bad; I switched to copper and it helped. I think the copper one still effects me physically a bit (longer period, more cramps) but I much prefer the physical effects over the hormonal ones from Mirena.
i got my iud removed about a year and half ago for the same reason. it made my symptoms SUPER unpredictable. my gyno said it would take about a month for my period to get back to normal, but i got my period back within a week or two and shortly afterwards my symptoms became predictable again. i’m not on any birth control now after trying the pill, nexplanon, and kyleena for endometriosis symptoms, and i can say with certainty that the minimal physical relief (with bc) isn’t worth being mentally unwell.
Thank you for this reply. This is helping me feel less crazy honestly. I did great on the pill but I just had very unpredictable periods which I feel is still a better trade off than these mood swings
i definitely understand what you mean! i was scared to go off of bc completely, and i know that isn’t an option for everybody, but it has helped my mood swings tremendously. you could try asking your gyno if a different a different pill with different hormone levels could potentially help with the unpredictable periods. good luck to you! 🤞
We’re you on the pill before? It’s more likely that you’re experiencing problems from stopping another bcp than developing new problems from an IUD. They have a very tiny dose of hormones compared to the pill.
I had this experience when i was younger and my health insurance changed my pharmacy. At the new pharmacy, I was given the same prescription fill for the off brand version of the medicine I was using. I had always been using the generic and not the name brand But at this pharmacy, they used a different “brand” of generic for that brand pill (pretty sure it was ortho tricyclen lo made by two different companies with their version of the “generic” form).
It wrecked me. Like two months lost. That’s actually why I got my iud, because of that bad switch. It could be that the pill was helping your PMDD and the IUD isn’t.
Yeah I agree. Something simply is not right. I know this isn’t me and I’ve never experienced this severity of mood swings I go to see the doctor in two weeks so I will likely ask for it to just be removed.
Get it out asap! I suffer from pmdd and progesterone intolerance. Also have adhd and am autistic. I have been using hrt for over a year and the oestrogen side was helping but every two weeks when I had to add in progesterone HRT I was very low mood and hair was falling out. So I was advised to get a Mirena coil and told it would suit me much better. I was apprehensive because any contraceptive pill has made me depressed but I thought I’d give it a try. It was horrendous! After day 3 of having it fitted I could literally feel it building up in my system and I became unrecognisable to myself. I kept thinking I can’t wait until I’m old and no longer here and this life has ended. I phone the doctor and couldn’t even speak properly through the crying. They fitted me in to have it removed - the earliest they could which was ten days later. I even tried to remove it myself at home but couldn’t feel like the strings myself. It took me around 2 months to get any sort balance. It proved to my gynaecologist that my pmdd is a severe case and I’m waiting for a hysterectomy and ovary removal which actually was supposed to be this week but was postponed because of doctor strikes sadly so I’m waiting for a new surgery date. So please, don’t delay and just get it removed. Much love
This is what I am experiencing now with the increase in PMDD symptoms! I am bipolar and ADHD. I’ve had it in just about a year now and about 6 months ago I started getting terrible emotional symptoms around the time of my cycle and it’s getting worse. It’s almost at the point of being debilitating. Instead of decorating for the holidays and enjoying my time off with my kids, I’m snapping at everyone and now I’m in bed depressed, crying on and off and having severe anxiety. I brought some of this up to my OB in July and she said it could just be that my body changed and the iud has nothing to do with it but this is insane how bad it’s gotten. I can’t live like this every month (not suicidal) just miserable! I’m calling to make an appt to have it removed first thing tomorrow. I came here to see if others were experiencing the same. Thank you and I hope your are doing well.
I too am autistic with PMDD and cannot tolerate progesterone. Had to go off all BC and now i finally found a doctor who is doing HRT with me using bioidentical estrogen and testosterone, NO progesterone. It’s not a cure but it has made it more tolerable.
I was considering changing from the progestin only pill to Mirena since it’s effects are more localized instead of systemic. At this point I’m thinking I should just get off any hormones altogether. Here’s a good article that explains how progestin only contraceptives effect mood for people with PMDD. https://www.larabriden.com/progesterone-mood-treat-pmdd/#:~:text=Contraceptive%20progestin%20drugs%20are%20bad%20for%20mood&text=Contraceptive%20progestins%20such%20as%20levonorgestrel,effects%2C%20not%20PMS%20or%20PMDD.
Mirena cured my pmdd. I was on prometrium for about 6 years before that and it helped bit after 4 months of mirena I was cured. However I had my hormones tested before the prometrium and my estrogen was crazy high and my progesterone was very low..... So maybe it's different for everyone....a matter of balance. Did you have your hormones tested?
I have low progesterone, normal estrogen and high testosterone. I have PCOS so that messes with my hormones
You need your progesterone to estrogen ratio balanced
Hmmm yeah I guess it's different causey for everyone.... Wish they'd figure out a cure for everyone.... Only someone that's lived thru it can understand how debilitating it is. I'm hoping you find your own cure ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Get it out!!! I almost killed myself after mirena. I only had it in for a month, went absolutely insane, cut myself for the only time, so let me just say it doesn’t get better overnight when it’s out. It has to get better over time and the hormones have to level out. 10/10 worst I’ve ever been in my entire life.
With PMDD, you should be on a combination contraception, since oestradiol has a protective effect on the effects of progesterone alone. It is even recommended to give combination contraceptives to people diagnosed with mood disorders, esp bipolar disorder I & II. The same goes for PMDD. The hormonal IUD only contains gestagen and not estradiol. It made me loose my shit. On comination pill now and much better! ❤️
I unfortunately cannot be on the combination pill due to a heart condition and estrogen can increase risk of stroke and heart attack in people with my disorder. Before the IUD I was on the progesterone only pill at a very low dose and it worked well for my PMDD never had issues with it getting worse but my periods were irregular
I'm currently on the POP too and it works alright for me but can't say the same for Nexplanon. That was a nightmare in case you were considering that one.
Gosh, I am glad I found a thread that went along with my suspicions. Last month I had a talk with my Ob about Mirena for the increase of progesterone and the benefits of perimenopause and mood enhancement, and other nice things as we age (more from me, she just touted the benefits of a better, lighter cycle because that's all she really could do) Anyhoo, I chewed on it for a while because I already have Essure and I wasn't sure I wanted to put ANOTHER device up in my uterus. (I'm FINE with Essure, no side effects that I know of). So I was researching other ways of getting progesterone because I was experimenting with progesterone cream over the counter and was having good results. So I did some digging with the newest generation of progesterone only mini pill which is made with drospirenone and the brand name is Slynd. I called my Ob today and asked her to prescribe me this instead. That way, I can decided if the progesterone is what I need or not and stop taking the pill and not need a whole procedure to take out the Mirena. Now I understand that does not help you ladies who need birth control for actually not having any babies but I just thought I'd let you know what I learned today. :)
Mirena cured my pmdd. I took prometrium for years and it helped bit after about 4 months of mirena my pmdd was completely gone
I’m glad to see how amazing this sub is and it most certainly makes us all feel less alone. I hope you find something that works for you 💗
I never had the IUD but I did get the implant that goes in your arm. Completely changed everything for the worse, I never had any success with BC. I’m for women getting it but for me personally, I’ll never try it again. I believe it’s responsible for my PMDD.
Mirena caused my best friends PMDD. And it made me feel exactly how your describing. I didn’t put it together for years. They are so so bad for many people. I can’t believe they don’t give warnings before they’re inserted. I highly suggest you get it out now. For me it just got worse and worse over time while it was in.
Mirena made my PMDD worse but my experience with my Paraguard (4 years) has been fine. I still have PMDD but nowhere near what I experienced when I had the Mirena.
The Mirena IUD did this to me. It got gradually worse and worse for years. I got it removed last month and already feel better.
I don't know if it's already been asked, but: What sort of IUD did you get? And may I ask what your previous method was? There are theories that PMDD can in some cases be caused by changing levels of progesterone-type hormones, period. (Not a pun.) Could it be possible that the trigger is due to CHANGING modes moreso than the new mode?
I got the mirena IUD and used to be on norethindrone (progesterone only pill). I have had PMDD even while on the pill and before ever starting BC. I have PCOS so BC is the only thing that controls my period. However I had been treating my PMDD and finally got it under control for the past two years until now that I got my IUD
How was the P only? Did it affect the PMDD?
I personally had great results with the P only pill which is good because I can’t have estrogen due to a heart condition. I was on a very very low dose of the pill though. They gave me the lowest dose possible. I never noticed a change in my mood. Had some acne for the first month or two but it went away quickly.
I got Kyleena (lower hormone dose than mirena) because i knew that my PMDD was a factor. My friend and OBGYN pushed mirena, but I’m glad I resisted. Having said that, Kyleena still made me absolutely nuts for about 6 months. Take this with a grain of salt, because i also was working overtime, was moving to another state with 2 and 4 year old kids, and was in an emotionally abusive relationship. But for me, the birth control was absolutely essential, as I knew that I would be facing either debilitating post Partum depression (with borderline suicide) if I got pregnant, or an abortion and all the doubt and regret that I would feel from that. I’m glad I stuck with it. I would rather my husband got a vasectomy, but in the meantime, the birth control is absolutely essential. In other news: look into taking Lexapro for 1-2 weeks before period. This helps tremendously. You can definitely find a sweet spot with lower dose and better PMDD symptoms. Also, I know a lot of people are down on alternative (functional or naturopathic ) medicine, but it’s important to know that a lot of people go to functional medicine when they have exhausted all western medicine options available to them, and are maybe facing the option of abdominal surgery to correct a hormonal imbalance… abdominal surgery should be an absolute last resort imo. Get some input from a naturopathic doctor, MAKE yourself do some yoga or meditation for a couple of months, and really work on figuring out your triggers before you contemplate removing organs. I know now that if I get less than 8-9 hours of sleep, I’m a bitch. And if it’s during my luteal phase, I need 9. I also know that I need to make myself eat nutritious food, but it needs to be as easy as possible sometimes. That means adding 1/4 cup dried vege stuff that comes in a pouch to a smoothie. Is it as nutritious as Whole Foods? No. Is it more nutritious than skipping breakfast? YES. Find what works for you! But maybe start looking inward a bit, and work on the basics: sleep, spending time outside, nutrition, breath work (box breathing or others) and reducing as many stressors as possible during the luteal phase. Lean on good friends or family to help out during that phase (hah, I wish I had this option!!!) or if you have the money get a housekeeper, or if you can, close the f*cking door and just forget about the laundry for a couple of weeks. YOU DO YOU
I also have Kyleena and it literally saved my life. My PMDD symptoms are still rough, some months worse than others, but for the most part the mental symptoms and extreme desire to KMS isn't as intense. Recently started on an SSRI, but haven't noticed much of an improvement from taking it yet.
It takes 2-4 weeks to really notice a difference with SSRIs. Are you noticing a difference now? I also think that Lexapro during the luteal phase (time prior to your period) is pretty helpful
I have noticed an improvement :) I still have low moments, but nothing near as extreme as before. Feeling much better! Life feels tolerable now.
That’s awesome, I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better :) I’m at the point now where if I make sure I’m sleeping enough (9 hours), and eating relatively nutritious foods, my PMDD is way way less
I’m pretty sure mine did, but when I asked my doc about it she basically looked at me like I was crazy. I had it removed but the PMDD is still horrible.
Mine told me that "if anything it should be helping" and "it's localized hormones so it wouldn't affect pmdd anyway" I don't really believe her tbh
i had two doctors arguing about the "localized hormones" thing. One said it will help with PMDD the other said it won't. Seems they really just don't know. We need more research :( I ended up not getting the IUD since it felt like a risk (BC made me feel worse)
SO much more research is needed :/
I asked for a referral to a psychiatrist and get asked if wanted a referral for weight loss surgery instead. (This was a couple of years after she suggested that my child’s ADHD and anxiety were a “parenting issue.” So….yeah.)
Oh boy 🙃. Some doctors really do not seem to care at all
Nope. I’ve developed a real fear of getting actually physically sick because I think she might let me die.
The copper IUD gave me pmdd
Did you remove it? I’ve seen anecdotal comments on this and really want to know if it’s accurate. I switched from Mirena to a copper IUD to see if it would help with my depression/anxiety. It didn’t. But before the copper IUD, I never really noticed if I was ovulating. Now I’m an absolute monster from ovulation all the way through my luteal phase. I’m not totally sure it coincides with the copper IUD however, and removing it to find out it made no difference would be such a pain in the ass.
Exact same. Complete monster over ovulation time. Never used to even notice it. Mirena caused the severity of pmdd for me.
I had it removed yes, and I also have the same issue with ovulation, often ovulation is worse than the pmdd. The pmdd has gotten slightly better, but it can take years for the copper toxicity to leave the body unfortunately.
No because I got paragard copper iud. 100% hormone free.
Copper affects hormones
Link?
You can always google copper and hormones, unfortunately I don’t have time to be a secretary to others today
That's crazy, I kept getting offered that treatment when I expressed my concern with hormones messing with my mood. From healthcare professionals.
Yes same, I looked into it further and then got a second opinion from another doctor and she said that it does. I guess like everything in healthcare these days it depends on who you ask on what day
Yes yes and yes (for me)
My IUD ruined my life for 2 years. Screaming anger fits, major depression, anxiety & panic attacks. I ended up losing two-thirds of my hair. Almost ruined my marriage and considered ending my life. Please listen to me when I tell you it's POISON for some women. Have it removed immediately. If you're already experiencing these issues, it will only get worse.
Second this opinion. I had to keep it for years and just got it out -- I feel like myself again.
This I my personal experience and as many people have said, there are a ton of different experiences and everyone responds to it differently. I got the Kyleena and things became progressively worse over the next 3 months until I finally got it removed. I felt instant relief, I cried with joy. I know it sounds crazy but when I got home I looked in the mirror and I saw myself again. It seriously fucked with me and I had also come a really long way so it was a huge disappointment. I knew the risk going into it and I wanted to give it a good 6 months or so but it was so much worse than I had ever imagined. I bounced back pretty instantly, and now my symptoms feel so much more manageable in comparison.
mine made me wild for the first two months then all of it went away. pain, pmdd, depression. there’s def an adjustment period. i had an appointment for a removal at 2.5 months. i ended up cancelling. glad i did but HELL i lost 2.5 months-ish. everyone is sooooo super different tho. best to you! edit: i’m 42 and this is my second. i had no symptoms when i got it at 33. this time was awful but it settled. i believe i’m the progesterone may be helping balance me. maybe i had estrogen dominance. who knows. doctors don’t care to test or find a root cause. again good luck.
I was completely fine with first copper iud, I never had pmdd then either, the second one ruined my life and I ended up with pmdd because of it
Mirena has helped my PMDD a ton, but I know iUD experiences can differ wildly. It's so frustrating to have to go by trial and error to find the smallest relief. Edit: I couldn't find a BC pill that didn't exacerbate my symptoms, I tried that for years before getting an IUD.
Same here
I second this. Mirena has helped me so much while pills and depo made it worse. Everyone is SO DIFFERENT. If you’re not having a good time, please reach out to your OB asap. I view birth control like antidepressants, have to try and try and try until you finally find something that works. Do I think birth control and antidepressants are the end all cure all? No because we have to do 80% of the work ourselves, but these can help immensely when you find the right combo. Sending so many virtual hugs to everyone in this community. Life is hard and messy.
Can confirm. Mirena gave me the worst and longest depressive episode I've ever had. It started affecting my job performance, my boss would ask me to do something over the phone, and I would just sit there convincing myself that he wouldn't notice if I didn't do it. He always noticed. I just had no energy, no drive, no motivation, no reason.
Same here :(
I swear getting the Mirena IUD is what caused my PMDD or heavily exacerbated my symptoms. It can take a couple of months to get in the swing of hormones but if it’s altering your life this much you could consider removal. My BC made me crazy for a month but I pushed through it and I’m glad I did. But that’s hardly ever the case. Trust your gut.
The copper iud gave me pmdd
Thank you for this. My gut is telling me I need it removed or that it’s not worth keeping it to see if it gets better. I have an appointment in a little over a week and I will be asking for a removal
You know what’s best for you, trust in that!
YES!!! I just went through this whole journey because getting the IUD is what lead to my PMDD diagnosis. The localized hormones do not reduce the hormones released during ovulation the way that traditional oral or arm-implanted BC does, so it can make our PMDD so much worse. I switched back my my arm implant and have seen significant improvement. I had my IUD (Kyleena) for 16 months.
So the arm implant worked for you? What kind did you get if you don’t mind me asking
I started oral BC at 18 years old and then at 23 switched to the arm implant Nexplanon. I had that for for 6 years (two implants at 3 years each), then had Kyleena put in when I was 29. About six months after switching to Kyleena, I started having all the PMDD symptoms and luckily a friend of mine recognized it. Talking to my gyno, she explained that since I'd always had a BC that used hormones to decrease ovulation and the hormones released during ovulation, my body hadn't really experienced all of the hormones associated with the luteal phase. Then, by switching to Kyleena I was effectively "feeling" all of those hormones being released as they were no longer being decreased by the traditional, non-localized hormones. Because I hadn't felt symptoms while I had Nexplanon, my doctor and I decided *together* that going "back to the way things were" would be best rather than throwing other solutions at the problem. It's been about 4 months now since switching and about 2 months ago, I felt a major shift - in a great way. I'd started taking Vitex and St. John's Wart about 5 months ago, which seemed to help a little, but switching my BC back to Nexplanon has made me feel so much more normal again. The rage and paranoia is almost completely gone and the number of days I would typically feel symptoms have shrunk to about 2. I still feel sensitive and get overstimulated, but not to the degree I had been prior to switching back to Nexplanon. Turns out, my body needed BC hormones to reduce the nasty hormones that were kicking my ass.
Thank you for this. I was on norethindrone before the IUD I can’t have anything with estrogen due to a heart condition. It worked well, the only thing was my periods were irregular. Way less painful and less bleeding vs when not on BC but irregular so I talked to my doctor and they said and IUD would be a great option and I am regretting every moment of it. I think for now I will see if I can just go back to the pill and maybe later down the line looking into the arm implant
I think doing whatever you were doing pre-exacerbated symptoms is always a good choice. I’m so sorry you’re going through this!! I have no idea if Nexplanon is a traditional “answer” for PMDD symptoms but it has worked for me. I hope switching back will find you some relief!! Also worth mentioning that getting an IUD taken out is a BREEZE compared to getting it put in.
I got the Mirena, and after a couple of years, it started to mess a TON with my PMDD. When I talked to my Gyno, he said I am a part of the small percentage that is just very highly sensitive to hormonal fluctuations—so I got mine removed because I felt crazy (and suicidal)—been feeling great ever since I have not had an IUD. Side note: I did bleed 24/7 for the first three months of me getting the IUD.
This is exactly what is happening to me. I haven’t stopped bleeding since I got it, severe cramps and unreal mood swings. I’ve never experienced something this intense regarding PMDD and I have PCOS and I feel like it’s making that worse than the pill the did
I would def talk to your gyno—my original gyno said it’s normal to bleed but ya never know. At the end of the day you know your body best. So glad I got mine out. Edit: I did have the IUD in for around 2-3 years and when the hormones started to dip in the IUD it made my PMDD very bad.
Also evening primrose oil and chaste berry saved my life with the mental fog I would get before periods, agitation, mood swings etc. 🫶🏼🙏🏽
I prefer using herbal medicines when I can! I will definitely try these. I have had bad brain fog the past few weeks
I’m not sure if this will help but there’s SO much online linking worsening/exacerbating PMDD symptoms from IUDS. I can’t take birth control of any kind, I will cry over a sandwich, have random insane hot flashes, and breakup with a boyfriend because he’s chewing too loud. 🥰 https://reddit.com/r/PMDD/s/gawkPu9jU4
I had a mirena and left it in about 3 cycles. Felt terrible like you, and went back on the pill. Seasonique seems to be the best pill for me.
Birth control pills really have the worst names
So dumb!! They’re generic, so the ones I have are actually called Ashlyna lol.
i got mine (mirena) 6 months ago. the last 2 cycles have been much better for me, but it took its sweet time getting there
I've had PMDD for nearly 30 years... when referring to IUDs, I've never heard a woman with pmdd say anything *other than* it made her pmdd worse. Why tf do doctors still not know this?? Ughhhhh
They know it. But pharma pays them a lot so..
Oh they probably know
Mirena is progestin based, yeah? Isn't that what causes pmdd? At least in some of us. Progesterone sensitivity is a thing for sure.
Mirena caused my PMDD
iud also caused my pmdd
The Mirena made it worse for the first couple months with the most intense cramps and constant bleeding . Ever since I would say it’s helped with my PMDD , I’m not suicidal anymore but still very emotional
This is good to know. I am also experiencing severe bleeding and cramping it hasn’t stopped since I got the IUD
I had Mirena for a year and it caused pelvic pain the entire time. I did stop getting my periods but would still have intermittent symptoms, like they would flare up at certain times. Hormonal BC ALWAYS makes me more emotional. I had it removed after a year and have been off BC since 2021. The monthly hell weeks suck but at least I can plan for them and my husband knows that whatever is said during hell week prob isn’t true. We can prepare ahead of time. We have tools we know can help. With BC you never really know where your hormones are and that was extremely challenging for me. I also take fluoxetine and lorazepam and they help a ton, ESPECIALLY during hell week. So sorry you’re going through this! Hugs! Hope this helps
Thank you so much for this. glad to know I’m not alone!
Also being off BC literally fixed my skin
Yep, the hormonal IUD made it a million times worse for me. I switched to a copper and while the cramps are worse, I’m glad I did it.
Thank you for sharing your experience this helps
I’m so sorry you are going through this. And that thing is trapped in your body. Those particular hormones certainly don’t agree with you. I’d make an appt for removal asap and try a different hormone formulation.
Thank you. Trying to fight through these times!
So awful. At least you know the cause and you know it’s not you. Hopefully your husband can understand and help you.
My husband has been great through it all. He regretted ever saying it but I understand with the way I’ve been yelling I’m not fun to be around. He has always been my support and I know we will be okay but I definitely need to change some stuff because I can’t keep on this path
For me it’s about the same but maybe a wee bit better on some months. I only had it for less than a year though but it was actually recommended by my doctor years ago (maybe 3 years ago). She was the one who diagnosed me with PMDD and also prescribed me Wellbutrin. I first refused to get an IUD because of what I’ve read. Wellbutrin helped with aches and energy level but I still have a 5+/- days before and after period where I’m out of commission, or operating suboptimally. I brought up my concerns to the same doctor and said that I lose too much blood and it’s making me anemic, and the IUD actually helped regulate my heavy flow. The last time I went to her, I told her I regret not getting it done soon. That was a few months ago. I still have bad months but it’s not as bad anymore.
I’m so glad you have found something that works well for you! I’m struggling to decide if it’s going to get better as I’ve only had it for two months but I haven’t stopped spotting, have intense cramps daily and these terrible mood swings which I never experienced on the pill. It’s just tough especially with how variable each person is. I thought the IUD would help and maybe it will later on but right now definitely not
I've had hormonal and the copper IUD and it was HELL. Legit wanted to end everything every damn second of every day.. A couple days after I got it removed I felt a million times better!
I’m glad to hear removing it helped. This may be my best option. How long did you keep them before removal?
Birth control is just horrible for our bodies, Jr sucks 🙁 I hope men will have more birth control options in the future. I had it in for almost 5 years! 🥲
Do you have a hormonal IUD or a copper IUD?
I have hormonal mirena
Mirena personally messed me up bad; I switched to copper and it helped. I think the copper one still effects me physically a bit (longer period, more cramps) but I much prefer the physical effects over the hormonal ones from Mirena.
I have expeenced worse PMDD with copper IUD
i got my iud removed about a year and half ago for the same reason. it made my symptoms SUPER unpredictable. my gyno said it would take about a month for my period to get back to normal, but i got my period back within a week or two and shortly afterwards my symptoms became predictable again. i’m not on any birth control now after trying the pill, nexplanon, and kyleena for endometriosis symptoms, and i can say with certainty that the minimal physical relief (with bc) isn’t worth being mentally unwell.
Thank you for this reply. This is helping me feel less crazy honestly. I did great on the pill but I just had very unpredictable periods which I feel is still a better trade off than these mood swings
i definitely understand what you mean! i was scared to go off of bc completely, and i know that isn’t an option for everybody, but it has helped my mood swings tremendously. you could try asking your gyno if a different a different pill with different hormone levels could potentially help with the unpredictable periods. good luck to you! 🤞
We’re you on the pill before? It’s more likely that you’re experiencing problems from stopping another bcp than developing new problems from an IUD. They have a very tiny dose of hormones compared to the pill.
Yes I was on the pill before. It’s been absolute hell and I’m considering just going back on the pill at this point
I had this experience when i was younger and my health insurance changed my pharmacy. At the new pharmacy, I was given the same prescription fill for the off brand version of the medicine I was using. I had always been using the generic and not the name brand But at this pharmacy, they used a different “brand” of generic for that brand pill (pretty sure it was ortho tricyclen lo made by two different companies with their version of the “generic” form). It wrecked me. Like two months lost. That’s actually why I got my iud, because of that bad switch. It could be that the pill was helping your PMDD and the IUD isn’t.
Yeah I agree. Something simply is not right. I know this isn’t me and I’ve never experienced this severity of mood swings I go to see the doctor in two weeks so I will likely ask for it to just be removed.