I had the Mirena inserted in April 2006 (eight weeks post birth of my first child). I admit that I asked for it, ads are everywhere and the doctor said, 'are you sure, when do you want another child?' What the doctor didn't say and the leaflet also didn't explain were all the other complications that could result. And for me did.

At insertion I had the usual pain. Nothing compared to birth! But, within a week I was experiencing painful intercourse, foul odor, and stabbing pains in my stomach. I had lost a lot of baby weight by this time, but now that I look back, I really didn't lose much since. I worked hard just to stay at the same weight. I also developed a rash all over my body, which I later had diagnosed from a dermatologist as some sort of skin disease, usually caused by an allergic reaction- bad news- once you get it, you have it for life. And then came the persistent infections.

After several rounds of varying degrees of antibiotics (I was nursing at the time and for one round had to pump and dump), my doctors felt the infections were gone and I was okay. Soon though, I'm back in the office still complaining of these stabbing abdomen pains, painful intercourse, etc. My doctor tells me it's not the Mirena, it's something else. He convinces me to keep it in, after I asked to have it removed. (I'm the one who spent the money here, right?!) Now I have gone through PID diagnoses, you're in menopause diagnoses (I'm 24 at the time), and several OTC and RX drugs to help me with all sorts of issues and pain. They check to make sure the IUD is in place, and it is, so they basically write me off as crazy.

My next step is to go to my primary care and ask him if the stabbing pain could be something else- I do that and he sends me to a gastro doc. I end up with a colonoscopy and endoscopy which reveal nothing wrong. After a few more months of pain, I go to a new GYN. This one says, let's do a new ultrasound and get the thing out. But unfortunately, I had to have shoulder surgery before he could schedule- so I'm out of it for a few months (and pain medicated so not feeling the pain down there).

In January 2008, I finally have the time to schedule to get the IUD removed. I get it out. I start menstrating normally again (hadn't had a period most of the time I had the IUD in). A few weeks later I start hemorrhaging. I get an ultrasound. I have a mass on my uterus. I have surgery to get it removed. Biopsy comes back. It's benign (praise God). But, it's inflammatory tissue, caused from the IUD. More money down the drain and more time and mentally physically draining. Basically, the IUD got so infected that the tissue formed around it and attached to my uterus. YUCK. And I can't even have sex with my husband!!!!

If ever there was a product that shouldn't be on the market- I'm going with the Mirena IUD. Every girlfriend I have that has had it, has had it removed within the first year due to complications. Why didn't I know this prior to getting it? Why don't the pharmaceutical companies tell consumers this?

It's a money making machine for doctors and the drug company. It costs a fortune to put in and a fortune to have removed- and every checkup and infection, and let's make sure it's in there okay ultrasound appointment in between adds up.

And if I wanted to gain weight, I'd have just gone with the shot! It's a lot easier, just as effective and hurts a lot less.