Suffering From Mirena Bloat? Here Are The Real Facts

By - Ramiza Zaman

Did you have an IUD insertion or removal experience which is not going too well? Your story of pain is quite understandable. 

Mirena IUD is a boon to some, while it could on the counter-hand be a brutal war for many.So, what is causing a Mirena bloat?

To put it in brief, bloating is a possible side effect of Mirena IUD. Even though this is a newer form of contraception compared to the traditional ‘pill’, it can still give rise to acne, fatigue, mood changes, and bloating or weight gain. It may give you a pregnant look due to the water retention inside, but this may not be the case for all.

But don’t feel terrified! You will get to know more about it in this article, so without any delay, let’s start. 

What Are Mirena IUDs?

Mirena is one of the effective hormonal intrauterine devices. They contain a progestin hormone known as levonorgestrel which is similar to the hormone women produce as well. In the following ways, it is effective in preventing pregnancy:

Mirena is manufactured by Bayer and is quite effective in preventing pregnancy for at least 5-7 years.

Do Mirena IUDs Cause Bloat?

Now, as you have found, Mirena is a worthy hormonal IUD. But as one of its aftermaths, bloating is a possible complication. So, this may lead to weight gain. This is primarily caused by the hormone progestin that is in its composition. 

This hormone is responsible for water retention and bloating. Hence, this could be a clue to you putting on those extra pounds you’re worrying about. 

But why does it happen? Till this point, there is no clear research by scientists to be 100% sure on why bloating happens after Mirena is inserted. Large-scale studies are not conducted enough to find answers to this query of all. 

But one thing to know is, Mirena bloat is not weight gain due to an increase in your body fat. This is rather the hormone progestin which is making your body grasp on to higher volumes of water. 

So, this can make you experience bloating, which is quite similar to the feeling you have during your menstrual cycle. Water retention can increase your weight to about 5 pounds. 

But don’t worry as this can go away usually in around 3 months after your body adjusts to the hormones. 

However, two other hormonal brands of IUD, called Liletta and Kyleena also mention a gain in weight or bloating as a probable side effect. About 5.7% of users have said that their weight had increased due to using them. 

In order to help you know if others feel Mirena bloat or not, I garnered opinions of what other women have to say regarding this. 

In an online forum called Netmums, someone said that their period stopped quickly after getting the IUD, but for one year, her lower belly seems bloated as if she’s 3 or 4 months pregnant. 

Some other users also agreed with her saying they have a 6-month pregnant look and have put on weight with the bloat. Lastly, another woman stated that she feels unhappy with the bloat she has been having the IUD fitted. 

She gained 1 inch around her bust and almost half a stone in weight. This made all her clothes fit tighter than usual and feel bloated and puffy. 

Now, although all IUD brands can lead to bloating besides Mirena, it varies for every individual. Hence, you may not necessarily face such issues as others might, so relax!

Treatment for The Bloat

I know you have been waiting for this scoop all this while. So don’t worry, since the bloat you have stressing over can be taken off very effectively. 

Now, as you want to lose that inevitable bloat, you should start having a well-balanced diet and steer clear of consuming more calories than you burn every day.  like to lose weight, avoid eating more calories than you burn each day. 

So, just follow these simple steps for a fine diet:

Therefore, the choice to eat healthy foods and do regular activity is always open. This assists you in keeping your health in good shape and gradually getting rid of the Mirena bloat. 

So, just give your body some time to adjust to the Mirena and do not remove it even if you can’t get rid of the bloat. 

What If Mirena Does Not Cause Bloat? 

One point you should remember is that even though you have Mirena inserted and gain some weight, it does not indicate that Mirena caused the bloat. So, when you are in your reproductive years and have heavy usage of IUD, there may be other factors that coincide with this symptom. 

This natural bloat may be caused by some lifestyle issues, like:

There is another catch. Besides the aforementioned factors, medical conditions like PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome can cause bloating. Furthermore, the ovarian cyst may be responsible for this condition along with lower belly pain or swelling. 

Hence, studies say among one in 10 women have a chance of ovaries with these fluid-filled sacs in the first year of inserting the IUD. However, the cysts often disappear on their own in about 3 months, and the PCOS swelling can also go away.  

But if your pain and swelling suddenly get severe or erupt the cyst, seeing the doctor is the best solution. 

Also, compared to the Mirena IUD causing the bloat, any weight gain post-insertion is mainly due to the individual’s lifestyle. According to Yale Medicine, several American women gain around two pounds naturally, which can be completely unrelated to hormonal birth control methods like Mirena. 

Therefore, introducing some lifestyle changes to lose that bloat can help curtail that extra weight. This could be regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and many more weight loss strategies. 

Additional Side effects of Mirena

You may experience bloating, or wish to be aware before inserting the Mirena, of all the side effects it could cause. Some may love the IUD they get and never remove it for several years. 

Whilst others could suffer grave side effects daily and wish they never inserted it. Besides bloating, you may experience these other side effects: 

Who Should Not Use Mirena IUDs?

Though bloating may be a major problem for all, there are also some categories of people who should steer away from using Mirena IUDs. They may face more side effects which could cause severe complications.

 It includes people with: 

Precautions Before Using Mirena 

After knowing about Mirena briefly, it is also good to keep in mind a few points while you start to use Mirena. Some of these include:

So, all these precautions are good to understand before you move on. But among these, bloating could also be another issue. Let’s find out how.

Alternatives to Mirena to Avoid Bloat 

Now that you know all the upsides and downsides of Mirena and the facts regarding the bloat, you may question if there are other options for Mirena. The answer is a big yes! Even if you have gained that unwanted weight, there are better alternatives for you to avoid this. 

Firstly, you can start using the traditional birth control pills if you do not wish to take the risk of IUDs, being inserted inside you. That said, you must always remember to have them daily, just like your vitamin supplements. 

Only in that way will your contraception be successful and effective. Also, weight gain is a probable side effect here though it is only temporary.

Hence, if you are having thoughts on taking the pill, the best would be to take your doctor’s advice. In that way, if you have any health conditions to consider or any medication interactions to worry about, the doctor can best determine it and provide the best option. 

You can try taking pills such as Yasmin, Ortho Tri-Cycle, and Seasonique. These are composed of both the hormones estrogen and progestin. Other pills while Camila and Errin just have progestin.  

Estrogen, just like progestin, can contribute to temporary bloat in a few women because of water retention as well. 

So, it all relies on how your body will respond to these hormones. In that case, you need to experiment with multiple brands to discover which brand is the most suitable for you. 

On the other hand, you can keep the IUD and start to make some lifestyle adjustments. This means maintaining your weight in a manageable way. 

This could mean steps such as changing your diet to a healthy, balanced one with more unsaturated fats compared to saturated ones, having fewer carbohydrates, and eating nuts and oats. So adopting a fit and active way of living will definitely make a difference. 

Besides, you can try switching from using a hormonal IUD to a copper IUD. There is a probability that if you put on weight with one kind of IUD, the other type of IUD will not make you bloat. 

If you gain weight with one type of IUD, there’s a chance you may not gain weight with another.

Furthermore, there are a few non-hormonal birth control alternatives that include:

But among all these alternatives, using the copper IUD is the best and most effective at preventing pregnancy with fewer side effects, if you wish to change the Mirena. Also keep in mind that because of human error, pills, patches, vaginal rings, and injections have a 10% failure rate every year.

Short Term Tips on Mirena Bloat

These treatment options may seem difficult and seem less quick to achieve. In that case, some home remedies can help you in managing the bloat and the discomfort you feel fast: 

FAQs

Which drugs, supplements, and substances interact with Mirena? 

Mirena has potential interaction warnings with warfarin, insulin, and steroids. So, you must tell your doctor regarding all the prescription drugs and non-prescription medicines, herbal products, vitamins, and minerals you take. 

Is it possible for IUD to affect bowel movements?

Yes, intrauterine devices (IUDs) commonly are associated with extrauterine dislocation and a bowel perforation. So this can affect your bowel movements. 

What is the Mirena Crash? 

The Mirena crash is referred to as the symptoms and side effects experienced by a few people after removing the Mirena IUD. These Symptoms can linger around for many days, weeks, or months. This effect is probably due to an imbalance in hormone levels from the body no longer receiving progestin.

Can Mirena make you go crazy?

Scientists have not found enough to interpret why hormonal IUDs like Mirena can lead to mood swings and depression. However, evidence shows that it all narrows down to progestin, the artificial hormone found in contraceptives.

Parting Words

Now that you know why Mirena bloat can occur and how to treat it, you can feel some worry leaving your shoulders! If you use some IUD like Mirena, there is a good chance of gaining weight and it’s natural.

Also, consult your doctor if the bloating does not disappear 3 months after inserting the Mirena. So, leave all that stress and choose whatever seems to suit you. Let the bloat not dim down your light!