Mirena IUS Side Effects: Heavy Bleeding & Irregular Periods - Experienced Support

Question
I had a Mirena IUS inserted 9 months ago, 10 weeks after the birth of my son (2nd child, both born vaginally).  I experienced a month of heavy bleeding, then four months of moderate bleeding to spotting, then nothing at all until November.  Since then, I have experienced long, heavy periods (14-18 days), with additional spotting the rest of the month.  A day without bleeding has become a rare thing.  

The strings on the IUS are intact and can be reached easily; my cervix feels relatively firm and is slightly open (as usual).  Have you any suggestions of what the cause of this is, and when it might clear up?  The nurses at my obstetrician's office seem to think it will pass in a matter of time, and that I ought to hold out into my annual appointment in April.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Kristin :)

Answer
Dear Kristin,

According to the drug manufacturer, it is not necessarily abnormal for some women to have heavy or prolonged bleeding the first 3-6 months after insertion. It then is expected to taper off, often reducing bleeding to little/no periods at all. It sounds like you did experience this.

The action of the medication in Mirena is to reduce the monthly thickening of the uterus, thus lessening the menstrual flow. This is one of the benefits of this particular product, as it has been found to also be useful to treat women with a history of very heavy periods. I'm not sure why you're having such difficulty with constant bleeding now - 9 months after insertion.

Your gynecologist no doubt has seen a variety of situations involving Mirena. If it were me, I'd consider making an appointment just to have everything checked out. Make sure there is no underlying reason for the heavy bleeding. But then - I may not be as patient about two entire months of the inconvenience and discomfort of vaginal bleeding. It truly depends upon your willingness to tolerate these symptoms if they were to continue for another three months until your April appointment.

If any additional symptoms occur - abdominal pain, a noticeable change in the placement of the device, fever, lightheadedness, or extreme fatigue - I definitely would make the appointment.

I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well!

Brenda