We live in a world where women have options. And these options include what type of contraception they want to use to best manage whether or not they get pregnant.

For ages, women relied on birth control pills. But for many women, they would still end up getting pregnant because of our human nature to forget to take a pill. Even if just one pill is missed in the week, it could ruin the entire month’s work that the pill is designed to do.

That is why IUDs have become such a monumental contraception option for many. One of these is a hormonal IUD called Mirena. It is rising with popularity as it is proving to be nearly 99x more effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies from occurring.

However, just like any form of contraception, there are risks involved. So we are going to layout the Mirena side effects so you are aware of all the pros and cons involved with this game-changing IUD.

First, what exactly is Mirena

Before we get too deep into the side effects, let’s first touch base on what Mirena actually is. In short, Mirena is an IUD that is shaped like a T and can easily be placed in the uterus to administer hormones that trick the body from getting pregnant.

Mirena has been around for decades but has become increasingly popular over the last few years. It is designed to be able to stay in the body for up to six years and is known to help women with more than just preventing pregnancies. This includes helping women with heavy periods manage their cycle—in fact, it is the only IUD that has officially been approved to be used as a treatment for heavy periods!

Now let’s talk side-effects

While there has been so much success with the Mirena IUD, it is coming to light that there is a range of side effects that can be caused by using Mirena. It is important to understand the risks to your own body, which is why we want you to know about the following:

1. It can cause immediate pain

When first inserting the Mirena IUD into your uterus, you can experience immediate discomfort. This can range from feeling a sharp pain, having abnormal bleeding or even feeling dizzy. The reaction to the Mirena IUD normally goes away within the first hour of insertion, so make sure to keep an eye on how you are feeling later in the day.

2. It can negatively impact your period

While periods are a nuisance, they are necessary to eventually have kids one day. So missing your period altogether is never a good thing. Mirena can cause you to miss periods altogether or have abnormal spotting. If you do see a drastic change to your period cycle, do talk to your doctor to prevent any long term fertility damage.

3. It can make you feel ill

Some common side effects of Mirena include experiencing extreme fatigue, feeling really sick, and bring on intense migraines. Experiencing these consistently is a sign that your body is not adjusting well to Mirena and a doctor should definitely be consulted as soon as possible!

4. It can cause long term complications

While these are rarer, Mirena can cause a range of more intense health complications that include heart attacks, liver issues, pelvic disease or life-threatening infections. While it is rare that most women will experience these extremes, any signs of suffering from any of these should be dealt with as quickly as you can.

Mirena is great for many women, but it is important to recognize the potential risks before deciding to insert one into your uterus.