[AnimeNerd]

Hi....I had the Mirena IUD placed in May of last year. I am not on any medications and not seeing a psychiatrist due to not having insurance or enough money to see a psychiatrist. I am going for my first cognitive therapy session on April 8th though.

Since around the middle of last summer my moods have moods swings have been getting out of control. I can be extremely depressed one minute and a minute later I will be hysterically laughing and extremely hyper. But most of the time I am just irritated and snap very easily.

I have also been VERY insecure. It has been getting so bad that I most of the time refuse to go anywhere because I find myself hideous. I even refused to go out for my boyfriend and my 4 year anniversary yesterday due to fear of people judging me.

This morning I was in the worst mood. I was extremely depressed. My boyfriend said something and I lost it, I have been so stressed lately. Not over small stuff either, over huge things. I snapped when he wasn't giving me support and in the heat of the moment I tried to hang myself. I snapped out of it and thought "what the hell am I doing!?" My neck hurts really bad still...I feel like no one cares. Probably because no one does.

I have never EVER actually attempted to kill myself. I have had suicidal thoughts before and have cut but this was the worst. I feel myself changing for the worse and my hormones are out of whack. I'm always on my period or never on it. I am going crazy. I found out a few months that I also have a mass on my ovary and need to checked out but I don't have insurance so I refuse to go to a doctor. Can an IUD cause mood swings this bad in people who have mental illnesses? I honestly do not know which illness I even have since I was diagnosed when I was 16 and now am 29 and all doctors I DID see after the age 18 refused to re evaluate me. Sorry for the long post....

[LaborIntensive]

Have you called your local social services office?

[AnimeNerd]

Originally Posted by LaborIntensive

Have you called your local social services office?

No I haven't. I did call free clinics though (behavioral health) and they just threw a ton of meds at me without even evaluating me. If I contact social services what do I say?

[Big Mama]

That IUD contains a very small amount of hormone. I think that it is unlikely that the IUD is contributing to the mental issues you are having. Is it a continual mood swing or is it related to periods, assuming you still have them with the IUD. Not everyone does.

I'm not so sure social services is the best place to contact. That is were you go for financial issues and assistance with food and insurance. At least it is here I live. A suicide hotline or something along that line may be a better bet.

Do you have a regular therapist. If not social services may be able to direct you to a free, low cost, or sliding scale clinic. Just tell them you are looking for information on free or lost cost therapist.

[AnimeNerd]

Originally Posted by Big Mama

That IUD contains a very small amount of hormone. I think that it is unlikely that the IUD is contributing to the mental issues you are having. Is it a continual mood swing or is it related to periods, assuming you still have them with the IUD. Not everyone does.

It's continuous. 24/7/356. It does get a LOT worse though before my period. Sometimes I will have them for weeks (period) at a time and I am out of control the whole time.

I just had an evaluation appointment for talk therapy and will be seeing a therapist every 2 weeks. I will ask if they know of any psychiatry places that offer payments on a sliding scale. I've been to every free clinic in my county and they were no help at all. So maybe a place that offers sliding scale would be better. =)

[LiteraryLark]

No. An IUD will NOT do that to you. Your mental health is caused by your mental health and state of being and biological genes/makeup. An IUD, particularly the Mirena, is known to EASE the symptoms of PMS, NOT worsen mental health. At all.

You are out of control because you are not on meds and not being seen by professionals. You may want to consider admitting yourself voluntarily to your hospital until you can become stable again. Also, I would look into finding yourself a way to be able to pay for your health care. There are programs available for those who need assistance in paying for coverage.

I would seek help immediately.

[Big Mama]

I am glad you are starting talk therapy. I hope that helps. How long have you had your IUD. If you think that the mental issues are aggravated by having a period you could always switch to a different for of birth control. The patch, the shot, and certain pills eliminate periods all together. That might be a better option.

I do think that therapy will help more then anything though. I doubt it has much to do with your choice of birth control. If you have had the IUD for a while and it is time to re evaluate things, it might be worth questioning. If it is something fairly new, then I know it is costly and should likely be left in place.

[hamster-bamster]

You didn't lucknout - 30% of Mirena wearers have no periods, but that doesn't describe you. So Mirena is neutral for you - it didn't erase your period. It is still not negative for you because the small amount of progesterone in it simply cannot be driving you over the edge. Maybe go to Planned parenthood, where there is a sliding scale, and ask for a trial of combination birth control pills taken non-stop to eliminate menstruation? Keep the Mirena in place, though

[hvert]

I think this is possible, yes. My mind and moods were extremely affected by hormone based birth control, even when I took the kinds that were supposed to even out PMS symptoms.

If your symptoms started showing up not long after you had the IUD inserted, why not get it taken out? You can always get another one put in. Copper IUDs have no hormones at all. Mine has been wonderful.

[Pikku Myy]

No. less hormones