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lyneya
March 12th, 2008, 08:38 AM
I'm hoping it's time of the year, but I'm losing handfuls of hair...more than usual. My husband pulled a whole person out of the drain last night. *shudder*

Anyone experienced hair loss on Mirena? When did it stop? Did it grow back? This feels a bit like post-partum shedding, but a bit more drastic. My post-partum regrowth is 6-8 inches long now. I'd hate to have to start all over again!!!

squiggyflop
March 12th, 2008, 09:15 AM
ugh im not on Mirena but im on the shot and ended up losing a quarter inch of pony circumference... my drain got clogged really bad and i had to draino it a couple of times... its not shedding quite as much now but it could start right back up after my next shot for all i know...

ycelong
March 12th, 2008, 09:18 AM
Not on Mirena but this makes me wonder if the Pill would cause shedding.
I have got to get off the drugs :)

lyneya
March 12th, 2008, 09:42 AM
I've been on the pill since I was 18 or 19...never had an issue. I've got LOOOOOOOTS of hair. :)

I absolutely loved Natural Family Planning (aka Fertility Awareness Method or charting), but it's a bit risky and we can't really risk another baby right now. By charting I learned so much about my body. It was amazing. If you're looking to get off chemical birth control, I highly recommend "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". I think everyone should be required to learn this stuff in high school!!

I went on Mirena because of rave reviews from friends who'd finished having kids. I don't know for sure that the shedding is from the IUD. But wanted to check here to see if any noticed it.

haircharmer
March 12th, 2008, 09:47 AM
I have had friends that have switched birth control pills/methods. They all experienced increased shedding. Im not sure if the hair that fell out has grown back. Different birth control methods have different effects on your hormones and body apparently. Sorry to hear you are going through that. I wish you the best.

andrea1982
March 12th, 2008, 09:50 AM
Yay for NFP! I also used this method with success for a long time. As far as hormonal birth control methods go though, Mirena is a really good one, with an extremely low level of hormones. The entire IUD contains 52mg of levonogestrel, as compared with 150mg per shot of Depo Provera. The blood levels of the hormone are also lower than than when on any oral contraceptive (the pill). So theoretically if someone is worried about hormones causing shedding, the mirena seems to be the best hormonal contraceptive to choose. Are you weaning your baby now? Or had any other stress that may be causing the shedding?

lyneya
March 12th, 2008, 09:58 AM
Yay for NFP! I also used this method with success for a long time. As far as hormonal birth control methods go though, Mirena is a really good one, with an extremely low level of hormones. The entire IUD contains 52mg of levonogestrel, as compared with 150mg per shot of Depo Provera. The blood levels of the hormone are also lower than than when on any oral contraceptive (the pill). So theoretically if someone is worried about hormones causing shedding, the mirena seems to be the best hormonal contraceptive to choose. Are you weaning your baby now? Or had any other stress that may be causing the shedding?

I'm not weaning. He's been weaned for 10 months or so (he's almost 15 months old). I think it might be spring-time shedding that just coincides with getting it. I've only had it for 3 weeks! And with my hair this long for the first time (~waist), and not washing, brushing, combing as much, the spring-time shed might be appearing more drastic than usual.

I got it with 100% confidence, then stumbled onto some message boards devoted to IUD horror stories (those 1% of people with problems!). It made me a little paranoid.

kimberlily
March 12th, 2008, 10:54 AM
I doubt that it is the Mirena. I find that now that my hair is longer, I notice shedding much more than when it was short. 10 hairs looks like a lot more than it really is :)

Elfling
March 12th, 2008, 11:17 AM
Hormones are always fun to figure out when it comes to hair shed. FWIW, I always notice some extra shedding when going on or off hormonal BC; it usually doesn't last too long.

Also, it may not even be related to the contraceptive; it could just be one of your hair phases finally finishing.

One thing that has really helped me put my shedding into perspective is to collect it all. I take everything that comes out in the shower or when combing and put it into a little ziploc baggie. It amazes me how little hair it actually is- it just feels like so much when you're actually wrapping it around your fingers! When I reach the end of a week and realize it's not that many hairs, it really helps.

akurah
March 12th, 2008, 05:09 PM
I've got Mirena and have not had any extra shedding from it.

Mirena's pretty low on hormone dosing, so unless you're hyper sensitive to hormones and had severe hair loss problems with other hormonal birth controls, I seriously, seriously, seriously doubt it's the IUD.

lyneya
March 13th, 2008, 07:18 AM
Yay! Sounds like I'm in my spring shedding then. :) No more sub-zero days, so it's time.

lyneya
March 17th, 2008, 07:59 AM
Just in case anyone else stumbles across this thread in the future...I wanted to drop the charges against Mirena. Since my post, the shedding has been normal. And I washed my hair again this morning and got very little (for me) shedding during and after the shower. So looks like it was just the change in the weather and I'm not going bald!

CoyoteSarah
January 22nd, 2013, 05:14 PM
I know this is old but in case anyone else comes across this: Mirena CAN cause hairloss. Its not the most common side effect but its on the list. Besides all the side effects your doctor usually tells you about (perforation,exulsion,etc.) there is also:

"Between 5% and 10% of Mirena users may experience:

Headache/Migraine
Acne
Depressed mood
Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding

Less than 5% of Mirena users may experience:

Vaginal discharge
Breast pain or tenderness
Nausea
Nervousness
Inflammation of cervix, vulva or vagina
Pelvic pain during your period
Back pain
Weight increase
Decreased sex drive
High blood pressure
Pain during intercourse
Anemia
Unusual hair growth or loss
Skin irritations (such as hives, rash, eczema or itching)
Feeling bloated
Swelling of hands and feet
Expulsion"
http://www.mirena-us.com/safety/index.jsp?WT.mc_id=MIS133144&WT.srch=1
Its on Mirenas website. I know b/c recently, I went through this and experienced most of the above listed side effects, hair loss and all. Mirena is great when it works and I would still recommend it.It worked great for me at one time. But when it goes bad, boy ,does it ever! Just a friendly warning: If all of a sudden ,you feel like you're going nuts and losing loads of hair, make sure its not your mirena. ^_^

ravenreed
January 22nd, 2013, 06:58 PM
Ditto. My hair sheds a lot and always has but no more so since I got my I.U.D. I go through little cycles where it sheds like mad, grows in like a weed, and sheds again. I have gotten resigned to it.



I've got Mirena and have not had any extra shedding from it.

Mirena's pretty low on hormone dosing, so unless you're hyper sensitive to hormones and had severe hair loss problems with other hormonal birth controls, I seriously, seriously, seriously doubt it's the IUD.

sarelis
January 23rd, 2013, 12:55 AM
I had a Mirena, while I didn't notice any extra shedding when I had it, I did have rather nasty chloasma across my forehead, it was very dark & noticeable. That disappeared within a couple of months of having it removed. I actually asked my doctor if the Mirena could be causing it, to which I got looked at like an idiot & patronisingly told that the levels of hormones in it were FAR too small to cause chloasma. Yeah, sure they are.