Mirena Victims Speak Out

En Español

They had been promised a convenient, effective and safe contraceptive that would improve their relationships and sex lives with their husbands. Instead, they got months of suffering.

When Haley Dodge*, 37, and Natalie Ferrera*, 30, decided to use Mirena, an IUD contraceptive manufactured by the Bayer Company, they believed all of their prayers had been answered. For the busy woman, the small plastic device which inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy for up to 5 years and possibly reduce menstrual bleeding seems like a dream come true.

“We have two children and, at the time, weren’t sure if we wanted to have a 3rd,” Natalie said, “I do not handle birth control well and my OB swore this would be amazing because it has such a low hormone level. He told me that he hadn’t seen any patients with issues of any sort.”

Recently, however, the device has come under scrutiny for over promising effectiveness while understating its dangerous side effects such as heavy bleeding, weight gain, mood and mental changes, and in some cases, severe complications requiring surgery and leading to infertility. Dodge’s symptoms didn’t begin immediately.

“The first two months were heaven. I had very light bleeding to spotting only,” Dodge said. “After that it went downhill fast.”

By the third month, she said, the bleeding began to get heavier.

“My periods last for 2-3 weeks of that heavy bleeding,” Dodge said. “Then I get a 1-2 week break before it starts again.”

Ferrera, on the other hand, noticed complications right away.

“My experience with Mirena involved bleeding the entire 8 months I had it in, 20lb weight gain despite dieting, exhaustion and I was constantly irritable,” she said. “Every month I thought for sure I was pregnant because it felt like early pregnancy and I wasn’t sure if the bleeding was a period or not.”

Despite the adverse side effects, Ferrera conceded that, if nothing else, Mirena served its purpose as a birth control method.

“It was super effective birth control because I couldn’t have sex,” she said. “The couple of times we tried, I discovered the OB cut the cord too short and it would poke my husband and scrap against my cervix.”

When they notified their doctors of their symptom, however, both women were met with doubt and dismissal.

“My OB basically wrote everything off as being something else,” Ferrera said, “because ‘the mirena has extremely low hormones and will not affect you.’”

By the third month, Dodge was prepared to remove the device, but was advised against it.

“I was told 3-6 months to get my body used to it,” she said. “Then ‘oh, a little longer.’ Then ‘oh give a year.’ It’s been 13 months.”

After more than a year, Dodge has finally made the decision to have Mirena removed.

“I’m trying to give it time like the doctor said, but I gave it time and clearly it’s not working for me,” she said. “It WILL be coming out though at my next appointment.”

Though not all of Mirena’s users have complications or adverse side effects, Dodge warns others who may be considering the IUD to do their research.

“Every one of my friends who has it swears by it,” Dodge said. “I am just one of those people who it’s not working for and giving me problems. I think it would help women to know there are some of us who it doesn’t work for and what could happen.”

Several women have filed lawsuits on Bayer Companies for issues similar to those experienced by Dodge and Ferrera. If you or a loved one have experienced adverse side effects associated with Mirena, contact our attorneys using the contact form on the right and find out how we can help you.

*Names changed to protect privacy.