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Just thought I'd add my experience here since I am currently researching my BCP options....
I got my Mirena a little over a year ago, 8 wks after having my second son. At the time I was breastfeeding and as with my first son, I didn't expect to see AF at all during that year until my son weaned. My initial issues with the Mirena was the pain. I spotted for a good 3 months and had sharp pains that continued for about a month or so longer. Then it seemed to just stop bothering me. No AF, no cramps, etc. In March of this year (after BF for 13 months) I got pneumonia and my son weaned during that time. Within one week of him weaning I got AF. A very very heavy AF worse than my post partum bleeding had ever been. It lasted for almost 2 weeks, but I decided to wait it out and see if my body adjusted. It's now almost June and I have had heavy heavy AF every 2-3 wks since March. In the past month, I've also gotten horrible acne which I never had before. So I finally made the decision to have it removed (July 1st, I can't wait!). I'll try to remember to update if things get better after it's gone. I never had "regular" AF, but I did have one at least every 3 months, but come on, every 2-3 weeks is crazy and each time I was left extremely fatigued I just hope to find a BCP that will work well for me.
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Just quoting my very first post about it above....Basically, I've had pain on and off since getting it, but I think most of it was either initial pain from the insertion and cramps (even though I wasn't having AF at the time). That lasted for maybe 6 months straight, but then seemed to get better. However, once the bleeding started the pain did come back. Most of the time I thought it was either wickedly bad cramps or cysts. My OB leaned towards it being cysts. I just knew something had to change for me.
That was until we discovered the missing IUD! I was the very first case she had ever had of a perforated uterus, so don't be too scared
I love my OB very much, she is the best doctor I have ever been to and I trust her fully. However, she was initially shocked to discover the IUD gone. Actually, before she even attempted removal she tried to talk me into keeping it a few more months to see if the bleeding stopped (since DS had just weaned), but I told her I was DONE with it. In the end it was found behind my uterus and she even printed out pictures that she took during surgery for me. So yeah, it was done with me too apparently.
I just recommend being very aware of your body and if something doesn't feel *right* as far as pain/bleeding, then have it checked out, it definitely can't hurt! And if you or your OB can't feel your strings, insist on an u/s. I had an u/s after my initial insertion because of missing strings (it was in the right spot at that point about 6 weeks after insertion). So at some point after that it broke through my uterus and ended up where it was found. My OB leans towards the fact that I was 8 wks PP and nursing when it was inserted, she said my uterus would have been weaker and shrinking down slowly and that the perforation probably started then until it was fully out. However, thankfully, my uterus appears fine and ironically I had absolutely NO cysts on my ovaries at all! In the past I had the classic *string of pearls* on u/s but my OB saw nothing but perfectly healthy ovaries. She thinks the only thing that saved me from getting pregnant was the small amount of localized hormones the Mirena has since it's placement obviously was doing nothing for me
I'm just happy to have it out. AF started the day before surgery and cramps from that are worse than the pain of surgery. The pretty much constant pain I had on my right side seems to be gone, granted I'm only just now over 24 hrs since removal, but it is a marked improvement from what I was feeling. I'm starting Yaz on Sunday, I just hope it works well for me!