Mirena is not being nice to me.

[ccasey11]

I've had the Mirena IUD put in about 2 months ago. It was a quite painful procedure but I felt fine afterwards. I started spotting about a week later. It was then on and off but the discharge is non-stop. It's either a cream or brown color. Nasty! Also tagging along was swelling and soreness in my vagina mostly after sex. Which I started to lose the drive for. I've also had a UTI and yeast infection. And now there's a TERRIBLE odor coming from down there. It's really bad during sex (embarrassing!) and I can smell it through my clothes. Constant cramps have been on every 15 mins for the past three days with a little bleeding. I'm sure my GYN is gonna talk me into waiting it out (which I might consider) but its just not fun. PS: I have 1 partner. What's going on? Should it be taken out ASAP?

[calena2012]

I have had the Mirena for over three years now and the problems seem to be getting worse.  Pain after sex, swelling, itching..... I have changed everything that might make the problem worse; lubrication during sex, constant shower in case itching comes back.  I have changed laundry detergents, got rid of softeners, wear only cotton underwear.  cramps are becoming more current now, and my left nipple is constantly sore.  I took preg test and it came back negative.  I even changed my diet, no bread (glutten intolerance?), eat tons and tons of yougurt, no alcohol!   i've been tested for UTI and it was negative, all my pap smears are fine and the Mirena seems to be in the right location.  What else can I try? Please help, is there anything else I should be tested for? should I get my Mirena out?

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If you were my patient, I would also try to talk you into waiting awhile.  I would do a wet mount to see if you have bacterial vaginosis which can cause an odor and discharge.  I would give you antibiotics to treat any infection that was detected, or diflucan if the problem was yeast.  The spotting should improve with time -- many women stop bleeding altogether for several months.  If you can wait it out a bit, you may begin to really like your Mirena -- I have been through this with more than one patient!
Good luck!
Dr B