Mirena for PMS and PMDD

Many gyanecologists recommend Mirena ( levonorgestrel IUD) for PMS problems, for heavy periods and for contraception.

A gynaecologist recently recommended it to me when he discovered I have fibroids. The recommendation was not to do a myomectomy because I am over 40 and therefore according to modern medicine, I am not a candidate for pregnancy so removing the fibroid is not advisable. I beg to differ.

The other option advised, but not yet, was a hysterectomy - to remove the whole uterus and the fibroids inside it. No thanks.

I have a fibroid that is about 6cm in diameter and another that is about 2-3cm in diameter. Apparently, most gynaecologists would not remove them, but would rather remove the whole uterus. Obviously they would do this, because the hysterectomy is a much more simpler operation for a surgeon than a  myomectomy, which requires a much more skilled surgeon who can operate with more finesse.

This gyaecologists did not recommend hysterectomy now, but said it may have to be an option some time down the track if the fibroids kept growing and I kept menstruating. Fibroids only usually grow during a woman's menstrual years, as the estrogen is what helps them to grow.

The gyaecologist did strongly recommend the mirean IUD - he told me that he's inserted thousands of them and that it was a wonderful device that helped so many women. I wasnt convinced. He told me to take the information home, read it and if I came to the decision to get it inserted, he could do it quite easily. I asked him how many women experienced side effects from mirena IUD and he gave a small number and told me that if it did cause any side effects in me, it could simply be removed. Again, I wasnt convinced.

The Mirena IUD does have many side effects in more women than is publicly released and I am not so sure that these have published widely enough. The statistics that the manufacturer uses are based on the women in the study groups and those who may have provided this information publicly - undoubtedly many more do not volunteer this information, so their statistics should be taken as a rough estimate and not the actual real 100% correct figure.

Common side effects from using Mirena (approximately 10%):

• Change in menstrual bleeding, such as spotting, lighter bleeding or stopping of bleeding
• Development of fluid filled sacks (cysts) in the ovaries

Less common side effects from using Mirena (1-10%)

• Abdominal pain 
• Acne 
• Back or pelvic pain
• Breast pain or tenderness
• Decreased sex drive
• Depression
• Headache
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Painful periods
• Vaginal inflammation or discharge
• Weight gain

Rarer side effects from using Mirena (0.1-1%)

• Abdominal bloating
•  Excessive fluid retention in the body tissues, resulting in swelling (oedema)
•  Hair loss or hair growth
• Inflammation of the womb
• Inflammation of the cervix
• Migraine
• Mood changes
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Skin reactions such as rash or itching

Rare side effects (0.01-0.1%)

• Device expulsion
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Perforation of the womb 
• Pregnancy complications

An of course, all the side effects listed above may not even include all of the side effects that could possibly be experienced and the percentages used are provided by Mirena, so may not be 100% accurate.

There there are the lawsuits again Bayer (the company that owns Mirena) for producing a dodgy device that has caused so many side effects in many women.

References
1. Bayer - Mirena (Levonorgestrel) IUD
2. Essential Baby (Forum) - Mirena Side Effects
3. FDA - Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology Drug Use Review: Mirena (PDF)
4. FDA - Mirena (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) July 2008
5. Life After Mirena Blog
6. MedHelp - Mirena IUD Side Effects Support User Group
7. NetDoctor - Mirena (Levonorgestrel) IUD
8. Steady Health - Mirena IUD Side Effects

Breakfast Helps to Reduce PMS/PMDD Symptoms

This morning, I had the most delicious breakfast ever:

• Organic brown olive bread with a little bit of virgin olive oil on top
• 2 boiled organic and free range eggs
• Organic banana and peach salad with (non-organic) yoghurt and crushed pecans

The bread with olive oil was an essential item for this morning, because when a woman has PMS, she needs to have more essential fatty acids in her diet and I think I need a lot more, as I do not eat butter, margarine or much fats other than olive oil (or sometimes the bad fats from junk food, but I try to avoid those for the most part, now). The yoghurt was also a fantastic item because it is a given that calcium levels in women seem to drop just before menstruation. Plus calcium is great for women due to its protective activity against osteoporosis.

The essential fatty acids are great for the brain cells, which in essence, controls everything that happens in the body. If your brain is functioning properly, it could be that there is less likelihood that PMS can happen. You see, inside the brain is the master gland of the endocrine system, that controls all the hormone secretions in the body - the pituitary gland.

The pituitary gland is responsible for releasing a hormone that stimulates the hormone synthesis in the reproductive system - follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), which in turn cause ovulation and then stimulate the synthesis and secretion of oestrogen (oestradiol) and progesterone.

The synthesis and secretion of the different types of hormones from the pituitary gland to the ovaries occurs in a complicated process, which if any part of it does not function correctly, could cause an imbalance of hormones and in some women, even if it is slightly imbalanced, could be the reason for PMS (and PMDD).

Scientists have many theories about what causes PMS, but they do not have a definitive answer yet. While they propose their various theories, women should just know that the following will definitely have an effect on them regarding PMS (and PMDD):

Diet
Diet plays a direct role in not just PMS (and PMDD), but in overall health. If you are not getting enough of the right nutrients, then your health will suffer. It really is just that simple.

Exercise
You need to exercise to enable correct circulation in the body - this may have some definite impacts on the way that the hormones are circulated in the body. After all, the pituitary gland is in the head and the blood needs to transport the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinising hormone (LH) to the ovaries, which is quite a long distance away. If the circulatory system is not working correctly, this could impact the amount of hormones that are sent to the ovaries.

In addition to this, exercise reduces fat, increase muscle tone, increases metabolism and release endorphins, which are "feel-good" hormones - what better way to counteract the "feel-bad" times of PMS?

Reducing exposure to chemical xenoeostrogen toxins
Reducing your exposure to these chemicals (phthalates and Bisphenol A), which mimic oestrogen and disrupt hormone function in the body, means that there is less likelihood for PMS. These chemicals are toxic to the body as they are stored (when ingested or breathed in) in the fat cells and women have fat cells in the breasts, which due to the oestrogen-like activity of these chemicals increases the risk of breast cancer!

So not only do these chemicals (phthalates and Bisphenol A) interfere with the body's natural hormone production, but they are implicated in female cancers too.

How do you reduce your risk of these chemicals? Stay away from using plastics in your kitchen. Do not heat anything in the microwave with plastics - that means no plastic containers, no plastic cling (or saran) wrap, do not warm baby plastic bottles. Try to drink from ceramic or glass, warm up food in glass, ceramic, iron or stainless steel containers (but do not use the metals in the microwave - only glass or ceramic, but ensure they are microwave-safe).

Reduce stress
Stress at any time is bad for the body, but if you have an illness or health condition, it just makes it feel so much worse.

Ways to reduce stress - meditation, yoga, tai chi, visualisation - just take at least 15 minutes each day to feel better, wind down and relax.