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Its a subject close to our hearts, and uh hum very private parts, but we don't really talk about it. Women are on some sort of contraception but do you really know how its affecting your body? So I thought we'd talk about it as its really affected one of my clients rather badly. |
| Most of us are usually on the pill. But if you want to get buffed, lay off the pill. This taken from the Women's Health magazine ' Researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Pittsburgh put 73 American women on a 10 week exercise programme. They found that after undertaking the training, women who weren't taking birth control pills gained a massive 60 percent more lean muscle than those who were on oral contraceptives. Both groups did the same number and intensity of exercse and were encouraged to eat protein to promote muscle growth. Tests showed that contraceptive users had significantly lower blood levels of muscle building hormones such as testosterone and higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that breaks down muscle' | |
 Kirstine and Lisa |
If you thought the pill had bad side effects. Let me tell you about the dramas I've had with Kirstine Nelson and her 'devil stick'. You probably already know Kirstine from the time she told us about her boob job journey. I was going to keep her as Ms X for this article but I thought heck you know about her boobs, lets just tell everyone that its Kirstine. And she didn't mind as she wants to tell everyone about her IUD experience or the 'devil stick' as she calls it. |
| For the past 2 years we've had a hell of a time getting weight off Kirstine. I've thrown everything at her. Low fat, high protein, low carbs, no carbs, heaps of cardio, heaps of reps and sets, overhydration, dehydration. But her body just didn't want to budge. It just didn't waver and the water retention was hell! Then we just chatted one day about what sort of contraception she was using as I thought this could be the bain of our problems. She mentioned it was an IUD and I thought 'ah ha' maybe that's it. So I sent her off to a hormone specialist to see what can be done and if this has been putting the spanner in the works for our muscle building and fat loss goals. And what do you know? it was! Kistine's become quite the expert now so I thought I'd just let her tell you how she's been to hell and back with the 'devil stick'. So if you're also have an IUD, then perhaps its time to consider something else if its affecting you like it has Kirstine. Thanks Kirstine for putting yourself out there! How long have you had the IUD in you? I first got my first Mirena inserted when I was about 22. They don't usually recommend it for women who haven't had children because it's really painful - they have to stretch your cervix to insert it. But I had always had irregular cycles, a lot of pain and anaemia from my periods and a medical history which meant I couldn't take the pill, so I was convinced this would be the best option for me. It lasts 5 years so I had a second one inserted five years later. What does IUD actually do? Mirena is a T-shaped device made of plastic, which releases a synthetic substance (progestin) every day for five years. It works by reducing the frequency of ovulation (some people stop ovulating altogether) and by thickening your cervical mucus to obstruct sperm; and thinning the lining of your uterus (which also means a lot of women stop getting periods completely). Progestin isn't the same a progesterone (which our bodies naturally produce) but does affect your body in a similar way - high levels of progesterone are said to be the cause of PMS, breast tenderness, bloating and mood swings. We have high levels of progesterone after we ovulate, before our periods (so PMS isn't in our heads ladies - blame it on the progesterone!) What Mirena does is produce this synthetic version of the hormone which essentially makes you have PMS permanently! This is one of the many potential side effects you don't get warned about. At the time I got the Mirena, I was convinced by my doctor that it would be fine and that there were really no side effects. In fact it was "sold" to me as the best thing out because it would probably stop my periods. So of course that sounded like a good thing to me! In reality, after having done my own research only recently, in the physician information booklet, side effects listed are: abdominal/pelvic pain, vaginal discharge, nausea, headache, nervousness, vulvovaginitis, dysmerorrhea (cramps), back pain, weight increase, breast pain/tenderness, acne, decreased libido, depressed mood, cervicitis (vaginal infection), hypertension, migraine, vomiting, anemia, dyspareunia (painful intercourse), alopecia (hair loss), eczema, pruritus (itchiness), rash, urticaria (hives), abdominal distension, altered mood, hirsutism (abnormal hair growth), edema (swelling). The patient booklet lists a small fraction ofr these side effects! Did you take much notice of how you felt/looked while you were using it? affect your sleep patterns, emotions etc? To be honest, after I got the Mirena, the only thing I really noticed was that my periods stopped completely, which I thought was great! Looking back, over the past 8 or so years since I first got the Mirena, I actually experienced a whole range of side effects but because I was never warned about any side effects, I never put two and two together until recently. I've been reading a lot about other women's stories (thanks Google!) and side effects they've experienced that aren't listed in any "official" booklets include: anxiety, mental fog, double-vision, tinnitus, appetite increase, constipation, flatulence, polyuria (frequent urination),chest pain/heart palpitations, shortness of breath, bronchitis, fatigue/drowsiness, fainting, loss of nerve sensation/tingling in extremities, tremor, weight loss, insomnia, cold intolerance, thyroid dysfunction, nonpuerperal lactation. When I read this, I literally cried, and the more I read, the more upset I got and the more I realised that this little IUD has been causing my body absolute havoc and I never figured out that was the cause! Obviously not everyone experiences all the side effects and different people respond differently. For me, the main things I've experienced in the past 8 years which I believe are caused by the Mirena are lack of concentration, horrific mood swings, chronic water retention and polyuria (frequent urination) - I've always thought there was just something wrong with me that I needed to pee literally ALL the time! I've been in tears at times, where I can't even make a simple trip to the supermarket without busting for a pee. Also, I've had major sleep issues. Waking literally every hour all night for no particular reason doesn't make recovery especially easy when you're training hard and dieting! To know that this might have been because of the IUD the whole time just makes me really sad, but also relieved now that I know - pity it took so long to figure it out! Did you think there was a relationship between the IUD and the effect it was having on your weight loss goals? As I mentioned before, I never made the connection that the IUD might be affecting me so I didn't ever consider it might be hindering my weight loss goals. Obviously something had been - I'd been training harder than ever, dieting religiously and doing two hours of cardio a day but the fat loss just wasn't happening. When did you realise that the IUD was hampering your weight loss and affecting other areas of your life? It wasn't until Lisa suggested I go and get my hormones checked out as that might be the reason I couldn't move the fat. Well, that was the catalyst for what I hope will turn out to be a life-changing transformation! I went to a specialist who tested my hormone levels. He didn't suggest outrightly that I get the Mirena removed, but he said that to balance my hormone levels would be very difficult while I still had it and that it was probably the reason I was struggling to lose the fat. Suddenly, I had my eyes opened to the possible effects of this thing and that's when I started doing my own research and the more I learned, the quicker I wanted to remove it! How was the IUD affecting your hormone levels? Basically the progestin in the Mirena stopped me from producing my own progesterone which I believe has affected my nervous system causing irritable moods and memory loss, as well as propensity to retain fluid. Now that you've had the IUD, albeit a week, how is it affecting your energy levels So far I haven't noticed a big difference - it's only been a week! Actually I've been warned that about a week after you get the Mirena removed, you might experience the "Mirena Crash" where the progestin has left your system but your body hasn't started producing progesterone again yet. So I'm prepared for that if it hits (so far so good!) and it'll be worth it when my body starts to normalise. What do you hope to happen with your body now that you're IUD free. Having had the Mirena for around 8 years, I know it'll probably take a while for my body to get back to "normal" but I'm hoping that my body will stop holding all this fluid and that all the hard work I've been putting into training and dieting will actually pay off physically! I've heard women describe the "lifting of the fog" after a couple of weeks so I'm hoping that my memory and concentration will improve too. And everyone around me I'm sure is hoping that my mood swings will temper themselves - I can barely remember what I was like 8 years ago but I've been told I was a much calmer, nicer person so I'm looking forward to being that person again! Are you going to take anything in place of the hormonal IUD? Once my body stabilises itself, I intend to get a copper coil IUD (hormone-free) inserted - it has it's own set of possible side effects, but at least I'm informed now, and feel comfortable that it won't hinder my goals and will provide an effective form of contraception without messing with my hormones. Until such time as some genius invents a male contraception, it's the best option for me right now! What message would you like to tell the girls who are on hormonal IUDs? Everyone responds differently to different things, but the best advice I can give anyone thinking about a hormonal IUD is to do your research! Ask questions and decide for yourself what's best for you. As far as getting a Mirena IUD, I wouldn't recommend it based on my personal experiences, but there are many people out there who swear by it. If you're willing to try it and see for yourself how you respond, make sure you're well informed about what potential side effects could be and whether they're worth it. Doctors maintain that because the progestin is "localised" to the uterus, the side effects I and so many other women in the world experienced aren't related. I'd prefer to base my opinion on what I know about my own body. When I asked to have it removed, the doctor I saw tried to convince me not to - I'm not sure but I doubt she had personal experience with Mirena and if she did, maybe she didn't experience the same side effects - as I said before, everyone is different so do the research girls, and decide for yourself! Kirstine 18 August 09 |
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