Hello! I’ve seen some old threads about IUDs and MAV from a few years ago, so I thought I would open up the discussion again. I wanted to see if anyone on this site has noticed a worsening of migraine/MAV symptoms since they have gotten the Mirena IUD (or any other hormone-based IUD)? Personally, I have never had MAV symptoms until about 6 months after getting the Mirena IUD. Now I experience MAV symptoms off and on, and it’s awful! I really feel for everyone on this site. I used to get occasional migraines with aura, but I am wondering if this has morphed into MAV because of the IUD. I used to take Loestrin 24 (the pill) prior to IUD and never had issues. I am interested to hear other people’s input.
Thanks!
I just use the Nuvaring but in my case my dizziness was a lot worse during periods so I’m on the Nuvaring to not get periods anymore, which has been fantastic and seems to help me.
I used to work as a medical assistant in a GYN office and their policy was not to give any type of hormonal contraception (IUD or otherwise) to anyone who has or had a history of migraine with aura. Now my own GYN didn’t agree with this, but this gives it some perspective. If you’re interested in an IUD but don’t want anything hormonal the Paragard is out there as an option.
I have one and have had one for 6 years. I can’t say for sure that it doesn’t have any effect on my migraines, but obviously it didn’t start the vestibular part (at least not on its own). No one even figured out I had migraines until a year and a half ago (drs kept telling me that I had constant sinus headaches until a migraine landed me in the ER). In my case, the thought has occurred to me that maybe they’d be better off of the hormones, but I have endometriosis that was so extremely painful that it resulted in surgery last spring. Thankfully my migraines have never gotten that bad pain wise, so I’m inclined to leave the Mirena to keep warding off future endometriosis and deal with the migraines in other ways.