Hi Just wondered if Mirena or contraception causes hyperthyroidism. I have read somewhere it can
Does Mirena or contraception cause Hyperthyroid... - Thyroid UK
Does Mirena or contraception cause Hyperthyroidism
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Becky56
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TiggerMeAmbassador
Welcome aboard
Sex hormones have some effect on thyroid hormones and vice versa but wouldn't be the sole cause of thyroid dysfunction, though low thyroid hormone levels can diminish sex hormones. Mirena only gives off a very small amount of localized progesterone
thank you for your reply.
Are you a Doctor?
I just want to ask do thyriod medications work.?I read it doesnt really work and in the lobg run causes issue.
I have been taking carbimazole for a week but I want to stop it
She isn’t and neither am I we just talk from experience
No, I’m not a doctor, we have all learnt the hard way and from each others experiences and plenty of reading about good thyroid care.... Carbimazole is an anti thyroid drug used to suppress thyroid hormone levels, though it is early days for you and your body will be getting used to having less hormone and hopefully settling things down to a better level
The issues are generally due to a lack or excess of thyroid hormones due to poor monitoring and dosing advice along with low vits and mins
Indeed anti thyroid medicines do work. What have you read that says they don't?
Do you have your blood results to share with us?
Its aso essential to test key vitamins ferritin, folate, B12 & D3 which are often low due to gut issues caused by thyroid issues.
Hi Becky56 and Welcome!
I’m on week 8 of Carbimazole and it’s not been easy but I’m starting to feel better. I’ve been hyper for two years, I don’t know if contraception interferes with thyroid function as I’ve never used the Mirena or contraceptive pills.
How long have you been ill and is the Carbimazole giving you any side effects? I can’t remember whether the meds effected me in the first few weeks as I was already so poorly.
I had to have the dosage increased at week 4 - I finally got some much needed sleep!
I hope you get relief soon.
Mandy.x
That is not true and doctors tell us this. I had terrible side effects from the Mirena and had two uterus biopsies and a cervical biopsy. I had inflammation caused by this coil which is a well known side effect
just to add a lot of women think it is a godsend for heavy periods. I didn’t
nhs.uk/contraception/method...
What did it do to your thyroid levels is the question?
Inter uterine aren’t always issue free as with most interventions, I found the Mirena useful for 5 years without issue but don’t believe it’s the cause of my Hypothyroidism as I have Hashimoto’s and thyroid was struggling years before
I became hyperactive and developed Graves’. This is well known you just have to google it
just adding this
change.org/p/pharmaceutical...
That petition has a whole 101 signatures and it was posted almost a year ago.
Is it coincidental that thyroid issues often kick in for many at peri-meno/ menopause when these things are used or is there a proven link?
No it doesn’t that is what doctors want you to believe. For some reason NHS doctors are pushing women to have this coil. I had one inserted when undergoing a hysterscope for the first time which was followed by 2 more biopsies and a cervical biopsy all very unpleasant and unnecessary. Luckily I now know better. Yes it does suit a lot of women but also it can give you nasty side effects because of the artificial progestin it contains
This is an interesting question because all my thyroid problems started after the Mirena coil and there is a law suite in the USA about it
Here is a link and I have not contacted them or ever will
TiggerMeAmbassador
I’m thinking any foreign body inserted into us could trigger an autoimmune reaction…
Of course it theoretically could—but is this helpful to the original poster and the question they actually asked? Especially given it’s their very first post here?
I have to agree with TiggerMe
Well I thought so... understanding at an early stage that autoimmune can throw a curve ball at you is no bad thing... So far we know very little about Becky56 and whether Graves has been diagnosed or something else but hopefully we can inspire her to ask the right questions of her Dr to get the right tests and gain a greater knowledge
Jaydee1507Administrator
I dont believe there's any actual evidence that contraception causes thyroid issues although sex hormone levels can change thyroid function.
Either way if you now have hyperthyroidism then stopping using contraception isn't going to improve your thyroid issue now it has begun.
In your opinion but I have experiences that they actually do. I have also been a member of several thyroid support groups in the UK and the USA and I have come across other women who have had the same contraindications as me
I am undiagnosed with any thyroid condition as yet but have had an auto immune rheumatoid condition since I was 17 in 1979.
I’m am sharing my experience using a coil for interest.
I had a coil fitted for contraception purposes by choice in my late 30s and used it successfully until my early 40s .
Menopause started at 51 and I’ve been using HRT patches for nearly 10 years with great results. At a recent gynaecology appointment looking for cancer ( thankfully none found) the Dr said he was happy for me to continue using HRT.
In the last 20 years I have gathered other AI conditions, some may be gyne related, LS and IC for example but no Dr has ever related then to using the coil.
Personally I would use one again in the same circumstances as I found it easy and fuss free.
Edit: having read the other replies now I can see this is a sensitive issue but feel all information is worth having
here is a thread where MichelleHarris mentions her experience with the coil
Hi Becky56, I see this is your first post.
Welcome to the forum. 🙂 I’m sorry if it feels a bit like the replies have gone all over the place—that doesn’t usually happen but I think the question you asked struck a chord with some.
Would you like to tell us a bit more about what’s been happening? Have you been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism? If so, what have you been told about your blood test results—do you have any results to share? Have you been put on carbimazole? If so, how much have you been prescribed?
Hyperthyroidism can feel quite overwhelming. We have a number of members here who will identify only too well with what you’re feeling and they’ll hopefully come along shortly to provide their support.
There does seem to be some interaction between contraception, HRT and thyroid conditions but that’s because the majority of hormones work in concert with each other—alter the levels of one and it’ll have a knock on effect on another.
But… that said, the Mirena coil is unlikely to have caused hyperthyroidism. That’s probably something that’s been brewing for a while.
I know lots of people here will be happy to advise you if you’re willing to share more details with us. We aren’t doctors and nurses but we are very experienced at dealing with thyroid issues due to lived experience.
I am just adding this for you to read about Levonorgestral which is a artificial progesterone which is a steroid imo and is in the Merina coil
bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-s...
bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levon...
Lora7again, this is Becky56’s first post. I know you’re passionate about this topic but I’m sure you remember what it’s like when you first get diagnosed with a thyroid issue?
I always think it’s good to get a feel for the basics before going down rabbit holes? Becky56 is worried about taking medication for her hyperthyroidism—it’s probably not helpful just at the moment to keep the emphasis on the medication in the coil. It’s extremely unlikely that it’s caused her hyperthyroidism.
In your opinion I do think it contributed to mine and would hate her to make her self feel worse. I know that I was having symptoms and my doctor decided I needed the coil to help. They wrongly assumed I was suffering with the menopause at 48 when I fact I did not go through the menopause until years later. I had the coil for 16 months and during that time I continued to bleed and spot. I begged my doctor to remove it and they kept insisting I needed to give give it time to settle. Eventually my GP took a look and saw my cervix was inflamed and I was put on the 2 week fast track for suspected cancer. I ended up having a hysterscope and a biopsy which was very unpleasant. Luckily the biopsy was completely normal because I was actually suffering with hyperthyroidism. The doctor failed to spot I had a TSH of 0.002. My hair was falling out I had low ferritin and my vitamin D was 7. I know I was an extreme case but the doctor should have known what was wrong with me instead of wrongly assuming I was suffering with the menopause
You can read my story on my page if you are interested
Looked for your story on your bio page here but nothing there? By page do you mean another site? I’m not familiar with social media stuff.
There's a bit of a gap at the top so you need to click 'read more' and scroll down
You have to scroll down to read it
I'll just point out that ALL sex hormones are steroid hormones
Some are actually natural and extracted from urine. I used to order them in the hospital pharmacy years ago
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/302....
Steroids are natural. They are what our bodies naturally produce. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid
Yes I know I was talking about the urine nuns used to donate for hormone extraction. 🙂
Thanks for the information
We also used to get donations from a Monestery in France This was in the mid 80s I didn’t like touching the package when it arrived
Buddy195Administrator
Welcome to the forum Becky56. We are a helpful and supportive group and are here to help and support you. I encourage you to add more to your profile about your thyroid journey so far/ start a new post sharing any blood test results, so we can offer further advice.
My daughter had a mirena for maybe 10 years before her Hashimotos diagnosis. However, her maternal grandmother, father and his sister and a cousin on her mother's side all have/ had thyroid disease.
RegenallotmentAmbassador
Hi and welcome Becky,
Is your diagnosis Graves or Hashimoto’s?
Do you happen to know what your TSH FT4 and FT3 blood test results with ranges are?
How long have you been on Carbimazole and how much are you taking?
How long have had the Mirena coil?
Do you take any other medications?
Were your vitamins measured?
We’ve had a few conversations on this forum about Mirena over the years. Some get on with it fine, others don’t. Personally I’ve avoided as I’m so sensitive to hormones. If you answer these questions folks will be able to help you more. 🤗
There is no scientific evidence that the Mirena IUD or other contraceptive methods cause thyroid problems in people without an underlying thyroid issue (I am a scientist by the way). However, hormonal birth control can affect thyroid function tests, as they could lower your circulating thyroid hormone levels.
Thyroid diseases (hyper and hypothyroidism) are autoimmune diseases, which means that the body produces antibodies that attack the cells of your thyroid, and in response they produce either too much or too little thyroid hormones. In your case, your thyroid produces too much thyroid hormones, therefore you were given carbimazole to deal with this. Hopefully you will be monitored regularly to follow your progress. Have you had TSH, T4 and T3 assessed as well? It is quite important to check the free hormone levels to see where they are, as you don't want to go too low either. T3 especially is an important thyroid hormone, too much can give you palpitations and a racing pulse, but very low levels can make you feel awful too, so therefore you need a decent T3 level to feel well.
I developed hypothyroidism and was on thyroid replacement medication long before I had the Mirena coil inserted (contraception and now for HRT), but I noticed that I needed to slightly increase my dose of levothyroxine whilst having the coil.
Thank you for that information
I now have mirena (at 58) fitted 2023 due to heavy bleeding and without uterine hyperplasia (thickening) throughout perimenopause. It’s helped me with this condition . I have Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and has had no side effect with my thyroid condition as mentioned in most cases it’s localised and does its job but a small amount does/can be circulated but is far less than other progesterone/progestins available.
I am glad you are ok my friend has had 3 now and loves hers. I was just one of the women it doesn’t agree with and had to have it removed because of inflammation in my cervix
I ended up having to have a investigation along with a Hysteroscopy D&C and biopsies taken and coil fitted (I had opted to go under general anaesthetic after researching) as given my age and still perimenopausal with history of long standing abnormal bleeding with and without HRT…we needed to rule out certain nasties …so this investigation was done … I must add I went private as know at my age unless a gynaecologist is involved a GP won’t routinely give women over 54 coil… this is first I’ve had.
I do have adenomyosis along with endometriosis and lichen sclerosus and various fertility/gynaecological conditions are common occurrence in thyroid patients … I felt much better on Utrogestan (progesterone) when on hrt, but it didn’t control the bleeding… assumption is oestrogen dominant ie not balanced progesterone not necessarily high oestrogen is cause in my case… possibly a poor detoxifier of oestrogen… this is probably genetic, so upping fibre as constipation is symptoms of all my autoimmune conditions, but you can have too much fibre and get same symptoms.
I have struggled best part of 12yrs with lower back pelvic problems but never until my mid/ late 50s had I considered that it’s gynaecological… as it was not period pain given my multiple autoimmune conditions and thyroid part only being the less than ideal on test ranges… I’ve had absolutely numerous investigations privately along with thinking it’s another autoimmune condition seen various consultants orthopaedic (neurological) 2 endocrinologists… I have low FT3 and trialled Liothyronine for a year but it didn’t budge my levels after first 8wks and it went back to it’s normal low status…I didn’t get any much relief of symptoms although we thought recovery from incidences was improved on it… I noticed I lost weight… which is obviously a good thing as I’m overweight… I still think I need Liothyronine but due to the current way of thinking re testing with TSH I couldn’t get more prescribed… maybe once I’ve sorted my gynaecological issues I will revisit this… I am looking into gynaecological problems specifically with low Triiodothyronine in the new year, my next bit of research 🤓
I’ve finished a course of Decapetyl injections late summer to switch off hormones it’s had no effect on thyroid levels or thyroid symptoms not needed any alteration in medication … just raised my blood sugar, plonked on more weight and raised blood pressure a bit … now trying to rectify those side effects before my next annual review 🙄
However my condition and pain at present has stabilised thankfully and although gynaecologist wants me to have hysterectomy I have avoided that for now… I prefer the drip of some of my natural hormones to help my old age bone and cardiovascular health albeit it’s in negligible amounts v absolute zero if everything is taken away and possibility of prolapse problem which few friends have had from op.
Gosh, my elderly aunt is now incontinent after a hysterectomy she had in her 50s. She has had numerous operations on her bladder and now wishes she had kept her uterus because she only had a couple of fibroids. I also have fibroids which luckily never gave me any problems and I still have my uterus. I had all my hysterscopes while I was awake I wasn’t offered a general for them
sorry not sure why to reply to , thank you everyone for your reply.
Here are my results
FREE T4 - (SHI) - See ANP
! Serum free T4 level 33.4 pmol/L 11.90 - 21.60pmol/L
19-Nov-2024 ! Serum TSH level - (SHI) - See ANP-Check
TSH receptor antibodie, start carbimazole
initially 10mg, and refer to endocrinologist
<0.01 mu/L 0.27 - 4.20mu/L
Is this patient taking thyroxine? TFTs suggest
hyperthyroidism, ? secondary to medication.
Hi Becky, sorry it did all get a little chaotic
So your fT4 is high which is why the carbimazole is necessary and it looks like they are going to be doing another blood test to check your TRAb which will confirm if you have Graves which is an auto immune condition which can make you over produce thyroid hormone
It would also be good if they tested your thyroid antibodies levels as it is possible to have both Graves and Hashimoto's and it helps to know how to advise you
RedAppleAdministrator
I am closing this thread now, because the conversation has become confusing and unhelpful to the OP Becky56 who is new to the forum.
Becky56, Very sorry about this, but please do copy and paste your test results into a new post (click this link to do this healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... ), so that members can help you without all the confusing replies that have landed up on this post.
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
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