I am glad I found this forum. I am having so many of these side effects and did not realize they were caused from the mirena. I am calling my doctor tomorrow to have it taken out!!

I too had the Mirena removed in April '07. My suggestion to you is to NOT go to the doctor for the symptoms you are still experiencing. I think it is still the Mirena hormone working its way out of your system because I have been experiencing basically what you have. Every month, usually when my body is going through the monthly hormonal changes, I feel some side effects creep back. My Acne gets worse, I become more depressed, moody, sometimes more tired. I also have a harder time sleeping well during this time. Once I have finished ovulating, these all ease up. Each month, for me, these side effects that pop back up do not last as long and are not quite as bad as the month before, but I am still experiencing them. I am figuring it may take up to 6 months to a year to get this out of my system. If it is not bothering you too bad, I suggest waiting to see if they will eventually go away on their own.

i got my mirena out in May and had most of the serious side effects clear up almost immediately. however, others less serious as far as my long term health was concerned, took a long time to go. my acne, i would say, was more or less sorted out - till this week!! it is now a week after my period finished, and i have broken out in the same type of spots that i had when i had mirena in. this is the first "flare up" that i have had since the mirena was taken out - before this time, the Acne was just very slowly getting better. I had never had Acne before mirena. So i am now thinking that yes, for some of us, certain symptoms may well come and go for a while longer yet. I don't think it matters what the symptoms are as such, because that will depend on our own body's weak spots (no Acne pun intended there lol) - for me it is the acne, for you, it sounds like it is the emotional stuff. hormones seem to have a mind of their own lol. Seriously though, i would keep the faith and just go with it. I am sure that the effects will gradually get less and less, though with the occassional blast/flare up! But the blasts should get more rare as time goes on. If nothing else, this whole episode has been a big learning curve for you, by the sounds of it. I think it has for everyone, in a variety of ways!!
Only you can decide, but if it was me, i would certainly NOT go to get diagnosed with this pmdd (which is only a bad form of pms, to be honest) - i am sure that you do not need to be "labelled" right now, and as you say, the doctors will want to put you on hormones or anti-depressants, neither of which will do you any good at all, and will just complicate your body chemistry at a time when it is trying so hard to rebalance itself. What i would suggest, to help things along a bit for the next few months, if you are not already trying it, would be to take an evening primrose oil capsule, I take 1000mg per day as a general one a day dose. Try some B vitamins (they must be taken with or just after food, NOT on an empty stomach, as you won't be able to digest them too well otherwise), and maybe a multi mineral tablet which is heavy on the Zinc. These are all important for the production of hormones, and i always feel that if we give the body what it needs, it will work out how best to use the ingredients. St. Johns wort is good to help mood swings, Depression etc but more than that, it is now thought to interfere with the absorption of levonorgesterol, so it may be worth a try every day for a month or two, to see if it makes any difference. Also Chamomile tea is my god-send! it is soothing on the stomach as well as the emotional system and helps to relax you, as well as helping with insomnia if you take it in the evening. NOT having caffeine will help too ( I dont know if you have coffee or caffeine products or not), as this is a nervous stimulant and is not good for hormones anyway! Avoid alcohol around your dodgy time of the month as that is a depressant for the nervous system and uses up all those precious B vits that your body needs for your hormones - it also can keep you awake, so not good if you are having insomnia. Can't think of anything else right now, so i will sign off! Nice pics by the way:) And obviously, as you say, the more confident you is beginning to make an appearance, so that is fantastic news and bodes well for the future. I am positive that you will eventually become symptom free - it may take a while, but you are definately on the right path, so keep your chin up, and keep positive where you can!! Oh and for those less motivated days that you mentioned - try Flylady website, it certainly motivates me, anyway!!:) Take care, and report back to us any time you feel low or just to let us know how you are getting on:) X