Get Informed: Levonorgestrel
Active Ingredient(s)
Levonorgestrel
Information
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Jul-30 3:53 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Jul-30 9:00 PM
Other Names
- Mirena
- Nortrel
- Plan B
- Levonorgestrel
- Microval
- Norgeston
- Levonelle
- Levonelle ONE Step
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
- Please log in
- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category
- X
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 10 Dec 1990
- Est US Patients*
- 215,800
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- Yes
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Levonorgestrel or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Levonorgestrel
There have been no iGuard.org alerts regarding Levonorgestrel during the past year.
Levonorgestrel Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Levonorgestrel interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Levonorgestrel used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 1,500 patients that use Levonorgestrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Control | 92% |
mild
severe
|
| Irregular/Painful Periods | 11% |
mild
severe
|
How well does Levonorgestrel work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 1,500 users taking Levonorgestrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 89%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Levonorgestrel outweigh the bad things.
- 23%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Levonorgestrel.
Common Side Effects of Levonorgestrel
iGuard regularly polls our more than 1,500 users taking Levonorgestrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
61% of patients experience side-effects on Levonorgestrel
10% of patients experience significant side-effects on Levonorgestrel
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Breakthrough Bleeding
-
Abdo Pain/Cramps
-
Weight Gain
-
Irregular/Heavy Periods
-
Vaginal Discharge
-
Headache
-
Mood/Behavior Changes
-
Muscle Pain/Cramps
-
Fatigue
-
Dizziness
-
Acne
-
Loss of Libido
-
Swelling/Edema
-
Bloating/Gas
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Levonorgestrel ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I have had Mirena just over a year now. I had alot of mood swings and searing pain for the first couple of months but i am finally over it. One problem that has started and remained is horrible acne. However, i now have an even bigger concern. My hair is suddenly thinning and and falling out in the front. Has anyone else had thinning hair from Mirena? i dont want to just take it out and waste all the money i spent if Mirena is not at fault.
25 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-08 13:06:16
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Any time there is a change in hormones, mood swings and the side effects that you are describing are possible. Everyone can potentially have a different reaction to Mirena. Acne is reported by between 5 and 7% of women who use Mirena. Hair loss has been reported by approximately 5% of patients. You may be better suited with a different form of birth control. Please follow up with your doctor to discuss your concerns and the available options for birth control.
Posted: 2010-01-10 19:20:18
Question/Comment:
I got the Mirena to treat my dysmenorrhea due to endometriosis. Before getting the IUD in I had severe pain every month; so bad that I would throw up from the pain and had to be on heavy doses of vicodin for 3-4 days. I had the Mirena put in on May 15th. It is now September 5th and I am still in pain. I have had pain every single day since I had the IUD put in. It is only in the last couple of weeks that I was able to get off vicodin, but I am still taking ibuprofen everyday. The only reason I have not had it taken out yet is because I REALLY want this to work. The doctors tell me that it could take another 3 months before my body accepts the IUD and I'm hoping this is true. Has anyone had a similar experience? How long did it take for the IUD to start working for you the way it's supposed to?
20 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-09-05 13:52:38
Answer/Reply:
I know i had pain every day for atleast 3 months. I would have cramps but then feel like someone was stabbing me with a knife at times, having to bend over in pain. Then it subsided a little and it was only a few times a week, to then only a little bit of pain once or twice a week. After 6 months, i think my body finally got used to it. every now and then i would still get the stabbing pain out of nowhere but not for long. I still get slight cramps during my period, but nothing like it was.
25 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-08 13:16:44
Question/Comment:
I had mirena inserted a month after the birth of my 2nd child. Wasn't planning on any more babies so that is why I chose it. About 2 weeks after the insertion, my hands starting hurting, tingling, swelling and acting as if I had Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. I was referred to an ortho who was ready to operate but had never seen anything like this come on so soon. He sent me to a neurologist to do an ecomyogram to see if it truly was carpel tunnel or something underlying. I had no evidence of carpel tunnel which did not make sense with how the test affected me and my symptoms. I was sent for an MRI of my neck and spine which showed not problems at all. I was then referred to a rheumatologist as both the ortho and neuro were stumped. During the entire process of all of the specialists, my hands and arms were swelling more and my skin was darkening and getting extemely tight. The rheumatologist immediately picked up my problem as possible eosinophillic fasciitis, a form of scleroderma, also an auto immune disease. No one will ever say that the Mirena triggered it, but this disease comes from hormonal changes in the body, and I frimly believe that it did. I also gained over 30lbs and my emotions were all over the place. I had the mirena removed on June 18th and feel much better emotionally. Needless to say, Mirena is not for me!!
36 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-07-30 14:12:50
Answer/Reply:
Your body goes through a LOT of hormonal changes during pregnancy as well. What's to say that was not the trigger. I have had mind for 2.5 years now with no problems. I work in an OB/GYN office where we put in around 10 a month. Never heard anything close to what your saying. I do know a lot of people blam weight gain on Mirena. The hormones in Mirena do not go throught your whole body. They stay in the uterus, so they are not the cause for weight gain.
I'm sorry to hear what you had to go through. Have you looked into ParaGard, in IUD without hormones. I love the ideas and freedom you get from an IUD.
27 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-22 09:22:31
Answer/Reply:
You are not the only one to have experience carpel tunnel type symptoms! My right hand weakened, it hurt, and i did not have full function. As a waitress, i had to take 3 weeks off and went to specialists to see if it was carpel tunnel and why it just came out of nowhere. they had no explanation for it and i couldn't afford to dig further to find out what it could be. After my 3 weeks though of wearing a wrist gaurd, my wrist felt better. i was just very carefully with what i did for fear of causing it to act up again.
25 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-08 13:11:04
Question/Comment:
I have had my mirena for 3 mos and I have very few complaints. I am 31 and have had 3 children. The insertion wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Moderate cramping during the insertion was mild over the next 24-48 hours (like the first day of my period). I typically did not have painful periods ever. The strings bothered me for the first couple of days. Now they rarely bother me or my husband, but I have considered having them cut shorter. I did not bleed much the first month. I spotted for a few days, then nothing for a month. Since then I have experienced spotting to light bleeding with very rare mild cramping. It is annoying because I never know when I will be spotting. In my opinion a small price to pay for worry-free birth control. I haven't noticed weight gain, but I am still losing baby weight at 9 mos post-partum. When I have more experience with it, I will post again. My sister has had hers for 5 years and likes it so much, she plans to get another inserted when her old one is removed. Her bleeding stopped by 6 mos and she no longer has periods.
32 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-05-23 16:39:16
Question/Comment:
I had mirena put in April 2008 and after the initial spotting I was period free for almost a yr but before the year came up I started getting severe cramping and dark colored discharge leading up to almost normal periods that come and go. I've been seen and so far they tell me nothings wrong and that it is normal. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience?
27 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-05-18 17:12:52
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
50
Patient Comments About
Levonorgestrel