The Link Between IUDs and Depression That We Need To Talk About – Cora

The link between IUDs and depression is real, but often ignored.

If you Google “IUDs and depression,” over 5 million search results prove that people are talking about it. But why aren’t doctors and OB-GYNs talking about it with their patients? Why wasn’t I told that my whole localized-hormones-must-be-better theory didn’t check out? Why wasn’t I asked, “Do you have a history with depression or anxiety?” before being implanted with a one-inch piece of plastic that had the potential to turn my world upside down? Yes, it turns out that women with a history of mood disorders have a higher likelihood of developing IUD-induced depression.

“From what is understood in the research, women with a personal or family history of depression or other mood disorders are more susceptible to experiencing these side effects with hormonal contraceptives, including the progestin-based IUD,” Dr. Brighten shares. Dr. Shepard even goes so far as to say that women with significant depression “are not ideal candidates for the hormonal IUD.”

One reason OB-GYNs may not be addressing this issue? “The package insert on the Mirena states that only around 5 percent of women in clinical trials have depressive mood and nervousness as a side effect,” Dr. Brighten says—in other words, not a significant percentage. “But that doesn’t account for what happens in the general population,” she adds, citing that outside of control groups, the adverse effects of Mirena and other hormonal IUDs may be more widespread than we think.

“Sadly, women are often dismissed in medicine when it comes to mood symptoms,” Dr. Brighten admits; so those who do take these concerns to their OB-GYNs may not be taken seriously. That’s precisely what happened to me when, after doing some independent study and concluding that my IUD was messing with my mood, I confronted my doctor. “It’s in your head,” he said, with a smile and a wave of his hand. “This is just stress from the wedding.” Needless to say, I booked it out of his office (and maybe kind of cursed him out just a little bit) and set up an appointment with a new OB-GYN, who respected my decision to have the IUD removed.

Doctors estimate that it takes about three months for our systems to completely clear IUD-delivered progestin from the body, so my symptoms didn’t immediately go away. But today, six months later, I’m not only happy with my decision—I’m also just plain happy.