"i had this birth control in for 2 years and have had it removed. the only benefit was the fact that i didn&#039;t have to take the pill every day. i spotted all the time on this and got really random heavy periods. the side effects were unbearable (they creep up on you)! i didn&#039;t notice any major problems at first, but by year two i thought there was something medically wrong with me (i have been seeing a specialist, my normal dr. couldn&#039;t figure out what was wrong with me) i had really emotional pms, the sharpest worst cramps (i could feel the mirena poking me for the inside) and no sex drive at all. i had difficulty focusing, was tired all the time, super sore body and i gained 27 pounds with no major lifestyle changes. insertion and removal hurt!"