Sexual Health Birth Control Types of IUDs Mirena IUD for the Treatment of Heavy Periods By Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC Updated on October 29, 2022 Medically reviewed by Peter Weiss, MD Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Is Mirena IUD? Use for Heavy Bleeding How Many Women Suffer From Heavy Bleeding? Research How It Helps How Long Does It Take to Work? The Mirena IUD can help decrease heavy menstrual periods, usually beginning around three or more months after placement. It takes about a year for Mirena to stop periods altogether, but this only happens for about 20% of those who use Mirena. Mirena can also reduce menstrual pain and pain related to endometriosis, which is when the tissue that lines the uterus grows in other parts of the abdomen. Vesna Andjic / Getty Images What Is Mirena IUD? Mirena is a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) used for birth control. This small, T-shaped device is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy for up to seven years by releasing small amounts of a progestin hormone called levonorgestrel into the uterus. If you have chosen Mirena for birth control, you may also experience some additional non-contraceptive benefits, such as relief from heavy periods. Mirena for Heavy Bleeding Mirena is a good non-surgical treatment option if you suffer from heavy periods. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Mirena to treat heavy menstrual bleeding. It is currently the most effective medical therapy for this concern. How Many Women Suffer From Heavy Bleeding? It is estimated that between 9% and 14% of healthy women experience heavy periods. Women who have heavy periods will typically lose about 5 to 6 tablespoons of blood in a single menstrual cycle. By contrast, women with average periods only lose about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood during their period. Heavy periods can lead to anemia (when your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells) and other problems. Symptoms of a Heavy Period Few women could estimate the exact amount of blood lost during their period. With that in mind, look for these signs which indicate heavy bleeding:You soak through a pad or tampon every two to three hours.Your clothes or bedding is repeatedly stained as a result of heavy bleeding.You have to get up in the middle of the night to change your tampon or pad.You wear both a tampon and a pad (for double protection). Research Many research studies have been done to see if Mirena is an effective treatment for heavy periods. Studies have compared it to oral medications and surgical procedures such as endometrial ablation (a surgical procedure that removes the lining of the uterus) and hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). Here is a summary of some of this research: In one study of women who suffered from heavy bleeding, Mirena reduced the amount of menstrual bleeding by 80% after three months of use. After six months, bleeding was reduced by 90%.Another study looked at 50 women who were planning on having surgery to treat their heavy periods but agreed to have Mirena inserted instead. Thirty-seven women reported noticing much lower blood loss after three months of Mirena use. This number increased to 41 after nine months of use. All of these women decided to continue using Mirena instead of having surgery to treat their heavy bleeding.A review of six different research studies showed that, when compared with endometrial ablation, Mirena was found to be just as effective in reducing monthly blood loss. Mirena was also found to be a good alternative to endometrial ablation because it's associated with fewer side effects and does not affect future fertility. (Endometrial ablation can make it difficult to become pregnant.)One study looked at Mirena for one year as a treatment for heavy bleeding. Mirena was found to be an effective treatment for three out of four women with heavy bleeding; about 79% of the women planned to continue using Mirena. This study showed that the levels of hemoglobin (the main component in red blood cells) increased at three and 12 months for women who used Mirena. This is important because heavy bleeding can lead to lower hemoglobin levels, which could put you at risk of becoming anemic.A 2017 study evaluated the differences between Mirena, hysterectomy, and endometrial ablation for heavy bleeding. Mirena ranked best in terms of the number of quality-of-life years, followed by a hysterectomy and then endometrial ablation. How It Helps Mirena can help treat heavy bleeding in two ways: Mirena may lower the amount of bleeding you have each month.Your total blood loss per cycle may steadily decrease with continued Mirena use. After the Mirena IUD is inserted, the progestin released helps reduce the monthly thickening of your uterine lining. This makes the lining thinner, so there is less of it to shed during your period. This results in less bleeding. How Long Does It Take to Work? Mirena can reduce monthly bleeding in females with average or heavy periods. Most females who use Mirena will experience reduced blood loss after three to six months. There is an 80% decrease in blood flow within four months of insertion, whether you have regular or heavy bleeding. After a year of use, over 95% of people have reduced bleeding. Is Spotting With Mirena Normal? Some people fear that Mirena won't help early on, as they notice that they have more spotting rather than less.It's important to point out that more days of spotting or irregular bleeding is normal after Mirena has been inserted. It usually decreases after a few months of use. 11 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Sierra T. Helping patients select long-acting reversible contraceptives. J Am Acad PA. 2019;32(4):23-7. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000554220.48629.a4 Mirena package insert. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. 2021. Kiseli M, Kayikcioglu F, Evliyaoglu O, Haberal A. Comparison of Therapeutic Efficacies of Norethisterone, Tranexamic Acid and Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System for the Treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: A Randomized Controlled Study. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2016;81(5):447-453. doi:10.1159/000443393 Informed Health Online. Heavy Periods: Overview. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2017. Hallberg L, Högdahl AM, Nilsson L, Rybo G. Menstrual blood loss--a population study. Variation at different ages and attempts to define normality. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1966;45(3):320-351. doi:10.3109/00016346609158455 Ritchie J, Nelson AL. Severe Anemia from Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Requires Heightened Attention. Clinics Mother Child Health. 2017;14(1). doi:10.4172/2090-7214.1000256 Dhamangaonkar PC, Anuradha K, Saxena A. Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (Mirena): An emerging tool for conservative treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding. J Midlife Health. 2015;6(1):26-30. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.153615 Barrington JW, Bowen-Simpkins P. The levonorgestrel intrauterine system in the management of menorrhagia. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1997 May;104(5):614-6. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1997.tb11542.x Kaunitz AM, Meredith S, Inki P, Kubba A, Sanchez-Ramos L. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system and endometrial ablation in heavy menstrual bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol. 2009 May;113(5):1104-1116. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181a1d3ce Monteiro I, Bahamondes L, Diaz J, Perrotti M, Petta C. Therapeutic use of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system in women with menorrhagia: a pilot study(1). Contraception. 2002 May;65(5):325-8. doi:10.1016/s0010-7824(02)00283-4 Louie M, Spencer J, Wheeler S, Ellis V, Toubia T, Schiff LD, Siedhoff MT, Moulder JK. Comparison of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, hysterectomy, and endometrial ablation for heavy menstrual bleeding in a decision analysis model. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2017 Nov;139(2):121-129. doi:10.1002/ijgo.12293 Additional Reading Lethaby A, Hussain M, Rishworth JR, Rees MC. Progesterone or progestogen-releasing intrauterine systems for heavy menstrual bleeding. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(4):CD002126. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002126.pub3 Marjoribanks J, Lethaby A, Farquhar C. Surgery versus medical therapy for heavy menstrual bleeding. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(1):CD003855. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003855.pub3 By Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC, is a published author, college professor, and mental health consultant with over 15 years of counseling experience. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit