We’ve recently been seeing frequent TV ads for Kyleena and Mirena, intrauterine devices (IUDs) that slowly release a progestin hormone called levonorgestrel into the uterus to prevent pregnancy, sometimes referred to as “Set it and forget it birth control.”
Interestingly enough, the manufacturer of levonorgestrel tablet contraceptives (Plan B) says “This medication is an emergency contraceptive and should not be used as a regular form of birth control.”
Possible adverse side effects from these IUD devices include ovarian cysts, abdominal/pelvic pain, headache or migraine, acne, breast tenderness or pain, heavier bleeding, depression, changes in hair growth, and hair loss.
The potential for depression as a side effect caught our attention.
Then the May 2019 Scientific American was published with several articles about birth control, indicating that the occurrence of bad side effects from IUDs are much higher than one might suspect.
One article brought it even closer to our home, saying that “Much of the recent enthusiasm over IUDs can be traced back to a single study called the Contraceptive CHOICE research project [2007-2011]. Funded in part by a then anonymous donor now known to be the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and facilitated by Washington University in St. Louis, the project had the explicit goal of increasing the use of LARC [Long-Acting Reversible Contraception] among women at high risk of unintended pregnancy.”
Obviously we are not advocating for or against anything related to birth control; our sole interest is in how the psychiatric industry may be involved. And with depression as a side effect of these devices, we have a clue.
We’ve all heard the term Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), which includes symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and depression. Current thinking is that over 90% of women get some PMS adverse side effects.
Naturally, if psychiatrists can prescribe a drug for it, they will include it in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) so that insurance will pay for diagnosing it and prescribing a drug.
So what does the DSM have to say about it? Here are some possible related diagnoses:
— Premenstrual dysphoric disorder [dysphoric means “a state of unease or dissatisfaction”]
— Problems related to unwanted pregnancy
— Depressive disorder due to another medical condition
— Unspecified depressive disorder
plus another 75 disorders related to depression of one kind or another.
All of these fraudulent diagnoses can be used to prescribe an antidepressant or some other harmful and addictive psychiatric drug, none of which actually address the root cause of the condition.
Need we actually say that premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMS, is not a “mental illness” requiring an antidepressant? Need we actually say that a depressive side effect of an IUD is not a “mental illness” requiring an antidepressant?
Well, we’ve said it anyway. Protect yourself from psychiatric fraud and abuse by insisting on Full Informed Consent with your doctor.
