Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

Ovary pain and mirena coil - experiences and advice please, thank you!

18 replies

grizzlebear · 26/02/2015 16:28

I have had mirena coils for the last 12 years and in general have been very happy with them – no periods at all, yay! (life changing after years of period misery…) I am 48 and my children are teenagers.

Over the last 18 months I’ve been getting an increasing amount of pain in what feels like my right ovary. Initially I thought it was ovulation pain, my 2nd coil was then about 5 years old and I assumed the hormones in it were wearing off and I was starting to ovulate again.

I’ve also had a lot of lower back pain over the last 4 months or so, which has not responded at all to changing my mattress and my chair at work, lots of stretching etc. I went for a Thai massage last week and when she was massaging my back I could feel it in my ovary region – very strange sensation! – which makes me think it is probably all connected.

Anyway the pain has been getting more frequent and more severe, and this morning I saw my GP. She suspects an ovarian cyst. She has referred me for a transvaginal scan, and took out the mirena as it was nearly 7 years old (not used for contraception, just to keep the periods at bay which it was still doing very well).

She’s given me an appointment for next week to get another mirena coil fitted, but I’m now wondering whether to do that.
My questions:

I’ve read that mirena coils can increase the risk of ovarian cysts. Is it the type of thing that if you get one, you’re likely to get more, or is it a one off kind of thing?
Has anyone found that after several years of a mirena coil their periods were much lighter than before? Or heavier?
During the time I’ve had the coils I have put on weight - and find it hard to shift despite lots of exercise etc . Obviously I can’t be sure whether that’s the coil or my advancing age or a bit of both – any experience to share please of miraculous easy weight loss after mirena removal??!
How does the mirena interact with perimenopause and menopause symptoms? Does it help? Does it make them worse? I don’t think I’m there yet but might be in the next few years…
Are there any alternatives for ‘turning off’ periods? Sorry for very stupid question but I’m just realising how little I know about all this stuff…

Please share your experience / advice - very grateful for any replies!

OP posts:

Report

grizzlebear · 26/02/2015 17:07

bump

OP posts:

PennySillin · 26/02/2015 18:06

Well I can answer some of your questions as both a sexual health nurse and a mirena user.

A side effect of having a mirena can be developing cysts which are usually harmless and self limiting (they disappear on their own) occasionally they can be painful and very occasionally can require surgery.

I'm on my second mirena (which is about to expire) and my periods stop immediately after insertion and so far haven't returned.

I have had no weight gain due to the mirena (was a bit overweight before insertion). I have recently lost nearly 2 stone on WW. As you get older it does become more difficult to lose weight.

The mirena can help during the menopause. If you require HRT it can be the progesterone part of the HRT but if you are using it this way it's life is only 4 years and not 5.

The progesterone only pill can turn off periods as can the implant but there's no guarantee you will react this way and you might end up with unpredictable bleeding.

Not sure how much that helps.

grizzlebear · 26/02/2015 18:12

Thank you so much Penny for your reply. Fantastic that you are a sexual health nurse, can I ask please - if this is a cyst, given that I have been having pain for 18 months (though initially not as frequent or severe as more recently), will it have to be surgery to get rid of it or are there any other options? e.g. will having had the mirena out (and not replacing it) allow the cyst to subside on its own? Or maybe that's just wishful thinking....

OP posts:

PennySillin · 26/02/2015 18:17

Yes, I think if you have a cyst because of the mirena the first action is to remove the coil and the cyst should disappear.

However you might have developed a cyst anyway, not mirena related and so removing the coil may not work.

Are you up to date with your smear?

Good luck, I hope you get some answers soon. It's horrible not knowing what's going on.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 26/02/2015 18:21

May I ask what sort of period misery have you had?. Have your periods pre mirena been very painful leading up to and including menses and or heavy in nature?.

PennySillin · 26/02/2015 18:24

Mine were very painful, take to your bed, vomiting painful, and had been since I started my periods as a teenager. Went on the combined pill for some years but that didn't agree with me although I didn't realise it was the pill at the time. Tried the mirena about 10 years ago and have been in love with it ever since.

grizzlebear · 26/02/2015 18:42

Thanks Penny, v useful. Yes, smear is up to date.

Attila, pre Mirena my periods were extremely heavy and extremely painful, often with a side order of vomiting and diarrhoea. Within 6 months on Mirena I had no periods at all - absolute bliss!!

OP posts:

grizzlebear · 26/02/2015 20:04

Bump for evening crowd, all comments / experience welcome!

OP posts:

allison90 · 15/09/2018 07:34

Hello there. Iv had the mirena coil fitted back in February 2018. Every time my period is due or I'm about to bleed (which could be every couple of weeks/ once a month) I get this searing pain in my right side of the ovary/groin area. The pain affects the top part of my right leg. Is there anyone that has had this before? Is it normal? Its never the left side. Many thanks.

BlueShortsRedSox · 15/09/2018 18:41

This is interesting. I've had a coil for 5 years, not for contraception purposes. I'm 52
For the last 6-8 months I've had period type pain and a cramping pain on and off in my left side. I've been to the GP twice, once i was found to have a urine infection with the dip stick but nothing found in the lab.
I've also had an ultrasound scan and was found to have a slightly fatty liver. This was after losing 5 stone.
I'm still getting the pains, my legs hurt now too.
I'm thinking of going back to GP again as I've recently wondering if it's coil related

Beanhead1 · 06/12/2018 20:42

Hi I have had my coil for 3 years now. Been getting backache and period pains for 3 weeks, no period at all, been to drs who can not find my coil, so am now waiting a week for ultrasound. But I’m so worried... anyone else experienced this!
Bad pains but no blood, lost coil after 3 years.

Loubumpass · 18/01/2019 11:34

Good Morning
I have had 2 Mirena coils now and have not had too much bleeding , but I had an operation in August to remove my fallopian tubes and my left ovary, since this I have had spotting which is not too much of a problem. This last 4 weeks I have had lower back pain and this week have had a period. This is very unusual and I went to the GP and she is saying that I need the coil changed and it is only 2.5 years old ? I am wondering if I should get a second opinion as the constant back aching and bleeding is surely not normal ??

Jamess09 · 20/01/2019 16:54

Hi There!

Reading this thread and wanted to post my experience and hope people can give me their opinions.

I had a Mirena coil fitted on 3rd December, in 31 and have 2.5 year old. I had the coil fitted due to extremely heavy and painful periods with very painful ovulation pains.

Since having the coil fitted I haven’t stopped bleeding (minus 4 days), the bleeding is a lot lighter and pain is definitely more manageable although still quite bad! I had my follow up with the consultant on 18th Jan and he said everything was fine and to give it longer to settle in... well I’ve picked up on something today
I stopped bleeding yesterday and have awful trapped gas kind of pains which is what I used to get when I ovulate, I had these exact pains a month ago when I stopped bleeding for 4 days, looking st dates it’s when I am due to ovulate within my cycle? Is this normal? Am I second guessing it and need to give it more time?

dondon1970 · 31/08/2019 01:15

Hi,Im new to this site,In 2019 i had an op for twisted bowel,So i had heavy bleeding with large clots,So i was taken down to theatre for them to remove polops,andway while i was in theater they fitted the marina coil,Since i have had it im still bleeding every month or every second month,so irregular bleeding,Im 48 will be 49 in november ,since this coil was put in im always in agony with the period pains and this very sharp pain in the left hand side of my groin and i have to really press on it to stop the pain,anyone else feel like this? im just going to my gp and telling them i want a hystorectomy as ive really really had enough,just wondering if anyone else has this pain,thanks

dondon1970 · 31/08/2019 01:16

sorry meant 2014 not 2019

Jesaminecollins · 31/08/2019 09:55

The mirena doesn't suit everyone you should read the side effects

www.rxlist.com/mirena-side-effects-drug-center.htm

MrsGxx · 10/09/2019 20:12

This seems to be an old thread but I have the Mirena coil which is due out 1st October which will be exactly 5 years. For the past 2 weeks Iv had groin pain kind of both sides, a slight bit of brown blood & a bit of discharge afterwards.
Would this be time to have it taken out?

MrsGxx · 10/09/2019 20:13

Feeling like strong period pain/ groin pains xx

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.