Mirena coil questions

[enchiladatoes]

Got one put in yesterday, did not really need to panic as much as I did beforehand! Really proud of myself. No need to worry about missing the pill (forgot to take it on holiday three weeks ago thereby cementing my resolve to get the coil). Bit of cramping for about 2 minutes afterwards and been absolutely normal and no pain or cramping since then.

She didn't tell me to book a 6 week check up. Should she have?

Couldn't feel the strings last night. AT ALL. Got boyfriend to dig around. He said he could feel "something" but he looked unsure when he said it. Men and vaginas eh! Should I worry?

And the most pertinent question really - should I now completely panic now I've read the side effects in the leaflet (nurse didn't go through them with me beforehand)? I ask because I have been on the pill for just over two years. Years of going on and off the pill and not really wanting to be on it but also not wanting to flood the lounge each time I sneeze when I have an epic week long period. I've been growing a nice beard the last two years, enough to make me fairy miserable (and for boyfriend to tease me). Fair skin and THICK black hairs on my neck and chin which tweezing seems to make worse. GP said it was probably because there's some Italian in my family. Can't afford laser removal. Also I suffer fairly regularly with depression and anxiety and have put SO MUCH weight on since pill (well OK, I also moved in with boyfriend and diet now consists of wine and carbs so that might have something to do with it). So I thought that Mirena would be perfect and would not have as many of these side effects as it's a minuscule comparable amount of hormone but now the leaflet says that weight gain, depression and excess hair growth are COMMON side effects. So are these side effects as common as they are in the pill? And if so, how come, if the hormone is much, much less?

Oh, and also, nurse said continue taking the pill for a month along with the coil as I have a diving holiday in Egypt in three weeks and don't want a period. Will I die of deep vein thrombosis on the plane because of all the hormones of the coil and pill combined? Will my beard go full Lumberjack with the hormones over the month?

[enchiladatoes]

Also I know there's a very extensive mirena thread but reading just some of the stories on that almost gave me a panic attack. I guess I just wanted to know about how it compares to the pill.

[Honey2468]

Hi, I’ve never had the mirena but the thick black hairs can definitely be a result of progesterone only things. I wasn’t on anything for five years then a month and a half into my pills and they are back (like u say, tweezing them makes them come in even faster). It only takes 1week to be covered by the coil against pregnancy so the advice might be to stop your period but in my experience (I have tried a lot of contraception) nobody really knows if something is going to make you constantly bleed and which pill (if any) is going to help reduce it/make it stop so this advice seems a bit strange. I’m sure you wouldn’t need to stay on your pill as well this long if you didn’t want to. When I had the coil I was told to only ever go back if I was bleeding through a pad in less then an hour, other than that I could bleed for the full five years but it won’t do me any harm so I didn’t need to go back. I personally think it’s shocking that the guidelines by the people who make them say you should have a six week check up but the dr’s don’t bother anymore because the NHS is trying to save a bit of money. If you are worried about it go back and demand to be seen, especially if you are going on holiday,
Hope this helps x

[enchiladatoes]

Thank you for your reply.
I guess the advice re the pill and coil together was because it would seem to guarantee no period on holiday whereas coming off after a week would be more risky.
After reading more I don't think there is the high risk of dvt as it's not combined.
It has been less than a week and I SWEAR the hairs are worse. In three weeks time I dread to think what it will be like. I was going to get my neck and chin threaded at lunch but I'm scared of getting in that cycle.
Getting me down.
It just all made so much sense as I thought it was so little hormone compared to the pill but I'm so confused now!

[HoppingPavlova]

I lost hair after I had the Mirena. Came out of my head in clumps now my hair is much thinner. Definitely no excess hair on body.

This has been pretty much the only downside for me after 7 years (on second Mirena now). However NO PERIOD for 7 years, after initial bleeding spotting for a few weeks after having the first put in, brilliant!!!! Definitely happy to trade in hair loss/thinning for that benefit. Now too old for kids so no need for contraceptive purposes but definitely keeping on with it as no way I’m suffering periods for the heck of it.

[WildRosesGrow]

I hate to tell you this but the facial hair is likely to increase with age, whatever contraception you use. Best to embrace the threading or plucking IMHO.

I like the Mirena - it's reduced my periods to almost nothing and I don't need to remember to take a pill (and worry when I forget). I lost 4 stone (Slimming World) whilst on the Mirena, can't say it was easy and I have put some back on since. I'm going back to SW in January to try to get back down.

Give it a few months and see how you feel. Most contraceptives have some side effects, they mess with your body's natural function of reproducing, but given that most of us want to limit our fertility without sexual abstinence, I think they are worthwhile!

[WildRosesGrow]

NB if you are worried about not being able to feel the strings, then make an appointment with your family planning clinic or whoever fitted it, and they can check it (and show you how to check it yourself). With my first one, I couldn't feel the strings, as they had been cut really short. The nurse could find them though. I'm on my second one, and can feel the strings quite easily.

If you've not got time before your holiday, then as you are carrying on with the pill for a while, I wouldn't worry too much. Have a great time.

[enchiladatoes]

Thanks guys.

Just went and got the eyebrows, upper lip and chin and neck sorted for £14. Something a bit weird about having it done in public view in the shopping centre but much better now.

Hair removal is the bane of my life.

Will see what happens when I come off the pill in a month and let it all settle. I can't stay on the pill long term anyway as I keep forgetting it!

[SarahBeeney]

I have the Mirena,I had one period and nothing since.
My gynae said I don't need to check for strings (I can feel them tho if I check). He said if I've got no periods then it's working.
It's been life changing for me.
Threading is great but have you looked into a hair removal system like the Phillips Lumea?Expensive but it sounds like it would work with your hair type.

[enchiladatoes]

I'm not going to worry too much about the strings. I'll have another feel for them though.

Yes I might find the lumea in the sales after christmas. The hairs are ALREADY coming back??!!!

I know there are too many hormones in my body at the moment because I have cried at: the age UK advert, singing jingle bells and the end of Crocodile Dundee. Have also started cramping. I'll be glad to see what happens when I come off the pill....

Merry Christmas everyone.