mirena coil and side effects???? anyone else experiencing these????

[missylea]

Had the mirena coil fitted from feb this year and am still staining! I have lack of sex drive and now over the last week of so feel so down and depressed. I do suffer from pnd and am on ad. but felt myself getting better and more like myself only for this last week. I have been crying at everything, feeling really sad for nothing and really irratiable especially with my dcs. Suprise next day i started staining again! Its like permanent pmt or is it my pnd flaring back up again.I cannot take any kind of contraceptive pill as they too make me like this but dr says the hormone is localised to the womb! I always have been getting bad period pains that dr had to prescribe pain killers it was that bad. Anyone else suffer anything similar before i make a decision to have it removed. Unfortunitely it feels like the only other option is sterisation which is very very final but dont feel i could cope with pnd and feeling this low again. ps i have got pnd after every baby ive had, i have 3.

[happydaffy]

Message withdrawn

[Sickofbloodyswineflu]

The only side effect I get with mine is a hairy chin ....i get 2 little patches of thick black hairs which I literally have to pluck at every day. Hmmph.

Other than that its been excellant for me, i'm on my second one.

[SofiaAmes]

I had what I thought were lots of side effects from the mirena coil. As it turned out (after 3 years and a dozen doctors), I was perimenopausal and the occurrence was coincidental with the insertion of the mirena coil. An OBGYN expert on menopausal hormones, suggested I go on a low dose monophasic pill instead of the mirena coil (which they all told me has so little hormone that it couldn't be affecting my body). As it turned out I needed more estrogen than the coil was giving me, because my body was producing less and very erratically at that. The pill cleared up all my symptoms. It was a very different experience than being on the pill in my 20's or 30's (when I didn't need the extra hormones).

[Molesworth]

I had similar side effects, missylea I suffered terrible depression the whole time it was in, and started to feel normal within weeks of having it removed last year.

Would a copper coil be an option for you?

[missylea]

Hi molesworth, yes i would consider the copper one but is there any side effects to that one as well Thanks for your replies

[Molesworth]

I've no personal experience of the copper coil: it isn't a hormonal contraceptive so it wouldn't have the effect on your mood that the pill and mirena have. On the other hand if you were given a Mirena to help with heavy periods then the copper coil might not be a good choice.

I think Mirena coils are a menace and doctors seem spectacularly ill-informed about the potentially serious side effects

[Twilko]

Hi, I had mine fitted in January and Ive been in a bad mood ever since! I feel as though im boiling with pure rage inside. Have thought many a time of getting it swapped to a copper coil but haven't got round to it. Im constantly spotting too, I mentioned all these symptoms to the nurse at my gp's last month, she replied saying that none of these symptoms were because of the coil as it was localised to the womb.
After mentioning this to my sister it turned out that she was also experiencing the moods and depression since having her coil fitted as well xxx

[missylea]

thats exactly what the drs told me twilko but one said who knows how much could get into the blood stream, so the hormone must. No didnt get it fitted for heavy periods get it fitted as have had 3 cs and dr said i couldnt get pregnant again for at least 2 years as womb is so thin but to be honest i think i might get steralised I suffer bad pnd with all my babies and cant see myself going through all this again even though i see a newborn and my heart just melts but thats maybe just my maternal instincts.

[honeydew]

I've had 3 DC and have a non hormonal coil.

I had this inserted in April last year as I did not want a Mierna coil which can cause side effects.

I've had no problems at all with my coil- it's been great. My periods have not been much heavier and although I sometimes get a little more ovultion pain, I can cope with that.

If you are continuing to have problem perhaps consider swapping. As far as I am aware, the non hormonal coil is just as effective. I love my coil - I don't have to worry about contraception and have had no pregnancy scares.

I had 3 kidlets in 3 years and absolutely must have any more for medical reasons so I keep a very very close eye on my periods. So far so good; I come on regularly ( within a day or two) each month.

Have a think about swapping over . It sound like your body isn't that happy with the coil your using and you might do better letting your cycle regulate itself. Even if your periods do become a little heavier, I personally would rather cope with that than all the side effects you're experiencing.

Good luck with it and although I have not had PND as such , I have 3 of 5 and under with no family help, my husband works long hours and to top it all I have to have major surgery the week after because my abdomen has split and my guts have spilled out.

My whole life is childcare, housework and operations it seems and it's so so hard. But have courage- you will, absolutely WILL get through. (smile)

[missylea]

ah thank you honeydew. You do sometimes get so fed up and stressed with life that sometimes you look for an excuse to blame it on. I have had alot of stress lately with my ex p but i have remained strong up until this last week or so. I too have no family support and with dcs being off school its very very hard work and stressful. As for the baby my ex p comes and takes him as much as possible which is a great help. Sorry to hear that you feel this way too, life just sucks sometimes.

[honeydew]

yes it's really hard with kids all off school and pre-school. My bunch are just so demanding all day every day and as much as I love them to death, it really wears you down after time. I'm always so exhausted and my medical problems really have not helped at all.

If you want support, somewhere to let off steam or just a chat come back to this thread. I feel about 100 some days and it's almost impossible to get a break. My in-laws take the once every couple of months for the weekend but that's it.

Seriously consider getting some advice about that coil- you've had three like myself so the copper one might suit you. Don't suffer needlessly.

I used to get such heavy periods that I was taking prescribed medication in my teens/twenties. After kids they settled down more and on the coil my periods are manageable.

There is a thread on Msnet which I read and have blogged on entitled 'The Motherhood Delusion' where you can let out all your feelings about motherhood and how to cope. I know it sounds negative but I find that being able to express my feelings helps me cope with the demands of motherhood on an everyday basis. You're not alone- I know just how hard it is coping with a larger family, bloody tough indeed.

[expatinscotland]

'dr says the hormone is localised to the womb!'

that's bullshit.

the side effects you list are written in the leaflet accompanying the damn thing that they never give you.

get it swapped out or get sterilised and be a hard arse about it.

they like to fob you off once they get one of those fecking mirenas in you because they cost £120.

[Niecie]

I have just had my Mirena out after 5.5 yrs. During that time I put on 4.5 stone.

It took a while to twig that the Mirena might be at least partly responsible but it is very nice not having periods and I am lazy so it stayed in.

I decided I didn't want another one though. Both docs I saw were slightly surprised and asked why I was having a copper coil rather than the Mirena so I told them about my weight gain theory and neither of them disagreed with me and instead said something vague about hormones affecting people in different ways. I was expecting them to say that it wasn't to blame after all I had read on MN. I think their words, or lack of them, speak volumes imo.

I have also had PMT for the first time in my life. Could be my age but could be the Mirena.

It is eary days yet - 10 days to be exact - but I have lost 2lbs without changing a single part of my diet.

Don't know about the copper coil yet but we shall see.

Don't let anybody tell you the Mirena can't cause your symptoms.

[missylea]

Hi i am making an appointment with the dr on Monday and I am having it removed!!!!! I have made up my mind and will ask her to put me on the waiting list for sterisalisation I love babies but I divorced when my 2ds was 1 and now had another ds to seemingly another asshole so i am the one who is left to bring up these dcs by myself.

[higgle]

I know from mumsnet that a lot of people have problems with Mirena, but there are some of us who find it a really good contraceptive. I've had not side effects at all, just a bit of eratic bleeding in the first three months and then no periods at all. Now I'm virtually menopausal my GP is suggesting to replace it if I want HRT and supplement it with a very low dose estrogen, which is apparently a very safe way to deiver HRT - I will certainly be going along with that if I get any synptoms.

[sandcastles]

"dr says the hormone is localised to the womb!'

that's bullshit."

I echo expat! I had mine out after 3 months due to all & more of the symptoms you wrote about.

There are law suits in the US & here in Australia against the manufacturers (sp) because they do not make you aware of the contra indications! The side effects on the leaflet (when you get it) are nothing in comparison!

Look at Medications.com under mirena....you will be shocked!

[sandcastles]

Since I had it out (March) I have very bad menstrual cramping & for the first time ever I can pin point ovulation because of the pain I get!

Never before had O pain!

Thankfull tho, it seems to be decreasing each cycle!

[SOLOisMeredithGrey]

Your GP is an idiot for putting the Mirena in in the first place IMO. I think that if you have had PND at any time, you are advised to avoid it.
I had my Mirena taken out 4 weeks ago. I'm not a moody, angry, shouty and sweary mum any more and I've lost 16lbs with no effort after gaining 3 stones.

The Mirena was a bad decision for me and I'm very glad it's no longer a part of my life.

[SOLOisMeredithGrey]

Should've said, I had it put in in April 07 and bled constantly for 6 months, then spotted for months after that, then had at least one 7 day bleed a month.
Had loads of other negative symptoms too and possibly the only good side effects were thicker hair and fast growing nails.
Twilko, that is a very good way of putting it; having a constant boiling rage inside. Yes! that's exactly how I felt! Grrrrr!! bear with a sore head!

[2rebecca]

I had 1 for 3 years and had infrequent minimal periods and no side effects.

[missylea]

oh god the more here the more i just want it out now!!!!! If i could take it out myself i would lol monday seems so far away now!!

[SomeGuy]

There are several different varieties of copper coil, there is one called gynefix which is designed to be smaller and not increase the amount/length of your period. See here www.contrel.be/GYNEFIX%20SPECIALISTS/gynefix.htm DW had it before, but most gynaecologists are not trained to fit them (see here though: community.livejournal.com/iud_divas/1226947.html) and now she has a more standard variety, and she seems to spend about two weeks in every four menstruating now.....

Didn't consider anything hormonal because normal contraceptive pill caused sex drive problems.

I would ask about the specific options that they have for replacement and research which one will suit best.

[commeuneimage]

I personally think the mirena is brilliant. It took a few months for mine to settle down, with ongoing bleeding and some cramps. I also got pains in my legs which I think were related. Now, though, it is brilliant not to bleed (I was having terrible heavy periods every couple of weeks before)and not to think about contraception. I haven't been affected by depression or loss of libido and I'm slimmer than I've been all my adult life.

I do think that lots of women react badly to the hormones in the Mirena, though, so it's luck of the draw. Give it a while to settle and if you still feel unwell, try something else.

[missylea]

Hi someguy is that not bad that your dw spends 2 weeks out of 4 menstruating??? I just want to feel normal again not the shouty, screaming full of rage mum that i have been that has to go to bed most of the time! I have booked a holiday with myself and my 2 older ds as wanted to spend quality time with them as they get the blunt of my rage most times but dont want to be like this on holiday with them. Hopefully if i get it removed tomorrow things should start and go back to normal (wishful thinking on my part i know!)
I think my only option is sterilisation now as cant deal or have anything hormonal in my body but seems so final but have 3ds and i have 3 bad c/s with pnd after every one so cant really see me putting myself through this torture again for my own sanity and my dcs. I have started a thread on sterilisation if any mns knows any information about it please let me know! Thanks again for all your replies it has been a comfort to me that im not going crazy and that there are factors contributing to my bahaviour.