To ask if your GP tries to ‘persuade’ you to have the coil

Given the number of posts, on both this and other threads, that raise issues with side effects, I wonder how we can trust the reports that the mirena is so great.

Doctors fob women off when they complain and ask for coils to be removed, so can we trust them to actually submit reports on side effects?

I believe we can report side effects ourselves online, and maybe we should, to get a more accurate report on side effects.

I bet there's a discrepancy between the level of side effects reported by women, and the side effects reported by the company.

Yeah, I found the whole contraception talk odd. I'm 34. Married, financially stable. I'm in family mode thanks. I also cannot take any hormonal pills after serious ICP in pregnancy. I pointed out condoms work just fine thanks and if an accident happened we were totally set up to deal with it.

It felt like I was a naughty teenager being told off for under age sex...

Both my GP (more than one of them) tried to push me into having a coil, as did a gynae consultant. They all got told that I was adamant that 1. I didn't want more children and therefore something more permanent 2. That I've taken 3 'for the team' so my days of people rummaging around in my lady parts (smears aside) are over and 3. Like hell I've have something shoved into my uterus

No. Rinse and repeat.

Had copper coils for over 15 years, no problems. Last year when I was ‘due’ a new one, the family planning clinic (as our surgery no longer deals with coils) persuaded me to have a Mirina, several weeks ago I suffered a miscarriage. Seriously thinking of going back to the copper.

I've had the copper coil for 4 years now. I had it before I had my DS (10) and had to have it removed because the pain was excruciating. However, decided to have it put in again 4 years ago and I've had no pain and it's settled in really well! I'm shocking with hormone contraception. Absolute fat angry monster!

Every. Fucking. Time.
I went private with my pill in the end as I was pissed off with having it hard sold to me all the fucking time.
I'm not an idiot. I know my own body. I have been through many many pill brands and suffered many many side effects. I've been bloated, I've been swollen, I've had boobs grow three cup sizes, I've had acne, I've been a screaming mentalist, I've had brown patches all over my face. Every single symptom had been dismissed from being down to the pill by GPs.
It was the pill.
I'm not willing to have something I cannot control in my body. I can stop taking my pill straight away if I don't like it. If I tried a coil and didn't like it it, would be up to someone else to remove it at their convenience.

I don't have any periods on desogestrel. With Microgynon I was bleeding all the time and felt very depressed and bloated.

Mirena releases levonogestrel. Microgynon contains levonogestrel. I didn't get on with Microgynon, which is why I've always avoided the Mirena.

Desogestrel is fine though.

Yes!!!

To the point where my sister was suggesting that they are getting incentivisied to push it.

What happened me, the doctor wouldn't take it out! Kept saying 'give it a chance to settle down.
I said no wonder it's such a good contraceptive, I am bleeding non stop for 6 weeks and can't do anything!!

Anyway she was insisting so much I said to her 'why don't you want me to get it out, I hate it, either you take it out or I will' and she gave in and took it out.

It did not suit me at all. My stomach was swelled out and I felt awful and just wanted it out. My other friends all love it though.

Yes, GPs push the coil, have always wondered why.
I went to the GP a while back about heavy periods - why not have the coil they said!
No no and thrice no, can't bear the thought of them inserting that plus I've heard about the complications and horror stories about thrush and BV etc.
Also my husband is infertile due to cancer treatment so we don't need contraception anyway!

Yes, every time I go no matter what I go for

Women with IUDs report high levels of satisfaction with it so I'm not surprised that medical professionals recommend them.

There is an issue if GPs or nurses are refusing to listen to women who say they don't want them but that's a general patient care problem.

No, they've mentioned it when discussing options but they're happy with my choosing the implant.

I’m glad that it works for you, I’m on the mini-pill and that works well for me in controlling heavy, painful periods. I don’t need it for contraception so I’m not worried about its failure rate etc.

I don’t want something placed inside me that I can’t easily remove myself. I don’t want a coil or implant for that reason and it’s entirely my right to choose. I’ve had a discussion with my GP, and tbh she mentioned the coil, saw the look on my face and immediately said “nope, that looks like it’s not ok with you, let’s try the pill”. She put a clear note on my file and it’s never been mentioned again. Which is exactly how it should be.

I've been on the dreaded Mirena for 11 years now, so maybe it's all changed since I started, but my experience was it was never pushed at all. It was only a midwife who even suggested it, after I told her my dd was the result of a minipill fail. I'd never even heard of Mirena at that point, and it sounded like the best invention ever. And still does, to be honest. Much cheaper and safer than sterilisation, and incredibly effective. Why wouldn't everyone give it a go? If you've been on the pill with no issues, and most of us have, it's a much better option and they are right to encourage it.

Mine will move heaven and earth to get me off the pill and will not listen to my reasons why I want it and not the coil.

To be honest it really had damaged my trust in the doctors and nurses at that practice.

I had the Mirena fitted, I didn't have any problems with it, insertion was painful but that was ok, my problem came after it was removed so I could TTC. I had an ectopic pregnancy, lost one of my tubes. It could have been completely coincidental, but having had 2 successful pregnancies prior to it, it has left me wondering was it the Mirena? What I do know is that I'll never have anything like that in my uterus again.

Regardless of funding, pay for targets, NICE guidelines

If a woman wants her coil removed she should not have to move heaven and earth to do so

She should not be refused

I’m not disputing it’s being phased out.

The question was what’s behind the pushing. The answer is there is a financial incentive for hitting targets of prescriptions of LARCs. I’m totally aware of the pros of LARCs. I’m also aware they do not suit all women and from the responses on this thread the women who are being encouraged to take up the Mirena are not always being offered alternatives or sufficient explanation of the pros and cons of the choices available.

The lack of patient control about having an iud/implant/ius removed is a real concern. Some women react really badly to hormonal implants/Mirena and have both physical and mental health difficulties but they are at the mercy of the healthcare provider when it comes to having it removed regardless of how clearly they express their difficulties.

On a personal anecdote I’ve found family planning/sexual health service clinics staffed by very knowledgeable people who are incredibly helpful.

Catalogue... There are hundreds of targets set for doctors to meet. These are based on best practice and NICE guidelines etc. The reasons the targets are there, are to help doctors make evidence based decisions with their patients. Eg recommending a long acting method of contraception such as a coil (IUS or IUD).
Anyway that system of funding practices and hospitals is being gradually phased out.

They are more keen on the mirena as you get less systemic absorption of the hormones compared to the pill or implant. That is, less hormones enter the bloodstream. Some do enter, but much less. Therefore there should be less side effects.

Quote from the Telegraph article

If the NHS is to be believed, the hormonal IUS is one of the best options for women. Indeed, the rise in its use has come, in part, after their intervention.
There is a pay-for-performance program within the NHS that provides incentives to doctors who hit targets. Since 2009, one of these has been to increase prescriptions of long-term hormonal options, like the IUS.

It is not your GP. They are doing their job as there is a national drive and national recommendations that more women should be offered long acting contraceptive methods like the coil or implant. That is because they are the most reliable methods.

My uterus is an odd shape and a coil won't fit, I don't know how many times I've had to explain this to various medical professionals.

I'd actually like a coil as you don't need to remember it every day, which is why they push it, along with the implant or depo injections, no 'forgetting' and unplanned pregnancy.

I don’t understand why they are so keen on the Mirena but less on the implant?

I understand the benefits of the copper with no hormones but if Mirena and Implant both have the same hormone, surely it’s more risky having something in your uterus that could dislodge and harm you, than a rod in your arm?

The whole ‘the Mirena hormones only go in your uterus’ argument i here doesn’t really make sense to me, surely the hormones go into your bloodstream anyway?