To be scared of getting mirena coil?

I haven't had a period for 20 years. I'm peri now so they may be stopping but I wouldn't know....

I had a local anaesthetic for mine and it was ok. I was scared about it beforehand, but then it was fine thanks to the anaesthetic.

The doctor offered it and he said it was a wise choice, as it can hurt a lot otherwise.

I'd suggest requesting that (rather than try without anaesthetic). I took valium beforehand, which made it easier.

I have the coil and I love it but I can't feel the string anymore and that does worry me 😅

Let me put it this way.

None of my female dr friends is using this as a preferred method of contraception
and i would never put one in my body.

I've had mine for 3 years. It was inserted under general anaesthetic because I was having other things checked. It has been great for me. Periods which were extremely heavy and long have stopped and it has definitely helped with perimenopause. You'll never know though whether it suits you unless you get it inserted. You'll just have to weigh up the pros and cons

I felt like you about the Mirena/IUD. Was never going to get one.

Then started having random periods and flooding (peri menopause), went to GP after I bled through to my clothing in work. GP advised Mirena, and I decided to try it as I was getting so paranoid about leaving the house.

I know some people have a difficult time having it inserted, and I'm not going to say it was pain free, but the GP who did it has done loads, knew what she was doing and it was ok and over quickly. Then I went home, took it easy - hot pad, painkillers, had quite uncomfortable cramping for two days, but not enough to stop me going to work or anything.

Flooding stopped straight away. Periods were still a bit random, but next to nothing of them, and by the time I had a new Mirena fitted this year, they were just a day or two of spotting. Changing to a new one was straightforward and less painful than the first one.

The only weird thing is period pain, when I get it, is more on the left now, but that's probably to do with the fact I had my right ovary removed.

I’ve had two plus a failed insertion - first one was horrendous from insertion, I was kept in hospital for the night - and was removed eventually as was always very painful. Second failed insertion was equally awful.

Said for several years I’d never have another, no way; but then my gynaecologist advised it due to PCOS stopping my periods, for womb protection. Said it was either that or northisterone every 3 months.

Absolutely terrified of the insertion - however it wasn’t half as bad as I imagined. I was given local anaesthetic gel and an injection into my cervix which helped a lot. I was also given diazepam, and took cocodamol, so was a bit dopey. All I remember was a quick sharp pain - lasted seconds - then another, sharper, pain, and it was over. Remember lovely doctor saying to wiggle my toes which took my mind off what she was doing.

Mild period type cramping for a few days and some spotting for a few weeks but now I honestly forget it’s there half the time. Have to remind myself to check the strings!. It’s amazing. Suspect the first one was never in correctly, I think it was half out the entire time I had it, and that’s why it was so bloody painful.

Has everyone here had their periods stop on the mirena? I had it in for a year and I still had a very regular 28 day cycle on it. It lightened the periods somewhat but they'd last 10 days instead of 5. So I was bleeding basically half the month (and I mean bleeding needing pads etc not just spotting).

The insertion and removal were uncomfortable and painful but nothing I couldn't handle. I'd say it's at least worth a try.

Look at the Sexwise website for more information on different methods of contraception.
As PP have said, women who have problems will certainly (and understandably) talk about it more than women who don't.
The only way is to try it and see: if it doesn't suit you, removal is a lot easier than insertion.
There is a smaller hormonal coil called a Jaydess, it lasts for 3years, that may be something to consider, though I don't know if it stops heavy bleeding in the same way as the 5yr coils.
It's your body, your choice.
The injection can stop bleeding (but it's not guaranteed) and there is a self -administered version so you don't have to go to your GP/pharmacist/GUM clinic every 12 weeks.
You need to be over 55kg and no history of osteoporosis as the Depo can thin bones though this goes back to normal once you stop the injection.

I'm on my second, amazing. No more heavy periods or pain. A bit of discomfort when inserted and removed

I have one to stop flooding and it’s worked like a charm. No periods from day 1, and now given my age it is also used for HRT. It’s been a positive for me. I agree with PP it is when things “go wrong” you are more likely to hear women talking about them.

I had one and the insertion was really painful, so much so that I actually screamed when it went in. Like a pp, I felt my body go into shock. I didn’t get on with it at all, my periods stopped which was great but I experienced dragging pain and cramping from mine throughout the year and a half that I had it. Saying that lots of people do get on with it, I don’t think you’ll know whether it’s for you until you try it

Success story from me too. On my third now and it's changed my life.

Insertion isn't "fun" but it's fine

It changed my life. I wish I had it sooner. Years of operations , heavy bleeding and pain due to endometriosis. Within 6 months (the first one does take time to settle, but it’s worth few bumps to be 8 years on and now on my second.

Yes it hurts for me removing and inserting - but once every five years to live a normal life I’ll take it.

I’ve had it for ten years and have found it brilliant. I find it more painful when it’s been taken out than put in but it’s totally worth it. My anaemia used to be so bad that I was having weekly iron injections, my periods were painful and my hormones were all over the place. I now have three or four days of light bleeding every few months and my moods are much better.

I'm on my second one and love it. No period, no pains, no worries about pregnancy. It's fab.

I started it at 36 - never had a single period since, not even spotting - am now 61 and post menopause - didn't have a single issue

For me it was extremely painful on insertion it felt like my body went into shock. However it wasn't for long and the benefits are more than worth it.
I will be asking for sedation next time

People have significantly varying responses to coil insertion.
I've heard of it being very painful for individuals and would never dismiss this experience as 'low pain tolerance' or similar unkind responses. It is painful or complicated for some people.
That said, it's probably more likely to hear of the negative experiences.

My personal experience having the copper non-hormonal coil fitted twice (once prior to childbirth and once after) was zero discomfort. It took seconds and the pain was a brief tiny pinch. Removal also fine.

I had mine fitted at the beginning of the year as my periods were so heavy and debilitating. I won’t lie it was quite traumatic having it put in.

I felt really hormonal for a month and regretted having it done. Over the months my periods got lighter and lighter and now they are non existent and don’t need to worry about them at all.

I've been on Mirena for 20 years and it's changed my life. I had horrendously heavy periods when I was younger and awful PMDD. Mirena literally took these away overnight. I was someone for whom the contraceptive pill was a disaster: reduced me to a depressed, hormonal mess and I've had no problems with Mirena. I have no idea when I have periods any more and the PMDD has disappeared. I can't recommend it highly enough.

There will be some people who experience hormonal changes and a very very few people for which the coil may shift but the risks are tiny here.

I understand your apprehension but I really think the risks are negligible. Try it.

As the first poster said you only hear the horror stories on MN. For every fail there are probably hundreds of successes. If is was truly a problem it would have been withdrawn years ago. I had one for 15 years and save a fortune on sanitary products.
After years of endometriosis it was a game changer and I was able to live my life pain free and without dreading every month.
I had chronic severe anaemia throughout my 20s and 30s that no amount of iron supplements would address. The Mirena coil gave me my life back.
I don’t go around shouting it from the rooftops or create threads on MN because they would fall flat so maybe that’s why you only see negativity in MM because once you’re set free you no longer focus on period problems.

I had it for years, until menopause when I switched to HRT. Never any issues at all. Changed my life. And my sister’s. It’s amazing. Try it.

I had 2. It didn't agree with me but had it worked well it would have been brilliant. I had someone very good put it in and really wasn't that painful (sexual health clinic, she put in 3 of them a day!), it stopped my periods, removal was painless and easy. It gave me some bad side effects but pretty much all hormonal contraception gives me them so it wasn't specific to the coil.

I've had the Mirena for nearly 20 years. I've had absolutely no problems at all and love having no periods. I have minimal discomfort having it in and out (tiny bit crampy feeling). But I'm not someone who really feels much when I have smear either.