Apologies for the AIBU thread but I’m at the end of my tether with this pain, and hoping to find as many posters as I can who may be able to shed some light on my situation. I’m a regular poster but changed name for this.
i’ve used a mirena coil as the progesterone part of My HRT for the last 6 years since my periods stopped. I struggled hugely with progesterone pills and patches, they caused migraines and rage. I had dreadful menopause symptoms, off work for months. HRT saved me as did my original coil.
I have a many year history of intermittent back spasm and back pain, often lasting weeks. However these incidents have always followed the same pattern, major agonising spasm, followed by getting moving and slowly recovering over a number of weeks. In the past I have seen a spine consultant and had MRI scans twice, (nothing major to see, cause thought to be muscular) physio etc. I always have to be careful with my back.
A week after insertion of the 2nd coil, I developed the most intense pain on my spine about 5 inches up from my coccyx, and intermittently in the area around where your thumbs go when you put your hands on your hips. A few weeks in I had a scan to check the mirena placement. All good. I have been showing very slow improvement, going from virtually bed bound, to more mobile around my flat. My back was so close to spasm all the time I didn’t start physio, by zoom, which I am paying for, till 3 weeks ago. I am also seeing a pain psychologist for pain reprocessing therapy. However I am SO disabled by the pain and just lucky I wfh part time. I am hampered by not being able to use ibuprofen other than gel, or much opiod/codeine based medication due to another medical issue. I’m now mostly sticking with paracetamol and occasional low dose valium.
Chat GPT (better than my GP) and the physio and psychologist, all think it’s worth sticking with treatment. However I’m riddled with doubt as I have found a handful of posts online from women who suffered dreadful back pain, which went almost immediately when they made the connection to the mirena and had it taken out. I’m curious what this pain was like? Going into legs? Accompanied by abdominal pain or spotting etc? I have no other mirena type side effects now apart from very low mood, but having been stuck in my home for months I’m not sure the mirena is to blame for that!
I oscillate between thinking I’m making very slow progress and I should hang in there to, this is ridiculous, it’s the coil, what the hell am I doing. Obviously if my HRT wasn’t so dependent on it, it would have been out months ago. I haven’t tried every other form of progesterone, but based on previous experiences don’t fancy my chances if it’s systemic. My menopause symptoms were so severe i would likely be forced into early retirement without HRT. I can’t afford this. Although this could be preferable to barely leaving my house!
SO MY POLL IS
IABU, stick with it, keep going with treatment.
IANBU, get it out, it’s the obvious culprit.
I welcome your thoughts.