Why do GPs make coil removals so difficult?!

[LouCress]

Hi, I'll start by saying that I am not sure if I am doing this right as I am completely new to mumsnet having only created my account today, I'll give this a shot though and hope for the best, here it goes...

So me and my husband have 2 children a 6 year old son and a 4 year old daughter back in 2016 when they were only 3 and 1 I decided to have the mirena coil fitted (in July) as I'm not the best at remembering to take the pill and we wanted a solid contraception.
The first few years were great, no extreme side effects and no periods at all (bonus!), However I have since had a heap full of problems (all started last year), ovarian cysts that burst, constant pregnancy symptoms, constant cramping, bleeding and feeling generally unwell (nausea, dizzy, etc) just to name a few.
Due to all these new and continuous problems I started to think that I'd be much better off without it but last year I still wanted to have a strong contraception however fast forward to now and my and my husband are actually quite open to start trying for our third and final child (with our son and daughter being at school and turning 7 and 5 this year), it feels like the right time.
So now to the proper point..
Last week I rang my GP surgery and asked to book an appointment to have my coil removed, they couldn't fit me in last week so booked me in for today. I went to the GP surgery this morning at 9.20 for my appointment and wow didn't I leave disappointed, disheartened and slightly angry..
I sat down with the doctor and she asked me a series of questions..
Firstly, why do you want the coil removed? I explained the problems I'd had with it and was going to explain how we are now open to trying for another baby however I was cut off too fast...
Have you been sexually active within the last week? Well yes I had, which displeased her straight away as they recommend to not be sexually active for 7 days before removal.
Have I thought about what contraception I will use now? No I haven't, me and my husband are open to having another child... again she was displeased.. "Well we won't be removing the coil today, I think you should take the pill for a week, then come back in 2 weeks time (27th) to have your coil removed so we know you are protected" .... sorry what!? I was made to feel so awkward, had a pill prescription completely pushed onto me, made to feel like I was wrong for being open to getting pregnant and not having contraception!? Honestly couldn't believe it.. I just felt so completely rubbish I didn't even have it in me to stand up for myself and what I wanted for my body! I just find it shocking how you can be made to feel that way.. at the end of the day it's your choice, your life and it shouldn't matter to them why you want it removed / whether you want to stay of contraception.
I'm sorry if I've blabbed on far too much / not made that much sense.
I needed the rant, I just feel annoyed by it still, the other hard thing is mentally preparing yourself for it to then have to re-prepare all over again in a couple weeks!

What I'd like to ask has anyone else had a similar issue with getting the coil removed?

Thanks in advance to anyone who reads/responds!

Megan2018, and we deserve control! I would of never got the coil if I was made to believe I could not have it removed as and when I wanted!

I've also heard of this before. And I've had a few docs push the coil quite heavily. 'It's really cut out gynae referrals for hysterectomies ', fine but I don't have any gynae issues.

I'm suspicious about it.

TBF mine's a copper coil so no agenda from drs.

My Mirena was removed during my most recent smear. The practice nurse commented that I had one, I said that removal was overdue and she offered see to it there and then - OUCH!
When you do get an appointment for removal you might want to take some paracetamol beforehand.

I was discussing contraception with my GP recently and I told him that there is no point in pushing the coil on me (as many of the nurses in that practice had before), as I would not be having it.

He asked me why I am so against it, so I told him that I have heard how GP's/nurses can be very difficult about taking it out, even if you have bad side effects as a result of it. He didn't even try to tell me that that's not the case! The only thing he responded with was to ask me whether I wanted the implant, pill or injection instead!

I'm sorry to hear your experience. I hope you get some good, pro-active answers next week.

Personally I'd make the appointment for April just in case you get the run around for ages. Then cancel it when you've managed it

This is a reason why I’d never use a contraception that was dependent on medical professionals.

I want control over my own fertility

I have had similar problems with both the implant and Mirena coil.
Had bad reaction to implant as it made me really depressed, Doctor was refusing to remove it so I told her I would go home and cut it out my self. She did it there and then. She then said I should get the coil and tried to make an appointment for it, I refused. A year latest and after few appointments for other things I finally said fine I’ll get the coil. I was routinely asked at every appointment to get it because the could see on my record I was not on contraception.
Within weeks of having the coil my hair was falling out in handfuls and I had the same depression that had with he implant. Went to get it removed and was told no, again I said I’d remove it myself. They did it there and then. And again made me have another form of contraception (the pill).
Do they make commission? Seriously, whole thing was crazy.

I think the coil is some kind of forced semi- sterilisation agenda (And I have a mirena). It’s very very easy to get one inserted and very very hard to get it removed. Round here it means phoning up at 8am on a Thursday for a small handful of appointments given out for a whole city. Nigh on impossible to get one!

Wow, this thread is disturbing.

I have a copper coil specifically because hormonal contraception gave me unpleasant side effects for decades and I finally got fed up with it.

I’d be horrified at some random GP announcing I wasn’t allowed to have an implant or coil removed from my own body - what kind of infantilising bullshit is that?

Thank you everyone that has recently responded!
It's actually so shocking to see how many people have actually had so much difficulty having implants and mirenas removed! This shouldn't be the case at all! None of us should have this problem, we should be allowed them out of OUR bodies as soon as we want, honestly disgusts me, I'm angry for myself, for yesterday and I'm angry for everyone who's had similar, should not be the way at all. Thank you all again for the responses, posting up this much needed rant has really been insightful! I can't stress enough how i will NEVER have a coil again after this experience!
And to the person who suggested still booking the apt in April, great shout, I shall get that sorted asap... as who knowscould definitely end up messed about by the GPs yet again!!!

I had this with the implant, outright refused to remove it and I had to beg like a child. I won't take any birth control now.

Oh, I meant to say, the reason they don't want to take the implant/coil out is that they're costly compared to the pill and injection. They want to keep them in for the full 3-5 years as they cost the practice money to use.

I keep being told I should be on contraception I tell them I'm keeping my legs crossed that works well enough for me

Another one who was getting the coil strongly recommended at my last appointment.

I was watching an older (maybe 2018) "Behind GPS doors" the other night. Guy comes in wanting the snip "we have two children, don't want anymore and my wife isn't doing well on the pill"

Doctor told him that they could no longer refer him without trying several other contraception options first so his wife would have to have the injection and a coil first. Only if they didn't suit her would they refer him... FFS!!!

It's horrific ! Shouldn't be made to beg like a child to have something taken out of your own body! With the 3-5 year ratio , I should qualify considering it's been in for 4 years but no still don't want to budge the thing for me!
No one should tell you that you should be on contraception, if you don't want it that's your choice! It's ridiculous we should have things pushed onto us / try to be dictated too!
Oh wooow, even refusing a man to have the snip unless his wifes had a coil🤦🏻‍♀️ honestly they psuh the coil FAR too much!

God, it hasn’t changed. I got an implant 15 years ago, the first years were great but I suddenly got really bad cramps so looked into getting it removed.

The family planning clinic who fitted it wouldn’t touch it as the only person certified to remove it was in maternity leave and no appointments were available for nearly a year. By that time I was off sick each month with really bad cramps.

So I paid for getting it removed privately. No questions asked, no pressure, just a small procedure.

I will never get a contraceptive devise fitted again.

Reluctantbrit, as they say.. some things never change!
Sorry you had a bad experience! So glad ypu managed to get it removed hassle free in the end, shouldn't of took you having to go private to get it done though!
Do not blame you at all

MONEY!

Put simply, gp surgeries operate as separate self employed businesses who sub contract their services to the nhs.

They negotiate costs with nhs “corporate” on certain services, LARC is one such area.

They are paid to “encourage” LARC but if the woman with the device in her body requests it be removed before its time is up they don’t receive that “bonus”

Plus it’s a cost to them to train, maintain professional “certification” in and to actually physically do the removals. A cost they cannot reclaim from nhs “corporate”

So it’s really not in their interests to help you.

It’s been discussed MANY times on mn. Some women have had some success with stating that they are withdrawing CONSENT to a medical device being in their bodies.

Medical consent & bodily autonomy are real hot potatoes! They will NOT want a formal complaint made under circumstances where those are not being upheld!

I suspect the reason the sexual health clinic has no appointments available is precisely because the gps in their catchment area are blocking women on this. So the sexual health clinic is being overwhelmed instead, plus many have had their funding cut.

“Also, they are a long-term contraception method cost wise you don’t want to be taking them out and putting the in too often.”

Cost should NOT take priority over women’s health, bodily autonomy or medical consent!

“Ffs are they on commission for these things?”

“Do they make commission?”

Pretty much!

It’s a silent large scale scandal imo.

I have endo and have been REPEATEDLY given the hard sell on the coil and implant EVEN THOUGH there’s precious little decent research that indicates they’re even suitable for endo sufferers.

Quite a few friends/family have used LARC and more than 2/3 have had trouble getting them removed even when it’s been to ttc! As if it’s up to gps when women decide to do this!

It’s so condescending and infantilising and frankly sexist!

Good luck op I hope you get it removed soon.

Thank you @Graphista for your post. I went through a horrible time, glad to know I want going mad.

@Graphista, Very insightful!
It's horrific that GPs think it's their call to make!
Thank you so much! Fingers crossed.

I posted on another thread that I had issues with the the copper coil - in my case, it wouldn't stay in place and started coming out after a vigourous pilates class. Of course, I had to have it properly removed ASAP as plastic was literally sticking out of me. I tried a second one, that lasted eight months then started moving downwards as well so had to be removed ASAP.

That was it for me, my doctor admitted that my body just doesn't get on with coils so there was no point trying again. DH got a vasectomy as neither of us wanted more children (totally his choice, I didn't push him into it.)

So, different situation but another example of the fact that coils don't suit everyone and no one should be made to have them if they're having problems!

I had similar. Had the mirena fitted at the GP surgery, when I wanted it removed 5 years later they say they don't do coils anymore and I had to make an appointment at the sexual health clinic. These appointments were like hens teeth and the receptionist on the phone said I had to have two appointments, one to see whether I was 'allowed' to have it removed and then one for the removal itself! She was told in no uncertain terms what I thought of that! Policy apparently. Luckily the nurse at the first appointment was perfectly sensible and removed it no bother.
I need to go to the GP soon for my horrible heavy periods and I'm putting it off because I know I'm going to have to argue my case not to have another coil.

@AmICrazyorWhat2 @al88, thank you both for sharing and for responding to my post!
The more I read peoples experiences the more and more awful the coil sounds, If I'd looked into more before getting mine I would of never done it.
Having an apt to see if you're "allowed" it removed is absolutely ridiculous!! That's basically what my apt was the other day however I had no pre warning to this and was so shocked by the whole thing, it should of been taken out there and then like I'd asked.. what makes them think they have the right to tell us when we can have it out! Boils me.