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Original poster

If you’ve had any experience on the Mirena coil what is your opinion on it?

95 replies

Thewholeshackshimmy · 12/09/2021 10:35

Tomorrow, I am booked in for my 3rd hysteroscopy in 5 years to remove reoccurring uterine polyps.
Annoyingly (and because at 48 I am probably perimenopausal), they keep growing back.
They have said they will put a Mirena in at the same time as the hysteroscopy but I am still in two minds because of the hit and miss personal accounts of it online (some seem horrific).
However, I can no longer continue suffering from such heavy periods as I am now very, very anaemic and that in itself is far from fun.
I am quite concerned with the pressure the NHS is currently under that if it does not agree with me I will have trouble getting it removed.
I also already suffer from aura migraines (hormonally triggered), digestive issues and anxiety/depression and have read it can exacerbate all of these issues?

OP posts:
LeSquigh · 12/09/2021 11:14

Unfortunately the only way to know is to test it because it affects everyone so differently. It is great for some people but hell for others including me. The hormones in it affected me badly even though they say this isn’t possible. It is and they won’t believe you and getting them to take it out was almost impossible until I threatened to rip it out.

Bontanics · 12/09/2021 11:15

I hate the fitting and I usually faint when they're doing the procedure but once it's in its fine. No periods, very light cramping around the time of what would be a period. I will always have it.

Chilver · 12/09/2021 11:19

Changed my life - for the better. Inserted under GA whilst having endometriosis op and removed by doctor 5 years later with no pain. Had it again inserted by doc and was fine. Light spotting for a few months then no periods. No more passing out from heavy irregular periods, no more massive mood swings and thinking about it, no migraines then either. No longer have it - but no longer have uterus so not needed!

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Mabelface · 12/09/2021 11:38

I'm on my 5th and final one. Not had a period for 22 years and my endo has been kept at bay beautifully. Mine are changed under a general as I go into shock.

Youcancallmeval · 12/09/2021 11:47

Mirena=Marmite. Some people love it, others hate it. I'm firmly in the hate camp, but I had a long history of gynae issues and nothing ever suited me. Friends who have been fairly textbook gynaecologically have had no problems at all and loved it.

Stri · 12/09/2021 11:56

@LeSquigh

Unfortunately the only way to know is to test it because it affects everyone so differently. It is great for some people but hell for others including me. The hormones in it affected me badly even though they say this isn’t possible. It is and they won’t believe you and getting them to take it out was almost impossible until I threatened to rip it out.
Yes! I was told that it wouldn’t affect me in the same way as the Pill etc, because of how the hormones work. I developed weird stabby boob pains, and neck acne which I’ve never had before. And I’m still having umpredictable periods and despite it being fitted over a year ago
Original poster
Thewholeshackshimmy · 12/09/2021 12:19

It really does seem that it’s very much a marmite thing.
I worry about so many potential side effects as I have awful health anxiety but I appreciate I will never know unless I have it myself. I just wish there was an alternative with fewer side effects but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I also worry about weight gain as I have issues with fear of weight gain. How does it cause weight gain? Due to water retention or does it increase your appetite?
Ideally I would have an ablation but I don’t react well to GA and was scheduled for an ablation 4 years ago. The gynaecologist had agreed to do it under a local and on the day I was ready to go into theatre when the anaesthetist refused to do it under a local, I was gutted. In saying that the ablation wouldn’t stop the polyps growing back as they are probably caused by a hormone imbalance.
I am stuck between a rock and hard place, I really don’t want the mirena but can not have these heavy periods as my ferritin levels are now at a level of 4 and I am permanently knackered and miserable.
Urgh, I have 24 hours to make the decision!

OP posts:
Original poster
Thewholeshackshimmy · 12/09/2021 12:22

I can’t imagine having issues with it and having to put up with it for months etc. My friend bleed every day for a year until they agreed to remove it, they kept telling her to stick with it. That will drive me insane. I am super sensitive to meds etc and know that if it doesn’t suit me I will want it out asap, I dont want to be encouraged to keep it in and see how things goes. My mental health is already bad.

OP posts:
SirChenjins · 12/09/2021 12:25

Can’t you have it done under sedation? I’ve just had a hysteroscopy snd having read the horror stories I wasn’t willing to take the chance of ‘it might be fine, but then again it might be horrendous’. I also had very personal reasons for not wanting to be awake for a very intimate procedure.

The consultant I saw was brilliant and offered me every choice - GA, sedation, local, no pain relief. Maybe worth looking at sedation as an alternative?

Harlequin1088 · 12/09/2021 12:32

Mine caused an ectopic pregnancy and the loss of a Fallopian tube....

alphabetspagetti · 12/09/2021 12:37

I regret having had mine.
Bled every day for the first six months & then bled monthly after that with the first couple of days being quite heavy.
The cramps I used to get went but instead I got really irrational in the week or so leading up to my period, was much more emotional all of the time and my mood was generally lower.
I stuck it out for two years and then had it removed. Since then, my mood has been stable and generally more positive and my periods are lighter. I still get stomach cramps but have gone back to managing those with pain relief.

Hen2018 · 12/09/2021 12:40

Fainted 3 times having it fitted. They kept having to stop to bring me round. Nothing else has ever made me faint like that.

Then had mild cramps and bleeding every single day for 9 months until I had it removed.

Lost 10lbs in water retention in the week after it was removed.

Hen2018 · 12/09/2021 12:41

Oh, and they had to throw one away as they bent in whilst trying to force it in!!

KateTheEighth · 12/09/2021 12:45

Hated it

Bled a lot for weeks

Got pregnant on it, only realised when I miscarried

Daisydolly1986 · 12/09/2021 12:50

I've had mine for 4 months. My periods have stopped, but I have developed severe anxiety and common migraines which were not a thing before having it.

I'm going to persevere. We'd like one more child so I'll persevere with this and then opt for sterilisation.

Just go for it, side effects vary massively person to person.

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 12/09/2021 12:50

I've had 3, loved them and will get another when I've given birth, had my last removed when TTC, my fertility returned surprisingly fast for a fat old person imo!

oneglassandpuzzled · 12/09/2021 12:53

I had one inserted because of repeated polyps and it's been great.

Purplecatshopaholic · 12/09/2021 12:55

I had one for heavy periods. Sadly in my case it was useless. Had an ablation in the end (under GA) - totally fabulous and changed my life, not had a period since

MrsStrongman · 12/09/2021 13:00

I've had mine since April, was absolutely fine being put in (no worse than a smear, although the speculum was in for much longer so that was unpleasant). I've had occasional light spotting, my last 'cycle' was 67 days long.
It's perfect for me!

Topseyt · 12/09/2021 13:01

Mine was in for just over a year and was hell. It was put in to treat heavy bleeding, but it made things much worse. I bled heavily and almost constantly for 13 months before I put my foot down and absolutely insisted it was removed. I gained weight too, which is something I could ill afford to do as I was already overweight due to medical issues. A scan showed that the fibroids it was supposed to shrink had actually grown instead!

I guess you won't know unless you try it, but it didn't work for me. I wished I had stuck to my guns and never agreed to try it (I had initially been very reluctant and had resisted it for a long time). I will not be allowing them near me with another one but the NHS does push the mirena relentlessly.

I am currently nearing the end of a six month course of Zoladex injections to try and tip my very stubborn ovaries into menopause (I am 55, and it just wasn't happening). So far that seems to be working and I have had no bleeding for about 3 months now. If it returns once the course is over though I will be pushing hard for a hysterectomy and will definitely decline another sodding mirena.

Luckingfovely · 12/09/2021 13:02

I'm really surprised more people aren't talking about the effect on mental health. It had a dramatic negative effect on me - long term anxiety sufferer - to the point where I was close to being suicidal. It took months to get it taken out which nearly broke me.

I now have a regular copper coil and no side effects at all.

It does vary dramatically from person to person though, and I have many friends who think it is the best thing ever.

Overall, if you have any existing mental health struggles, I would approach with with extreme caution.

superram · 12/09/2021 13:05

It made my hair fall out, put on weight, terrible painful acne. Only light spotting though. I kept it in for the 5 years but now on the pill and much happier.

Manyoaks · 12/09/2021 13:14

I have had 2. One when I was obviously peri-menopausal but had no idea. I absolutely hated it, went to the docs and begged them to remove it. I blamed the Mirena for all peri symptoms as docs just kept trying to give me anti depressants.. Second one recently as part of HRT treatment alongside patches and apart from it painful for a few days, I now never give it a second thought. I was very dubious trying it again but wouldn't change it now

Twinkie01 · 12/09/2021 13:19

Made me into an angry asexual nightmare!

Wombat96 · 12/09/2021 13:22

Bloody marvellous for me. On my 3rd, fitting was fine. Little bit of cramping when it's been changed but no bleeding at all after an initial period when the first one was fitted.

I wish I'd got one much sooner, might have had a proper career.

I have adhd & has terrible pmt. That was fixed, much calmer overall.

Now going to be part of hrt. Was told it's different for everyone & even experienced doctors can't predict who it would suit. I was dubious as I'd not ever got on with any pills but really life changing for me