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

[Thewholeshackshimmy]

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?

It was the best thing for me.

Bloody sore getting it in and out (even with painkillers before hand) but the pain is fleeting.

I can’t comment on moods as I’m a grump anyway (my name is not for nowt).

I found the fitting very painful and almost passed out. After a few weeks of cramps it felt fine. Fast forward 18 months and I ended up in hospital with an ectopic pregnancy and the coil was floating about in the my pelvis, it had passed through the wall of my uterus.

No issues for me, on my second now. I paid to have my first removed privately so I could TTC.

First one had a small amount of spotting for a few months, only noticed when wiping. Periods were very light and lasted just a couple of days. Removal was straight forward, hardly felt a thing.

Second was more painful to insert, no idea why. But no side effects whatsoever, no spotting at all after the first day and I’ve had no hint of a period. Not sure if that’s because when I had it fitted my periods had not returned post baby?

On my second. First was many, many years so for birth control purposes, between my second and third children

Last one was for perimenopause symptoms put in at the same time as an ablation. At the time had very heavy periods, far too close together and for weeks at a time plus anxiety/depression, insomnia

Kept other symptoms at bay for a number of years. Still have it, no problems

I then talked about birth control options other my eldest DD and she went for mirena option too

You will get so many different opinions !

It depends I think as to why your having fitted - helps with balancing out some of the symptoms you may have with it.
I have endometritis 20 years of heavy random periods and pain. With my operations treating it. 6 years ago I had a coil fitted.

Life changing! It took a few months to settle yes I had light irregular bleeding for about 6 months - better than the heavy flooding bleeding monthly. Pain associated with endometriosis gone. Yes I put on weight.

I’m now over due for a new one (bloody covid) I’ve lost the weight I put on but I’m now back in endo pain begging the nurse to chase my referral (6 months now coil needed replacing Sept 2020) i will take every crappy thing that comes with the coil to not be in the pain I’m in caused by endometriosis

I've heard quite a few stories from friends who did not do well with it. I've had mine in for 4 years and it's the best contraception I've ever used. I bled on and off for 3 months when it first went in and then no period since, odd small spotting every 3 months or so but not enough to use a pad or anything. I get migraines and it hasn't affected them at all, I just live mine and will get a new one in a years time and keep going until menopause

@SirChenjins

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?

Weirdly, I am not actually worried about the procedure as it’s my third hysteroscopy. I don’t like how I feel with GA and sedation and would rather go without. I’m strange I know lol but I’ve had gastroscope, a colonoscopy and 2 vaginal births without anything purely because of my fear of sedation and GA’s. What concerns me is the potential side effects from the mirena once it’s there sitting in my uterus.

Hated mine. I bleed constantly for 12 months. They kept saying it was settling in. Got chin hairs, anxiety and it hurt during sex. Couldn’t take it no longer. Cause of covid ended up on the pill and coil which helped. Got it removed in January and on the pill. No chin hairs, anxiety and sex is better.

I have friends who love it. Wasn’t the promise land for me.

Oh god, it’s going to be such a tough decision to make. I really, really can not afford for it to make my mental health worse than it already is. And I really don’t relish the idea of acne or weight gain.
The gynaecologist is supposed to be calling me in the morning, I just hope there may be some alternative which may be an option for me.
So frustrating that due to Covid I could not have another consultation before this procedure, the original and only consultation was with a completely different gynaecologist and that was a rushed 10 min phone call over a year ago. I’ve never even met the gynae who is doing the procedure. The next available consultation , according to the secretary is March 22!

Hope it all goes ok for you @Thewholeshackshimmy

I refused & went straight to hysterectomy, one night in hospital & no further problems.

SirChenjins thank you
Nat6999 I would love a hysteroscopy, my uterus has not been my friend for years and I’d be happy to say goodbye but I am a carer for my mum who has dementia, sadly I just can’t take 6 weeks off.

I was absolutely crapping it having one. I had horrific periods and very ill from anemia. Had fibroids and endo removed; surgeon wanted to insert one during surgery to prevent uterus walls from collapsing. I was dreading it due to the accounts I read. It was only meant to be for 5 weeks but I kept since surgery in April. It’s been amazing for me so far - bleeding has stopped (of course, most of this may be due to surgery), no spots, no painful boobs or hormonal headaches. I think my mood swings are less severe than pre-mirena.
I am currently suffering from awful night sweats, unable to sleep, anxiety but I am sure this is due to a decline is oestrogen and will see if I can be put on HRT.
Best of luck. My quality of life has changed totally since surgery and Mirena.

I haven’t had any weight gain or chin hair. So, I think there’s no predicting what side effects each woman will get. Saying that, I am able to work out more as I’m not flooding. Weight gain could be due to water retention.

6 months of off and on periods.
Then they just stopped... this was in 2013. I've had it changed since then obviously and still absolutely no bleeding / spotting whatsoever.
Can't recommend it highly enough.

One of the best things I ever did.

Love mine, also on my second. No issues, no periods. Bliss.

Thank you everyone.
I think I am going to have to at least try it as I will never know if it will help or not. Not looking forward to it but there you go.

@Luckingfovely it's funny you say that as I have struggled quite a lot mentally in the past but had no issues with the coil.
When I had the implant my mental health was awful but the coil has had no effect (that I've noticed) on it!

@Thewholeshackshimmy

If you are going ahead, may I suggest a couple of painkillers 2 hours beforehand (if current meds/health situation permits)?

It is a bit painful (might have been worse for me due to no live/full term births the nurse said) but painkillers did take the edge off.

I hope it works for you. It was an absolute blessing for me.

Horrific, mood changes, low libido, bloated, horrible pain.

Never, ever again, looking back I was clinically depressed until it was removed - which was excruciating

Thewholeshackshimmy if you have a keyhole hysterectomy you won't need 6 weeks off, I had mine on a Friday, was back driving by Monday & was doing the school run by the week after. Other than heavy lifting you can do what you want, I was discharged by my consultant a week after my op & only spent one night in hospital.

I'm on my third, brilliant for me - insertion not hugely pleasant, but over quickly. No effects on moods, weight gain, libido, no (or minimal) bleeding, no PMT.

I'm on my 5th! Perfect contraception for me - no periods, no problems. Don't have to think about it for 5 years at a time.

I've had my 3rd fitted today - so far so good, although it wasn't Mirena now but another brand that apparently does exactly the same but lasts for 6 years (rather than 5). Think it was called Levestra.