Mirena coil fitting - as bad as I remember?

[worriedaboutmirena]

I’ve agreed with my consultant to give it another go this week, and dreading it .

I had a coil fitted ten years ago, for period pain/heavy bleeding - it was put in under anaesthetic . Treatment for suspected endo.

It was extremely painful from the moment it went in, was given morphine in hospital and kept in overnight - never settled down, left with chronic pelvic pain until they eventually agreed to remove it 2 and a half years later.

It was then suggested I had a smaller coil, (really quite nasty) consultant at the time tried to get it in without anaesthetic but I couldn’t cope and left in floods of tears as she was so horrible - NHS since apologised . All I remember from that appointment was agonising pain to the point I was nauseous/lightheaded.

I’m now under a new consultant, have met her several times and she’s fab - she’s asked if we can try another mirena - but for endometrial protection as I’m not having any periods at all (have had blood tests to try and find out why).

She’s good at her job, has discussed with me how she’ll know if I’m coping/hand signals for her to stop if I go into freeze response and can’t speak, but I’m worried - I don’t want to end up in that level of pain again, I’m not sure if I’ll cope. She said she’ll give me a numbing injection first (though how they do that I don’t know) and make it a longer appointment but I’m a bit panicked. It’s the injection that’s panicking me more than anything else !

I don’t have any close family or friends nearby that I think I could ask to come with me or help me to get home after if needed, and just a bit scared - and thinking I should just cancel it altogether and put up with the lack of periods (although that option worries me too, as they’ve mentioned higher risk of cancer if left in the long run) .

Is it really as bad as I’m remembering? An anaesthetic isn’t an option if I want it this side of 2023 …

I’ve had a couple of coils now. First post pregnancy, and then replaced. Based on your post, we’ve had very different experiences. I did get some numbing cream first time round, but second time it was literally two minutes ‘one out, one in’ and off I went on my merry way.

I've had several with different experiences of having them fitted. It's got better and last couple very quick although still uncomfortable.
I take strong painkillers (codrydamol) an hour before, and they use a local anaesthetic gel. I think the combination is what makes it bearable.
Can you share your experience with the doctor and ask for strong painkillers to take beforehand?

I was surprised at how easy the fitting was.

Fitting was no bother for me but I found the removal was painful, but that lasted literally seconds.

First time fitted by a nurse and removal and new coil by gynae consultant.

Given your experiences I would not be agreeing to another coil. There are other options- essentially it seems she is suggesting using the coil as a form of progesterone? You could have the mini pill and utrogestan for example (I have these for similar reasons alongside oestrogel for HRT instead of the coil).

I think you need a second opinion at least. Also if you aren’t having periods one of the blood tests they should be doing is checking your prolactin levels (I had the same issue and was found to have a harmless prolactin producing pituitary tumour that has been successfully treated with medication- it’s so small it doesn’t show up on an MRI).

I am on my third, absolute agony each time, nearly fainted on one occasion. I can deal with pain pretty well usually, given birth twice without pain relief. But coil fitting is so painful for me, sadly. Good luck OP, it’s worth it once it’s done.

When I had mine, it was done at a clinic by someone who literally only did coil insertions, multiple per day. Local anaesthetic given, no pain at all.

Removal also zero pain! Just a weird tugging sensation for a few seconds.

Yeah doctor knows it might be difficult, she works as part of a specialist clinic for survivors which should be a help.

re the lack of bleeding, they’ve taken blood tests this week so just waiting on results - they were saying probably PCOS but not very sure. I think they said they’d wait until results but said safest option is coil, doctor said it eliminates the need to keep going back every 3 months for progestogen tablets.

I remember removal being pretty painless thankfully yes!

I think I have felt faint both times. But it's not the pain as such (brief and manageable last time) but I assume my cervix spasms? Makes me feel light headed anyway so had to sit with legs up and have a cup of sugary tea after.

Had one Mirena and never again week I have another because the insertion was so painful. Consultant tried to talk me obey another but I decided I couldn't go through with it. I'm not a wimp - gave birth at home without drugs but no way on earth will I have another mirena unless under general! I take the mini pill now to get my progesterone. I'd rather order six months of tablets than to through that trauma again! Good luck.

I had appointment to remove a polyp and was offered to put a Mirena coil to help with period irregularities. I ended up having a polyp removal under GA so putting a coil into me would be absolutely impossible. I was a bit surprised myself, I thought I could deal with pain pretty well as had gyne issues in my 20s -30s and went through a lot of difficult tests and procedures.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t do it - it’s not so easy.

I've had three copper coils
Last one was the least painful but went a bit faint after for the first time (I took some lucozade in my bag which was helpful!)

For me it's
Uterus measuring and the insertion that are the worst two bits and they don't last long enough for me to say fuck, so it's quick. I get cramping after so take the day off work, hot water bottle and I have a McDonald's on the way home!
No DC and I've only had anaesthetic gel

Poor you, that sounds awful.
I've had god knows how many put in (first was mid 90s!) and it's never been that bad - having someone whack a cocktail umbrella up you faster than you can scramble backwards on the trolley is never FUN and iirc there was a bit of cramping after...once I went green and had to lie down for a bit. But all in all, given it was just every 5-7 years, ok.

If you were my friend I'd say give it a go with this consultant... but call a halt if you need to. Hopefully the worry will be much worse than the experience THIS TIME. But if not, then you have warned them!

For years I avoided the coil and had trauma at the thought of it. No idea where that came from, everything I googled just fed my horror stories and made it worse so I never did it. Forward to last year and after endless combinations of HRT I bit the bullet and had no choice but to try the coil. I was in a hell of a state leading up to the appointment.
On the day, the dr (I went to a specialist clinic) was lovely and reassuring. I was offered numbing gel or injection, I opted for the gel knowing I could say stop at any time and get the injection (which I ended up not needing).
It wasn't the most pleasant experience but I definitely had made it worse in my head than it actually was. Uncomfortable more than painful to start with then a few seconds of cramp at the end. The whole process was over in 10 minutes.
Admittedly I took the day off work and went home to bed and I'm glad I did as the cramps came and went most of the day.
Looking back (I've had it a few months now), I'm glad I went. My mind and anxiety definitely took over leading up to it and that's hard to control, but you'll be fine xx

When I had my coil fitted it was a nightmare for other reasons. I was wearing heels and got my heel stuck in the escalator and fell into the waiting room minus my shoe. When I went into the consultation room I felt too shy to say no to the six students wanting to observe the procedure, all male!!. I cringed When the consultant was talking each step to the students ie we are parting the vulva to insert ahhhhh. And I bled heavily after and had to leave work to change my trousers. But it has been a blessing no periods.

well apparently all my blood test results were absolutely fine, so no reason I haven’t had a proper period for well over a year (not since at least September 2021, but not very sure) . Completely confused . Getting a phone call from GP tomorrow but now wondering if it’s even worth getting a mirena, if there’s nothing really wrong!