Mirena coil - If you are quite crap with hormone treatments be it contraceptive, menopause, induction, fertility etc, have you tried mirena coil and how did you fare on it?

[Floods]

GP is suggesting the coil to me, but I’m really reluctant to have it as I don’t respond well to hormone treatments. Anyone similar tried the coil and how did it work out for you?

It didn't suit me at all. It made me extremely anxious and tearful, which is not like me at all usually. I had it removed fairly quickly, and was back to my old self within a week. The Merina suits some people but not others. It definitely doesn't suit everyone.
Please research the risks involved with having one, such as infection or uterine perforation medics rarely mention them before fitting and it is really something that patients should be made aware of.

I had a copper coil before which I loved
hated the pill both combined and mini
mirena has been ok so far, some spotting but seems to have settled now (had it in for part of endo treatment in May)

I have a tendency to hormonal migraines when on hormonal contraceptives, so after 3 months in which I had about 8 migraines, unfortunately I had to get it removed.

Nothing agrees with me but the Mirena was great for about 4.5 years, I then bled constantly and had cells growing in the wrong place due to it, they refused to take it out because it was 'in date' so I ended up removing it myself in the end. I'd probably consider it again if only for the fact that I didn't have a physical period bleed (still had symptoms like bloating amd backache) for 4 years.

I’m on my 3rd Mirena. I’ve not had a period in decades and now I’m post menopausal.

I didn’t have a single period after age 37 - nor any side effects- I’m now 63 horrid to put in initially !

I had migraines with the pill so used copper coils through my 20s and early 30s. After DC 2was getting unmanageable periods and had a merina. It transformed me and I went on to have 3 more taking me through menopause. No hint of reaction to hormones, no bleeding, hardly noticed a cycle at all.
They were all brutal to be fitted as I have a retroverted uterus but well worth the short term pain.

I had terrible side effects, much worse than I had with the pill. As PPs have said, some people don't get on with it.

About 3 weeks in I bled until I felt faint, constantly on the toilet as no pads would work. Eventually expelled it. I bleed badly afterwards at points and it smelt (infection I guess but no access to doctor due to covid). It took a few months but eventually ok again smell wise. Had to have an ultrasound and other scan to prove it had been expelled. 0/10 wouldn't recommend. At least I wasn't using my non existent coil for contraception. Apparently quite a high percentage don't stay in.

The mirena coil didn't suit me at all.

It was put in to deal with heavy, flooding periods and to try and shrink the fibroids that were causing them. It achieved neither of those aims. I bled pretty heavily for an entire year with it in, and the fibroids grew slightly.

I also felt very anxious and down, as if I had permanent PMT. I'd not had that when I had used hormonal contraception years previously, but obviously this was different somehow, or I had changed.

A lot of this magically subsided when I finally managed to get it removed. It had been in for 13 months and I really only put up with it for that long because it early 2020, the Covid lockdowns happened and getting an in-person appointment with any health care professionals became extremely difficult/impossible. Eventually though, I just had to absolutely insist.

That's my experience. It suits some people but not others. All you can do is give it a try. If it doesn't suit then get it removed, although doctors can be surprisingly resistant to doing that, so you can have to be insistent.

This is all really helpful, thank you. I’m scared that it won’t be removed if I need it to be. I’ve always had really heavy periods and flooding. My body now has an issue with absorbing iron properly (post covid) - I’ve been symptomatic for several years. I should be seeing some difference after traxemic acid or iron tablets (a year), but I’m not, even though ferritin has been pushed up a little bit. (about 3). Doctor told me I’d have to live with it until my periods stopped and see if that made a difference, and if I was fainting with iron loss would refer me. I get my periods might be contributing, but why haven’t I been symptomatic for low iron previously when the traxemic acid has reduced the amount of flow? I want to find out why iron rich diet and tablets aren’t working at all and what can be done. I don’t want an additional thing making me feel like shit and which I’m at the mercy of someone else choosing to allow me to stop if I don’t get on with it.

For my second child I was told a vbac wasn’t recommended and to do a planned c-section. I was to go into hospital as soon as I had contractions or waters broke - drummed into me by various doctors. When I got contractions, I went in and doctor said she wanted to put me on hormone drip. I said I’d not got on well with it last time and baby ended up getting into difficulty. She said do you really want to be here in pain until Friday (three days later) when your C-section is scheduled for? It feels like blackmail again.

I didn’t have a problem getting it removed. Rang GP surgery and said I wanted it removed, nurse practitioner removed it within the week. I didn’t need a consultation or an appointment with a GP at all

Could those who are happy with their mirena share if it causes weight gain? My GP surgery is also giving me the hard sell to sort out my awful peri periods

Awful for me, really anxious and hyper sensitive.
i got pregnant on it too after two years.

No weight gain for me

Christ. This is exactly why I’m never going anywhere near one!

I had it inserted as part of some fibroid removal. I was skeptical. I’m still getting spotting 8 months on and the odd breakthrough bleed. But I was losing 2-3 days a month to flooding and debilitating periods and PMDD.

My mood fluctuates I don’t know if I was better on or off mentally. My mind is foggy and I feel irritable and tired a lot of the time. But not having periods bar the spotting and bleeding has been transformational.

Great for me. I was terrible on the pill and reluctantly tried the Mirena. I’m now on my third one.

insertion isn’t exactly a day out I would choose, but it’s nothing too bad.

Yeah I really like it too. Had unpredictable, light bleeding for several months but 2 and half years down the line I probably have 3 light periods a year now x

The pill was horrific for me, the implant made me suicidal, the copper coil gave me the most awful periods ever, the mirena was so unbelievably painful going in and the first 4 months were horrible but they wouldn't take it out. Since then though it has stopped my periods and mood swings but also totally killed my sex drive.

Awful, no issues with insertion or removal ironically but bled 2 weeks out of 4 and had horrendous headaches and migraines for the 9 months I had it in. Wouldn’t touch another.

Didnt work for me, just ended up being a 6mo long heavy period with terrible cramping. Removed it myself through desperation. Changed to different pills and theyve been a dream, no periods at all so none of the side effects and no pill side effects either

I had the mirena coil and loved no periods but felt really crushingly low at points in my cycle. I swapped it for the copper coil and periods are a bit heavier than my natural cycle but overall it's much better

I will repeat what I posted previously on a similar thread.

I am nearing 2 months with mine in and I hate it - sorry!!!

I have already asked to take it out buy my GP who i trust implicitly said I should try to hang on a bit longer. She said it should settle and I should try to give it at least 6 months.

I have been bleeding non stop for the whole time it has been in. I have horrible headaches that I didnt have before.

Insertion was painful - they said it was likely because I have a fibroid so I am booked in for a scan to see what is going on with that.

I am so over it already.

To be fair I never wanted it in the first place (doing it for HRT) so I was never likely to give it a 5 star review.

I also have always hated progesterone so I was never likely to be fully objective.

Is it me or are GPs really pushing Mirena lately? All my friends seem to have been offered one suddenly.

@Buttcraic

Removed it yourself?! How?! I wish I could be this brave.