Mirena coil - did it make your migraines worse or better?

[Parltgrau]

I'm 45 and over the last few years my periods have got more frequent and much heavier. 2 days of needing to wear the thickest pad and having to change it every hour at least. My ferritin is around 10, rises to 20 after 3 months of iron tablets but drops back again once they are stopped. The GP has recommended I have a mirena coil. The reason I'm hesitant is that I suffer from hormone headaches and migraines. I tend to get them the day after ovulation and then again the couple of days before my period. Over the last couple of years I've been getting more frequent migraines with aura which I guess is linked to perimenopause and fluctuating hormones. I have read that the mirena can actually make migraines and headaches worse. I asked the GP and she just said that's true for some women but some find they get better. So, could I ask if you have a mirena whether it has made any difference to you headaches?

this is a good question. I thought my coil was making migrajnes worse, took it out, headaches got no better and then was flooding
put it back in at least no bleed now but can’t quite predict migraines: have stopped alcohol almost entirely and will still get stung by one every now and then

Have you tried the mini pill? I started it many years ago for hormonal migraines & it’s completely got rid of them. Additionally bonus for me, no periods either. Game changer as they were getting ridiculous with flooding etc.

My experience going from the progesterone-only pill to a Mirena coil was that the constant bleeding I had on the former reduced and eventually stopped (which is why I got it) but my migraines got progressively worse, to the point that I didn't get it replaced after the 5 years and went back on the pill. Luckily I had much less bleeding when I went back on the pill than previously and the migraines improved again. My GP thought it might be because the pill was stopping ovulation completely but the coil wasn't, but that's just a guess.

I got the mirena coil for migraines and it has helped mine massively - I still get the odd minor one but nothing like it was before.

My migraines are greatly reduced now on mirena coil and my period is very light.

I was last on the mini pill 10 years ago. I've had my current mirena more than 5 years. Migraines are more frequent than they were on the pill, but they're completely different and I don't think the frequency is due to the mirena, more that I'm 10 years older, busier, more stressed and probably the dreaded perimenopause is on the way.
In perimenopause, the fluctuation of hormones is a big trigger for migraines. The mirena can be very useful for many women as part of HRT at managing a more steady state.

Didn't do much for mine, although as I got nearer the end of the five years with both my migraines increased. The mini pill has helped mine a lot, fewer and predictable. Still have a period though.

Ive been a migraine sufferer since a primary school child - abdominal migraine

They progressed to common migraine, used to be so bad, id be out of action for days

I had the Mirena first prescribed in my early 30's ad looking back I can only remember 2 occasions when I had to blow out work due to a migraine

During peri and menopause my migraine changed to Silent migraine - visual disturbance but no pain. Not often, lasted about 20 mins

I had my final mirena removed last year ( aged 61) and my migraines have increased, but luckily still silent ones , although Ive noticed Im getting a bit more dizziness

So for me Id say it definitely improved mine

I'm a hormonal migraine sufferer, I'm on my second mirena coil and both times the migraines virtually stopped.

I'm a hormonal migraine sufferer too, and have also used the marina coil for 10 years.
Have you considered a preventative medication as well as/instead of the coil?
I take propranolol as a preventative every day and once the dose was adjusted (needed to be increased to get a good effect) I rarely get migraines now unless I am particularly stressed. I hope you get this sorted, it's such a difficult thing to live with.