To want to shout from the roof tops how evil the mirena coil is!!!

[RunRunRun123]

I know there have been 1000s of posts about this and widely discussed, but I am genuinely shocked by the difference since I had my mirena coil removed and just needed to share. When I had it put in Dr assured me little to no side effects. At the time we were going through a bit of a stressful situation but I have always been a strong coper and was fine. Then within about a few weeks my moods started to spiral. I would feel anxious, panicky, burst into tears etc. I went back to dr was told no way was it the coil I was obviously just very stressed. Having two young children, they were assumed the cause. My parenting changed, I went from positive gentle parenting to struggling to control shouting and angry outbursts. In a fit of happiness I threatened and tried to leave my absolutely wonderful husband and children thinking I was obviously a bad thing for them all, On my husbands request I returned to the GP worried I was having delayed PND, was reassured again about coil and told me they thought I was depressed. But I started to research it all and I didn't think I was depressed as it would come on in cycles, directly linked to ongoing break through bleeding etc. I ended up insisting coil was removed, and pretty much had a row with the GP about that decision! That was 4 weeks ago and my life has transformed! Once again I am calm, happy, confident. I feel I am parenting my children 1000 times better, I am attracted to my husband and our sex life has returned to what it was. I haven't cried or shouted since one week after it was removed (I had a bit of a crash for a week after!). I am really, really genuinely shocked by the profound affects this had and when I researched into it, even more shocked by how common this is! I wish I had done more research prior to having it fitted rather than relying on the GP. I know GP's receive a lot of money for promoting and fitting the coil but I do worry this is at a cost of warning patients that though on on hand it works wonders, it can seriously screw you up on the other!

OP - I had two, the first one in my early 30's for very heavy periods, it did the job and I didn't know I had it, no changes at all. I was single at the time and had it removed after three years when I wanted to start a family.

In my 40's I had another one which had to be inserted in hospital to help with a large fibroid and very heavy periods and it made me truly constantly miserable. I felt quite rotten, tired, constant stomach ache and bleeding every day. I gained about 20lbs in weight in six months (no lifestyle changes, just the Mirena). I had it removed after seven months of misery and actually wouldn't consider another one ever.

Oh great - just had one of these fitted.

Didn't agree with me either - I think some people are super sensitive to synthetic hormones. I was the same on
The pill but never put two and two together till later.

Cerazette (pill) sent me loopy, I had horrible mood swings with that, and coming off it was a revelation, much as the OP described.

I had a Mirena coil inserted at the start of the year and I would say it's only in the last few weeks that it's settled. I bled for weeks afterwards. Then had a lot of random bleeding and painful cramping. I realised a few days ago that I've had cramping in the past couple of weeks but don't think I've had a period since May or June.

I've had some low moods recently but at the moment I'm feeling ok and those could have been due to stress and other health issues.

Still early days for me.

I do have a friend who had an awful experience with it.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04cbv9g

Listen to this - about 5% of women are progesterone intolerant.

Mine is ok - it has it problems (and actually I would say a shorter tempr IS one) BUT its better than the mega long and heavy periods I used to have! I still bleed for 5 days in 28 same as before but I no longer have to run to the toilet every half hour to change the pad so I love it for that reason.

plus obviously I am not pregnant and I can leave it and forget about it for years!

Love it. But was evil on the pill so understand the issue.

I had the implant and I was worried for my sanity a few days later. I am not kidding, I was a complete mess and very close to the edge. I got it out and within days I was back to my normal self. They wanted me to wait a few months but thankfully my husband came with me and told them how ill it had made me and how I could barely function enough to look after my children.

I didn't touch hormonal BC after that. I had the copper IUD and fell pregnant with that in place so dh ended up getting the snip.

I am very glad I no longer have to worry about BC. Me and hormonal BC don't mix.

I just hope the snip doesn't fail. It's been five years now so hopefully it is too late for that to happen

It has been*

Interesting thread because the idea was recently put to me by my GP.

I get several days of very heavy bleeding each monthly cycle, which I currently have to control by taking tranexamic acid. Otherwise I would be housebound for several days. I also get some other perimenopausal symptoms (I will be 48 this month) such as in increasingly erratic and often short cycle.

My age and a few other problems preclude me from going back onto any contraceptive pill now, so with regard to mirena I am still in the "do I or don't I" dilemma. I don't know yet which way to jump.

www.menopausematters.co.uk/periodtreatments.php

Mirena is used a lot for bleeding around the menopause, and helped a lot of women avoid hysterectomy.

If you like it, you can use it as the progesterone part of hrt and have oestrogen patches with it, to control meno symptoms. (I have tablet hrt and the progesterone is causing problems. Mirena is a lot less progesterone in the right place).

I wimped out, but would certainly give it a go, if I was having more bleeding problems.

I agree, totally evil. It pisses me off that GPs seem to be telling people that there's no way that it can be the root of problems when anecdotally it seems clear that it can cause real issues for some of us.

Just to clarify there is no financial incentive for pushing the mirena coil. There is a claimable fee just as there is for inserting a copper coil, a contraceptive implant, performing a steroid injection to a joint, removing a skin lesion or various other services which gps aren't paid for within the general medical services contact.

Mine was great, no bleeding at all once in. My periods were not that heavy to start with, though.

When people say 'I researched it' it would be helpful if they said what sources they'd gone to. As it is, we're only looking at personal experiences here, which not surprisingly go both ways.

McFox - 'anecdotally it seems clear it can cause real problems for some of us' does not = 'evil'! Haven't you read that it is wonderful for many women? Anecdote does not equal data anyway, and I think the 5% mentioned by a PP is probably a more scientific figure. So, 95% of women have no negative symptoms and many of those actually have their life dramatically improved. Yup, sounds really evil...

My GP told me it suits 80% of people. I was one of the 20% and felt just like you OP. I was so so happy when the bloody thing finally came out

Having my removed was worse than childbirth.

I hated it too. Similar to pill, low moods, weight gain and horrible headaches. I'm fine on the copper coil, it seems to be the only thing I can cope with.

YANBU.
Vile things that don't even work.
I ended up putting on weight, getting spotty and pregnant. Doctor removed it after my miscarriage and was astonished that it was absolutely firmly in place.

I'm sorry to hear it didn't work for you OP but mirena is fantastic for many. There are about 15 different types of contraceptive out there and best practice is that GPs or nurses should go through all methods and that the patient makes an informed choice. There are a lot of good websites that go through the pros and cons of each and it's really down to the individual whether they'll get on with a method. there is a financial incentive to prescribe certain long acting methods of contraception (coil, IUS, implant) in most areas but it really isn't high enough for a prescriber to 'push' that method. It just covers costs and training so that clinicians don't lose out when offering these more effective methods. There is also a financial incentive for removing the mirena and implant in most areas. If your go refuses to remove it you can book yourself in to the local family planning unit. Just google it in your area.

bastard mirena

I had exactly same problem as you run, in fact I scared my husband that much, he too begged me to have it removed & booked himself in for a vasectomy! I have been told that I will have same problem if I ever want hrt due to the hormones! (Mirren a game me this funny bloated rubber ring type spare tyre, very odd). Vasectomy best thing ever!

I love mine and so do 99% of the patients at my surgery . YABVVU to call it evil and even more so " runrun" to imply that they are only recommended for gp financial gain !!

Yes you had a bad experience but you are now scaremongering !!

I haven't had the coil but Ive had the implant and my gp too was reluctant to take it out and I think this is disgraceful how they try and force you to keep it in when its your body and your choice!

I had one fitted to control heavy bleeding and didnt notice any effect on my mood but it did make me bleed worse than I ever have before and my body exoelled the coil.

Well, either that or its floating round my body having perforated my womb. But scans and xrays have failed to find it so I assume it just fell out with bleeding.

I only had mine for 4 weeks and I was sad as I hoped it would control my periods!