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!

Nice to see a bit of opportunistic GP bashing as usual.

OP I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but the majority of Mirena users are happy with their choice.

I'm a GP, and I fit coils, including the Mirena. Our surgery gets paid a flat rate for offering this service. To get that money, I have to fit 12 coils per year. If I fit 100 or 12, I get the same money, and it doesn't matter if they are Mirenas or copper coils. And incidentally, the money doesn't go into my pocket, it goes into the business, which pays staff salaries, electricity, stationery etc.

Mirenas are almost always offered before hysterectomy these days, because they reduce bleeding without the risk of surgery. They are also one of the most effective contraceptives around. The manufacturers state that the progesterone effects are localised and therefore shouldn't affect mood, although of course my observational experience suggests differently. I will always remove a coil if someone requests it, but with Mirenas I prefer them to wait a few months if they can, because symptoms often settle down.

I'm sorry your experience was negative, but I hope you post doesn't upset people who have just had a Mirena fitted, and are now worried about what will happen.

Out of interest if you had yours put in after your first baby, how long did you bleed for afterwards? It's been 6 weeks of light bleeding now which Dr said was normal.

I'm watching my mood on it as wanted to go for copper coil as non hormonal due to bad mood/ self esteem reaction on mini pill. Dr advised me that due to lower hormone level as localised I should be ok. So trying it out. Week 6 and I feel fine apart from bleeding being annoying.

Sad that we are a generation of drugged up women.

Jollyphonics - my GP was excellent. No GP bashing from me. I went to ask her for the coil as I heard from friends that it was so good for bleeding.

My body just didnt like it so expelled it!

Im gutted actually, I thought it was going to be the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Has anybody had the copper coil and modern coil?

I can't take the (mini I think) pill as I have horrendous nausea from it.

Tried 2 implants that I bled constantly on and had terrible mood swings.

Had 2 copper coils with excruciating period pains and very heavy flows. When it came to having them taken out I just had to cough and the last said they practically fell out.

So was wondering about trying the mirena but get nervous incase it gives me any of the above symptoms and I can't remove it immediately.

Would like to try the patch but still breastfeeding.

Coldcottage, 6 months of irregular bleeding is considered notmal for the coil, some settle earlier and others take longer.

Mirena that should say :)

Heck, also lady, not last!

Yup..pretty much the same experience here...although I gained a lot of weight as I was constantly hungry on mine. It pissed me off, as I had just lost a lot of baby weight!

I was in so much pain at one point that I almost dropped dd (6mths) while lifting her into her cot.

I hated it. Dr refused to remove it, in the end I paid a sexual health clinic to remove it & it turned out I had an infection (caused by the mirena) that took 3 rounds of ABs to shift.

Never again! They say that the hormones in it stay very local, but if that is the case, why have they been found in breast milk?

Saying that, I know lots of women love it.

doesn't everyone research this before changing

I didn't have time. Mine was done on the day I was having a termination. They suggested I have it put in, gave me some info, I have about one hour to decide.

I know 3 people who had it already, who all liked it, so I based my experience on that.

Besides, sometimes, when you have tried everything else & your dr is touting this as a life changer, you kinda trust them.

It was horrendous for me, 6 weeks constant bleeding, went into A&E and got it removed, even that was ouch!

What I think is wrong is that concerns are dismissed. It has to be something else. Anything else, just not the fault of the coil.
You're getting ratty with the kids? - Well at times parenting is hard - Yes but doc, I have been fine dealing with the kids for years, until I had the coil.
You're having mood swings? --- Oh this happens from time to time. Not the coils fault. Stick with it. Hormones are strange.
You're in crippling pain, but this will settle. It's just your age and I see from your records you have always had painful periods ---- yes but doc, these are actually worse and I am getting grief from work.
Your flow has increased. Oh it will be fine next month -- Yes you said that four months ago, and here I still am, changing every hour. Used to be able wait 2.5 hours. Used to be a week, not a couple of weeks and then a week at the most break
The crippling headaches, you need to get your eyes tested yes I am still getting crippling headaches oh you are getting headaches because of the stress you are under.
Your boobs hurt, being physically active can cause boobs to hurt.
Your feeling faint and tired, well yes your iron levels are low, here have a supplement --

8 months of hell. 8 months of being fobbed off by the bs as above. 8 months of thinking it was me. 8 months of asking for this piece of rubbish to be removed. THe only reason I got this crap removed from me was because my partner was so concerned he took me to a&e after finding me passed out. Yes contraceptions have side effects and don't agree with everyone, but the majority you can just decide to stop without having to beg. But this, it's different... Whatever happened to my body, my choice?

I had sever cramping during insertion that continued for another two months. I had given birth to two children and was told I was an ideal candidate. I called my MW several times about the cramping and spotting. She advised me to wait it out. One day on the toilet, I had a terrible cramping sensation and the feeling of something in my vagina. I gave a quick feel and out came my Mirena. I was shocked, as was my MW when I rang her. I had to go for an immediate appointment to make sure there was no cervical tearing or other injuries from the coil being expelled. She said it appeared my body just did not want a foreign body inside.

Copper.. all the way. I really dont get why people have the mirena with all those hormones when the copper is just as effective.
My periods are a lot heavier but they have now settled and at least I get a period so I know where I am in my cycle.

Also period pains have all but gone. Im still a moody neurotic cow though!

I had a Mirena. After about 15 months I realised I had
Totally lost my libido
Regained some of my pregnancy weight
Permanently spotty oily skin
A permanent feeling of PMS (raging monster)
Very poor ability to concentrate
Permanent sweet tooth (most unlike me)
Also felt permanently tired but struggled to sleep or even relax at any time.

I did enjoy not having painful periods - but had to go through 4 months continuous bleeding at the start, which wasn't great.

I didn't realise about many of the symptoms as several of them came on gradually. It was only reading about it on MN that made me realise how I'd changed & how miserable I felt.

I spoke to my doctor who was, thankfully, lovely about it, & got it removed, I've got a copper coil now. Starting to feel a lot better.

Surely if you just say you want to have another baby they would take it straight out.

superstar I had Mirena to reduce already ridiculously heavy periods. Surely you can see why I chose it instead of the copper coil which makes periods worse?
'Drugged up women' - well, since the drugs variously control fertility, reduce pain and allow a normal life, I don't think it's that sad, tbh...
Please stop scaremongering about a device which suits the vast majority of women all of you! When I think of the things I've done which I couldn't have contemplated without it...what if you had all put me off?

I've had the mirena for over ten years now and love it. I also take hrt in conjunction with it as I had an early menopause (like my dm). I do notice though, that I seem to go through a cycle of pmt type symptoms, just like I did when I was younger, so I suppose it's the coil that causes that. I wouldn't give it up though, ten years ago it gave me back my life, my energy to look after my children, all of which I was struggling with due to early menopause. As previous posters have said, it suits some but not others. I would say to anyone who's offered it, give it a go, if it doesn't suit, get it removed. It's well worth trying.

My daughter suffered horrendous symptoms but didn't know at the time what was causing them. She was so ill with backache, headaches, depression, anxiety, mood swings, nausea, vertigo....She asked her doctor if the mirena coil could possibly be to blame and he was adamant that it couldn't possibly be. She finally insisted on having it removed.....what a relief, within days all her symptoms gradually lessened. Within 6 months she was back to her old self. I know this isn't the case for everyone but the mirena coil was definitely the cause of all those horrendous problems and I'm amazed that it's still on the market in its present form.

I loved my mirena, I have horrific periods and after trying other options was finally talked into having one by my gynaecologist, I got my life back, no more spending a week curled up in pain or passing out. I cried when we decided to start ttc and I had it removed.

now the pill on the other hand turned me into a crazy emotional wreck.

Just resurrecting this as was a v informative thread for me and I would like to feedback how much better I feel now its out.
I had mine for 3 years. The first year I wasn't too worried as had a previous unplanned pg and just wanted a reliable contreceptive. Ibhad gunky brown type blood for 6 months and the odd humongous zit but thought itwas ok.
Year 2 I started to suffer with awful headaches/brain fog and had an increase in migraines. Several times I was convinced I was pg as had nausea, aching boobs and was v tired. I realised that I felt like I was in tje first trimester of pg most of the time.
I felt moody and lethargic ans started taking extra supplements. I had blood tests and eventually a MRI due to the headaches.
Anway dp then had the snip so had the go ahead for removal.
I feel happier, loads.more energetic and best of all the fuggy head/stonking headache has lifted.

Lurking. I've just expelled a copper coil after 14 months and they are offering me the mirena. Torn which to go for

I've got the coil without the mirena/hormones in. Lasts 10 years, only side effect I've had is slightly heavier periods. I love it.

Sorry to hear about your experience though OP. Maybe ask to swap to the non-hormonal one (just made of copper instead)

Getting mine out on Monday, was inserted to resolve adenomysis but has caused constant spotting, horrific migraines, depression. Looking forward to life without it! Having said that, it has done its job as the adenomysis is gone :-) but it was a lot to go through for that.

I also found it had a really negative effect on my mood. The fact that it did nothing to stop the bleeding didn't help!

It works for a lot of other women, though.