To ask if this could be Mirena Coil?

[Flockoftreegulls]

Hi, been skulking around for ages, finally decided to join and ask for opinions. Am posting in ABU for traffic.
I have a mirena coil for heavy debilitating periods. I am 38 and for the last few months I have started getting periods again getting heavier. I have also had joint pain, horrendous PMT like feeling suicidal once a month, migraines, loss of libido and weight gain.
I wondered if it means that coil is not agreeing with me. Doc says perimenopause and has given me progesterone tablets. I have been taking these for a month but no change. She really didn't seem to be listening. She just seemed firm about not removing coil as she said well we will have terrible periods back. Tbh I would rather have them than feeling like I want to die every month.
I mean I am open to the idea of perimenopause, my mum had hers start early 40's. I just feel so awful like I am cracking up. It's not normal for a menopausal woman to feel suicidal every month is it? Am very stressed. Dh not being sympathetic, I think he just thinks I am a lunatic. Keep bursting into tears.
Alot of family stress at the moment, can't bother my mum with it because she has a lot on her plate right now.
Please be kind. Has anyone else had similar?

Yes I have read that because some women find it fabulous and it is very cost effective that a lot of doctors will fob you off because they don't want to take it out. Honestly, I went back to normal so quickly once I had it removed that I know for sure it was that causing it. I felt so unlike myself it was frightening. I just wanted to be on my own in my bedroom away from everyone. They irritated me so much.

I was thinking along these lines when I went to see her but she didn't want to discuss. I feel awful nearly all the time.
It definitely hasn't moved, she checked and said it's where it is supposed to be.

If the Mirena makes you feel bad, the progesterone will make you feel many times worse. Google progesterone intolerance.

I had the Mirena taken out when I was sterilised a few weeks ago and I feel so much better.

I must agree with the poster above. Progesterone intolerance is a real thing (I suffer with it).

It’s progesterone that makes us feel miserable with PMT. It’s the angry and depressing hormone. So being prescribed more progesterone on top is likely to make you feel worse.

You could be having some mild peri menopausal symptoms (dropping oestrogen levels) as perimenopause is the 10 years leading up to menopause.

Hi,
I had a similar experience, although it happened relatively soon after the mirena was put in. Awful headaches (went to bed with water/ibruprofen, set alarm for 30 mins earlier so that headache was manageble by the time I needed to get up!) bloating (looked 5 months pregnant), weight gain and I felt so low and depressed, very out of character.
I had been reluctant to try the mirena coil as I had a bad reaction to the pill many years ago but Dr said this would be different. She was pretty cross when I wanted it taken out, it was a very odd reaction and she made me have all sorts of other tests - made me wonder if they were on commission to get as high an uptake as possible! Anyhow symptoms went away very shortly after it was removed.

I have heard many many similar stories, although for balance I also have friends who love their mirena and it works perfectly for them.

I would say, take the thing out, if things don't improve at least you have ruled it out and can have another fitted.

born I don't know what is making me feel bad. I don't know it is the coil but by the same token the doctor doesn't 'know' its perimenopause either. She said that's more likely. I guess it is more likely but that doesn't mean that's what it is iyswim.
So hard to even think straight

Yes, it will be the synthetic progesterone in the Mirena coil. The exact same thing happened to me when I tried it. Considering I had a history of progesterone intolerance (PMS and PND) my GP should have advised against it. But hey it's dirt cheap, so it doesn't matter if it makes you feel dreadful, right

Within 3 days of having it out I felt back to normal.

Peri menopause can certainly start while still in your 30s.

Op you do not need nor should you be taking progesterone tablets alongside a mirena. A mirena IS progesterone!

38 isn’t too young for peri - mine started at 37. Get to docs and get some oestrogen. Tablets, gel or patches.

As a pp said look at menopause matters website.

I thought it was strange but she didn't explain anything I can't get to see her till January now. She was not very pleasant and just seemed bothered about not removing the coil

fucky I'm not saying it isn't perimenopause BTW. It could be that I just can't cope feeling like I want to go to sleep and never wake up. I have got too much going on. My mum is seriously ill at the moment.

I am shaking and feel like I can't breathe

I felt like this on the Mirena coil within a couple of weeks. Couldn’t stop crying, felt hysterical, paranoid, it was awful. I just went to my doctor and said Take this thing out now!.

Sorry to see you can’t get in til January. Can you see a GP in the mean time to get meds to help with the anxious feelings?

I went through a similar experience at 40. Genuinely thought I was losing my mind. My GP told me it was depression and prescribed anti depressants.They didn't really make much difference. I had insomnia, sweats and serious anxiety for 6 months before being eventually being signed off work for 3 months. It was only when I had second opinion and had hormone levels checked that I discovered it was peri menopause. Am now 43 and on a combination of H R T and mild anti depressant which have made a huge difference to me. Stay positive and look after yourself.

There are loads of threads on the Mirena like this.

Doctors will try and persuade you to keep it.

If I were you I would go back and insist it comes out - you'll be able to tell then.

Put it this way, even if it IS perimenopause, then clearly the Mirena isn't doing a thing to help it so it may as well come out!

It is possible for someone to go from being fine on contraceptive devices or pills to not being fine. Your hormone levels are being messed about with and now the balance is wrong. You are not going mad, this is just the wrong mix. Pop plus merina sounds like way too much progesterone to me. Get it removed by another gynae if needs be then talk to them about alternatives. If your periods are really nasty, have you been checked for fibroids? Can you book a d & c to see if that helps? If fibroids, there are some good treatments out there like uae. I guess, the scariest thing for you is your mood. Hang on in there, you have options, you just need to get a decent gynae to give them to you.

Have been on menopause matters and reading the long list of menopausal symptoms it just doesn't sound like me. I don't have sweats, dryness. I have joint pain, loads of spots break out, I get anxious and tearful. Then my period starts and it all improves. Does perimenopause do this? It's so hard to talk to a doctor that doesn't want to listen. Especially when you feel so bad. But two days ago I was OK, coping with everything. Now I am crying and shaking and covered in acne. I can't think clearly. God knows how I am going to get through Christmas

Thanks fizz and mad
I have been checked for fibroids, cysts etc. No explanation for my heavy periods. Uk doc said try mirena as least worst option. If it doesn't help we can try the next thing.
They were awful but never made me feel like dying.
I never really had PMT before.

All your symptoms you mention can be caused by too much progesterone and not enough oestrogen to balance it out. Perimenopause can see a gradual worsening of PMT for example. So instead of feeling a bit rubbish for a day or two, you feel rubbish for 3 or 4 days and so on. Sweats and flushes are real concrete symptoms of hormone fluctuations but vaso-motor symptoms are just one area.

I’m older than you, haven’t gone through the menopause and my first peri symptoms were prolonged mood changes and joint aches and pains. PMT to the power 100 and terrible skin. I’m linking to a hormone symptom questionnaire just to highlight some of the symptoms out of whack hormones can have.

secure.thesurreyparkclinic.co.uk/sq.php

I’d stop the progesterone tablets in the meantime. I’m not sure what you can do short term till you see someone. Perhaps look at diet and eating high levels of phytoestrogens to see if that helps?

I'd have the mirena taken out and push for womb ablation (provided your family is complete) best thing I ever did!! I hated the mirena and still had periods on it and the threads irritated and PMT symptoms were always there!

My DS felt just like you about a year after her Mirena was out in, she was back to herself within weeks of having it removed. If you are feeling suicidal, please dont wait until Jan to get it removed, there has to be a quicker way. Can you go to the German version of A and E and explain you want it out as you are sure it is making you think of self harm? At that point it is a MH issue and they should help, it is so easy to remove a mirena if you are in a medical setting

Sorry, that should be DSis...not DS!

Thanks for the link. I have had a look at the long list.
It's not a pretty picture either way.
Either I will go back to awful periods or I am in perimenopause so years of shite to look forward to.
This has been such a terrible year for me, I don't know why I am surprised.
Thanks everyone who responded.

Yes I looked at ablation family is complete. My DH had a vasectomy so I wouldn't need to have anything. Then my periods got worse. I don't know why the gynaecologist was not interested in talking about the options she was just adamant it wasn't the coil.
Now I am confused why she has given me progesterone. Will that make me more depressed? They talk down to you here, they don't have a discussion.