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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Can I ask your experiences of the Mirena coil?

37 replies

Afternooninthepark · 21/09/2019 09:04

I’m sorry if this question has been done to death but has anyone had or have had a Mirena coil? Can I ask for your experiences either good or bad? I keep putting off having one, I have horrendous heavy periods due to uterine polyps (which I keep having removed but the buggers keep growing back!). I have been told a mirena will shrink them. I am so worried about side effects but I am getting to the point where these periods are ruling my life, draining the life out of me and I need to do something but really worry the Mirena may cause me issues (weight gain, headaches, depression, anxiety etc) I also worry if there is a risk of breast cancer with it? Yes, I am a worrier 😆

OP posts:

TheDragonFromDreams · 21/09/2019 09:12

I’ve had two - one for five years and then replaced with another for four which I recently had removed.

I also had it for heavy periods and pain and it completely eliminated them, absolute dream from that point of view.

I do still get fairly bad PMS in terms of mood and am general anxious, but I think this is likely my standard mode as I have felt the same though out my life whatever contraception I’ve been on.

Overall I’d say it was very positive. Some caveats - it is painful when they put it in, but manageable and then you’re done for five years. It also takes a few months to settle IME, but just minor cramps and spotting. I didn’t find it painful to have removed.

TheDragonFromDreams · 21/09/2019 09:13

Also I don’t think it has a risk for breast cancer, all hormonal contraceptions increases and decreases risks for various cancers as far as I can see, so you get some benefits and some downsides to all.

Mintypea5 · 21/09/2019 09:13

I loved mine! Periods were basically non existent and I didn't notice any side effects really. My moods were fine compared to when I was on the mini pill. I've never felt so Awful mentally as the few short months I was a the pill

Planing in having the M coil again once baby is born

Original poster

Afternooninthepark · 21/09/2019 09:13

Thanks for that Thedragonfromdreams

OP posts:

CanIGetARefund · 21/09/2019 09:14

I have had two different experiences. First Mirena fitted by GP. I could feel the wires, they actually were sometimes visible! I got continuous infections. No mood changes, periods much lighter. Second Mirena was fitted by a gynecologist. Absolutely no adverse effects at all. Periods have stopped. I am very sensitive to oral progestogen, it makes me highly irritable, but I don't get this effect from the Mirena

Dhalandchips · 21/09/2019 09:15

Not helpful but mine fell out

CardiFree · 21/09/2019 09:15

Not for me.

Weight gain and massively reduced sex-drive. Not the best combination.

JustanAunt · 21/09/2019 09:15

I have a mirena coil and have experienced no side effects, I previously had a period that lasted for 2 years straight and the mirena coil has regulated my periods so now it is only once a month.

On the other hand, my best friend had one and was in such awful pain as a result she had to ask her doctor to remove it after a month. So the good news is that if it doesn't suit you then you can just have it removed, there was no lasting negative effects once it was out.

Hope that has helped

FrenchBoule · 21/09/2019 09:16

Inserted twice, both times came out.

IfYouWannaComeBack · 21/09/2019 09:17

Hated mine. I gained a shit ton of weight with it in (2 stones within 3 months which miraculously fell off as soon as it was removed).
My partner could feel it during sex and said it hurt the end of his penis and it also got caught on my tampon causing it to rip and out and quite severe bleeding.

Conversely, my mum has had one since her early 40s, no issues whatsoever. Also helped her through the menopause with virtually no symptoms at all. The doctor only identified she’d gone through the change due to a blood test result.

nicknamehelp · 21/09/2019 09:18

I had polyps and consultant said was only way to stop regrowth. Had mine fitted 18 months ago and periods hardly happen now. Had very bad pmt rage 1st few months but that settled. After years of suffering bad periods and pain from polyp its bliss.

joblotbubble · 21/09/2019 09:20

Mine has been in for 4 years now and it was an absolute life changer. I was bleeding/spotting every day for 2 years. Mirena stopped it.

cushioncovers · 21/09/2019 09:21

I'm 49 and I'm on my third Mirena coil, so I've had them now for 12 years. I highly recommend them. The heavy bleeding has virtually stopped I just get a little bit of spotting every month now. I still get some PMT but not too much. But for me the life changer, has been the fact that the heavy bleeding has stopped. I suffer from migraines anyway And have done for many years, I haven't really noticed a change in the pattern of them since having the Mirena coil.

MonaChopsis · 21/09/2019 09:21

Love mine. Heavy periods now practically non-existent, no mood swings.

Warning though that it does take 4-6 weeks to 'bed in'. During that time I had constant period cramps and thought that I had made a terrible decision. Doctor had told me to leave it to settle, so I bore with it and haven't had any issue since about 3 weeks in. Planning to get another once this one is finished.

Fruityb · 21/09/2019 09:23

I had a Jaydess before this one and that caused me to bleed constantly, clots and all sorts. It took me ages to get them to remove it and I ended up at the family planning for that after the gp fobbed me off constantly and put me back on pill to control the bleeding. It was my ignorance on that front - had I known they’d whip it out I’d have gone months before that.

Mirena been in since May last year and other than a bit of weight gain (which I can’t definitely blame on this but I do find weight really hard to shift) it’s been great. It took time to settle but now I have small bleeds if I have them at all. I didn’t seem to stop bleeding for a year with my old one.

It’s not great being fitted but we’re talking 15 minutes if that, or mine was, and it wasn’t pleasant being prodded and poked but otherwise it’s been fab. It’s alleviated a lot of my problems and I’m far happier!

Her0utdoors · 21/09/2019 09:24

I'm on my 3rd, so obviously happy with it. The weight gain side effect is an increase in appetite, it doesn't just make you fat. I've been at my thinnest when using a mirena (probably all the shagging).

CardiFree · 21/09/2019 09:26

Didn't affect your sexdrive then?

Trinpy · 21/09/2019 09:26

I had it for a year and s half. It didn't hurt having it put in, more like a cramping feeling for a second. I then had over 6 months of near constant light bleeding . After that I still had monthly periods but much lighter than before. I had it taken out because it gave me the most awful acne that didn't seem to respond to any treatment. Apart from that I didn't notice any other side effects and it was lovely not having to worry about contraception.

justfortoday4367 · 21/09/2019 09:30

I had mine coming up 5 years and will get it replaced.
Yes I’ve put on weight (about a stone) and I would say it took about 6 months to fully settle BUT I got my life back and no longer panicking over the 10 days long heavy periods.

As it’s coming to the end of the 5 years the hormone has dropped. The stone weight has dropped off but my PMT and period pain are creeping back so I’m off to doctors hoping I can have it replaced earlier!!

IfYouWannaComeBack · 21/09/2019 09:42

The weight gain side effect is an increase in appetite, it doesn't just make you fat
I genuinely didn’t eat anymore, I calorie count anyway. I think the hormones effected my metabolism

IfYouWannaComeBack · 21/09/2019 09:44

Oh yes the constant bleeding!
I spotted non stop for about a year. Completely unpredictable too. Ruined so many nice pairs of pants and although the coil didn’t directly affect my sex drive, I didn’t want to have sex when I was spotting (because ewwww) which unfortunately 5 days a week for nearly a year

CardiFree · 21/09/2019 09:48

I agree that the hormones must have affected things. I didn't eat anymore either.

CardiFree · 21/09/2019 09:48

I did diet it off but it was a slog.

Original poster

Afternooninthepark · 21/09/2019 09:55

Thank you everyone.

OP posts:

Rangoon · 21/09/2019 09:55

It was a nightmare - I couldn't stop crying. I had an ablation in the end which fixed my problems which led me to having it inserted in the first place.

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