To ask for your mirena coil experiences?

[Afternooninthepark]

Posting on here for traffic!
I’m 47 and have (stupidly) put up with heavy periods for 20 years, I have always refused any hormonal medication for fear of them.
The last 5-6 years my periods have been horrendous with very heavy periods on day 2-4 with clots, flooding and basically being left almost housebound during those days. I have tried the basics like tranexamic acid but that upsets my IBS. After gynaecologist appointments and scans it was determined that I have uterine polyps which is making the problem much worse.
I was offered a Mirena but after reading the absolute horror stories online and being an anxiety sufferer I decided time and time again not to go down this route.
I asked for an ablation, under a local anaesthetic to which the gynaecologist agreed to and said it was fine but unfortunately on the day of my operation the anaesthetist refused to do it unless under a general (I suffer for a month or so from dizziness and feeling awful after a general so prefer to avoid if possible).
Anyhow, a few years later here I am still suffering but as it’s only for 2-4 days per month I keep putting things off but I have a gynaecologist appointment tomorrow and I know he will push for the Mirena again as there really isn’t many other options to shrink the polyps. I have had them removed twice in surgery but the have grown back.
I am put off by the things I’ve read like constant pain, bleeding, breast issues, anxiety/depression/mania, acne and gp’s refusing to remove it etc. There was a thread the other day where’s someone had said of the 100+ women she knew with the Mirena only 2 had had a good experience with it! Things like this put me off.
I appreciate that when someone has a good experience with something they tend not to take to the internet to tell people and just get on with life when it’s mostly people with negative experiences who will do this and I personally won’t know for myself until I try it.
Can I ask for your honest experiences with the Mirena? The good, bad and the ugly!

I have it. Didn't feel their inserting. I haven't had a period since I've had it (by that I mean no bleeding) but despite not actually bleeding I do get pms symptoms every month - not too bad though!

Itsgettingweird, unfortunately my spotting hasn’t stopped yet and that’s 10 months!

My circumstances are different as part of HRT. I’m sure someone will let you know. And if anyone has experience like mine, that’d be great to have any advice too.

@Losingthewill8

Itsgettingweird, unfortunately my spotting hasn’t stopped yet and that’s 10 months!

My circumstances are different as part of HRT. I’m sure someone will let you know. And if anyone has experience like mine, that’d be great to have any advice too.

Did your periods lighten though? Mine seem lighter although still fairly heavy. At least I can stand up and cough nowadays without flooding through a towel and tampon at the same time!

itsgettingweird My actual periods had stopped with menopause for almost 2 years before hand. Because of HRT oestrogen dosage I had a huge bleed. After investigation and polyp removal, the bleeding stopped for a few months then came back they changed my HRT to try to stop it. It wasn’t heavy but shouldn’t have been happening as it wasn’t a ‘natural period’. They discovered andenomyosis, when removing the polyp which had been causing unbearable pain, and eventually thought the coil would help.

I have not really had any pain since it was fitted and that is brilliant, but I have been left with heavy spotting, dark brown and maybe one short day of bright red blood almost every month. This is annoying but they feel it’s the old lining of my womb still clearing out, which makes sense apart from the days of bright red blood. They told me to wait for the full year and then contact them again if it hasn’t stopped completely. I feel mine is more oestrogen related than the progesterone of the coil. I do think that all bleeding would have stopped but that my oestrogen needs tweaking.

If yours hasn’t been suiting you, perhaps there is a line you can call for advice. Your surgery should be able to give you details.

I've had my period this month. Heavier than last.
I have what seems like normal period with cell lining and then cramps followed by what more like actually bleeding. Blood pours out and it's very rich and blood like rather than cell like.

Will be interesting to see if coil still in and where when I have ultrasound next month. But if coil isn't still in then I don't understand why I spot bleed daily inbetween my period?

I had it for ages, and I wish I hadn't. It messed up my fertility first time round and made it incredibly hard to conceive. I had another put back in after DD (as I couldn't cope with trying for another one), and I have had a constant brain fog, a lack of libido and general rubbish feeling.
It came out last September and I think I am now peri menopausal at 42. I have had 2 or 3 periods since it came out, which were only spotting episodes. I wish I hadn't had it in.

I had light bleeding for several months but then it stopped. No periods and no endometriosis or adenomyosis pain for several years now. I am 51 so I will get it taken out in a couple of years when I am through the menopause.

I have occasional migraine with aura and haven’t noticed any change in frequency or severity

So it seems as I'm only 5 weeks post coil I wk t see any improvement for at least another 2 months and even then it'll be gradual (and maybe not at all!)

I'm getting one put in on Wednesday. So this post is very interesting for me.
Post menopausal and bleeding for 3 months now, lightly. Precancerous cells and the Merina is now reccomended as first treatment with follow up biopsies at 6 and 12 months. Hope this does the trick for me.

I had the Mirena for 3 months (got as contraceptive, had normal periods before Mirena). I hated it. My cervix felt sore and itchy (despite my male GP insisting that “women can’t feel sensation in the cervix” 🤔) and I bled slightly every day that it was in. Plus the ‘threads’ on mine were made of metal and jabbed partner during sex.

I was very glad to get it out and can’t believe I ever let them put it in. Especially having now read about the lawsuit etc.

Ps I have fertility problems, I don’t know if there was any link to my having had the Mirena.

well at least your medial teams default 'go to' is Mirena; about ten years ago now, but mine were always quick to jump to the hysterectomy option.
I had mirena fitted after a few years of horrendously heavy periods that were getting progressively worse. No pain, I did put on a bit of weight, which I lost again, but no other side effects. After periods being totally debilitating for about ten days a month, they stopped immediately.
I had it removed a few years later (way beyond the four years that it's expected to work for) - I presume I'd had menopause in between, as no more periods after it was removed.
The reasoning to me that it was more effective than taking oral medication because the hormone release was local to the problem area.

I'd thoroughly recommend it from what you have in your post - if you do have unbearable side effects from Mirena, or it doesn't work for you, you can always have it removed and plug on with other potential solutions.

Now I'm confused!

A few days after fitting at beginning of August I checked strings. Not there. Have ultrasound booked in 3 weeks.

But had all symptoms of it being there.

Had a period this week. Got heavier and heavier and some huge bleeds.

Thought I'd check.

Can feel strings again.

Obviously that is good.

I've held off taking the northisterone I have because what I find is it just halts bleeding and starts again as soon as I stop and same happens again.

Strings possible bit longer than they were and I'll be bloody annoyed it it expels itself now after all this!

I do wonder if it's what others have said and it's body having a good clear out and now things will settle down?

So I'll keep my ultrasound apt. Mainly as well because I want to know if i have fibroids or something causing this issue even if I now can conform mirena is at least there!

@Afternooninthepark

Just had the telephone consultation. The plan is for an ultrasound to check on the polyps, then a hysteroscopy to remove the polyps (that’ll be my 5th one!) and insertion of mirena at the same time. It was such a whirlwind call that I forgot to ask if it’s ok to have a Mirena if your a aura migraine sufferers like I am. Anyone else have a Mirena and are aura migraine sufferers? Does/has it had any impact on these?

Yes, I suffer from aura migraines, that's why I had to stop taking the combi pill. GP put me on mini pill as the progesterone-only doesn't aggravate the migraines. As the mini pill & mirena use basically identical hormones, & the dosage released from mirena is lower than a daily pill, it's ok. That's what I was told by Dr

I've found mine to be fabulous! Like you, I put up with extremely heavy periods for years. I eventually had a Mirena put in and my periods stopped completely. I've had it for 5 years and am 51. I was concerned about reaching 5 years and had a consultation with a gynaecologist who reassured me I could keep it for another 5 (obviously not using for contraception).

I wish I'd had one years earlier, it really did change my life,

@Losingthewill8 I am in exactly the same position as you. Having several polyps removed under GA shortly. They want to insert a Mirena at the same time. I am really struggling to decide whether to have the coil or not as I don't understand the benefits. Your post was interesting. Has it eased your symptoms?

I have had 2...and absolutely love them. No periods at all!

I had my first one put in during my second c section. My 2nd one under general anaesthetic 6 weeks after my 4th c section...unfortunately they were unable to put it in in the gynaecologists rooms so had to book theatre time.

I will definitely have a 3rd one in a couple of years. Wish I had done it sooner!

youmeanyouvelostyourkey

I’ve had the coil fitted for 10 months and have continuous spotting. A complete nuisance!!

However the pain from adenomyosis is gone, thankfully!

My natural periods stopped almost 3 years ago so I was on hrt. The oestrogen side of it thickened my lining which is I was ‘shedding’ causing the pain.

I have no idea what will happen if I keep spotting. It’s relentless. I’m maybe clear 8/10 day a month if I’m lucky !