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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

‘All women should be offered pain relief for coil fitting’

359 replies

mrsgrealish69 · 14/07/2021 09:49

I’ve just read a news story about a lot of women finding coil fittings painful and traumatic (certainly was the case for me a decade ago) I think naga munchetty said on the radio or in an interview somewhere that it was an excruciating experience for her.
I’ve seen an NHS response that apparently guidelines state women are offered appropriate pain relief for a fitting. Does anyone know what they mean by this?

I was advised to take a paracetamol beforehand, is this what they are referring to?

OP posts:
Shehasadiamondinthesky · 14/07/2021 13:07

I've never had a painful coil fitting but then again all three fell out within two weeks.
I'm wondering if the birth of DS caused over stretching of my cervix.

AnUnoriginalUsername · 14/07/2021 13:09

@PragmaticWench
Sorry, it only took a second.

No way I'd let a GP try for an hours though! Jesus Christ.

I think it massively comes down to who does it, the woman who did mine did multiple a day, she was a wizz, the nurse who booked me in told me that GPs don't don't nearly as many so aren't as good.

Aprilinspringtimeshower · 14/07/2021 13:09

@NormanStangerson

I also think the argument between those who were in agony and those who found it a walk in the park, to be moot.

Who gives a shit about apparent pain thresholds? The point is, we should be offered anaesthetic. Whether you choose to have it or not is up to you.

I don’t think it is a simple as pain threshold. It is to do with your individual anatomy. People always say pain thresholds- but people don’t have a high or low threshold generally. There are certain things some people find painful and the same person can feel excruciating pain for something someone else breezes through.
icelollies · 14/07/2021 13:12

From reading the thread it seems that you just wont know if its going to hurt or not, so the choice to have pain relief needs to be offered.

For me, i had a mirena the same time as a hysteroscopy, so i did have pain relief. But it felt uncomfortable, and I also had ‘cervical shock’ which left me feeling very nauseous and faint.

I think honesty all round needs to be the best policy, and not just assume you will be fine!

Notaroadrunner · 14/07/2021 13:12

The coil will be the next thing for me if mini pill doesn't work. I won't have it without general anaesthetic.

irregularegular · 14/07/2021 13:14

Are we including mirenas in this or just the copper coil?

Of course women who experience pain or who are likely to experience pain should be offered/given appropriate pain relief. I suppose you don't want to go straight in with significant pain relief that may have detrimental effects of its own when most (not all!!!) women only feel brief cramps.

I'm on my third mirena now and don't remember anyone every offering or suggesting pain relief. But I've never really felt anything either. The replies on here may not be representative.

NormanStangerson · 14/07/2021 13:15

@Aprilinspringtimeshower I was basically saying the bickering about pain threshold was a distracting nonsense, as women should all be offered pain relief before enduring any kind of gynaecological procedure. And it is their choice if they take it.

Of course there’s wild variation to anatomy, skill of the administering medic, point in the hormonal cycle, mental well-being (of both patient and clinician), time of day….all these things will impact upon an individual experience and level of pain experienced. So accepting all of that, I simply think women should be offered pain relief and it’s bordering on barbaric that we aren’t.

TheHoundsofLove · 14/07/2021 13:15

It’s a shame as I actually get on extremely well with the copper coil - doesn’t cause me any problems whatsoever. But, I don’t think I could go through having another fitted. My doctor did provide what she thought would be adequate pain relief - I said it was Naproxen before, but I think I could be wrong there and it was something else. It was still excruciating though.

Hullabaloo31 · 14/07/2021 13:15

They've been around long enough now for the people who fit them to know there's a massive range of responses, and to advocate doing something about it.

I barely felt anything going in or taking out, but they seemed to expect me to be a bit uncomfortable. I don't remember being told to take anything though.

Spruced · 14/07/2021 13:18

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken

Anecdotally, I’ve noticed more women are getting the coil than ten years ago.

Have the numbers actually gone up?

Is there a reason coils are chosen over the implant? They’re completely pain free. They give a local anaesthetic

I definitely had it pushed on me for years - I was very happy with the pill, but they still brought it up frequently when I went to get my blood pressure checked, etc. I suppose it makes sense from a public health perspective - they are cheap and long-lasting, with no adherence or pill burden issues. I always wondered if they were under pressure to increase the uptake, given how persistent they were about it.
MaggieFS · 14/07/2021 13:22

Amongst other things, it definitely depends on the "skill of the fitter".

When I went for my first, long before children but advised due to headaches on the pill, I was asked if I would be ok for a GP returning from mat leave herself to do it under supervision of the GP booked to do it as she obviously hadn't done any for a while. I didn't feel able to say no with her in the room, so said yes.

It was unbearably horrifically painful. She had to stop. The original GP took over and it was still very painful (and by this stage I was incredibly tense) but she did get it in.

I've since moved and had coils fitted twice by my new GP. It hurts even with paracetamol but she explains what she's doing as she's going and when the worst pain will be and crucially that part is over very quickly.

If there are more painless ways of doing this procedure they are long overdue.

Sillyduckseverywhere · 14/07/2021 13:25

It wasn't considered at all for ladies that hadn't given birth when I was younger due to the pain.
They've changed their minds now they've decided it's cheaper long term.
My first was agony, not helped by the unfeeling wankers that fitted it rolling their eyes when I commented on how much more painful it was than I expected.
The second was still painful, but a lot better, was done by a lovely caring GP who even played spa music and made smalltalk to get me through it.
I think skill and bedside manner help a lot.
Pain relief NEEDS to be offered though. Why are women treated like shit?
My partner had a prostate procedure. General. I have my cervix clamped open "Did you take paracetamol" head tilt

Secondbellini · 14/07/2021 13:30

Why do women want the coil given the potential for pain as well as all the complications and side effects that can ensue?

RobinPenguins · 14/07/2021 13:32

Surely it’s got to be more than paracetamol because that wouldn’t be newsworthy/any kind of change.

I didn’t have a problem with my coil fitting pre children, couple of ibuprofen and straight back to work. And skill of the fitter will absolutely be a factor. I don’t think that makes me “part of the problem” though as I have no objection to other women being offered pain relief.

NormanStangerson · 14/07/2021 13:33

Why are women treated like shit?
My partner had a prostate procedure. General. I have my cervix clamped open "Did you take paracetamol" head tilt

Exactly.

Holothane · 14/07/2021 13:35

GA for mine putting and taking (inverted womb no kids). It didn’t work for me as I knew it wouldn’t a year of utter agony with period pains lasting up to 8 hours or more, walked into casualty in the end, removed 8 weeks later.

MouldyPotato · 14/07/2021 13:36

@Secondbellini

Why do women want the coil given the potential for pain as well as all the complications and side effects that can ensue?
It stopped my really heavy periods every month. I couldn't take the pill.
bullyingadvice2017 · 14/07/2021 13:36

I had one. Once about 10 years ago... horrific pain with no warning at all. Never again.

toastantea · 14/07/2021 13:37

@Secondbellini

Why do women want the coil given the potential for pain as well as all the complications and side effects that can ensue?

Mine changed my life. Even if it didn't though, it's not an unreasonable option be sure it can and does work well for many women.

We should stop questioning why women choose it to hen it can be sore to insert and ensure adequate pain relief is available.

Mary46 · 14/07/2021 13:39

I have 3rd in. Its def very uncomfortable. Hard to relax in this situation. Strong pain relief should be given

Lettuceforlunch · 14/07/2021 13:39

It’s a tough one. Personally I didn’t get on with mine but both fitting and removal were fine, no issues at all. Even the Dr inserting it was surprised I didn’t flinch. I seem to have a relatively normal threshold for other things, found contractions very painful etc so not sure what’s going on.

Borgonzola · 14/07/2021 13:41

@Secondbellini why choose the coil? Loads of reasons. These were mine

  1. I was told it wouldn't be a bad procedure (hah!)
  2. my periods are debilitating and I was losing a couple of days of work each month due to pain/sickness. No coil = no period
  3. the implant gave me acne and constant bleeding, ruining my sex life and self confidence in my early 20s
  4. I can't have the combined pill due to being a stroke risk
  5. the mini pill, the option I took, caused me to lose my libido and put on weight
  6. other forms of contraception either mean you still have a period (I wanted to avoid because of how mine are, see above) or have hormonal fluctuations that can cause acne to worsen ?mine stuck around after the implant was removed, again see above).

The coil is touted as a wondrous option compared to the above. I was not prepared in any way by any medical staff for the absolutely terrifying, agonising and traumatic experience I had.

So I plumped for being tubby and very un-horny, rather than spotty, sicky, constantly bleeding, and in pain.

These are the brilliant range of choices many women face.

Smile
iamtopazmortmain · 14/07/2021 13:43

I had to have a hysteroscopy a couple of years ago. I am still upset by the way I was treated. I am no wuss. I have had two babies - one with only gas and air. I cannot believe that you are not offered pain relief for a hysteroscopy. The pain when the camera actually popped into the opening of my womb - and yes I actually could hear it - was sickening.

The staff present treated me as an inconvenience - that I was making a fuss out of nothing. I absolutely think that some pain relief should be offered. It is invasive, and for me, very painful. After it was finished I was sent into the next room to have a sit down with a cup of tea. No one checked if I was ok. I had to go and find someone to see if I was ok to go home. Thankfully I was not working that afternoon. I was not in any fit state to do so.

I honestly believe that such procedures and the possibility of pain are just brushed under the carpet and that women are just expected to get on with it. It felt like I was on a conveyor belt and that offering pain relief would have slowed down the factory.

Whilst I appreciated that I had the procedure soon after going to my GP with symptoms speed is no excuse for treating women with such lack of compassion. I am not sure I could go through it again - which is scary - would O ignore any symptoms because I am so scared of the procedure? Maybe?

Secondbellini · 14/07/2021 13:43

I can understand the need for it for heavy periods, I am really questioning its use for contraception.

It seems highly related to the pain relief question - both are about treatment of and attitudes to women.

As if we are unconcerned about the pain, which if it is going on for days isn’t going to be resolved by pain relief anyway, but also the link to mental health issues, the ongoing physical problems, the removal problems.

SmokedPaprikaHotChilliPowder · 14/07/2021 13:43

I found it so very painful. Had it fitted about 2 months after having a baby. But I had a section so ... I definitely would have accepted some gas and air if it had been on the table. It's still in there, and I'm dreading having to have it changed. I don't think my cervix likes opening to be honest, as it refused to open when I was in labour with my first!

It is crazy to think that women get poked and prodded in their internal organs and are advised to pop a paracetamol to ease that pain. It's actually quite disgusting really when there are many different types of pain relief available.

And if it didn't hurt you, good for you! But stating it didn't hurt, what's the big deal? Is not helpful at all. When many women have said clearly that it does hurt them. What's the harm in saying, 'I didn't find it painful, but different methods of pain relief should be offered for all' -- like, no one is asking for a forced pain relief. Just the OPTION.