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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Mirena, do I do it

88 replies

Changeee1546789 · 31/03/2022 04:56

Had some awful birth injuries after DD1 (3b tear, levator ani avulsion, nerve damage, spasm in my vagina that was treated with Botox). Settled down after DD2 and some great physio/gynae.

Fast forward and my periods have been HORRIFIC. Floods overnight etc. I just thought it was normal until my iron dropped so low that I had to have iron infusion. I am now on Tranexamic Acid but GP recommended Mirena.

After a lot of thinking decided to go for it, took the pills, the jelly, happy pill etc. GP could not get cervix to open anywhere near enough, gave up and said I would need to go to specialist.

Question is - is it worth it? I am conscious of not wanting to mess with my poor vagina too much plus I do worry about the side effects but my periods aren't exactly light (and TA seems to make them last longer) so always worrying about iron. Are there any other good effects of the mirena that could persuade me?

YABU: Leave things as they are, keep taking TA
YANBU: go to specialist and get the mirena for period free heaven

OP posts:

justanotherremainer · 31/03/2022 10:16

I have to say I didn’t find it painful at all to get inserted. I think the trick is to get a specialist who does them all the time.

SallyCinnamon3009 · 31/03/2022 10:22

Had mine put in about 8 months ago and love it. I've not had any side effects and no periods! Wish I'd had it years ago instead of messing around with the pill

80sballetgirl · 31/03/2022 10:32

Best thing I ever did. Dreadful periods, flooding etc. I’m not giving it back!!!!

MatildaTheCat · 31/03/2022 10:49

In terms of insertion it is much easier to do this of you have the right conditions such as proper stirrups and a fully relaxed patient so I would certainly consider this. Obviously you’d discuss your previous injuries and the possible risks with the gynaecologist.

In terms of your periods, it’s very likely to reduce the flow. I’ve had back to back Mirenas for almost 30 years without any bleeding at all. Not everyone has this experience.

Good luck with your decision.

chubbachub · 31/03/2022 10:57

I have similar heavy periods and had the mirena put in and bled for 9 months straight (only 14 bleed-free days in that time, a few days at a time here or there without bleeding but a total of only 14 days out of 9 months with no bleeding at all). Bleeding ranged from full on period to spotting.
Had the same constant bleeding on the mini pill as its the same hormone.

Mine came out while I was in the shower after I checked for the strings and they were way lower than the should have been. It seemed to work its way out of my uterus with the constant bleeding.

My advice is find the source of the bleeding first rather than mask it with hormones. Ask for a scan and blood tests to check for hormone issues or fibroids etc.

Youdoyoutoday · 31/03/2022 11:10

I had one for about 4 years and when I had it removed,I felt like a weight had been lifted off me!

My pms wasn't as bad, anxiety eased off. I felt so much better in myself. I'm never having another one!

yikesanotherbooboo · 31/03/2022 11:14

As pps have said, mirenas can be fantastic and without trying you won't know.At most GP practices there is Doctor or nurse with the right expertise to screen , counsel and fit one for you if appropriate.The amount of hormone is very small and unlikely to have significant negative side effects.

Twizbe · 31/03/2022 11:31

@PetTiger

I assume that the Mirena releases progesterone throughout the monthly cycle, doesn't that really mess with your overall hormones? I am tempted as having periods from hell. I'd be really scared of cervical ectropion and haven't got the cash to pay privately. Mirena does sound tempting but I wonder what a constant release of progesterone does to the body, mood etc

The gynaecologist I saw said that as the hormone is concentrated at the uterus it doesn't have such a wide ranging impact on you like the pill does.

My ectropion was diagnosed by her while assessing me, but I think I've had it for years as I bled during pregnancy and when I was last on the pill.

She agreed that as I already had one it would likely be sparked by it and I might then need it burnt.

In general though I'm quite anti synthetic hormones.

Alwaystired37 · 31/03/2022 11:38

Yes! Mirena changed my life. I was having 12 day periods, with 10 days of PMT before they started. I was getting headaches, dizziness and palpitations every time I had my period. 3 months after I had mirena put in I was no longer having periods. Amazing. The first one I had put in hurt like fuck mind you, the second one didn't hurt at all.

GeminiTwin · 31/03/2022 11:43

@PetTiger

It didn't mess with my hormones either.

I had it for 6 years. It did hurt when I had it put in, my cervix is very high and I hadn't had a child at that point.

I spotted for a few weeks then didn't have a single period for 6 years. Zero side effects.

Getting it taken out was a breeze. Literally 15 seconds and it was out and zero pain. Periods went back to normal within a month.

I'd highly recommend having a Mirena. I know things don't react the same with everybody but it was 100% the best contraception for me.
I'm now infertile due to chemo and DD was conceived via IVF but I have really heavy periods since DD and I'm having a new Mirena put in next week to help with these as I'm anaemic.

Couldn't recommend it more!

Handsnotwands · 31/03/2022 11:45

Where would one find a specialist?

ThinWomansBrain · 31/03/2022 11:48

I had it fitted after more than a year of extremely heavy periods (had fibroids and a thickened womb lining).
Worked brilliantly - periods stopped altogether; hospital consultant had been in favour of doing a hysterectomy, so this was a much less invasive option.
Be careful with tranxaemic acid - after taking it for an extended time, it caused me to have DVT, so several months of warfarin.

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 31/03/2022 11:54

@Changeee1546789 well I always assumed that with no periods then no PMS was part of that package. I was never a massive sufferer of PMS but I certainly didnt have any when I had a Mirena.

I just had my last one removed and joked to the GP about having it gold plated. Actually I was serious.

ThinWomansBrain · 31/03/2022 12:02

@PetTiger

I always work on the assumbtion that something releasing hormones or whatever is going to be less invasive than drugs taken orally (or the hystarectomy that I was being pushed to have). The only impact on mood I experienced from Mirena was lack of constant tiredness and enthusiasm for anything that came from long debilitating periods, & the resultant anaemia; it was brilliant. Read the nice guidelines on heavy periods so that you have a good understanding of what is available on the NHS, and see your GP. Be prepared to be pushy if you need to be.

ThinWomansBrain · 31/03/2022 12:04

@Handsnotwands - through your GP?

MurmuratingStarling · 31/03/2022 12:04

What you have been through sounds horrendous! And your periods sound horrific. Go for it.

I know some women who had it who had dreadful cramps for 5-6 days though, who were in tears and wishing they'd not had it done. But after a week it settled down, and they are happy now, and have much lighter periods and much less pain.

HiKelsey · 31/03/2022 12:04

I have a adverse reaction to progesterone so I'm currently waiting for my mirena removed and a copper put in. This is the second time they've cut the strings too short so now got to go to day unit at the hospital for it to be removed.

I've had the implant, pill, mirena and copper coil and the only one that worked for me was copper. I suffer with endometriosis so it doesn't help the pain or the heavier periods but I've spent the last year producing milk and having morning sickness/nausea and I'm not pregnant and it's all down to the mirena.

It does really work for some but if you're overall sensitive to changes in hormones like I am I really wouldn't recommend

AWombleScorned · 31/03/2022 12:21

It made me fat and spotty. The doctor said it couldn’t possibly be causing weight gain/ making it impossible to lose weight but I got it out and lost 15lbs so…

Bintymcbintface · 31/03/2022 12:28

I had mirena and hated it. Sure my periods stopped but I gained 2st in 2 months, had constant migraines and was a miserable grumpy bitch. Everyone's different but I wouldn't go near it again

Scarlettpixie · 31/03/2022 13:28

I was offered the coil for my heavy/painful/long periods. I asked to try the mini pill first and its fantastic. I take cerezette and I have no periods and no PMS. It is life changing. Despite saying this to the GP they still regularly ask me if I have thought about a coil 🙄

Marcipex · 31/03/2022 13:32

I had three in succession; it was life changing.

FrightorFlight · 31/03/2022 13:32

I had two. Took 6 months for the agonising boob pain to go each time but I had no periods when on them. First one popped out easily when I wanted to conceive. Second one put in when ds was 6 months got embedded and needed a specialist to remove it. I got it taken out because I was really struggling with the mental side effects.

YellowMonday · 31/03/2022 13:36

I had it from 17 through to 30 (obviously replaced during this time!). I loved it so much, I essentially stopped having a period. I have PCOS and endometriosis so this was heaven sent.

Unfortunately at 30 I started to develop an unusually thick uterine wall lining, and due to a family history of uterine cancer, my gynaecologist wanted it out. If not for that I would still be using it.

luckylavender · 31/03/2022 13:39

It changed my life

Topseyt · 31/03/2022 14:50

You'll get a mixed bag of responses because the mirena is rather a marmite thing, and it works for some but not for others. There really is only one way to find out whether or not it is for you and that is to try it and see.

It didn't work for me. I had it in for 13 months and it never settled. I bled for most of that time, with lots and lots of flooding. Already heavy, flooding periods became what I can only describe as haemhorrages. Ironically, that was the very problem it had been put in to solve. I couldn't wait to get rid of it, but doctors had initially kept saying "give it more time" etc. Then Covid lockdowns happened and I was stuck with it, which was the only reason I put up with it for as long as I did before absolutely putting my foot down and insisting it was removed.

My horrendous periods do now seem to have been stopped (fingers crossed) by a six month course of Zoladex injections. I am 55 so I do now hope that the menopause has kicked in as the idea was to prompt that.

Try it. I hope it works for you.

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