Really pushing the Mirena coil

[KatieBenz]

I had a hysterospcy today. Not a pleasant experience as my surgeon took a large polyp out.
I found it strange that my consultant, when talking through the procedure, was really promoting a mirena coil. I’m in my 50’s and have never had one. Why would I consider it now?

Very hard to make a decision which having a procedure like that done. They're pretty traumatic by all accounts,was very pleased I didn't need one.

**while

I've literally been on my back, legs splayed with a speculum hanging out of me having a copper one and they STILL pushed mirena right up until they unwrapped the one I booked in for.
There absolutely HAS to be an incentive because they've certainly not given a shit about what's best for me before or since.

Bellshill
( GP partner of 20 years)

Because its much easier to slag off GPs than actually consider that they might actually be doing their job ie advising on best management.

Even though there’s a GP posting on here who’s confirmed that there is no financial incentive for GP’s to fit them?
Even though there is a whole wealth of evidence that they work brilliantly in the vast majority of users?

All contraceptives, indeed all prescribed medication comes with warnings and lists of d]side effects. Does that mean you won’t take ANY of them? I think some people on this thread lack basic common sense.

@FancyFelix I've heard great things.

My issue was that I've reacted badly to hormones before and I have a cervical ectropion which is hormone reactive. I felt that those combined might mean more bleeding rather than less. I didn't want to try it if I couldn't have it removed easily either.

The last gynaecologist I saw was the one who diagnosed the ectropion and said that mirena was likely not the best idea for me. This gynae was also the first one who I felt really listened to my issues and didn't just roll their eyes at my experience with hormones previously.

I’ve had a mirena in for a long time - I don’t give a damn if GPs did get paid for fitting them (which I know they don’t), because it was an actual life saver for me. It stopped my incredibly painful, heavy periods which meant I didn’t need to continue taking time off from my job every month putting me at risk of losing that job; I stopped feeling at deaths door every month; my life in general improved massively. All as a result of a little piece of plastic impregnated with the hormones my body needed in order to function well.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I have friends who had the mirena fitted, it didn't work for them, they got it removed on request.

It's not for you, fine. But stop talking rubbish

I had exactly the same experience OP. Hysteroscopy due to unexpected bleeding and they removed a polyp. I was relatively new to HRT but post menopausal. I just felt I'd had enough of random bleeding and had read about some side effects with the Mirena coil so I didn't want to risk more even issues. Still not sure if it's the right decision but things have settled down for me now.

I had a few and they worked well for me - up to the point they didn't. And it became increasingly difficult to get them changed/removed because my GP stopped doing it, and the local sexual health clinic would only do it if it was for contraception - which left the local hospital (good luck with that). I much prefer the capsules because I have more control.

When they were pushing the Mirena at me pre-menopause they reassured me that the hormones stay in the uterus, so i definitely wouldn't have any of 5e issues I had previously had with progesterone. (I couldn't take the combined Pill and the mini-Pill was even worse).

However, if they now offer it for systemic menopause symptoms, presumably that is not the case.

I was never convinced I was told the truth and decided it wasn't worth the risk.

The reason the mirena is used with HRT as you need to take progesterone to protect your womb when taking HRT. This can be done with a prostegrene pill or the coil. For many women the mirena coil is a very effective way of doing this. You can't take oestrogen safely without progesterone ( if you still have a womb and are still pre menopausal. )

Because also, there's so many women that post on here desperate to get them out and having barriers throw up.
How often do we see people pleading to have them taken back out because of symptoms that no one should put up with.
So many have to threaten to remove it themselves to get it out.
Female medicine is shit. Utterly shit.
We are treated like children that don't require pain relief.
It's disgusting and we are quite rightly wary.

That's a great result for you, and I'm pleased it worked for you, but I react terribly to progesterone.
Yet still it's pushed.

Yeah, there's posters who say they're GPs, I certainly wouldn't believe some random off the internet.

I'm so glad you know people who have had good experiences. I know people who haven't. Doesn't mean it's rubbish, it means it's different from your experience.

My mirena stopped me needing a hysterectomy to remain on HRT as utrogestan doesn’t work for me and I kept getting polyps.

It’s the oestrogen element of HRT that deals with the systemic issues of menopause. The progesterone protects the uterus from possibly too much oestrogen.

The problem is that they aren’t tolerated well by everyone and if you’re one of the people who doesn’t tolerate it, they will make you keep it for at least six months to “see if it settles down” 🙄. After six months you will still find it almost impossible to get an appointment to have it removed, not because of access issues but because they just don’t want to remove them once in place. It’s this that makes people suspect a financial incentive.

I refused it. I reacted really badly to Utrogestan and it was pushed at me.

After hearing reports though of it being much harder to get appointments to get it removed I wasn't prepared to take the risk

Quite

Doctors do love that coil, I wonder if there is any commission on them

There is no commission. There are no kickbacks. There is no financial incentive.

Dr's promote the Mirena because its the best choice for many women in many situations, its cheaper and better than the alternatives, and it's a bloody good invention.

They expect you to keep it in for six months to see if it settles down because in the majority of cases, it does settle down! If you had to pay for yours, and pay for the insertion and removal (like I do), rather than enjoying it all for free on the NHS, you would have an eye on the cost implications too, and would wait the six months, believe me.

@scissorsandsellotape

Just look for Mirena on FB. various groups on there of women who have taken it with good and bad results.

A poster has suggested confirmation bias on these groups. Maybe, and no one is denying the fact that the Mirena does work for a lot of women. But it doesn’t work for everyone and these fb groups are women telling of their first hand experiences in a way that no dr will advise.

Apparently the coil supplies the body with Progestin which is a synthetic hormone unlike Progesterone, which is body identical and causes less side effects. There is a lot of info on these FB groups and I would suggest everyone does their own research before making their minds up.

There is a lot of info on these FB groups and I would suggest everyone does their own research before making their minds up.

Perhaps not on Facebook though