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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mirena coil fitting experiences - a poll on the painfulness!

61 replies

AnxiousAnnabel · 17/09/2023 15:13

Due to have mine fitted this week (for heavy periods)

Had a non hormonal coil fitted years ago, which was a bit uncomfortable, but bearable, however, having read a lot of the posts on here, there seem to be a lot of bad experiences.

Please be really honest, if you've had one put in!

YABU - it was fine
YANBU - it was an absolute mofo

OP posts:
TomatoSoupIsLikeVampiresBlood · 17/09/2023 15:17

Mine was also for heavy periods. I took paracetamol 20 mins prior to the appointment, it was fine, bearable.
However, it did nothing for my periods other than made me spot. Every. Single. Day.
For the 11 odd months I had it in.
Good luck.

Redwinestillfine · 17/09/2023 15:21

On the app so can't do the poll but I have had 3 in, both fine.

GoddessOnTheHighway · 17/09/2023 15:21

It was pretty (unexpectedly) painful but pain passed very quickly

JuneFromBethesda · 17/09/2023 15:22

I had mine as part of my HRT. It was so quick and painless I barely had a chance to register it. The nurse who was assisting did say that the GP who inserted the coil was particularly skilled at it!

I had 11 weeks of spotting after that and was pretty fed up, came very close to asking the GP to take it out again, then it settled down and I’ve had no problems - or periods - since. I’m very happy with it and it was definitely worth the initial bother.

I hope you have a similarly easy experience OP 🙂

cardibach · 17/09/2023 15:22

My first one was absolutely fine - uncomfortable but no more than that. The next (and subsequent ones) was more tricky. I had to have an injection of local anaesthetic in my cervix to open it a bit. Not pleasant, but still fine - otherwise I wouldn’t have had another!

Roseandrose20 · 17/09/2023 15:23

It was painful but over quickly, I think I took about two deep breaths and it was done.

ohyesohyesoh · 17/09/2023 15:23

Had one put in about 6 months ago. It wasn't a walk in the park but it also wasn't as awful as I was expecting
As PP suggested some pain relief before and try to breathe thru it. The actual ouchie bit didn't last long

WorriedMillie · 17/09/2023 15:24

Mine was fine, a bit ouchy, but nothing some deep breathing didn’t sort! It was kind of sprung on me, so I didn’t have time for prophylactic paracetamol, but that might be a good idea :)

Moredarkchocolateplease · 17/09/2023 15:25

I couldn't talk it was so uncomfortable, I was pressing myself back into the bed and doing some very vigorous yoga breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth!

But it was done in about two minutes. I stood up, they checked I wasn't going to faint and I felt absolutely fine by the time I got in the car.

If you can, have it fitted while you are bleeding. My first one was fitted this way and I didn't feel it. (Dr preferred to do them on period).

Most of the pain was actually the top of the clamp that was pressing into the top of my vulva!

stayathomer · 17/09/2023 15:27

It was middling- put in perspective of having a baby it was easy! (So I kept thinking 😅)

Angrymum22 · 17/09/2023 15:30

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Certainlyreally · 17/09/2023 15:37

I'm going for number4(?) next week, and they offer gas and air (first time I've had it offered)

Its not fun, but its worth it in my view

ChocolateRaisin09 · 17/09/2023 16:05

I've got really bad endo (frozen pelvis) and it's really difficult to get them in as everything is all wonky. However I took pain relief a bit before and was stoic 😂 It wasn't as bad as I thought, a few breaths and done. And completely worth it for me, no more periods and less pain 👍 Best of luck!

Sleepo · 17/09/2023 16:08

I had one years ago, fine.

Then another more recently where opening my cervix was fine but when she actually put the bloody thing in, it was screaming agony. (Apparently I shouldn’t have been able to feel anything at that point at all Confused). I was fainting with pain for 3 days and then expelled it, just awful. Think something must have gone wrong.

MonkeyPuddle · 17/09/2023 16:09

I’m on my third. Have them out to have kids and then a new one back in again.
Its not my fave thing to do, but for me at least, the pain is short lived, maybe ten seconds of a deep cramping feeling and then maybe an hour or so of a dull ache.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 17/09/2023 16:11

I found it very painful, I cried. I then went all dizzy (I have low blood pressure) so DH had to come and collect me because I couldn't drive myself home. Spent the rest of the day on the sofa feeling a bit beaten up. Totally worth it though. Fixed my heavy bleeding (it had got to the point where I didn't feel safe leaving the house), and now I don't have periods at all. It was heavier for the first couple of months though so don't panic if that happens to you.

user12345678912334 · 17/09/2023 16:15

I've had 2. Both fine. Bit like a moderate period pain.
Had for very very heavy periods and as HRT.
It's been life changing. No periods since.

Wakemeup17 · 17/09/2023 16:20

I had a non hormonal coil fitted but don't think there's much difference. I took two paracetamols 1h beforehand. It was painful but not drastically so and it's worth it in my opinion. The only weird thing (that I didn't think of) was when I stood up there was a lot of blood that just dripped out on the floor. Otherwise it was absolutely fine.

RiskyReels · 17/09/2023 16:22

My experiences have been very similar to MonkeyPuddle. Uncomfortable, with some brief sharp pain during insertion and cramping after. Also a couple of weeks of mood swings after the first one was put in, and bad headaches after the 2nd one, which I put down to the initial "burst" of hormones. All settled down and I had no issues like those at all after 3rd or 4th coils were put in.

And it was absolutely worth it - for me they have stopped periods and all the associated cramping, PMS, etc completely, year after year after year!

I hope you have a good experience too.

Blueash · 17/09/2023 16:24

I have had several - it really matters who puts them in. So a gynecologist will do it really quick and it won't hurt. A G.P. will be slower but it will not be unbearable no matter who does it.

NancyJoan · 17/09/2023 16:29

Have had two, I found it very traumatic both times, had a panic attack with the 2nd one. For me it was more frightening than painful, I can’t really explain it. When the GP started talking about having a 3rd, to go along with my HRT, I agreed then decided I couldn’t go through it again.

Both gave me five years of no periods though.

Lemsipper · 17/09/2023 16:31

It was totally unremarkable and fine. It’s like a pinch & if I needed it done again I wouldn’t give it two thoughts

HeadAgainstWall0923 · 17/09/2023 16:32

My first one didn’t hurt at all. It was uncomfortable at times but it certainly wasn’t painful.

The second one hurt so much that I was near screaming at one point and I had tears running down my face. It was fucking awful.

That experience put me off having another and now I just live with horribly heavy periods 😢

Shinyandnew1 · 17/09/2023 16:34

Mine was horrendous-hurt an incredible amount at the time-even with pain relief. Having it out was even worse though, tbh-it went missing and I had to go to a hospital for them to use a special camera and grabber to remove it! I’ve not had a baby vaginally though so that might be a factor.

I’ve actually had three fitted (glutton for punishment?!) and they’ve all been very painful with lots of bleeding/cramping BUT in its defence, it suits me very well as a contraceptive and is marvellous with stopping the hormonal spots prone to, so I grit my teeth and poke up with the pain whilst it goes in and out!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 17/09/2023 16:38

Slightly weird feeling of pressure and it was done - I was surprised that they made me stay laying down for a couple of minutes afterwards, as I was ready to hop off, get my underwear back on and go to Sainsbury's.

I'm pretty good at doing a resigned sigh and flop as though I'm in a yoga class, though. Works well for blood tests, vaccinations and steroid shots, too.