Did you have a positive or negative experience of Mirena Coil?

[Clockface222]

I am having issues with the progesterone content of my HRT and my GP wants me to try the Mirena Coil. I am however a bit worried about all the horror stories I read online about it and wonder how representative they are of women's experiences. So please tell me if:

IABU - it was fine and has helped me
IANBU - it gave me bad side effects and I had to have it taken out

Best thing ever, had a few over about 15 years for very heavy 3 week long periods. Took nearly a year but eventually they stopped altogether. Bonus was that I went through the menopause without even knowing, I was having no periods so didn’t know it was happening until a blood test showed firstly that I was peri , and then that I was done. Brilliant!

I didn’t get on with it at all. I seemed to get all the rare side effects. Plus, it hurt DH which meant although it was an excellent contraceptive it didn’t do much for our relationship.

I had one in 2014 (12 weeks after DD1 was born), had it removed in 2016 to have DD2, then had another after she was born. Both times it was fantastic - completely stopped my periods, no pain, no weight gain, no mood swings. The only downside was it really reduced my libido (although that could have just been a consequence of having two small children!).

It stopped the menstrual flooding but caused serious weight gain for me.

I’m 49 and been on the pill for the last 3 months ! It is the prostrogen only pill though which you can take until 55.

i chose this option over the coil as had heard a few horror stories too.

Insertion for me was awful and I passed out and was unable to drive home for a few hours after. By that evening I was literally doubled in two with awful cramping and paracetamol and ibuprofen weren't doing anything. Had to go to the ooh pharmacy to get stronger medication over the counter the next morning. Had to call the gp on the Monday who advised bad cramping was normal and gave me a sick line and stronger Painkillers on prescription. Went back to work after a month still in a lot of pain and using Painkillers daily. I wanted to get it out by then but I can't take any other forms of hormonal contraception and I kept being told it would settle down and to be honest the insertion had been so bad that i was terrified of getting it out. It took about 6 months for the cramping to stop. My sex drive plummeted, I had continuous periods at the start and to be honest my period was no lighter and no less painful each month when it eventually regulated and I started getting hair on my neck. I ended up keeping it for 2 years mainly because I was scared of getting it out but when I decided to ttc and got it removed it was absolutely painless and I was really gutted I hadn't got it removed sooner.

I’m on my second, insertion & removal is pretty unpleasant/ painful but ok.

No periods is the big plus for me, I don’t think I’ve had any other side effects (was previously on pill).

i had a miscarriage on it at 7 weeks unfortunately, totally unexpected until the coil and pregnancy expelled itself. it is a bit of a horror story, but i also have PCOS, have had to have a sterilisation and ablation, and got pregnant on this coil, the patch, and the mini pill and the implant,(yes i have 5 children only 1 was not on contraception) i did have a positive experience on the copper coil, although my body just rejected it after 4 months and back to excessive bleeding.

I bloody love my mirena coil. Can’t believe I was so resistant to getting one for so many years.

Thanks all. It is so hard to know what to do as experiences are so mixed. This survey does seem to agree with the national data which shows about 20% getting it removed in the 1st year. I am just worried that the GP will be resistant to removing it if needed.

My main reason for getting it is that progesterone gives me bad reflux. I currently get this the 12 days a month I take the sequential HRT and I am worried it could be permanent with Mirena. Has anyone had reflux as a side effect? My periods are pretty light anyway so hoping bleeding is not too much of an issue and I have been ok mood wise with progesterone.

I'm on my third mirena at 40 - not much worse than a smear, and brilliant in that I basically don't get periods when I used to have heavy periods with unpleasant pain that impacted day to day life. I get on with it really well, I'd be super disappointed not to have it.

Very positive

Huge positive. Had one at about 40 because I was anaemic from very heavy periods. I had no periods at all after that, finally had the second one removed at 54. No menopausal flushes or bad symptoms at all. Until about a year after it was removed when I went on to HRT.

Didn’t find insertion or removal particularly painful.

I had one put in for PMDD as I was reacting badly to other forms of progesterone. I was told it wouldn't make me react.

It did make me react badly just the same as with oral and patch progesterone. I also bled every day on it.

The GP kept telling me I needed to keep it in for a bit longer but I was getting more and more stressed with it as I had permanent PMDD symptoms.

I ended up getting removed after asking yet again, being told to give it more time, then screaming either you take it out now or I'm going home to rip it out myself. Not my finest moment 🤐

My body completely rejected the mirena coil. It was fitted at the top of my uterus, as it should be, but about a year later, at a colposcopy appointment, the Dr asked me to cough, and as I did so, he pulled it out. It had been half hanging out of my cervix! Never bothered getting one put back in haha

I'm on my 2nd one. Initially had about 6 months of spotting on and off, I think IIRC they gave the pill for a few months at some point which helped the bleeding. After that I've had no more periods, just very very occasional light spotting of brown discharge (maybe once a month / two months?).
My mother had a Mirena coil too until post-menopause (?think it's aged 55) and said she never really noticed going through menopause, had no symptoms etc so it worked well for her!

I also agonised over the decision OP, also because of the varying experiences I heard about.

Unfortunately there is only one way to find out and that’s to try it. I hope it works for you.

As a side note, I got my put in under anaesthetic, which I highly recommend!

I had my first in 1999. They were really new then and I had to pick up the prescription myself with the box being really long because of the insertion tube lol.

Had it removed in 2001 to have a baby, then a new one in after delivery. Have used them consistently since. After I didn’t need contraception I use it for heavy periods. This will probably be my last as I’m 53 now and pretty much through my menopause.

I’ve loved them. I ride the niggles out for the first month and then it’s fine for me.

It didn't work for me, and I didn't have any obvious reasons as to why - usually had regular, quite light periods. Unfortunately when I had the mirena I had continuous light bleeding - I was told it was an initial side effect that would settle down but it never did and I had to have it removed. I switched to the copper coil but also had issues with that and eventually went back to the pill, albeit a different type (low oestrogen combined pill)

I have to say the GP I saw at the time and my local sexual health clinic (who I had to go to for some contraception) weren't great, some of the advice they gave me was out of date practice or not within prescribing guidelines. I did my own research and settled on my current option via superdrug online (which lists all the different types of pills available and the specific hormones in them)

Same. I would say libido isn't great but maybe it wouldn't be anyway at my age

Very positive. I have adenomyisis so had horrendous periods which left me so anaemic I could barely climb the stairs. I didn’t want a Mirena because of horror stories I’d read on here. Gynae said it was that or a hysterectomy so I got the coil and it has been life changing. Haven’t had a period in 4 years (I’m 49). The anaemia resolved quickly with iron supplements and I love not having periods.

I had one fitted about 6 weeks ago due to Adenomyosis causing anaemia. I also have a retroverted cervix and smears are very painful. Insertion was fine (took some paracetamol before hand as advised) and inserted quickly with mild discomfort. I had a doctor do mine and a nurse hold my hand lol.

I’ve had some spotting/discharge since which is annoying but hopefully will resolve in the next few months (I was advised it could take 6 months).

If it all settles down I’ll be pleased I have had it done!

Didn't work for me. First one got lost. Second one came out a bit and was very painful and then the third went in right but after months and months of bleeding I had it removed.

I’ve had one (not the same one!) for 30 years. So obviously a very positive experience for me. No periods and no issues.

It’s now for HRT and is considered the gold standard alongside topical oestrogen. What I have found is that the last insertion at the age of 55 was more painful than I’d ever previously experienced. The nurse said this was due to the cervix stiffening with age. So next time, which is soon, I’ll be loading up with daily vaginal oestrogen cream rather than the usual twice a week. Hopefully that will trick my cervix into believing we are 25 once more..

In your place I’d go for it bit with the understanding that if you aren’t happy after, say six months, it is removed without any comment. It’s very well known that some people don’t get on with it. Most do, some don’t.

I got pregnant on it and had a really horrible miscarriage. It came out with the miscarriage and I never went back.