to be a bit baffled by approach to Mirena side effects by docs...

[ImSoNotTelling]

I had my mirena fitted yesterday. DH has been a bit worried about it due to the people on here who have had side effects. When I went for initial appt they said the hormone is localised blah and they'd never heard of anyone getting depressed (I suffered perinatal anxiety and depression and I'm only just getting over it - that's why DH was worried). Basically said my concerns were unfounded and that these things weren't side effects due to localisation of hormone.

Anyway I decided to go ahead on the basis they said it would be fine, and the no periods thing sounds good, and if I go wonky I will know it's probably the coil and get it removed. I read the leaflet thoroughly and it didn't mention and of the side effects women on here have mentioned.

The doctor yesterday also reassured me depression etc not side effect.

Afterwards she gave me the booklet which listed side effects and under "common side effects" - which they define as affecting between 1% and 10% of women ie what I would think meant really very common, were things including depression and anxiety, headaches, weight gain, spots, mood swings etc etc

So why on earth did both doctors and the initial leaflet not mention these things at all???

Is there some kind of conspiracy to get everyone onto Mirena? It is really weird. Normally the risks of things are explained in huge detail.

And in this second leaflet it said small amounts of the hormone get into your breast milk - which also wasn't mentioned to me at any point.

Am IBU to wonder why my concerns were dismissed when they are actual listed side effects, and to wonder why the initial leaflet only mentioned good things while the one they give you after you've had it inserted is a completely different story?

YANBU at all.

I think that it is absolutely disgraceful that women are suffering with depression and/or anxiety and doctors are not acknowledging the links between these conditions and hormonal contraception.

Surely a first step if someone is feeling depressed is to come off the hormones and see if this helps.

A google search or a Mumsnet advanced search will show you some of the problems people have had.

There is info from the patient leaflet at this link:

www.patient.co.uk/health/Intrauterine-System.htm

"Side-effects are uncommon. The progestogen released by the IUS mainly stays around the uterus and very little gets into the bloodstream. ....... Examples of possible side-effects include: mood swings, reduced sex drive, fluid retention, increase in acne and breast discomfort."

My story is that I have a DS who is 2 years old and I have recently had a Mirena coil removed after I became depressed and anxious and started suffering from random pregnancy type symptoms. (I've previously been on the pill for years with no problems). I now have a copper coil which I am very happy with.

I had my Mirena coil fitted at the FP Clinic and when I went back and said I wanted it removed they were very sceptical that I could be suffering these side effects.

I should probably write them a letter of complaint.

Its interesting also that having no periods is considered a positive point (it was one of the positives given to me too). I tend to stop having periods when on the pill, and find it a real negative, especially as I can't then tell whether, for example, I'm not bleeding because I'm underweight or anaemic. Surely having periods is part of being a woman of childbearing age. Clearly, if you tend to have heavy/problematic periods anyway, a copper coil may be a bad idea - but I don't see why getting rid of them entirely is good.

Besides which, its always useful to have a time of the month when you can be brutally frank to your DH/LOs with a good excuse .

This is very interesting as my GP said that nobody fits no-hormone coils any more and the mirena was brilliant and definitely the way to go. I haven't done anything about it because I am very wary of hormones - prone to depression, putting on weight and spots* - so don't need any help to go that way. Does anyone know why the no hormone coils have fallen from favour, and how I can get one if that seems to be the best thing to do?

btw, totally off topic, but I was lied to about ssri's side effects too - came off them pretty quick anyway for other reasons, but I found whole interweb communities of people (in USA) who thought what I was experiencing was common knowledge although completely unknown to my GP.

*just as well this is not a dating site.

vezzie what utter utter rubbish GP's spout:

"nobody fits no-hormone coils any more"!!

Of course they do - I have had one fitted very recently. Loads of people on Mumsnet have copper coils.

I suggest you ignore your GP and find your local family planning clinic/sexual health clinic. These are NHS and you book your appointment yourself not through the GP.

link to the US mirena class action website

Well, the aim of the US mirena class action website is to have the product removed from the market. What about those of us for whom it works perfectly well - or who are least prepared to tolerate the side effects because the alternative (surgery) is not something we want to undergo?

I've suffered from depression before and do not tolerate the pill, so I was sceptical about the Mirena. But I have had 2 (conceived ds the month I had the first mirena taken out) and the current mirena is nearly 5 years old, so will soon be going for my third. There have been some side effects - there often are with any medication - and there have been many occasions when I have wondered whether the mirena is the right thing for me, but actually it is. The alternative in my case is probably a hysterectomy and that's not something to undertake lightly.

I prefer to put up with some heightened anxiety from time to time and a lowered sex drive. The pill causes horrendous side effects in lots of women (DVT and death in some cases), but I don't hear anyone campaigning to have that taken off the market.

Are there no other options for you bolshy? That sounds like a lot to put up with. After my anxiety while pregnant, I would not put up with that as a side effect. I'd rather use condoms or, TBH, not have sex at all.

Thinking about it, is it to do with the effects of hormones on mood etc being in some way underestimated or ignored by medical establishment. My preinatal anxiety was obviously related to pregnancy hormones - it comes when I am pregnant and goes when I have the baby. Hormones are very very powerful. Yet the effect on mood seems to be brushed aside as irrelevant a lot of the time.

Are women just seen as a bit hysterical and silly if they complain about being miserable and link it to a wonderful modern medical contraption, which stops your periods, and so is therefore what every woman should grateful for?

I'm takver - if your periods are normal and you don't get PMS or anything, then they're not much hassle really. And part and parcel of being female. I would rather have periods than be cowering in the house because I think everyone's trying to get me

Maybe that is overly cynical though.

Oh sorry bolshy just seen there are no alternatives for you.

That's crap. Sorry.

bolshy fair enough - I would not actually advocate for the Mirena coil to be removed from the market - I was just trying to raise awareness of various side effects etc.

I can totally see why the Mirena coil might be indicated as a better option to surgery, however why are doctors pushing it as the coil of choice for women who are just looking for contraception. (Particularly women presenting with histories of depression/anxiety etc).

TBH I haven't had problems with hormonal contracpeption before so am hoping for the best.

They do need to make people aware though - not least so that if they do lose the plot they will link it to the coil. And not think it's just them. That's the important bit.

To be fair, my GP was perfectly happy to fit me a copper coil to replace the previous one - but didn't have any long appointments available before going away on an extended holiday.
It was the family planning clinic where I went as an alternative who seemed so keen on the Mirena - but even they obviously still fitted plenty of copper coils because they were discussing ordering a new batch & how many they should get whilst mine was being fitted.
I think its great that the Mirena is available, it obviously suits plenty of women, I just think its odd that it is so popular here whereas it seemed to be something of a last resort contraception in Spain.
Mind you, the Spanish family planning people were super keen on fitting me with a coil, & talked me out of going back on the pill, so I guess it just depends what's 'fashionable' (I did wonder if this was why the Spanish birth rate is so low!).

I found mirena great and not having periods was good for me - I work long shifts sometimes without easy access to a toilet for 5/6 hrs and I don't enjoy periods. I did get spots and mild PMS so always knew when I would have had a period so could be stroppy with DH with impunity (not having PMS wouldn't stop me anyway)

Once this pregnancy is over I'll be getting another mirena. But anyone who deals with contraception who doesn't realise different things suit different people needs some serious retraining.

YANBU - I had the same from my GPs, who were then happy to admit that all the nasty side effects were probably the Mirena (confirmed when they all went away except the weight gain within 3 days of it being removed).

OTOH I had a brain fitted for a while and it really disagreed with me. Far too many side effects for my liking - had that taken out too and I've been fine since.

rubberduck, thanks for that yellow card link. I thought only GPs could fill it in! I will def do that.

Chaotica thanks for the tip, I was thinking about having a brain inserted but maybe I'll give it a miss now

rasputin I have heard on another thread about a couple of people whose milk went, they had the coil out (I don't know how quickly) and their milk returned. Maybe worth a try?

How long did it take to go? I am BF and DD only 4 mo so def not ready to stop.

I believe that under the current GP contract they receive special extra payments for fitting coils and providing counselling - (?handing out the leaflet) - and it's more than they get for prescribing the pill. I have certainly noticed an increase in the willingness of GP's at the local surgery to advise that a coil would be 'just right' for someone 'like me' (okay, aging old bag who already has her kids but still needs contraception!). I'm afraid I just get the heeby-jeebies at the thought of something shoved up me - feel free to tell me I'm daft I know. But the knowledge that there is a financial incentive always makes me think that advice might be just a bit biased - and also that if the thing didn't suit me they might be reluctant to take it out - 'counsel' me that oh no it's not that causing the problem!

To go back to the OP's point re GP not acknowledging the possibility of depression as a side-effect :

I have only just had a Mirena coil fitted. My GP went over all the side-effects, including depression, before prescribing it. I went to the local Family Planning Clinic to have it fitted, where the doctor again went through all the side-effects, and I signed a sheet stating that all these side-effects had been discussed. Depression had a bullet-point all to itself on this sheet. I see them again in 6 weeks to have it checked and to discuss any side-effects I have noticed.

So, my experience was that I was given a lot of information on the possible drawbacks as well as the benefits of the Mirena, and the planned follow-up will allow its removal if it doesn't suit.

Maybe some doctors are just better than others.

I had the mirena coil fitted a few years back as a treatment for suspected fibroids and as a consequence had heavy painful periods it crippled me and I had to fight to get it removed as I was told give it time I had a 4 year old a 5 year old with special needs and a 8 year old at the time.Turns out that with certain medical histories such as mine their not meant to fit it I later had a hysterectomy and was told I did have a lot of fibroids doctors don't always know what their doing despite them thinking they do.

whereyouleft it that is brilliant, exactly as it should be I hope that the mirena suits you.

borderslass another sad story. It seems to me that quite a few GPs could do with a refresher course on ladyparts, hormones and contraception

Thanks for the sympathy, ImSoNotTelling and I completely agree with you re: the medical establishment brushing aside the effects of hormonal contraception on mood. I rather wish I didn't have to use the mirena, but aside the fact that it has stopped the cripplingly heavy periods with such bad flooding that, er, describing it would be a case of TMI, and turned them into a titchy bit of spotting, it's really important to me to not get pregnant again. I cannot get on with any other hormonal contraception (causes awful depression and weight gain), can't use a copper coil because of the flooding, and barrier contraception just isn't safe enough for my liking (last time I used it, I ended up pregnant). So the options are: the mirena, an operation or never having sex until I am past the menopause (could be quite a long time, even though I am already in my mid-40s).

Sorry to hear that the mirena has stopped your milk supply, rasputin. I managed to keep bf with mine in, but looking back, I think it did affect the supply because I had to mix feed after a while.

I admit that following this thread whilst considering going to have my 3rd mirena put in, has made me wonder whether I should have a 3-month mirena break to see just what life is like without one (although knowing my luck I will then end up pregnant, which will be a disaster).

I've had 2 mirena coils now with few problems apart from some light weight gain and a few spots which cleared up. however, I had my third fitted about 3 weeks ago and within a week ended up feeling suicidally depressed. to put things into context, am going through separation atm so my life isn't all rosy but I've never seriously thought it wasn't worth living which is where I got to. removed coil and started to feel better within a few days but the speed of the symptoms really frightened me. not sure why this one caused problems and others didn't but am possibly perimenopausal which may have had an effect.

I am so glad to have found this board.
Just had the coil removed tonight, although I was originally told it should be the dr.s decision and not mine and only after asking for that in writing so I could give it to a solicitor and file a lawsuit did they agree to remove it.
But I am desperate to know how long before the hormonal effects wear off. I feel horrible. Also, I am breastfeeding and my milk supply has dropped drastically, the dr tried to tell me it was because my son is to old to breastfeed (14 months), but I am hoping it will return to normal as soon as the hormones clear. At least the pain is much less already, I have been unable to stand up for straight for days without horrible stabbing pains and while this is still painful I can stand at least now.
Anyone thinking of getting one, the plus side if you do fall pregnant after removal, natural childbirth would be a walk in the park compared to this, its absolutely horrid.
If anyone has any ideas at all how long before the hormones are out of my system i would be extremely greatful.

broxi3781 what a dreadful time you have been through

Are you in the UK? That is absolutely awful that your doctor would say that it was their decision when to remove the coil. What if you had decided to TTC?

I presume that you are going to complain?

If you say that your milk supply has dropped drastically then I am sure it has. I've certainly read that more than once before on Mumsnet.

You might want to try to search for these posts.

Also that your doctor would say that your son is too old to breastfeed when the WHO recommend breastfeeding for at least 24 months.

I wasn't breastfeeding when I had the coil but I can say that when it was removed I felt an immediate psychological boost and that I think I got back to feeling normal within a couple of weeks.

You could try posting on the breastfeeding board to see if anyone has been in the same situation as you or to see if anyone has any good ideas to improve your supply whilst you wait for your body to recover. I know that there is something called domperidone which can be prescribed to increase supply -look here - for more info.

Oh dear more terrible stories.

berries and broxi they are awful awful experiences. Just goes to show what an enormous effect hormones can have.

I wonder why so many people are so quick to dismiss things relating to women and hormones? It's not so long ago that many people didn't believe in PMS, PND is relatively newly recognised. I had ante-natal depression/anxiety when I was pregnant and it seems hardly anyone has even heard of it, yet they estimate that maybe 10% of pregnant women could be effected.

Is it because men don't have these sort of hormonal highs and lows (apart from at puberty) and so the medical profession never thought to look into it? Or is that too cynical?