To think that they coil is the best form of contraceptive ever!

[holliejobber]

No hormones, no remembering to take a pill. It stays in for 10 yrs as well.

if it works for you, great.

but it's not the 'best' for everyone.

i had a mirena and it was hell on earth. i don't consider mood swings, cystic acne and constant bleeding good.

for some, vasectomy is the best.

no hormones, no remembering to take a pill and it lasts forever!

Isn't it bizarre expat how the Mirena can give women such different experiences?

Can I ask you expat and mamazon, have you ever been on the combined pill? I am wondering that because i was on the Pill for about 10 years before having the DCs and never had any problems with it, and neither do i with the Mirena. I took Microgynon which aparently is roughly the same kind of combines hormones which are released by the Mirena.

Just wondered if you can tell if you will have a hard time with the Mirean based upon your experiences with the Pill. (Not very scientific i know, but anyway.,..

You can't tell, Big, because the combined pill works on a combination of hormones whereas Mirena is progesten-only. Microgynon is also progesten-only.

Combined pills are not.

I took combined pills for years. Never had any problems.

Tried progesten-based only contraception - Mirena and Cerazette, a POP (progesten-only pill like Microgynon) and had nothing but horrendous side effects.

I can no longer used combined-hormone contraception (pill or patch) due to hypertension and progesten-only contraception is not for me, nor is copper coil, so DH had the snip.

I'm having my Mirena taken out next week, I hate it. I think it works as a contraceptive by making you bleed so much and so often that you can't do anything! I had it fitted in July, I've only stopped bleeding every day in the last 2 weeks.
On top of that I've had the most horrendous mood swings, period type pain and generally felt like poo. I'd rather run the risk of getting pregnant than ever have a coil again.

expat, according to the leaflet in my pack, Microgynon is a combined pill.

Oh, well, lottie.

I never took it.

I thought it was a mini-pill.

I took a number of pills - Yasmin, Dianette, Ortho Novum 777.

Never had a problem except for POP/Cerazette and Mirena.

Not an issue for us now, obviously.

It killed my sex drive entirely, Anathema.

I mean, DEAD.

And I was one of the randiest people I've ever met. Not even PND whetted my appetite.

The Mirena did.

I think DH was outside the clinic turning carthwheels the day I got that thing removed .

loved it but then mine fell out twice think there must be something not quite right with me

I've been taking it for 4 years and its been a slow descent into mental hell. I am so glad to be getting rid of it

Here's hoping that the coil suits me because I never want to put hormones into my body again. And I want my sex drive back too

And by it I mean Microgynon.

Mirena jacked me up, lottie.

Then I tried Cerazette and that was just as bad.

Used condoms, then had our third, then snippy snip for DH.

The Mirena didn't agree with me: lethargy, weight gain and acne.

I have a recent copper coil, and having a heavy period just now, but it's better than how I felt on the Mirena. So far the periods have been heavy, but five days, so manageable.

Vasectomy gets my vote. There is something about having a coil fitted that makes me feel all queasy - especially the talk about getting tickly wires trimmed

I was on the combined pill for about over ten years no problem, then took the progesterone-pnly pill for a bit between pregnancies and bled every day. Well, almost.

Had the mirena fitted a couple of months ago and it's great - no side-effects and easy-peasy.

Hurt like hell having it fitted, though.

I'm sure Mirena contributed to my divorce because I couldn't give a * about sex for 5 years, plus got fat and spotty.

Tried cap, condoms, Pill as a student/early married. None ideal.

Post-divorce, have a new partner, new baby, and a coil. Sex drive back to teen levels several years into new relationship . So I get heavier periods? He gets more BJs. Who's complaining?

I didn't want a normal coil because of the painful, heavy periods possibility. I went on the pill at 14 because of horrible periods (years before I even considered it a contraceptive) and I don't want to risk a return to flu-like symptoms for a week a month.

I had a Mirena fitted in November. I went back yesterday to get the wires trimmed and the doctor managed to pull the bloody thing out while trying to trim them. Now I have to go back and get a new one fitted. And it was such an enjoyable experience last time. Also I suspect this will prolong the daily bleeding nightmare.

I had an implant in the past which sucked. After over a year of continuous bleeding I had the thing removed.

I'm leaning towards vasectomy being the ideal method of contraception, but I don't want to ask DP to have one. I think it's only really an option if he brings it up (in the absence of pressure) and volunteers. The doctor would probably want him to wait a while before deciding anyway (he's 26) even though we're certain that 2 kids is enough, so I'll probably need 5 or so years of contraception with no possibility of human error. So mirena it is.

The idea of it freaks me out. I would rather have an unplanned pregnancy.

I was on Microgynon for 15 years, no problems, I didn't feel so great when I came off it.

I had a Mirena fitted and chose it as I didn't want the heavier periods that the copper coil can cause. I also fall pregnant at the drop of a hat so wanted something very reliable.

Fitting it was fine - not painful at all.

Had it in for about 8 months.
Mirena was a bloody nightmare for me though. Bled for 3 months. Had heavy periods and very bad period pains. It just felt as if it was irritating my uterus and that my body was trying to get rid of it by cramping constantly.

Mood swings, I was horrible to the kids, libido disappeared, bloating - so bad I would look pregnant. Bleeding inbetween periods, thrush, funny bacteria that showed up in a smear that can only be down to having the coil. Headaches.

Just dreadful. Within 10 days of having it taken out I was like a new woman and all the symptoms disappeared. So I know I wasn't mad to link them all to the coil.

Would NEVER have one again so currently trying to consider options for after DD3 is born in 3 weeks. (fell PG 3 months after having the Mirena taken out - doh!)

Want H to have to snip but think he's a bit young at 32.

I just wouldn't take the marketing bumf at face value. Some people have great experiences with Mirena - but I know a lot of people that haven't!

God NO, it was awful.... i had same experience as cinnamon81, Mirena punctured my uterus and went on a jolly little trip around my abdominal cavity for a few months causing unbelievable pain until after various scans etc trying to find it (and being told it must have fallen out - as if I wouldn't have noticed) an xray showed it lurking near my bladder / bowel waiting to puncture them - sent straight to A&E, immediately admitted to hospital and abdominal surgery under general anesthetic to have the damn thing removed. A v painful and scary time. Never heard of that happening to someone else though until reading this thread!

I would agree that copper coil is excellent as contraception, no need to worry about it once it's in, long term, no need to remember to take pills etc...
However, there are side effects, i had v heavy periods for about 6 months. But it was liberating being hormone free for 4 years.
No problem gettting it fitted, just took paracetamol before hand. Had to get a scan cos couldn't find the threads to take it out, and had it taken out in hospital but no anaesthetic (sp?).
Would def have again after this baby is born for peace of mind!

I loved having the mirena.
I have had 2 for 4 years each and I never had periods or any other problems. They were amazing.

Having no AF did make me a bit paranoid that I might be pregnant a few times but apart from that I'd have one again.

I found it really incredibly painful actually, despite the doctors telling me that it couldnt possibly be the coil causing the pain....mysteriously the terrible pain started when i had it put in and it disappeared when I demanded they take it out! Its not for everyone, thats all. Oh and my partner used to complain about being spiked by the wires as well even after they had been trimmed.

mirena wasn't for me. got pregnant on it.

tried Mirena...endless periods, spotty, depressed & bloated on it

then tried copper coil ;cue horrendous,v. heavy painful periods lasting ten days. I also had stabbing pains in my cervix and after a nasty infection I had it removed. I gave it a 'proper' go though but things hadn't improved after over a year and I ended up anaemic.

Might be good for you but clearly not the case for many of us...