GPs keeping trying to push the Mirena on me but I'm happy on the pill

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Hi there, sorry this is a bit long....

I'm 38 and have been on the combined pill since I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 23 (Dianette at first for that, and then Cilest after a few years and ever since). It has been perfect for me all these years - pre and post babies. As well as being a fab contraceptive, it's worked on all my PCOS symptomes too.

However, various GPs (well, registrars) I have seen when getting repeat prescriptions (large practice so I usually see different registrars) keep trying to push the Mirena coil on me and I don't bloody want it! The pill works brilliantly for me. One of them has said I'm getting a bit old for the pill, another has said that my strong family history of breast cancer (mother's side) is a risk factor for the pill (despite there being no breast cancer gene involved and a permanent older doctor at the practice telling her there is no definitive evidence of risk either way for non-gene-related breast cancers), and a couple have said that my blood pressure has been high a couple of times so I shouldn't be on it (the first time it was raised was during a week that my husband was in a car crash, my little boy started school, and I had added stress at work covering for my boss, yet this wasn't taken into account - had white coat syndrome a few times since because of that I think but it was actually fine on a GP visit today). I have a good digital bp monitor at home and 9 times out of 10 my bp is totally fine, even if I've done it after something relatively stressful like the morning school run!

One of the registrars was finally persuaded a while back by one of the permanent doctors at the practice that my "high" blood pressure readings were only borderline anyway, and weren't high on every visit so staying on the pill even at my age is not a problem, especially given the fact that it's controlling my PCOS symptomes.

Has anyone got any advice? I'm sick of seeing various GP registrars who although they are very nice, I think are quite often overcautious, and every time I see a different one I have to discuss the whole shenanigans again with them. They all without fail try to push the Mirena coil on me and I have told them time and again I know too many people who have had problems with it, and why should I risk that when I don't get ANY side effects with the pill?

I know I should plan more in advnace and make sure I get an appointment with the permanent older practice doctor but I'm a bit disorganised with making appointments in time before I've run out of pills, and there is always a long waiting list for the permanent doctors - there isn't with the registrars.

I just feel a bit bullied all the time into switching to the Mirena and it's starting to piss me off - is there any incentive for them to prescribe it instead of the pill? Financial or otherwise?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Thanks for all the advice. Well, I monitored my own bp for a couple of weeks and it was fine except for one slightly raised reading. However I forgot the readings when I went to see the gp so got all stressed and fully expected a raised reading when she did it. But funnily enough it was fine so she has given me another 6 months of combined pill. I will think carefully about the mini pill as an alternative in the meantime and also request that a note goes on my file to say that I do not want to be asked about the more a again.

Thanks, all.