Mirena the second time around

[allinall]

Hi, I'm hoping someone here can help me know if this is normal or not.

I had a mirena for five years, no real problems with it. I had it for heavy periods, and as far as I can remember, it worked pretty quickly. I know I had some spotting and cramping for a while, and one light period early on, but then my periods stopped and it was great.

Five years on, I've had the mirena replaced by another one, on the same day. So there shouldn't be a 'gap' in the effect, right? But I've had lots of spotting and cramping for the last 3 weeks since the fitting, and now I have the period from hell. Blood everywhere, flooding, pain etc. it's been like that for 4 days and no sign of letting up. Now I know the spotting and cramping is probably because the new coil has to settle a bit, but I'm really surprised by the heavy period. Surely the uninterrupted dose of hormones should mean my periods should stay stopped?

I am sure the mirena is still there. I can feel the strings.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Hi allinall, I agree that this doesn't sound normal. Do you have fairly severe abdominal/pelvic pain, and any fever? You're right that slight spotting/discomfort can be expected for a few days after the replacement fitting, but not normally the flooding etc you describe, because the endometrium should already be thinned out from the original Mirena device. I would contact the clinic at which you had the fitting done first thing tomorrow, and see if you can have a check up to rule out infection/partial perforation etc.
Best wishes, it sounds like you've had a rough few days x

Hi, thanks for replying.

I don't have any fever, and the pain has definitely lessened a lot during the course of the day. The bleeding is still happening, though no more sudden floods. It feels really like a period, I even had sore breasts / nipples before it started, which I always used to get in the dim and distant past when I had proper periods! So I'm pretty sure it's not a perforation or anything as serious as that. It's just like the sort of period I had 5 years ago that led me to have the first Mirena fitted.

I just can't understand the logic behind having a period when, as you say, the womb lining should be thinned out.

And I'm just really fed up with changing clothes, sheets etc. Sorry, I'm just feeling self-pitying .