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Original poster

mirena coil makes me feel like sh*t - anyone else ????

215 replies

lunachic · 31/08/2005 14:25

hello mners
had one fitted about 3 months ago and im slowly sliding down a wave of depression there are other factors too (not major) but im feeling cr*p and im putting it down to the coil as i felt great before - ready to deal with anything sort of attitude. i have a ds nearly 3 and a dd 16 months and what im feeling is deffo not pnd .
have breastfed or been preg for the last 3 years so i thought the mirena and no periods (ive nearly forgotton what they are !) would be an easy option (turns out its not )

i just wondered if anyone else had felt like this after having a mirena fitted ?

ps i would love another baby but circumstance difficult at the moment so hence coil

OP posts:
stephiemum · 14/09/2005 20:09

thanks for all your comments. I totally agree with you toothache that g.p's are either burying their heads in the sand or are defo on some kind of commission for promoting the mirena. I for one am going to contact Bauer? the evil behind the Mirena when mine comes out and as my dear Dad (no longer with us) would have said '' send harsh words on a stiff piece of card'' as to what the real side effects can be so that those considering the Mirena know the risk they are taking. I know many have had no probs but from my research alot more have had major problems and like mine they really do change your life (for the worse!). A good website / message board ive found is Discovery Health (search for Mirena side effects).If anyone is interested in how i get on after removal i am happy to post again but likewise don't want to become a Mirena 'bore'!!! (or maybe i already am!)........

Chocol8 · 14/09/2005 21:03

Toothache ((((hugs))))

I would be interested in how you get on when "it" is removed Stephiemum - although I am sure it will be the same as other replies on Mirena - back to normal again pretty quickly.

The consultant told me that she was not on commission for recommending this method (in my case, not as a contraceptive, but to stop very bad period problems). I'm not sure I believe her. I told her that I had looked into the pros and cons on MN and there are more cons most definitely. She didn't believe me, but I bet she doesn't have one fitted.

I like your Dad's words - a lovely turn of phrase!

lucykate · 14/09/2005 21:21

its quite worrying, if you do a google search on mirena, there's a huge amount of negative feedback about it, and not alot of positive. there must be some women out there that have found it ok, i hope!.

if it doesn't work for me with mirena, dh is going to have to go for the snip!

Passionflower · 14/09/2005 21:43

Cannot imagine why any woman who has completed her family would have one of these things fitted.

DH wouldn't let me go back on the pill/have a coil and says he can't imangine why any loving partner would let the woman they love do these things to their body to spare them the necessity of a small minor surgery.

A friend at uni became infertile at the age of 21 because of an infection caused by a coil!

Toothache · 15/09/2005 09:48

Passionflower - I suppose its the permenancy that puts people off surgery. For many people there are so many 'what ifs' that having a vasectomy or being sterilised just isn't realistic. For a lot of couples there is also the insecurity that you might break up one day and meet a new partner..... all those what ifs!

Steph - I'd be very interested too! Lol @ "Mirena bore".

Sugarmag · 15/09/2005 21:49

Oh god, now I don't know what to do! I had the mirena coil fitted a few months after ds was born. This was around October 2003. I had a few side effects that I found irritating - swelling in my hands and thrush-like irritation - so I decided to have it removed. (BTW, having it removed was a lot less painful than getting it put in). I went back on Dianette - the pill that helps your skin. I've always had a bit of trouble with my skin and I'd been on it before and gotten on fine. I've been on it for about 18 months now and aside from some side effects (migraine-like headaches, low sex-drive) my docs not keen for me to stay on it because you're only supposed to be on it for a year. I'm terrified of other pills/injections etc - really, really don't want to put on weight, plus probably still have headaches and low sex drive. I also really, really, really don't want to get pregnant again. I'm pretty sure my family is done but I don't think DH and I are ready for a "permanent" solution yet. So I've been considering giving the coil another shot. The side effects were pretty mild and might have settled down if I'd kept it in for longer. Plus my friend thinks it's fab. HOWEVER, this friend also went through what she thought was pnd early last year, bad enough that she was on medication for a while although she's not taking it anymore.She never made any connection between the two but now I can't help but wonder. Bugger, why is being a woman so bloody complicated. Sorry for the swearing but I'm really frustrated.

I've been on some kind of hormone or other for most of the last 15 years except when I was pregnant and would love to be hormone free but if I don't want surgery (yet) and I can't stand condoms what option do I have?? Maybe I'll become a nun. Probably have to convert first though.

sansouci · 15/09/2005 21:54

i felt terrible with Mirena & only realised how much better i was without it once it was gone. i now have an ordinary coil with all the bleeding that goes with it, which i actually prefer to Mîrena's side effects.

Passionflower · 15/09/2005 22:14

Sorry, can't live my life by "what if's". What if I get run over tomorrow?

expatinscotland · 15/09/2005 22:20

I agree, Passion. DH and I have never been 'what if' kind of people. I also can't understand why a person somehow feels compelled to have a child with every partner of theirs in life. 'Oh, but what if the partner never had kids of his/her own?' Well, then, obviously I'm not the right person for them, cuz that's not the reason why I have kids.

Then there's old 'replacement' kid theory. 'Oh, sterilised! ' 'What if your kids die?' Like having more is going to ease the pain of such a horrible thing.

DH has chosen the snip after this one is born. He feels the same way your partner does, Passion. Also, he does not want to father any more children.

Sugarmag · 15/09/2005 22:23

hmm. I don't think it's so much the 'what ifs' for me. But DH is REALLY not keen on the snip. I think he's still hoping I might want one more. I won't but I figure if I got the coil that would last 5 years and by then I might be able to talk him into it. Pretty backwards logic I guess.

ess · 16/09/2005 13:24

Just to let you know I went to my GP who also removes coils rather conveniently- we have just switched to her. She said lots of women had been to her with dpression symptoms and she usually suggested going on mini pill first(has same hormone on) to see how you get on. I am having mine removed next week- here's hoping things improve. Had terrible week last week- felt so low I could barely get out of bed and wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. I know its not PND as I only feel like this certain days of month so must be hormonal.

Toothache · 16/09/2005 13:26

Ess - Please let us know how you get on.

PND is hormonal too.

dropinthe · 16/09/2005 13:27

Sugamag-I'm using The EVRA patch! It was a bit awkward at first finding somwhere to put it where it didn't irritate me-Ive now had it on my arse for 4 days and its great! You change it weekly for 3 weeks and have a week off.
Queenofquotes was saying that her Dr won't give it to her as v expensive but always worth a go,eh?

ess · 16/09/2005 13:48

Toothache, I'd thought I would rule this out first, then at least if I still feel rubbish I'll know it could be PND. Will let you know how it goes.

Sugarmag · 16/09/2005 13:56

drop - but wouldn't a patch have the same hormones and potential side effects as the pill? At least with the coil I figure the level of hormone is much much lower. Plus I end up with red welts from plaster so I'm not sure how well I would do with a patch. Mini pill is NOT an option for me as I would never remember to take it on time! At least with the pill I'm on I get a few hours leway to remember.

Sugarmag · 16/09/2005 13:57

sorry, that was supposed to say plasters (as in band-aids) not plaster.

malachishaz · 17/09/2005 23:29

hi girls had mirena fitted ten days ago, still not sure if it was the right thing to do, spotted the first couple of days but have been bleeding now since last saturday.have been told this will settle, have not yet had any other side effects but then again l suppose its a bit soon. does anyone know how long the bleeding lasts.

Sugarmag · 18/09/2005 17:38

seem to remember bleeding for most of the first three weeks but then it did settle down and got progressively lighter.

hi5 · 19/09/2005 15:15

Mine's fab! No periods whatsoever - had it for 2 years now.

Sugarmag · 19/09/2005 17:34

so aside from no periods hi5, no other side effects that you've been aware of? mood changes, weight gain, skin....anything?

triceratops · 19/09/2005 18:04

I had mine for 2 years, I took it out when TTC and got pg six weeks later. I thought it was great. Very convenient not having periods and very effective at not getting pregnant.

My SIL tried it and had it removed after six weeks as she felt it was giving her permanant PMT.

I would recommend that you try it and see if you get on with it. It is not that bad to have put in and dead easy to remove it (pull the strings).

I notice that the horrific gory stories are the usual sort where it happened to a friend of a friend.

Sugarmag · 19/09/2005 18:15

it's not the gory bits that worry me - I had it for a while once before. I know it hurts a bit going in and not at all coming out. It's all the stories about depression and mood changes that are worrying me.

ess · 19/09/2005 19:33

Sugarmag- my new GP said she puts all women on mini pill first before inserting Merina- it has exactly the same hormone in, that way you'll know if you'll get any side effects from it beforehand- wish my old GP had done that!!!2 days til it comes out- hurrah!Don't think DH could have put up with me for much longer

Mirage · 19/09/2005 21:22

This is very interesting.I know that Mirena is not reccomended for women who have suffered an ectopic pregnancy,due to the risks of it happening again,so it isn't an option for me.But I didn't know that the same hormones in Mirena are in the mini pill.That answers a lot of questions for me.I took Marvelon for years with no side effects at all,but after changing to Cerazette,have had panic attacks,what I thought was PND returning,awful greasy skin & spots,hair loss,bloating,insomnia,dizziness & a horrible metallic taste in my mouth.It seems too much of a coincidence to me,I'll have to see my GP & ask if I can take Marvelon again.

Sugarmag · 19/09/2005 22:30

can't face the risk of the mini-pill - especially at weekends and when I travel I don't always take it at the same time every day. I'm thinking maybe just switching to a different combined pill might be the best choice for me but I still have a while to decide. Bootsmonkey, ess, stephie - would be very interested to hear how you get on once it's removed.

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