Mirena coil

[Lizzer]

Hi all, after my treatment (see smear tests) I am wanting to have the Mirena coil fitted. I've read the blurb but don't actually know anyone who has one. Really I'm interested more in the fact that it often changes / stops periods because of the small amount of progesterone in it, and was wondering how this affected people. Also I was told there is a lot of breakthrough bleeding when first inserted? I was under the impression that you can't feel it at all, but wondering if that's true? I've never had a coil fitted before so hope it is the right decision for me. My GP told me it was as affective a contraception method as man having a vascetomy!! Which sounds great for me at the moment... Any comments welcome.

Hi all

Really interesting reading all your experiences with Mirena! I'm 28 had mine fitted last Nov so been in about 4 months now - great period wise as went from light to heavy continual spotting every day - now virtually nothing and only the odd twinge pain. Not noticed any weight gain as yet or increase in appetite as such - however i do feel very down and have lost motivation for life in general - plus my interest in sex has all but diminished - not a major concern as not with anyone at mo :( but obviously it could be - also noticed quite dry down there to! At the risk of sounding a bit gross mind you - is it possible that rough sex can dislodge mirena's - sounds a bit para but last guy I was with was not exactly gentle if you catch my drift - I've never been able to feel my threads since day one but doc reckons it was in place last time it was checked in early feb? seeing my gyno this fri so i'm hoping he'll show me how to check them properly! Also when do you first notice any weight gain?
Cheers.

Hi all,

I had the mirena coil fittted on the 14th FEb very painful and not stopped bleeding since. I'm getting rather worried after reading all the messages they all seemed to be so negative are there any positve message!!!!!

Poor you blackpoolbabe. When I had mine fitted I bled on and off for about 6 weeks. Sometimes alot sometimes just spotting. I was lucky and had very little pain maybe because I've had 4 kids. Don't really know. Have had one or two twinges and thought it was coming out a couple of times at first but now I really love it. I check my threads religiously I've DEFINATELY finished my family! Otherwise I wouldn't know it was there. No periods either which,as far as I'm concerned, is a good thing. I was so sorry to hear of the terrible experiences some have had with the Mirena. I count my blessings - the Mirena suits me really well. Hope this is positive enough for you

Has anyone noticed changes in their moods with the mirena in? I feel extremely low at the mo and don't know whether it's a phase or the mirena is affecting me with all the hormones? Hate not feeling in control of my own body! :(
I keep checking my weight every day too - becoming a damn obsession! i feel really bloated at the mo like I have put some on - really wondering whether all this is worth it just not to have periods! Any words of wisdom would be lovely???

just found this thread,
dsis is going into hospital to have this fitted today, because of fibrods ans heavy bleading, 2 questions,
why is she having to be put to sleep to have it?
is it the white plastic one what everyones talking about?

Louise28 - I have posted on here before about the Mirena turning me into a raging psychopathic loon!! I had it out last Septemeber and the psychotic PMT has all but disappeared. It crept up each month over the course of a couple of years until it felt like I was only having one 'normal' day a month. Shame, cos I loved the ease of the Mirena and never bled. I think I just can't manage synthetic hormones any more since having DD. It killed my libido stone dead and left me very lethargic too. Can't say I have shifted loads of weight since I came off it - I guess that one is down to my eating habits.

I feel 100% better since having it removed, just have the quandry of what to use now! HTH

It's interesting that many of you seem to have moods swings and feel generally low. I have days when I feel like that but I am so completely knackered running round after 4DS that i put it down to that. My husband feels the same so I don't think I can blame the mirena - I'm sure I felt like this before.

Bootsmonkey :) thanks for the tip off - its so odd though - I rang an "expert" at my clinic before and she insisted my low moods must be my life in general and that mirena does not put weight on you as it's concentrated in your uterus - to be honest though no matter which so called professional you talk to they all sound like that damn leaflet they give you when it's fitted! I'm just gonna give it another month - at 4 months I gues it's still early days!

god damn men eh - why oh why is it always us women who have to put our bodies through all this and have gyno probs - then when we dare to feel down about it - men called us whingers!
grrrrr here's to a life of celibacy

Trace2 - your SIL is probably having a D&C or other similar proceedure at the same time. I had my Mirena fitted 3 weeks ago under general anasthetis as I had a D&C at the same time. Had no pain after the event at all.

Early days but I feel great by the way, only had very light bleeding which has now stopped after less than 3 weeks. .

omg i thought it was all in my head what i was feeling until i read this site. i had my mirena fitted April 2005. ive put on over a stone in weight am misserable AND spotty. after reading all your story's im ringing my GP's first thing tom morning and asking for it to be taken out. nothings worth all that, even having no periods

wtf, louise! last i checked, the uterus got its blood supply from the same place the rest of the body does. therefore, ANY hormone in that area is going to circulate through the entire body. the uterus isn't an island unto itself.

what a load of bunk!

they tried to sell me on that, too, but i was having none of it.

expatinscotland - hmmm makes sense - anyway as I have always thought you put any hormones in your body you're gonna pay for it some way! It is a weird one though - like i today I kinda feel bit brighter - bu then I can feel terribly down! Crap though as it's been 4 months now - ridden out all the pain, annoying spotting etc and wouldn't know it was there - but it seems a lot of these symptons take a fair old while to show themselves! What is a girl to do! :)

Hi, just reading all your messages. About four months now i've had the merina coil fitted and my god don't I know about it!Extremely down lately went to a&e yesterday with massive pains in my right side and was having huge panic attack! Never experienced owt like it before I need advice desperatley! My gp has been great but has put me on ad :(.Will take them as I feel like any help is better than nothing but have got to wait till next wednesday to have this foriegn body thing taken out.GRRRR!

Hi I'm so sorry to hear about everyone's bad experiences with the merina coil.
I just wanted to say a few positives about it for anyone who was thinking of having one fitted.
Firstly I didn't feel a thing when mine was fitted, I had no painkillers or anything, granted I have had 2 children but it was no big deal.
Also although I have not stopped bleeding yet ( 3 weeks after having it fitted) and I've forgotten what sex is - no bloody chance at the moment!
And I have moods like a banshee!
Wait their is a positive coming........I've been taking Starflower tablets from my local chemist and they are helping me with the mood swings.
But then I was a moody mare to begin with :)
I've had no weight gain as yet but stuffing myself with choc cup cakes won't exactly help!

I had mine taken out in February and I've lost nearly a stone since it came out. I have been following a very low calorie diet but I was following it while I had the coil and it really messed about with my weight. My mood swings have gone and I feel human again. I have had no period though since December and am starting to wonder what the hell is going on. I've been having hot flushes for the last week and am bewildered as to why this is happening. I hope the coil hasn't messed with my hormones to the point that its sent me into the bloody menopause. That would be just my flaming luck!!! I would be grateful to know if anyone else who's had it out experienced a long delay in getting periods back again. I used to bleed irregularly on and off through the month when I had the coil so I cannot be 100% sure when my last proper period actually was.

Hi louise 35

You must think im stalking you!! Read the thread about the cyst on your left ovary and see you have just had the coil removed. Very interesting my problems started in January had that mirena coil fitted October. Do you think theres a link between the cyst and the mirena coil? Im not sure what to think anymore:(

Hi Angm, with hindsight I dont think I should have been given the coil in the first place as I already suffer with ovarian cysts and after having it fitted I fould out that the coil can cause ovarian cysts in women who haven't had them before. I think it actually exagerrated my already existing problem and I ended up with twice the number of cysts than they had found on previous occasions pre coil. I am sure that there is a link in some between the Mirena and ovarian cysts.

do you still have cysts after having the mirena removed? Im considering having my one removed the cyst is causing too much pain so not needing it as a bloody contraceptive!! I feel trapped in a vicious circle.

i was wary about the hormones, but the nurse explained, "its ok, because they're confined to you're uterus and it won't have that much of an effect". I think i must have had my extremely-gullible head on that day cos i believed her. my system is completely messed up. back on AD's, tho i don't know if i really need them or if they are just masking the effects of the mirena. a bit confused at the moment, don't really know what to do

Hi again Angm1, I suffer from endometriosis so I am getting cysts all the time unortunately. What causes them are deposits of womb lining tissue that are stuck around my pelvic cavity and the deposits swell up at certain times of the month and cause cysts. They then rupture and bleed into my pelvis causing pain and tenderness. Unfortunately while ever I carry on ovulating and having periods this cycle will continue unless I have a hysterectomy. I have tried all the treatments on offer (the last one being a laparoscopy where the cysts and some of the deposits were removed). I've had the laparoscopy twice in the last 18 months and it does alleviate the symptoms for a little while but they soon come back again. Its only a temporary measure really. I had my coil out in Feb but have not had a period yet, I have a feeling I have stopped ovulating because I have been completely pain free so until my cycle starts up again I cannot really be sure when the cysts will appear again. I'm sure they will at some point.

Hello. First post so forgive me if it's not the usual type! I had a Mirena coil fitted five years ago, I have to extol the virtue of it whilst in-situ - I had no periods for five years, but I did try and lose weight several times and couldn't, despite being able to easily in the past. However, I had it removed five weeks ago, and my life has been a living hell since! I'm a single mum and for the first 9 days was house bound due to the extraordinary heavy bleeding. I couldn't move without having a major incident! I certainly couldn't walk the children to school, let them sleep in my bed, wear anything that wasn't red - you getting my drift? It's been horrid. I stopped bleeding for a couple of weeks and then yesterday I started again - thought it was ok, I could deal with it - then this morning - well, I don't know what to say! I'm still in my pj's, kids went to school with a neighbour - there is no way I can go out in public today and I'm going on holiday on Saturday! Anyone else experienced this?

Thanks

Chrissie

Gosh am just thinking about having the coil fitted probably next week as peroid is due any day now, after reading this thread not sure I am going with so many bad experiences. Can't afford to getting anymore moodier or put on any more weight.

i would go back to the docs as they need to know that this is happening, i havent heard about that. Could you phone and get them to give you any advice if you really cant get out.

the hell w/going to the GP! call NHSdirect and get an after hours appointment to get it sorted.