Essure permanent sterilisation

[toribones]

I had the Essure procedure in 2012 6 months after the birth of my 3rd child. I opted for permanent sterilisation as I was almost 40 and really didn't want anymore children, Essure seemed like the perfect choice as it had little to no down time and no hormones ( I was never good on the pill or anything hormonal). Within 3 months of the procedure I began to suffer with IBS and then over the coming weeks, excruciating joint pain, fatigue and a general loss of health. By January 2015 I was in a terrible state, my hair was falling out, my periods had gone from a normal 28 day cycle with minimal blood loss to 20 days with heavy blood loss, terrible pain, excruciating ovulation, skin problems, dental problems, debilitating bouts of chronic fatigue and many more issues. It was at this point, after countless visits to my gp, that I discovered many hundreds of women around the world experiencing exactly the same symptoms as myself, we all had Essure. Unbeknown to me at the time of the procedure to insert the coils, the only way to remove them is to remove the fallopian tubes, uterus and cervix. I had no choice other than face major surgery to get these thing out of my body. I am now a year post hysterectomy and pretty much back to good health.

As there seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding this product and a lot of mis-information, I was wondering if there are any other ladies out there that have had this procedure done and have experienced issues?

I had my procedure and hysterectomy done at the Royal Surrey hospital in Guildford, I was told that I am the only person that has had health issues with Essure, but I'm pretty sure that this is not the case!

Had essure implanted in July 2014. MY health has been suffering so badly since. I have become gluten intolerant, have slipped discs in my back caused by all the inflammation in my abdomen, hair falling out by the handfuls, pelvic pain, horrendous periods (which I never had before) fatigue, joint pain, I'm allergic to nickel which is in the implant and this has caused my normal allergies to become worse and a few other things. I'm hoping to have a hysterectomy soon to help me get rid of my health problems that have developed since having these devices implanted.

Hi ewatt80

How awful for you, I know what you are going through, that is exactly how I was :(

Hi toribones. I was in a similar situation with Essure. I had 3 children and decided to be sterilized at 30 years old (2012), just the same as my mum had done. I was referred to a gynecologist and he presented to me a new method of sterilization. I went home and searched the internet for Essure. The only things I could find was the NHS websites info page and of course, Bayer's Essure page. Nothing negative about essure was to be found. I went ahead with the day procedure. I was put under GA. I awoke to terrible stabbing pain. They also had to put a blow up hot blanket over me. My body was shaking. I was let home after lunch with codeine and ibuprofen. That's were the pain began, for 2 years until my GP referred me back (because the gp surgery had never heard of essure!) I armed myself with lots of info and joined 2 groups on fb, problems with essure and essure problems. There I found 5000 women in the same predicament as myself. My once light 3 day periods had become monster 7-10 day ones with extreme bleeding and clots... So much so I was filling a super plus tampon within the hour. Pain radiated down my legs, I had metallic taste in my mouth, severe migraines, rashes under arms and on legs where I had shaved..... What I didn't realize was the essure materials consisted of nickel, gold, silver + titanium alloy! I am allergic to nickel!!! It was never mentioned that essure is made up of these components. I took a list of my many side effects, taking in to consideration I was a very healthy and fit (8st 8lbs/ 5ft 4 ) 30 year old. My gyn was very understanding and agreed straight away to remove essure, but we discussed together the safest way to remove. Baring in mind major surgery is the only way to remove the devices safely. We went ahead with a laproscopic hysterectomy and preserved the ovaries. 1 year post op, I feel much better. Please ladies, do research this device. I found huge support and help in the groups mentioned above.

Wow! Never heard of this. Scary stuff.

emz083 That sounds terrible! Sadly it is also a very similar story to my own, although I am pleased I'm not alone, I am so gutted that so many other women have suffered as I have :( So pleased you are feeling better now tho! :)

I've considered sterilisation and found lots of websites for women having awful side effects when I Googled for more information about Essure.

Then this story appeared on the BBC and I resolved to not touch it with a bargepole.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34519021

It's an absolute scandal.

When I get five minutes I will post my experience with essure also.
All I can say is what SHEER UTTER HELL!!!
Never ending. I plea with anyone considering or any doctor that advises to- please DON'T!

expatinscotland It is really scary stuff and criminal that women are so uninformed of this!

JinkxMonsoon you had a really lucky escape! We really need to raise the profile of this terrible product so that women can make an informed choice!

Interested to hear your story Scarpetta1982

Hi Ladies,
I had the ESSURE fitted at Wigan hospital in June 2012 at the age of 39. As I had not experienced natural child birth the procedure was a little more painful and I was given a local into my cervix. The recovery was pretty painful on the day with extreme pain down my legs and cramping in my tummy/groin and back. I had the scan to check the springs were in place at 3 months and that was it, so I thought. In 2014 I could not take the contraction like pain I was suffering so badly after sex, this would happen for 2 weeks before my period and then seemed to be ok after my period for 10-14 days, but then it got worse. I was referred to a gynaecologist at St Helens hospital, where they tried may pain killers, nerve blockers and even gave me the DEPOT injection to stop my period but nothing worked, I had then started to have stabbing pains around my ovaries and back ache every day, along with headaches, joint pain, tiredness & my hair is thinning.
in June 2015 I had a laparoscopy to investigate what was going on, they only found some scar tissue from my caesarean attached to my bowel, which was freed. Nothing got better after the op, I feel worse now with heavy bleeding & constant pain. I found the Facebook group "Problems with ESSURE UK & Ireland" and it felt like my pain was shared by so many women. My GP has been so supportive, I told him I wanted the ESSURE removed and he refereed me back to the consultant that carried out my sterilisation. I am just waiting for the date for a hysterectomy as I was told this is he only was to have the springs removed, I feel like I am waiting for Christmas when I was a child, mad really when you think a major operation is no celebration but to me it will be.
Please share this with anyone who is considering sterilisation or you know suffering after ESSURE.xxx

hi all I had essure fitted in 2008, then i was told in 2009, that one spring was missing? and dragged into theatre the next week i had my tubes cut so i thought.. years went by, I then finds out that I was in fact fitted with filshie clips as well as essure. in 2011 my symptoms got so bad.
facial swelling
rashes
arthritis,
back pain,
hip pain
sallow skin
bloating
high blood pressure
My bladder stopped working I had no sensation having to wear pads daily.
headaches
visual problems with eyes
my list got longer and longer, so i decided I needed to find the answer as to what was going on. I was then informed by the hospital that fitted the essure that I had both products in my pelvis, I felt sick. My local hospital no longer fit essure, the doctor has now retired, so I was sent to another doctor at a different hospital, then to find out through my gp notes, one coil was actually in my fundus, to this day I cannot get the answers, i had removal on 1 june 2016, my weight has dropped, I have energy, I can be a mum again. I take no medication my bp has returned to normal, even my skin has returned to its normal colour, not grey. Essure was the worst mistake of my life, I am so glad to be rid of it from my body, But I will put my life on the line to anyone to state THIS PRODUCT MADE ME ILL, and now I am me again. SAY NO TO ESSURE DONT RISK IT. jan x 1st pic with essure. 2nd straight after

Thank you toribones, and likewise with yourself! It is an unpleasant journey, and it wasn't just myself going through it. My family life suffered and the pain extended to them too. Gladly now on the right road 1 year post op 😊

so nice to know that we are not alone, in all this. that there is a lovely support system of ladies to help and guide.

My first thought on reading this thread was 'Where's Erin Brokovich when you need her?' but, predictably, she has been on the case although it doesn't appear that she/her law firm are filing claims: www.essureprocedure.net/

However, numerous individual lawsuits against Bayer are going ahead in the USA and it's possible that, as with claims against manufacturers of silicone gel breast implants, those who have been disaffected by this device in other parts of the world may eventually benefit from what is in actuality mass tort rather than a 'class action that is being filed there.

There are some helpful links to be found here www.nationalinjuryhelp.com/defective-products/essure-contraceptive-implant-lawsuit/ but don't take any notice of the figures on the first page as the number are now running into the hundreds of thousands.

It's shocking that this device, albeit with a FDA Black Box Warning, is still available and I dread to think how many more women, particularly in the third world, will undergo needless suffering when it should have been pulled from the market.

I would suggest that any UK woman who has cause for complaint makes contact by email with one of the numerous US no win no fee lawyers who are filing lawsuits against Bayer and also talk to UK-based ambulance chasers equivalents such as Slater Gordon, Irwin Mitchell etc about the possibility of filing in the UK courts.

While various statutes of limitation apply in the US courts, with certain exceptions you have 3 years to file in the UK but don't leave it much longer before making enquiries/taking action.

for all of you who've had horrendous experiences of this device and please free to pm me if you need any further info.

Forgot to say yesterday that one if the coils has perforated my womb, but gynecology has said that it's probably healed itself now. I'm more dubious though, the cause of the perforation is still there so goodness knows what damage is being done !!

My g-d this is shocking! How can this be allowed?! Thank you so much for warning us all.

to all those going through hell because of this device.

It is indeed shocking, I had no idea until this happened to me, how the regulatory boards like NICE and the MHRA really do not work to protect the public.

So many terrible stories, I wonder just how many women are out there suffering, that still haven't made the connection between their failing health and Essure. It took me a long time, it was actually my husband that pointed out that all my issues had begun since the procedure, I then googled it (as you do) and was horrified to find so many women suffering as I was.

To the ladies that have since had hysterectomies, do you feel completely better? I lost many of my symptoms straight after my op but, other things took a long time to go and the IBS has remained. Although it was a relief to get those things out of my body and I am so much better than before, I also feel like I will never be the same again. Essure is one of the only regrets in my life, it would of been easier to have had 3 more babies!!

I had Essure in 2013. I was told it was the best procedure and had very little side effects. A whole year passed before I started suffering. I have to take pain killers ten days out of every month and blood clotting pills because without them I just have to sit on the toilet during my periods. The bleeding is out of this world. I lost so much blood I was fainting.
I started loosing a lot of my hair as well and have these panic attacks which I didnt use to have before.
I run my own business and I am the main earner and I somehow think the panic attacks are connected to my anxiety when I am in so much pain and cant do much work. Its almosy like I have lost the woman I used to be before Essure.

I wish I knew what I know now before I agreed to the procedure. I also wish they had told me the side effects which the manufacturer have confirmed themselves. I certainly would not bave opted for it if I had known what the risks were but like most women I was told the only risks were minor. Such lies

that's awful elliemillie! Are you due to have a hysto? how have you found the doctors, are they sympathetic and agree that it is Essure causing your problems?

I have seen two different consultants so far with different opinions. The first one agreed essure was a likely cause of my symptoms but was reluctant to do a hysto because of my age. So I was referred to another one who was very dismissive and told me 1 in 6 women have Pelvic pain without any cause so I was probably one of them. He and the woman who did ultra scan completely ignored my point that I didnt have these symptoms before Essure. So I am scheduled to have a private hsg to see the location of the coils and also to see what state they are in. From what I understand the ultra sounds can pick up the outline of the coils but can't tell what damage they are doing.

Pelvic pain is a known adverse event of Essure, and that is from the manufactures themselves! As far as i am aware the use of ultrasound to place the coils is not effective, a flat plate xray is needed to check their position.