Mirena side effects

[KevinTheDinosaur]

I have recently been recommended a diagnostic laparoscopy, to rule out endometriosis. My doctor has also said whilst I am under GA, I will have a Mirena coil put in, to manage my painful periods.

For context, I am currently 17, and have tried both the mini pill and the combined pill, at 14 and 15. I reacted badly to both of these, experiencing pain, depressive moods, and suicidal thoughts, so I no longer take them.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience of the coil, especially if they’ve not got on with the pill?

I have had a mirena for 5 years for heavy painful periods and can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have made. It completely stopped my periods within a couple of months of getting it so absolutely no pain or bleeding at all. As you are so young there is an alternative to the mirena called Jaydess which is smaller and lasts 3 years unlike the mirena which lasts for 5.
Some wome do report side effects from the progesterone in the coil but as the hormone is going directly where it's needed and not going via your digestive system and blood stream it's less likely.

I didn't get on well with it BUT it wasn't anywhere even nearly as bad as any of the pills. I had lots of spotting with it but virtually no periods. I was moody on it, but again, not as bad as the pill.

You can always have it removed if it causes you any issues. I think in your situation it's definitely worth trying...you are far too young to be suffering so badly.

I'm on my third marina coil, had heavy painful periods plus bled 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. I love it, I dont experience any side effects and my periods eventually stop altogether after having it inserted.
I also didnt get on well with the pill and the rod in the arm made me bleed constantly, even the tablets to stop the bleeding didnt work. So this is a great alternative for me.
Everyone is different though, and like pp said you can have it removed if you dont like it.

I haven’t had any negative side effects and am now nearly 5 years into it, although I did have spotting for some months after fitting. I honestly wish I had it fitted many many years earlier - it would have improved my life immeasurably.

I had one fitted in November due to constant bleeding with the mini pill and constant migraines with the combined pill! It's the best thing I've done, still had a period for about 3 months but now its totally settled I dont bleed at all. They do say it takes 3-6 months to settle so if you didnt like it you would be able to get it removed, but they probably would hesitate to remove it before that timescale (if my past experience with the implant is anything to go by)

I had one fitted to deal with heavy bleeding due to fibroids but it didn't really work for me (sorry!). Gave me worse cramps than i'd ever had before and still had to take tranexamic acid and wear double protection for the first couple of days. My GP tried me on the pill as well but i lasted 3 weeks of feeling terrible on it before I had a migraine and had to stop taking it. My coil expelled itself during a particularly bad bleed less than a year after having it in (but i was going to ask for it to be removed anyway). It seems to work great for some people but not for a minority, especially if you have underlying conditions. Worth a try though, a lot of people report very positive results from it.

So, I had the surgery, and they confirmed I had stage 1 endometriosis, and inserted the coil in.

Since I have had the coil in, I’ve noticed I’ve been bleeding constantly (it’s on day 24 today), and it varies from heavy spotting to a heavy period.

Along with this, I’ve noticed I have many more mood swings, being a lot more sad and a lot more angry than I used to be, and my mood switches very quickly. I also find things a lot more overwhelming, and am really struggling to have the motivation to do things, like get out of bed.

Is this normal? I’m unsure about whether this is just a reaction to my surroundings (lockdown, family life, and uncertainty around my A Level results) or if it is somehow linked to the coil, as I’ve begun to feel a lot less in control of my moods since I’ve had it.

Should I bring this up with my doctor?