Mirena coil - again (sorry)

[Bakersman]

Hi I am thinking about the Mirena coil as I get migraines so can't use the combined pill. However I have tried the depo injections before and bled almost constantly for a year
I have been on the mini pill in the past too but this knackered my libido totally (although that may have also been due to getting my head round having 2 dc and also bf for a few months of being on it)
Have any of you had these problems with other progesterone contraceptives but been OK on the Mirena?
Also please talk to me about having it inserted - does it hurt? What is the procedure?
Thanks in advance

well neither the combined pill not the mini pill controlled my periods in the way they should have. With mirena I spotted for 6 months and then still had a light period/spotting of a whole week every month.

Not sure if it dampened my libido because it's not the highest in the world although it is higher than it was.

The threads also constantly irritated me which I didn't realise until I had it out and now no more itching/uncomfortableness!

If you weren't great on the mini I'm not sure the mirena will be much better.

The insertation & removal is fine and easy (although I recommend using a family planning clinic as they do far more than your average gp).

I've tried every contraception going apart from the rods and we're basically left with condoms until dh is bullied into having agrees to have the snip.

I had problems with the pill, some on the combined and massively on the progesterone only - had a mirena put in earlier this year for gynae issue to control excessive thickening of uterine wall from endometriosis and scarring, causing hideously heavy periods, the mirena has fixed this lot already

gigglewitch I'm back to having hideously heavy periods but I just couldn't live with the mirena side affects any longer, I had it in for nearly 2 years.

With regard to having the Mirena inserted, for me it hurt no more than having a smear. They use the same device to open you up so they can see what they are doing. Maybe mildly uncomfortable but not painful. The worst bit is having the measurement of your insides done but it really is over very quickly. They tell take paracetamol or something before going which I did and once it was over it didn't hurt at all. It takes 5 minutes tops.

However, having one out and then having a new one in the same session was painful but that was because apparently your cervix clamps shut after the mirena is taken out and they have force it and keep it out with mini clamp things.

I am not keen to have that done again but the first time was a piece of cake.

However, I have no idea about the effects of progesterone other than to say don't believe it when they say the hormones are localised and therefore can't have an effect because it isn't always true. Having said that, if you aren't bf any more and you had no other adverse reactions like depression, weight gain etc, it maybe that your libido wouldn't suffer anyway and the Mirena is worth a go.

poor you CG. I think I'm the minority vote on this one, but it is fantastic for me - at last something works in my favour!

Bakersman - have you considered the copper coil rather than Mirena? This way you get the convenience of the coil without the progesterone.

See here for one of the many recent discussions on Mumsnet about Mirena.

About the insertion process: I had my Mirena inserted (and then removed and a copper coil inserted instead) at the local Family Planning Clininc/Sexual Health Clinic. The doctors and nurses there are more experienced in this than the GPs.

I agree that it was not much worse than a smear. You lie down with a sheet over you then knees bent and legs apart. They then use a metal thing like when you have a smear to "open you up". I think they use a small tube to push the coil up into place and then the coil opens up inside you.

BTW the name "coil" is really misleading - I suggest you do a google search and you will see some pictures - it is more "T" shaped than a coil - and it is really fairly small.

I had female doctors both times and a nurse was there who checked my pulse.
I would recommend taking pain killers before as I did get cramps like period pains.

Im in a dilemma to ..due to have Marina oil fitted in a weeks time , got to have swabs taken tomorrow to make sure no infection lurking ...

I had copper one some years back was fine but had taken out as periods got v heavy after 4 years of having it in ..
Now periods v heavy for 2 days then ease off for further 3 days , went to FPC who recommended Marina ...

Took pill many many years back and didnt really get along with them so stopped .

Read many threads on MN about it some god some bad ...really confused weather i should have it or now ..

I suffer with bad Health anxiety to i dont want to be adding to my worries ... and so close to christmas dont want to go cranky with worry about this if i dont react well..and the irregular bleeding etc .

or should i leave till new year or just poke p wit heavy periods ...

if you bleed when you first have it put in it is just spotting, irritating but okay. Even though I still had "periods" whilst on the mirena they were light and monthly so I knew what they were IYSWIM. Nothing compared to my usual periods where I don't want to leave the house for at least 3 days.

It is lovely being free of the worry of pregnancy if that is a major concern.

if you bleed when you first have it put in it is just spotting, irritating but okay. Even though I still had "periods" whilst on the mirena they were light and monthly so I knew what they were IYSWIM. Nothing compared to my usual periods where I don't want to leave the house for at least 3 days.

It is lovely being free of the worry of pregnancy if that is a major concern.

Thanks for the advice everyone - will google the copper coil and think of that. However was hoping the Mirena would also take care of my ever worsening PMT
Cargirl hope you get something to sort out your heavy periods (hmm and convincing dh to have the snip )
Mumof2000 good luck tomorrow, hope you make the right choice

Downside of copper coil is that it makes your periods heavier.

I just keep using the the drugs to keep my periods lighter. I did consider being sterlised and then begging for abdominal ablation, but then read the statistics for female sterilisation failure so not going there. We have 4 dc so we do need to call it a day on the reproductive front!

My dr mentioned the coil when I went for my last pill prescription, I said I was happy with the pill, but I've been on the pill for a long long time and although it works for me I wonder if I should change.

If you get a mirena coil do you need to use other contraception for while? or does it start working straight away?

I'm fairly certain it depends at what point you are in your cycle but I should think if you are already on the pill then it would be a few days of both if anything IYSWIM.

Obviously check it out first though!

Thanks all , still unsure , very anxtious at moment to so not helping ... worried also hormones may make me worse ..as if i could get any ....lol

i may well cancel all together and try and sort out my anx first ....and start soe kind of exercise as heard thats suposed to help anx , PMT and periods .

thanks again all x

it protecs you straight away , well I was told that anyway when i had mine instered at the family planning clinic. Not that you feel like sex for the first few days.

My experience of the copper coil so far (about 4 months) is that it hasn't really made my periods any worse than they were before. I was told that if you don't already have a problem with heavy periods then having a coil is unlikely to make that much difference.

If you read up on Mirena on MN it does sound like an instrument of torture but when it works well it is fantastic. If it weren't for the fact that I had put on so much weight I would have had another one but I am not convinced that it isn't to blame and I am having enough trouble losing it that I don't want to make it harder for myself. I did love having no periods though.

I had a miscarriage while on the pill&swore id never go near it again.And 2babies within 19months of eachother decided i needed something else!! So i waited for my periods 2 get back 2 normal after ds2 then had mirana fitted, the fitting was grand. Like others said was similar to smear uncomfortable but not painful. Only my g.p said cause i was still bfing my womb wud still contract (cant rem proper term she used, sorry) she said cause the coil wud b pulled up as i contracted she wud leave the strings longer... Well when i got home i went 2 da loo&they where hanging out!! I thought it must b slippin out or sumit but she had jus left them really really long&when they say strings they r more like soft needles or fishing wire or sumit, not nylon more like metal, so i rang her&she said to chop as much off as i cud myself anyways it was grand when i did. But i bleed for 3months solid then spotting for another 3. But since then i get 5days normal type period o month. Its a good method i think myself...