Coil

[Polly1974]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I'm 49 and having terrible peri menopausal symptoms. My GP has prescribed me the mini pill and a patch but has told me it will cause monthly (if not more!) bleeding. I really don't want that so am considering the coil. But I am terrified!! Nothing on Google reassured me about the process at all. Any positive experiences out there? Xx

I have had a coil for 15 years....not the same coil obviously it has been changed every 3/4 years 😁.

What is it you want to know?

I'm just terrified about the pain (despite pushing out two children with no pain relief !). I'm scared I'll cry/pass out/ scream and have to tell them to stop mid procedure. If only there weren't so many horror stories out there.

I am on my fourth…if you have had babies it shouldn’t hurt that much. There’s a very ouchy moment for me, which very quickly subsides.
They say take ibuprofen beforehand but I am allergic to it so I can’t.

I took to paracetamol about an hour before my appointment as i do get minor stomach ache afterwards for a few hours. I didnt find it any more painful than having a smear it's more uncomfortable than painful. I may have a high pain threshold though.
Do you normally pass out from pain?

No not usually but I have this unexplained trauma in my head at the thought of it, but if I want a no bleed HRT patch then I don't think I have any other options but the coil for the progesterone element xx

I'm on my second. I found fitting more uncomfortable than painful, some minor bleeding no worse than a light period when it was fitted. I went to a sexual health clinic rather than my GP nurse. No periods since 2016.

Could you try looking at it as short term pain, for long term gain?

Yes that's the attitude I'm going to have to adopt!

I had a copper coil fitted pre-children. It was about one second of intense contraction-like pain (they brought in a nurse just to hold my hand!) then nothing.

Post children I have had coils fitted and didn't even know they'd put it in!

They do something or other to 'sound' the womb first to check the depth, that always hurt/shocked me more than the coil insertion itself.

You might want to ask if the person fitting the coil is experienced in doing it - my GP surgery has a couple of people who specialise in it so they do a whole day of fittings every so often, I've heard GPs trying their hand at it can be a bit more painful!

If it might help with menopause symptoms, I really wouldn't let the insertion procedure put you off. Take a couple of paracetamol before and you'll be fine.

My GP told me to have it fitted during my period. I did and felt no pain.

The second time I wasn't on period and it was agony and I managed 2 weeks before I begged them to take it out again.

I had mine fitted a year ago this week, 3 deep breaths and was done - not painful as such but definitely needed some deep breathing.

A few period like cramps in the following hours, but I went straight to work after having it fitted and there was nothing a couple of paracetamol didn't sort.

I had no pain whatsoever. I’ve had worse smears. Wish I’d had one fitted years ago.

Any side effects? I have read of an increase in anxiety?

None. It did reduce my monthly rages.

It's been a game changer for me. I got it fitted about a year ago. The actual insertion was pretty uncomfortable but apart from that it's been brilliant. No more periods. I wish I'd got it sooner.

I've heard going to an Sti clinic that does smears can be better as they can arrange local anaesthetic (or even for some women I think general??) I have similar concerns.

You can't have just minipill and a patch you need utrogestan too which can be taken vaginally. Mini pill isn't strong enough

Are you sure it’s the mini pill she’s prescribed? That can’t act as the progesterone part of HRT alongside an oestrogen patch, it’s just for contraception. Unless you’ve got a combined patch.

A Mirena (NOT copper coil) can act as part of HRT for 5 years as well as contraception. Definitely worth thinking about, the fitting can be uncomfortable but usually worth it in the long run. Most women won’t bleed at all with a Mirena.

One thing I was going to query with my Gp was having a different, narrower coil that my Gp friend has which doesn't give enough protection for hrt, but does stop periods (certainly for her) and take the utrogestan x1 pill daily. Hopefully orally; I'm using x2 vaginally for 12 days out of 28.

I've not had vaginal births and had one fitted. It was uncomfortable but bearable. It didn't solve the bleeding issue though, in fact, it made it worse!

@WarriorN the smaller coil (Kyleena) isn't that much smaller than Mirena. If you Google images of the two together, you can see there's not much in it.

If you're going to have a coil inserted, personally I would choose the one licensed for HRT rather than the one that isn't. I can't imagine there's enough of a difference in the fitting to make it worth having both the coil and taking progesterone orally.

I just had my third fitted last week. Nurse chatted away to me for distraction and it was really just a sharp pinch and a bit of discomfort while dr was fiddling around to get the position right. I had paracetamol an hour beforehand.
Worth it for me for very little or no bleeding. Patch with it has stopped hot flushes, improved sleep, reduced body aches and banished rages.

It's more that I feel benefit from the utrogestan and worry the synthetic stuff won't be as symptom free. But I suppose the other one has synthetic progesterone too.

Has anyone had back pain with a coil? I had mine put in a month ago, 2 weeks no pain, now back pain for 2 weeks (which I’ve never had before with periods)? Any help would be amazing!

Those are the stories I want to hear!! X

I have had copper IUDs over the years with no major problems and so I was happy to have a Mirena IUS inserted a few months. But, I'd already had the mini pill previously and knew it didn't disagree with me, AND it is part of a treatment plan where the solution was unlikely to be worse than the problem. I'm fine on it and having a short light period about once every 3 months, but I am not on oestrogen with it (yet) as I don't need that.

Some people get on great with them, some not so much. There are stories of people being refused removal (which I am sure is illegal to be honest) or at the very least finding a long wait to get a removal appointment after trying it for a few months and feeling dreadful on it. So I would definitely try it if you want to, give it time, but put aside some money to get a private removal IF that proves necessary. We always hear more about the problems, for obvious reasons, than the people happy with them.

There are other types of HRT so I suggest that you research them all and then go back to GP/clinic with your views on your options.

Can't comment on the patches personally because I am not at the point of trying them yet; other than to say that my mother found she still/again had periods while on them. She didn't report that as problematic and she did like being on the patches as they did what she needed them to do.

you can see there's not much in it.

Yes but that much in a small organ can be the difference between it being appropriate or not.