Mirena coil and progesterone sensitivity

Curriedpeanuts · 2023-02-04T18:02:10+00:00

I am post menopause having started menopause on the young side. I had no eggs left by 40, am now early 50's and haven't had a period for quite a few years. I have progesterone sensitivity. I have tried various progestogens and also utrogestan - all of them make my mood crash. Because of this I have been on Tibolone instead of standard HRT for 3-4 years, this helps with hot flushes and to protect bones but I am not getting any of the other benefits of still being on actual oestrogen. I had an appointment at a menopause clinic and the doctor suggested I try the mirena coil as this is very low dose prog. that will directly protect my womb and then i can take oestrogen. I am considering it but am a little nervous of having something inside that will make my mood crash and that I cannot take it out / stop using it. Life is generally great now that I don't have my own progesterone messing it up, so I am not keen to mess with that, but I do miss having oestrogen and as well as the tiredness and brain fog etc, sexual impacts etc my body and face is changing fast due to lack of collagen due to no oestrogen. He said that when women have PMDD (severe PMS, that I used to get) they use the mirena coil plus oestrogen as a treatment to switch off the ovaries and the small amount of prog in it does not impact women as much as their own regular progesterone. He has advised me that it will take a few weeks / months to settle down and to expect some mood disturbance, cramps and spotting while it settles. Anyway my question is - has anyone who has prog sensitivity tried the mirena coil, and what were your experiences?

Girlintheframe · 04/02/2023 18:56

I had it years ago. It didn't agree with me but I was still having periods then, maybe now I'm post menopausal it would be better.
I've always been very sensitive to hormones and could never take the pill.

My sister has it and loves it as so many friends.

collywobble · 04/02/2023 19:15

I am progesterone intolerant and had the mirena coil in my early 40s and suffered terrible mood drops as soon as it was fitted . It was like a light switch had been pinged off inside me and I was very tearful and moody. I had it removed after 4 weeks with instant relief. Fast forward to my early fifties and taking everol patches and again not agreeing with the progesterone side of HRT in tablet form and my go suggested I try the mirena again as I shouldn't have the same side effects with the balance of oestrogen. It took 3 weeks to settle down with quite sore breasts being the main symptoms but it's been in place for over a year now and has been brilliant with no issues. I still have wobbly moody days but nothing like the hormonal mess I was before with progesterone tablets .

WolfFoxHare · 04/02/2023 20:24

Did you ever try taking utrogestan vaginally instead of orally? I have progesterone sensitivity and really struggled taking it orally, plus refused the coil for the same reason you’re concerned, but now take it vaginally. It’s not perfect but it’s way better than taking it orally.

Original poster

Curriedpeanuts · 04/02/2023 21:40

collywobble · 04/02/2023 19:15

I am progesterone intolerant and had the mirena coil in my early 40s and suffered terrible mood drops as soon as it was fitted . It was like a light switch had been pinged off inside me and I was very tearful and moody. I had it removed after 4 weeks with instant relief. Fast forward to my early fifties and taking everol patches and again not agreeing with the progesterone side of HRT in tablet form and my go suggested I try the mirena again as I shouldn't have the same side effects with the balance of oestrogen. It took 3 weeks to settle down with quite sore breasts being the main symptoms but it's been in place for over a year now and has been brilliant with no issues. I still have wobbly moody days but nothing like the hormonal mess I was before with progesterone tablets .

Thank you that's useful. I don't really want any wobbly days, I am so incredibly level on just the Tibolone with what seems like no actual hormones in my body!
But it sounds like the Mirena could be worth a try 🤞

OP posts:

Original poster

Curriedpeanuts · 04/02/2023 21:40

collywobble · 04/02/2023 19:15

I am progesterone intolerant and had the mirena coil in my early 40s and suffered terrible mood drops as soon as it was fitted . It was like a light switch had been pinged off inside me and I was very tearful and moody. I had it removed after 4 weeks with instant relief. Fast forward to my early fifties and taking everol patches and again not agreeing with the progesterone side of HRT in tablet form and my go suggested I try the mirena again as I shouldn't have the same side effects with the balance of oestrogen. It took 3 weeks to settle down with quite sore breasts being the main symptoms but it's been in place for over a year now and has been brilliant with no issues. I still have wobbly moody days but nothing like the hormonal mess I was before with progesterone tablets .

Thank you that's useful. I don't really want any wobbly days, I am so incredibly level on just the Tibolone with what seems like no actual hormones in my body!
But it sounds like the Mirena could be worth a try 🤞

OP posts:

Original poster

Curriedpeanuts · 04/02/2023 21:44

WolfFoxHare · 04/02/2023 20:24

Did you ever try taking utrogestan vaginally instead of orally? I have progesterone sensitivity and really struggled taking it orally, plus refused the coil for the same reason you’re concerned, but now take it vaginally. It’s not perfect but it’s way better than taking it orally.

Hi, I did take it vaginally but within three days I went from being totally fine, to feeling like life was miserable and pointless. I heard it works better vaginally for some people but it didn't for me.

That being said, I took it daily and have since heard that it might not need to be taken daily if it's vaginally. When I did it the nurse couldn't give me guidance on how often, because it was an off label use.

The progesterone sensitivity is a real pain, but at least it's more understood nowadays.

OP posts:

Wbeezer · 04/02/2023 21:57

I don't have anything useful to add apart from I am having the same dilemma as you and am wondering what to do about it. I put up with a Mirena but it definitely affected my mood ( as does all progesterone including my own). It affected me less as it got near it's sell by date and I transitioned into menopause.
I think I am going to try either vaginal utrogestan ( probably first) or the Mirena coil in the hope that I can tolerate some progesterone now that out won't be in addition to my own and my oestrogen levels will be stable.
I feel fine mood wise at the moment but aches and pains and feeling of Vitality waining is not good and I have a family history of osteoporosis.
I've been putting off going back to the GP.

pleaseletmesleeptonight · 04/02/2023 22:04

Why wouldn't the GP suggest a low does mini pill? It's the same as the mirina but you can stop it asap if you get mood crashes.

The coil like you say once it's in you have at least 4/5 week before you can get it out, and you'll have to fight for that.

Plus the pain and faff of insertion.

You could get the exact same effect by controlling the dose on a pill and then you are 100% in charge.

BigButtons · 05/02/2023 07:57

The mirena was a disaster for me. It made my womb ache the same way it aches whenever I take progesterone. The bleeding didn’t settle and just got worse and worse. After a couple of months I insisted they take it out. I was bleeding so much I had to take large doses of nortithisterone to stop it.
then they found out the threads had disappeared so I had to go to the gynae unit and have them fished out with no anaesthesia. By then it was clear I had an infection. I couldn’t walk.
frigging nightmare.

WolfFoxHare · 05/02/2023 08:17

@Curriedpeanuts oh dear, that does sound bad. Sorry to hear that. I find my mood is still lower than usual when taking it vaginally but that it’s not as hideous as when I take it orally. The ‘periods’ aren’t as painful and heavy either. I did negotiate with my consultant to take it every other month instead of monthly - I pointed out that 2 weeks per month of feeling sad and angry then one week of having a bad period didn’t leave much of the month left for feeling ‘normal/ok’ and it was essentially ruining my quality of life instead of improving it as HRT is ‘supposed’ to. It’s not ideal but I think I would have been tempted just to quit taking any of it if she hadn’t agreed. As it is, I’m really only persevering for the heart and bone density benefits as I don’t feel HRT is really doing much for my brain fog or anything else. It’s certainly not been an amazing wonder drug for me.

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 22/02/2023 13:50

So glad I have found this thread. I am sixty one and had the Mirena fitted on Friday along with a polypectomy and biopsy.

Since Saturday I feel like I have the worst case of PMS that I have ever had (periods stopped 8 years ago), I am exhausted all the time even if I sleep at night. I can't stop crying. We went out for lunch yesterday and I was overwhelmed by panic and had to get out. I am hoping that it settles down and I start to feel human again soon.