Mirena couldn’t be removed, 7 month more wait, need help on facts, HRT impact

[WhatNumberUser]

Argh, I’m so upset about this, I need some help please to fully understand everything and get my facts in order before I go back to the GP.

Background is that I have had Mirena coils for 10+ years for HMB and PMS symptoms, bonus effect since I’ve been with DH of contraception. I never have periods. I’ve had them removed to have DC and replaced.

Last March I was starting to experience peri symptoms, was seeing the GP about stress at work, the convo expanded and I ended up with an HRT (gel) prescription I wasn’t quite ready for, but to start when I wanted to.

July 2025 I experienced a bit of spotting and PMS, thinking coil but be nearly expired. GP confirmed coil didn’t expire until December. Tough shit on symptoms in the mean time and they’d put me on non-urgent list for removal. By this point I want to start HRT but decide to get coil resolved first, not knowing what was to follow.

October 2025 GP attempted and failed to remove coil. No threads visible. God knows what else she tried but it was excruciating and she had to stop. She said she’d refer me to the hospital gynae. I explained desire to start HRT so she gave me 100mg micronised progesterone to take daily if I took the HRT.

November 2025 hospital say they won’t give an appointment without a scan to confirm the coil location

January 2026 I manage to get scan which confirms could is happily sitting in just the right place

March 2026 I get a letter with the hospital appointment for October.

I just don’t know what to do. I’m going to call and ask about cancellations, but I’m not hopeful. My coil has expired vs, licence for both HMB and HRT usage. The spotting eased off (whilst the PMS symptoms haven’t!) so I don’t know if that means there is still some hormone being released? I don’t want to “double up”. I’ve also read that 100mg micronised progesterone, the tablets I’ve been given, act differently to that via a Mirena?

Now I’ve read up on it a bit, I wonder if I might have an intolerance to the synthetic hormone in the IUD anyway because I hadn’t realised it could lead to bloating and irritability, so perhaps I’m better with the tablet format.

First and foremost though, I just want the damn thing out. Of course I’ll discuss this with my GP and if I have another, but there’s are so many knowledgable women on here, I’m grateful for any input.

Oh God, now I’m reading even more, I’m scared of putting on weight. Ive put on 8kg already since last summer without really changing anything.

Can you afford to go to a private gynae to have it removed? I did this when my strings went awol and 3 gps could get it out (ie as waiting for the janitor to have a go). NHS planned for removal under general but that seems overkill. I went to the gynae who silvered my children and he took it out while chatting - I didn’t even feel it happen.

It really doesn't seem acceptable that women can be left with something unwanted inside their body for so long. Especially as I presume there is some incentive given to HCP to fit women with mirenas in the first place?

Because they really do push them at any given opportunity. I've even heard of women having these suggested at the last minute before going to theatre for a different procedure!

Honestly, based on my experience, I was strung along for over a year by the nhs re mirena removal as it needed doing by a consultant. I paid privately in the end as I was already on hrt and being put at risk.

@AnotherSliceOfCakePleasewhat was putting you at particular risk? That it had expired? How much was the private removal?

I’d had polyps previously, it had expired. By the time it came out It was in for six years, its meant to be 5. I was using unopposed oestrogen as can’t tolerate systemic progesterone, and can’t be without hrt as was so ill with menopause. I had 1 scan to check my womb in the interim but just got panicked and fed up. Cost about £300 if I remember correctly.

I had mine changed (removed them a new one fitted) privately and I think it was about £250

Honestly this is why I decided never to try any implanted device again. Be it implant, coil, whatever. So many can't get them removed and isn't treated as a priority. Unless you tell them you're desperate to TTC of course in which cases the months of wait to have removed becomes a 'we can do it next week'.

Call and ask for a cancellation.

I was given an initial appointment for coil removal in September

I called the gynae department directly and got an appointment for the beginning of March.

These horror stories put me off getting it!

Can you go to the sexual health clinic? That's who does ours round here.

Sorry you are going through this and I hope you get it sorted soon

Thanks for the replies. I’ve never had an issue before so this is all a bit of a shock. Some progress in that I have managed to get a cancellation for early May! But that’s for them to have a try at the hospital, and if they can’t, then I have to go on another waiting list for a GA removal.

I’m pissed off though that apparently they only count my referral from January. The appointments lady was lovely and ultimately has helped significantly, but as good as admitted it’s to manage targets, they wouldn’t have counted the initial referral because they rebuffed it to a scan. But after my October appointment, the GP washed their hands of it. The NHS is amazing when it works, but I don’t think I’ll get another straight away. I’ll do some more research on the HRT side and see what happens with HMB and PMS. And DH can get the snip.

They won't touch it if its for HRT rather than contraception.

Another one here who paid privately having the same probem it cost about £200 this was 2 years ago in Birmingham.