Severe progesterone intolerance and the Mirena

[HeyIndy]

Hello, has anyone experience severe progesterone intolerance with the capsules and then the Mirena coil? The capsules led to severe dread, freezing and anxiety and so I came off them. Went on the coil instead and had a very severe reaction, just total hormonal chaos for a month that overwhelmed/collapsed my nervous system. I was in bed for weeks, barely able to get to the bathroom. Strong adrenaline surges, bad nausea, no appetite. As that eased I had panic/anxiety attacks every morning, sometimes into the afternoon. But over time these attacks seems to be easing and it seemed like I might be able to stick it out. But last week I had a severe set back for no clear reason. It's caused the most intense panic attacks I've ever had and introduced very depressed thoughts that I hadn't previously experienced. I'd been told by the specialist that my body would adjust to the coil if I could stick it out for 3 months. I've now been on it for 3 months.

I feel trapped in my body knowing that coming off HRT will make things worse but staying on it feels intolerable. It feels like the only way out is dying. I'm not suicidal but the thoughts of dying being my only escape terrify me. The progesterone has destroyed who I am and I can't see any future. My brain feels so hijacked by the progesterone intolerance that I can't trust my mind, I can't trust that things won't escalate further and cause me to end everything - not because I want to die (I really don't!) but because I can see dying as the only way to end this nightmare. I'm scared for my children, that they will grow up without a mum. I would never do that to them in my right mind - but my mind has been hijacked and I can't trust it. I want to come off HRT - I just can't take any more. And most importantly for the sake of my children. I should add that prior to HRT I had no mental health issues - I only went on HRT because of hormonal migraines. The progesterone hijacked me 7 days after starting the capsules and then the coil.

Has anyone else experienced this? And has anyone else experienced coming off HRT and the coil? I'm terrified that coming off will make me worse, especially coming off the oestrogen which could enhance the anxiety - and I really am at my limit now. I want to be in hospital on very strong sedatives. Any advice or experience would be most welcome. Thank you

I tried all of them. I got fed up with it all. Bioidentical was same as any other in terms of how it affected me, but then again even my own natural hormones had been a nightmare for me with PMDD, so any progesterone I tried was basically giving me back my PMDD symptoms and ruining my life.
Various professionals insisting that I needed to try all the different types and then Mirena. I'd bloody had Mirena decades before and not got on with it but doctors seem to think that women are unreliable witnesses to their own bodies!

My mum had tibolone and so did her best friend which was the only reason I became aware of it and researched it and asked to try it.
There seemed to be a resistance to getting it prescribed as its not well known about, because I guess most people tolerate regular HRT fine, or they come off it and just cope.
I could do neither.

Tibolone gave me my life back

It's important to use what suits you.

The reasons Tibolone is not prescribed often is that it has a slightly stroke risk and a higher risk of endometrial cancer. Any women using it need to be aware of that and discuss with a doctor asap if they experience any symptoms.

I’m so sorry OP. This happened to me when I was taking progesterone orally. It was terrible. I’d walk off sobbing for no reason into the woods and just walk and cry and I didn’t feel like myself at all. I finally realised it was the HRT so I stopped it, but I’m having severe hormonal migraines as well, so I’m about to restart it, but insert the progesterone vaginally. Although now after reading this I’m not sure it’ll work out for me.

I don’t know what the next step will be if I can’t take the progesterone because I do need the estrogen. I’m very much in the same boat.

About your migraines… Do you have triptans for your migraines?
My GP mentioned a few other things for migraines including 900mg aspirin taken with caffeine, high dose vitamin B, propranolol.

And about your anxiety… I’m on Escitalopram and it’s great for anxiety but I think this progesterone-induced anxiety isn’t the same.
Also, it might be worth finding out if they’ll prescribe you Pregabalin for anxiety instead of diazepam, to be taken with the SSRI.

I’ll read the full thread now.

Similar experience to you, I very quickly felt a kind of bleakness and emotional instability after a Mirena coil insertion. Please don’t buy progesterone cream, it has NO proven benefits and would not protect your womb lining. I found my HRT sweet spot by using Estrogel and inserting one 100mg utrogestan capsule vaginally for 12 days has solved the issue you are now having. Progesterone taken in this way bypasses the liver and is absorbed differently. Dr Newsome has a good website with clear advice and suggestions, please don’t self medicate or buy creams or supplements online - it’s all snake oil and social media bs.

@Fancyflapjack1 I tried vaginal insertion. Useless. Still made me feel drugged the next day, still had me sobbing whilst I walked the dog.

Some people are so sensitive to progesterone it doesn't matter how it's delivered.

I am also super sensitive to progesterone- instant vomiting when I tried the utrogestan capsules so they weren’t an option for me. Rejected the mirina coil as even in my 20s the contraceptive pill made me feel freaky and I didn’t fancy the idea of having a coil and being committed to that much progesterone. i had a hormone-free coil in my late 20s early 30s pre kids. Now officially in menopause I have just started with the combined patch and so far, so good. No vomming, no feeling freaky so quite happy. Am one week in.