Hating the Mirena - but what will happen when I get rid of it?

[WhatNextImScared]

I’m 44 and have had the Mirena coil for about two years. I had it fitted primarily to treat heavy bleeding (I also had fibroids removed) but I also hoped it would help ease me through a few years of perimenopause.

There have been a few small benefits. I think I’m having fewer urinary discomfort issues (a long standing issue since my twenties) and fewer migraines. Obviously also a bonus that I won’t get pregnant - not that we dtd very much anymore.

But I don’t like the damn thing. My periods are lighter than they were but they are now crampy and looong -often 11-15 days out of a 25 day cycle. I have loads of discharge on my non period days. I’ve put on weight despite watching diet and exercising. I’m much more miserable/low energy and my libido is shot. I’ve also got tendinitis, although some of that started before I had it fitted.

Had a scan and it was in the right place.

i think I’m going to have it removed and reset to see where i am now - how heavy and regular my periods are without it. But am I going to suffer a dreadful hormone crash?

iIt feels like lot of theee symptoms might not be the coil but just plan old peri and I won’t feel any different but I will be bleeding more heavily.

what do you all think?!

Don’t have any advice but I am the same age as you, got it for the same reasons about two years ago and having similar issues including absolutely no libido and have been thinking for a couple of months about getting rid.

I know it could be down to peri but have convinced myself it’s the mirena. Interested to see what others say.

Also just to say since I’ve had it I haven’t had the recurrent thrush I had been having for a few years prior, which is why I’ve been hesitant to have it removed.

Are you using oestrogen gel/tablets/patches too for the usual peri symptoms? That’s what you need to replace as your own oestrogen drops

Interesting - me too - I had it for heavy bleeding (I had the copper coil before), wild mood swings in the luteal period and for contraception. My husband has now had a vasectomy so the last part is not relevant anymore. I don't have any bleeding at all but I feel so flat. I've put on loads of weight, no libido, and just feel a bit depressed, debating whether constant low mood is any better than the wild mood swings I had before, at least I felt happy for some of the time!

No not yet, partly because I don’t feel particularly debilitated by anything I’m feeling yet apart from the tendonitis which I’ve been told by many friends on HRT Suffering the same won’t make any difference, and also partly as I’m convinced half of this is a reaction the Mirena itself because I struggle with progesterone (my body always has side effects to every med) rather than peri

I just had mine removed 2 weeks ago after having it for a year. It was to control heavy bleeding but it just made my periods soooo long. I also got a thrush that just wouldn’t go away. Since having it removed I have been heavy bleeding. It’s so depressing

Can you just swap over to the progesterone pill?

I had very much the same symptoms as you when I had a mirena, with the added joy of very heavy bleeding (often flooding) daily for the whole 13 months it was in.

Ironically, it was fitted to try and resolve heavy bleeding and shrink fibroids. It achieved neither and the fibroids grew.

I only put up with the thing for so long because Covid lockdowns happened shortly after it was fitted so I couldn't get a GP appointment at all.

After one night of particularly heavy bleeding that continued for hours I called the surgery and insisted it was removed (some doctors can be reluctant sometimes).

I really do not miss the bugger at all and things settled down surprisingly quickly for me. I didn't experience the "crash" that some people talk about and it was such a huge relief to be rid of it.

I’m actually really reassured that others have the same symptoms. Everyone seems to tout it about as the solution to everything. A lots of my friends have had no periods at all with it and no side effects. I’m going to try to get it removed and see how I go. It’s not the answer for me. I’d rather have short heavy periods and take a lot of iron supplements than this!

In a fit of pique I have booked a removal for tomorrow. I will let you all know how it goes…

Has your heavy bleeding naturally settled down with age? I just want to know how I am doing now without fibroids and without hormonal intervention before I decide if HRT is for me.

Oh good luck, I hope you’re feeling a bit more yourself before long.

It’s gone! Took three attempts and two different speculum sizes, which wasn’t very enjoyable. But it’s over now. Updates to follow…

Ok, latest update: withdrawal bleeding is now absolutely mental. Will have to speak to the GP if it hasn’t resolved by Wednesday.

I am so so fed up with all this. I‘M only 44… imagine another decade of this.