how do you feel hormones-wise on Mirena coil?

[allthatmalarkey]

What happens to your cycle when you’re on the Mirena coil? How do you feel hormones-wise?

Sorry, this will be long so not to drip feed.

I’m nearly 47. I’ve been a bit perimenopausal for about 3 years, but can’t be sure for various reasons: I have PCOS and I’ve been on hormonal contraception since my first period after my second child. I’ve had the occasional hot flush in the night.

All my childbearing life, I’ve had very heavy, very painful periods. Everytime, I’ve tried the combined pill, it’s made me feel weird and PMS-ish. I’ve had OHSS badly once and mildly 3 times as a result of IVF. I tried the progesterone implant for nearly a year and that seemed to kick the OHSS symptoms off again – I’m very sensitive to oestrogen. I had to wait for weeks and travel far to get the implant taken out, which makes me nervous about something I can’t stop myself. Back when I did have natural cycles, I’d get about two weeks of PMS then a week of period hell leaving me with about one week where I felt reasonable.

I’m on the minipill and it really suits me, but now and then I forget to take the pill on time. Also, the doctor would ideally like me to try the Mirena coil.

For months, I have been feeling incredibly tired, so tired by about 7pm that I’ve often had to lie down and DH has had to do most of bedtime on his own. If I had to say where my sex drive was between 1 and 10, I’d say 0.5. It is like my oomph has just gone. I haven’t put this down to the minipill, as I was on it for ages before I started feeling like this. We have two kids, one disabled and very challenging, DH is away a lot. The other DC has just started school.

I have a GP appointment to discuss all of this tomorrow. If Mirena comes back up again, I’d like to know what to expect. I’m reluctant to do something which gives me all the downside of my own hormones again – or is all of that dialled down because the Mirena’s giving you hormones? Any thoughts would be useful.

I felt fine with mirena and it stopped my periods for years

I switched from the combined pill to the Mirena in the hope my ghastly PMS would improve. It did - a LOT.

I had 7 days of heavy periods on the pill too. Now I have maybe one day a month of spotting. Sometimes nothing.

I’m a massive mirena fan, it took about 6 months to settle properly in which time I had random spotting but compared to massive heavy periods and roller coaster peri symptoms it was bliss. I’ve had it for two years and have no periods at all, I still have a sort of cycle and get sore boobs occasionally but nothing else, it’s completely smoothed out my hormonal rollercoaster, my only regret is that I didn’t have one years ago.

Thanks so much, wasn't expecting any replies so quickly. I really like the sound of smoothing out the rollercoaster, which is what the mini pill does for me now. Anyone know how it feels compared to Cerelle/Cerazette?
And anyone got lack of energy on Mirena?

It's very marmite, looking at threads on here.

I didn't get on with it at all.

Problem is of course that you dont' know which you will be til you do it - no crystal ball.

They aren't keen to take them out if you don't get on with it as well.

I am very iffy about all this long term contraception especially for girls, but that's another thread :)

@NothingOnTellyAgain I share your concerns about long term. The only reason I'd consider Mirena is the doctor kept saying it's not systemic like pills. I'm trying to guess what on earth that feels like, which, as you say, is something I probably can't know without trying it.

Lots of threads on here about mirena and it's prob 50/50 yay nay

I was a nay

Problem is that as with a lot of these things when you are "low mood" etc it's hard to say whether it's that or something else or a combination etc...

The low grade permanent thrush was definitely down to mirena

Lots of women do love it though

Tough one.

The mirena made everything worse for me and i had some very nasty side effects.

Ended up with a hysterectomy.

Getting mine out on Wednesday and can't wait, took me 2 years to realise it does not agree with me

Love mine, its as if hormones and periods never existed.

I'm a yay. It takes 6 months, it not an overnight fix, so you have to have patience. But I feel great on it and can't remember the last time I even spotted.

I plan on staying on it through the menopause which is still some years away. They say you barely notice it on the Mirena, don't know how true that is.

But it doesn't suit everyone. But I suppose you don't know till you try. All the literature says it can take months of irregular bleeding at first though and it's true.

I hated it too. After it was put in I bled every day for 3 months, they tried putting me on tablets too and I gave it another month but still bled so then begged them to take it out. They seem to take ages to get an appt to take it out as it has to be with the one GP who can do it so that was another few weeks.
I am very even tempered but it made me very short tempered and felt quite down but this was also due to the frustration of bleeding every day. GP told me it often takes 6 months to calm down but who puts up with that for 6 months?
Didn’t tell me any of this before I needed general anaesthetic to put the damn thing in (due to eroded cervix) either.

Absolute Mirena convert here. No periods, no PMT. I’m on my 3rd!
everyone’s experience is different. There shouldn’t be enough progesterone absorbed to cause systemic effects but some women do report side effects - YMMV

I'm a yay too. I'm in year 8 of mine (3rd year of 2nd one). It took a year to settle down but I haven't had periods for 7 years, have occasional sore breasts and mood swings, but along with sporadic hot flushes I believe I'm pre-menopausal anyway. They have suggested keeping it to take me right through...I'm 46.

I barely think about it, it's a yes from me.

It was awful for me. Bled every day for 9 months and spent the last 3 months of those begging to have it taken out. I had to go to an emergency family planning unit in the end as there wasn’t a nurse appointment to remove it at my surgery for several weeks. It made me feel generally unwell and I also put on a lot of weight,

My sister had hers for 5 years with no periods and no problems.

Janus I bled every day for the first few months too. I had many many days of wobbling but everything I read said "stick it out for 6 months" so I resolved to do that and the bleeding evaporated over the 4th/5th month.

I don't think that happens for everyone but I definitely think people should be told. All they say is "irregular bleeding" but that includes daily bleeding and they don't make that clear.

But I am 100% delighted I stuck it out as it has sorted out so many of my issues.

Mine is all right. I still get periods and I get monthly headaches that I didn't before. But sex drive is fine and I got a horrible permo-period before I had it so I'm sticking with it.

I was a screaming banshee on the pill. Dreadful pms which had a very negative effect on my family. I'm fine with the mirena.

Love the mirena coil. On my second one now. Hormones are fine bleeding minimal and migraines less frequent. Would definitely recommend it.

I'm on my 3rd.

First was great, no periods or symptoms & I think it helped keep my weight a bit lower

Second was ok regular monthly periods but very light & very short (3 days max) & no symptoms again felt it helped keep my weight in check

This one isn't so great as I still get awful cramps & periods show up as & when they please with varying degrees of volume - sometimes AF comes alone for a day or two other times she brings the family & stays for a week to 10 days. I've also got a bit chunkier since having it but my diet & exercise haven't changed (although that could be down to being older).

I had a nightmare with it.
Non stop bleeding for 9 months and ended up anaemic, no energy whatsoever some days could hardly get out of bed. Not great with 2 young kids!
I removed it just over 2 months ago now and cycle is back to normal and so are my hormones. Generally feel more balanced now than i did on it. Im on iron supplements and will be for at least another 10 months to increase my iron stores.

Just dont get it if you've suffered with heavy periods in the past. I was told the reason mine didnt work was that as i had heavy periods, my body created a thick womb lining and this is what was shed during period. The mirena hormone can only thin the lining so much so i ended up still having spotting most days and then every week or so, a heavier bleed. They put me on cerazette as well as the mirena to double the hormone which did slow it down and probably would have stopped it given time but i turned into a cow on it. Stopped everything when the mirena came out, condoms for us from now on. Dh will just have to lump it.

zebra I actually have endometrial hyperplasia and the Mirena completely fixed it. Just as a different point of view.

I got mine because of heavy periods. I did bleed more days than not in the first few months but after that there has been virtually nothing, I'm on my second now.