Tell me about your experience on minipill / Morina coil?

[rosael56]

Hi ladies. Saw my GP last week because I've been having bleeding between periods. It's been going on for months and months but started getting worse. GP checked my cervix- all fine, I'm up to date with smear, she's referred me for ultrasound but doesn't think they'll find anything, thinks it's hormonal.....

She prescribed me desogesterel minipill (I can't take combined pill due to migraines). Do you have any experience with this pill? GP said it might stop my bleeding but also for some women it makes bleeding worse! She said to try it for 3 months and if it doesn't work we can try Mirena coil but I'm very reluctant to try that, very anxious about insertion being painful! Any good experiences? I haven't had children so worried about cervix being opened

I've been taking the minipill for a week so far and so far spotting every day.... Just keep worrying it's not going to work and coil will be my only hope !!

Both gave me hell! I had the mirena first to supposedly help with heavy bleeding (underlying diagnosis of fibroids). I bled for longer, more heavily and had cramps like I'd never had in my life with it. Even had a couple of days off work sick it was so bad. I kept getting told it might settle down but after a year it thankfully bled itself out in an episode that resulted in me going to A&E I was passing clots so big.
Then tried the minipill and after 12 weeks of daily bleeding that also got rejected! The combined pill gave me a migraine after 3 weeks so can't take that either.
I've since had my fibroids treated but went privately otherwise I'd probably still be suffering.

Hi! i am in exactly the same position. Been having bleeding between periods for 2.5 years. It started 6 months after a clear smear so they weren’t too concerned, sent me for ultrasound- normal.
referred me to gynae- they took a look with a speculum, said nothing wrong. Gave me the mini pill. I bled every day for 7 months!!!
Ive just been back to gynae and they took another look. Said this time ectropian. they have put me on a waiting list for a mirena coil and a hysteroscopy (camera in the womb)
im early 30s and very worried.
I stopped the mini pill last week as I am just still bleeding so didn’t see the point anymore.
it’s rubbish isn’t it xx

Have you tried the contraceptive injection? My doctors thought I had endometriosis after 10 years without a diagnosis and fell pregnant before they could do any tests but I’ve tried practically every contraception going apart from the coil as like you had heard horror stories from people who haven’t had children and the only thing I found that helped me was the injection. I had no bleeding at all and no pains after having it done

I had some minor discomfort when mine was fitted (at a sexual health clinic, not by my GP practice), best thing Ive ever done. No anxiety, no periods ... no problems whatsoever.

How long do GPs expect you to wait before offering an alternative ?.

Ive been having spotting since 21 July . Last GP appointment said to carry on and it will stop ! This was about 3 / 4 weeks ago and it’s still happening . I’m seriously considering getting the coil I’m so fed up with it all .

I am on my 3rd Mirena, best thing ever, stopped my very heavy periods, I don’t have periods now. Insertion was painful, take painkillers before would be my advice. This Mirena will take me through the menopause. I would recommend the Mirena based on my experience. Good luck OP.

like I say I’ve had daily bleeding for seven months and they have just said mirena only other option. I’m fed up. But hoping it will stop the bleeding xx

I feel like we are in exactly the same position! I don't think you need to be too worried though, my GP said bleeding between periods pre-menopause is very common, often no reason can be found. Chance of cancer is extremely low. I literally asked my GP (who has a gynecology specialism) "so it's nothing to worry about? I've been really worrying about it" and she said "no, it's nothing to worry about"

It is really unbelievable to me that the only other option is a coil, which is very invasive and many women find extremely painful. But the other option seems to be just putting up with bleeding until menopause...and I'm 31 so that could be another 20 years!!

It really is rubbish!

Oh and I'm 3 weeks into taking the mini pill now. The spotting stopped for 6 days and I was really hopeful it was starting to work but it's back again. Sigh.

Turned into a raving monster and ended up pregnant on my first, the second I was just a raving monster but had it removed that time before I got pregnant again.

My cousin was born holding her mums (not sure how true this one is though!)

I am a similar age to you and it’s so depressing isn’t it! Did they put it down to hormones @rosael56 ? I’ve stopped the mini pill now I couldn’t take any more!
i hope it works for you, all my friends on it except one, have no periods at all now.
hope my bleeding stops soon! Xxx

Yes my GP thinks it's hormones. She referred me for an ultrasound to check for fibroids which I haven't had yet, but she said it will probably come back negative (I think because fibroids normally cause very heavy/painful periods too and I don't have that). She said my cervix looks fine, and since I have clear smears and I had the HPV vaccine as a teenager its definitely not cervix related.

Yes same! I've asked 3 or 4 friends and they all said they had no periods on mini pill. Still crossing my fingers it will start working for me.
I hope you manage to get yours under control soon! xx

It may well stop eventually.

I went on it for horrific heavy periods that were coming every three weeks (I'm 42 so probably peri menopause?). I started desogestrel and spotted every day for four months but this was still better than the real periods and how unwell I felt during them.

The spotting stopped in month five and I haven't bled at all since - almost a year now.

I didn't want a coil as I'm scared of having it put in and also I like to have the option of stopping something immediately if I'm not getting on with it. Not having to wait three weeks or whatever to get something taken out.

If you don't feel unwell I'd keep going with the mini pill for a bit longer.

Oh this is really reassuring to hear! I didnt realise it could take so long. I'm glad it started working for you eventually. I feel exactly the same way about the coil.

No I don't feel unwell, and the spotting (so far) is quite similar to how it was before I started taking it, so I suppose there's not much harm in just sticking it out for a few months!

I had a mirena coil inserted under sedation when I had a hysteroscopy. Highly recommend that.

This is what im having. Plus d&c. Did the hysteroscopy give you any answers? Hope you are well. X

So an update for anyone interested - I have now been taking desogestrel for 6 weeks and have bled for about 5 of them. The bleeding has got heavier too, it started as spotting but it's now like a light period. It stopped briefly the other day and I was hopeful it was finally working, but no. It came back.

So fed up!!! I want to go back to my GP but I imagine she will probably tell me to stick with it for longer. I'm concerned about becoming anaemic though :(

To give you a bit of hope- I bled for 10 weeks straight with desogestrel. I’ve now been on it 3 years, last had a period 6 months ago. No side effects other than the 10 weeks bleeding. I nearly gave up but had tried every other form of birth control and it was that or get my tubes tied, which they wouldn’t do because I’m too young. I’d still like to be sterilised really because I’m done with kids and it is annoying having to take a pill every day, plus being careful about antibiotics affecting it, but desogestrel has really worked for me in the end.

That is encouraging, thank you. I do hope that's how it turns out for me. If I was only taking it for contraception I would quit, but its to try and control bleeding between periods.... Ironic that so far the treatment is worse than the original symptoms...🙄

Can I ask, was your bleeding heavy? And did you end up with any issues like anaemia from bleeding for so long?

I’m on my second mirena coil.

It’s been great for me. I still have periods, but they are very, very light. No side effects.
The insertion each time was fine. A bit uncomfortable, but not painful and very quick. I do have children though, so not sure if it makes a difference.

I definitely didn’t feel faint, and I’m a real wimp 🤣

I had a mirena fitted, I won't lie to you it wasn't pleasant, not least because she had to clamp my cervix to draw it down because it was tilted apparently. I didn't have any painkillers or anesthetic given downstairs for it because I didn't know it was an option until I was part the way through it and the nurse saw me grimace. It wasnt that bad though to be honest in the grand scheme of things (pain wise I mean. It's never pleasant having someone using you as a handbag). I realise it can be much worse for others though.

I bled for about a day after (obv at the end of the period so no surprise) and spotted for a week, no cramps or anything.

However I didn't get on with it, purely because it made me extra extra angry about the slightest thing. Literally I was snapping and snarling constantly and removed it myself (not my finest hour but didn't hurt ) after about 6 months because the doctor wouldn't because "I hadn't had it in long enough and I was just being dramatic". but I couldn't cope with it any longer. Pretty much instantly I was back to normal and not angry all the time.

The only good thing it did was calm and make "normal" my stupidly heavy and painful periods (I mean bleeding through 2 forms of protection in an hr and marking clothes heavy.)

Now on the progestogen only pill and have been for about 3 years. Its stopped my periods completely and no cramps or similar. Its the only form of contraception/period help that really works for me after trying all!

Forgot to say - also haven't had children and the mini pill took three months to stop the periods. I don't remember spotting or periods in between

Ach, I’ll put in extra hope for you then- yes my bleeding was heavy, and actually very painful, way more painful than my normal periods. I didn’t have anaemia but it was something I was worried about and I had some iron tablets I’d been prescribed when pregnant so took one every now and then.

After the long miserable bleed I would get a period every 6 weeks or so, then it went to every 3 months, now we’re 6 months and counting and when they do happen they’re very light and only last a few days.

Again, thank you! I will stick with it then and hope. Woke up this morning with even heavier bleeding, it really is horrible. I am grateful though that so far I've had no pain.

@rosael56 Just wondering if you're on here still and if there's an update? I'm debating minipill or Mirena for exactly the same reasons as you and wondered how you got on?