Mirena coil- still bleeding after 6 months- is it not going to stop?

[Mrsworried1]

Posted before but feeling frustrated.

Had a mirena fitted in January for unexplained bleeding between periods. I had a hysteroscopy at the time and results showed nothing wrong with womb. I had smear in January and that also came back normal.

I have had pretty much constant light spotting on and off ever since, been spotting more than not, I have now hit the 6 month mark after getting it in and I’m having cramps and a light ish period! This is heavier than the spotting previous and bright red!

Im fed up now, I’ve had these issues for 3 years now.

should I pretty much assume the coil won’t work for my issues since it’s been six months?

from what I’ve read on here peoples issues have stopped after 3-4 months.

thanks x

I’m had a Mirena for HRT and had bleeding and spotting for about 6 months. It got to the point where I went for an appointment for for an abdominal scan, and it all magically stopped. It was effing annoying though.

I still get occasional spotting and PMT symptoms and am assuming that my own hormones are still going up and down and causing these but will eventually fade out.

I had one fitted for very heavy periods. Id say it took over 6 months before they stopped completely.

Do not take heed of this 🤣
It can be a side effect. If it's unmanageable, feel free to get it removed!! I was on the implant for 6 years (2 implants) and I bled pretty much the entire 6 years.
I'm now on the copper coil, my periods are heavy but I'm not bleeding all the time. No hormonal side effects, either.

Do what's best for you!

Is there a chance you could go birth control free for a few months and see what happens?
Do you spot even when not on birth control? Or is it only when on hormonal birth control?
I wonder if transexamic acid would help?
I would recommend the copper coil if spotting is only related to BC.

Yeah I spot and bleed really
irregularly when not on any birth control. The gynaecologist who I was referred to said coil would solve the problem, and was my only option really.

With my first coil it took about 8 months for my bleeding to settle, I then didn't really bleed at all for 3 years.
I then started spotting again so it was decided it must be time to fit a new one.
After well over a year of constant spotting I was sent for a scan a month ago where it was discovered my coil had been sitting in the wrong place. So rather worryingly I've not had proper contraception or the progesterone needed as part of my HRT for the past 18 months.
They can't fit me in to sort things out until the end of November (I have to get it done at the gynae ward rather than GP surgery as I have an awkward cervix). Interestingly, during my scan they also discovered cysts and fibroids, which could also be causing a few of my symptoms.
So, I would say if it doesn't settle soon, might be worth going in to check it is placed correctly.

I had horrendous periods for many years (PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids) and was 'sold' the mirena coil as the (only) answer to all my prayers. It was truly dreadful, I had it removed after 18 months of painful, irregular periods and spotting. I had the depo Provera injections instead every 10 weeks, and that was just amazing. No periods, no pain, no spotting - I really got my life back with the Depo. Normally it would be an injection every 12 weeks but my GP was happy to reduce the time between injections. The medical world seemed to be fixated on the mirena coil being the only option. Which it isnt. I was prescribed tranxemic acid for a while which made no difference. I still had painful heavy periods with the pill. I can't tell you what a relief it was to finally find something that worked!!

I’ve read on the mirena website it’s meant to reduce in 3-6 months. mines actually getting worse! gone from a heavy bleed just after fitting which lasted a few months, then a few months spotting, now a full on heavy bleed with cramps and sore breasts.

I’m worried sick but the consultant can’t see me for 4 months and the GP asked me what I wanted them to do 😂 x

I had one fitted in October and bled pretty much constantly until May, when it stopped. That was sporting, light bleeding, and occasional heavier bleeding, like a shorter or lighter than usual bleeding. It’s been a couple of months with nothing now. It was fitted for thicker womb lining and irregular bleeding.

And I've just had a letter to say my hospital appointment has been cancelled and it'll now be December before I can be seen 🙄

what a time to be a woman eh! So Ive been having some scratching feelings thought maybe thrush, checked my strings tonight and they feel very very low like I could probably pull them out of my body 😬 I am bleeding slightly heavier and heavier. I contacted my friend who’s a sexual health nurse practitioner and she said I need It checked- it can wait till
Monday unless I get too uncomfortable but I can definitely feel strings coming out! Im
panicking! Xx

I had this with the Mirena, I went from bleeding really heavily for 10 days every month, to noon so bleeding. I told them to take it out after 6 months and moved to the copper coil which stopped the constant bleeding, but made my period even longer and heavier. I had a bit of a strop with my gynaecologist and ended up on cerrazette, that suited me perfectly, periods and bleeding stopped almost immediately and I stayed on it for over 10 years. It saw me through menopause and was life changing for me.

It’s so disheartening when people say they’ve stopped bleeding immediately 😂 i
mean im pleased for them but it just leaves me
wondering what the hell is wrong with me.
i was having barely there spotting for three weeks by 5 months, and I thought it was settling, then out of no where just a like a normal period I’m now on day 10 of! Not sure at what point I should get it checked out x

Op did you get it sorted? I am having the same issue.

No. I am spotting every few days, sometimes lasts weeks, on off all the time, varying amounts. I’ve had my coil almost 9 months now. How long have you had yours? X

5 months but the bleeding just seems to be getting worse, not slowing down. I am worried it's not going to stop by 6 months. This is my second coil. First one was not as much bleeding not as frequent, and had turned into identifiable periods by this stage ( and completely stopped soon after). Strings are still there so I don't know what's going on but it's not very convenient! 9 months is a long time. What will you do about yours?

I’ll probably keep it because prior to this I was spotting a lot for 3 years! And also having heavy periods on top.

mine got worse around the 5/6 month mark.

my spotting is mainly light but it’s annoying and worrying.

I have a gynae appointment in November, who knows what they’ll suggest next!

bleeding all the time In your thirties is no fun x

I had a Mirena coil for 2 years and never stopped bleeding - heavy periods and spotting in between plus dreadful cramps. I had it removed and had Depo injections instead - wow!! Totally revolutionised my life! No periods, no pain. Nothing. I had them every 10 weeks instead of the usual 12 but GP was happy to do this. The only thing that annoyed me was that I'd been led up the garden path with the 'cure all coil' which was a waste of time, and had to wait until my 40s to get the periods from hell sorted out. Which the depo provera did.

Hi MrsWorried1,
How was your appointment? I’m having exactly the same issues and it’s so very frustrating.
All was ok for the first 5/6 months, just light spotting and now, out of no where, cramps and fresh bleeding 😫.
Would be really good to know what was advised to you?

Hi! Sorry to hear you are having the same troubles.
So at the previous appointment where I was told the mirena would solve all my problems! This appointment I heard “it doesn’t work for everyone!” 😳
I have to give it another six months (appointments just come in the post and it’s 7 months away) and then they’ll put me
on the list for an ablation if it’s still problematic.
I got the ablation leaflet at this appointment and interestingly it said mirena only solves 36% (the figure was somewhere around the 30s mark) of peoples problems! But it is the first line of treatment offered for bleeding issues.
ablation had a much higher success rate.
although I obviously won’t be able to have any more children if I got the ablation.
x

Thanks so much for your reply MrsWorried, that’s really helpful info. Also feels a bit less bad that there is an another person in the same boat! Fingers crossed we will be better in 6 months and, yes, lots to think about re: ablation and future pregnancies etc. I had hoped so much mirena would be a successful, but good to know there is an alternative route, if needed x

Hi ladies, I’ve just found your post and have the same issues. I had mine fitted on the 23rd October for horrible flooding periods.. I’ve had continuous spotting with a few periods (much closer together that last for days) .. I’m coming up to end of month three and my bleeding seems worse than it was.. it’s so annoying as my sex life has gone out the window and the constant spotting/bleeding is very annoying.. I’ve got to a stage where having a couple of days flooding would be preferable to this.. how are you getting along now it’s been another month since you last posted?

Hi Kelwar,

It’s a long and frustrating process isn't it!

I had hoped to be one of those people who stopped bleeding on the first day and that was it for five years!!

Unfortunately, it’s taken 8 months - currently the bleeding is super light / dare I say gone?!! That’s happened in the last 3 weeks. I'm hoping it continues this way.

A couple of things to note: my bleeding got worse before it got better, it was very unpredictable (light, moderate and heavy in no particular pattern).

Despite the 7 & half months of bleeding – for me personally, it’s been worth it, as even with continuous light bleeding, I stopped being anaemic a few months after having it fitted it (this was a major win for me as suffered from anaemia on and off for 30 years!!!!!) and I no longer need to panic due to a heavy period coinciding with a holiday or romantic weekend away.

I seem to remember that my bleeding was super heavy for 3 weeks after fitting and then continued to still be pretty heavy and unpredictable between 3 weeks and 3 months. Then heavy / moderate / light and generally all over the place between 3 and 7 & half months. Then lighter and lighter and now hopefully stopped!

Overall: I wish it could have been quicker, but I love it now and have no regrets. Hope this helps and good luck!!

It’s been a year since my coil was fitted, and I’m daily spotting still, some days it’s barely noticeable but I’ve started to see a lot more Blood so I’d say it’s no better at all. I have to wait it out another six months but I highly doubt it’ll settle now