Mirena coil & heavy bleeding

[SamanthaM2912]

Hi all,
I have always struggled with my periods, because of this i have always been on some sort of contraceptive pill from an early age. I am now 35 and still suffering.. after numerous gynea appointments, certain procedures taken.
Two years ago my periods became literally unstopable. Seriously heavy, and i was bleeding constantly for 4 months. It made me feel seriously ill - I was still taking my pill during this time.
My Doctor at the time suggested, just to get the bleeding to stop to double up on the pill every day - but its not a long term fix. Eventually after taking double the pill every day my periods finally, and slowly came to a stop ( thank god!)
Fast forward to today, I am still taking two lots of the pill every day, and yes ive had no bleeding but it has caused a huge change in my breasts.
My doctor has sweet talked me into getting the mirena coil fitted, to be honest, i have never liked the thought but with health changes ( my breasts ) i feel like i need to give the coil a go, almost a tick of the list ive tried it sort of thing.
Im due to have it fitted in the begining of May and to be honest, i need to hear some positive stories.
I have some major concerns which i have already raised with the Doctor and was very 'kindly' told, this is the next ( and only option) to try.
Any help, suggestions... words of wisdom please. I do also suffer from time to time with my skin, and i know health risks are more important than skin.. but i just dont want that to be another thing to contend with, regards to contraception, periods etc
To be honest, if i had my way, id have it all taken away.
Sorry for the long post.
Many thanks

What are you most worried about OP? Is it the procedure or side effects? I've had it fitted recently, and honestly, it wasn't too bad at all... bit uncomfortable, but it was over in no time. And since I've had it, I don't know it's there, I've had no noticeable side effects. Hope it works out for you if you decide to go for it as it sounds like you've had a really difficult time of it!

I got the coil right after I gave birth 1 year ago and no periods or side effects I j bled for a year on the jags (constantly) and terrible mood swings on pill best thing I've had.xx

Sorry to say that when I had the mirena coil,I still had very heavy periods.

they only lasted 7-8 days but were heavy enough to make my community based job very tricky for a few days each month.

i’m now continuously taking the desogestrel pill which has stopped my periods completely

@Muchtoomuchtodo That's what I am worried about, going through having it fitted etc to potentially disrupt what at the moment, is a settled time for me.

How do you find doubling up on the Desogestrel pill? If you dont mind me asking.

The Mirena stopped my periods completely. Literally life changing for me, in a good way.

@Iknowisoundcrazy hi, thanks for your reply. To be honest, i think the whole thing. I can imagine it being similar to having a smear, plus i have had 2 children aswel other procedures at the gynea in hospital?
I think at the moment, everything has been at its most settled for a long long time i guess im just a little anxious of rocking the boat if you like incase it flares everything back up again. I guess aswel because it took soooo long before to try sort my bleeding out and the pain and heaviness, the size of the clots id pass. The affects it has on my work life, social life... taking the kids out became really difficult at some points due to the bleeding.. sounds abit selfish, but i dont have the time now to let it get in the way!

I had very heavy, flooding periods. Although not constant for 4 months😯. I seem to remember a variety of options including pills (not just contraception) and procedures. Plus merina.

Have you tried everything with only merina left?

I love my merina. It liberated me. I haven't had a period in years. First merina went in post DC1.

Fitting can be horrible but is fine for lots of people and been variable for me. So far, the pros (no periods) far outweigh the cons (fitting, possible side effects) for me.

Mirenas have been fantastic for me, the first took a few months to settle but since then I have had no periods at all, my skin has improved, no worries about forgetting to take the pill, totally life-changing.

I was an emergency admission to hospital after a blood test which showed my iron levels were on the floor, was recommended a blood transfusion but had iron infusion instead.

After mine was fitted I had some bleeding every day for over 5 weeks, stopped about 4 days before my 6 week check-up, then had some bleeding off and (mostly) on for the rest of the first 6 months, no cramping and much lighter. Then I stopped bleeding completely.

@SamanthaM2912 I don’t have any issues taking the pill continuously (is that what you mean by doubling up?). I’ve done it for several years now and I don’t think I gained any significant weight by doing it. Having no periods is bliss.

i had vasovagal attacked when the coil, was inserted and when it was taken out with my BP all over the place, feeling sweaty, sick and faint and then when I carried on having heavy periods I felt completely let down. I shall never have another coil.

@Muchtoomuchtodo so you dont have a break on taking your pill you just continue them on every day? Which is what i do but i have to take x2 of the pill each day aswel ?
My Doctors seem so keen on me having the coil fitted .. i dont know. My appointment is 2nd May and i am still in 2 minds about it. Completly undecided.

@SamanthaM2912 yes, I take 1 desogestrel every day. No breaks.

mid you have the coil
i assume you’d come off the pill?
is an ablation an option?

Surely taking two of the pill means you are taking really a large amount of hormone? I have a mirena and it has also been life changing for me. Took a year to settle down for me (and still had relatively heavy periods and spotting in that time) but I would not be without one now.

I had extremely heavy periods that would last for months and the flooding was just awful 😔 I saw a gynaecologist and they recommended the mirena coil was tried before I went for a hysterectomy, I'm so glad I did ... I've had it 18 months and no bleeding at all, it's been life changing!

The mirena coil was life changing for me. Going from heavy periods and suffering from endometriosis. From the age of 20 every 3-5 years needing an operation to treat the endometriosis. Heavy bleeding which kept me home. I’m on my second one and yes it was painful when put in - but only for 20 seconds. My first one took around 6 months to fully settle - but second one didn’t need a settling in! It’s not going to fix it overnight give it a few months to settle before making a decision whether it’s worked or not.

It genuinely gave me my life back.

Mirer coil

It was like a bloody God sent 🙏 🤔 to me..

No Regrets whatsoever

On my second one now for same reason as yourself

Just extremly discomfit unpleasant and gnawing twinge sharpe pain very briefly, then its over
whilst measuring up for the suitable fit one mirer coil..

Life changing for me OP.

The clots used to pour out of me and it felt like my pelvic organs might follow shortly afterwards.

Yes it's a little bit crampy going in, but it settles super quickly (I did have one that wasn't put in right, but that was excruciating and came out after a week).

@Haggisfish3 Yep, thats the thing.. surely taking x2 every day cant be doing my body any good ? Since ive been taken this, ive found a lump in my breast. Been hospital had it checked as had a lump, a change in shape and size also.. turns out i have an extremly dense breast ( i had to google what that means) and the Drs even said there this can be caused due to excess amount of hormones due to increase of pill 😫😬

I just dont like the thought of being on anything, but I dont seem to have any other option to stop the bleeding?

The hormone in the coil is much lower dose than pills because it is so localised. I suffered side effects on pill and none on mirena.

@Haggisfish3 agree. There is some systemic hormone but a LOT less.

I thought about killing myself on deogrestrel, am fine on the mirena.

My GP promised to take mine out if I asked her to, maybe get your GP to do the same thing.

@Haggisfish3 @Droolylabradors this is my worry. As i am having to take x2 daily of my pill to stop the bleeding all the time.. as the mirena has alot less will have the same affect :/ i guess ill never know until i have it, and wait and see. Thank you everyone

So yes there is a lot less progesterone, but it works exactly where it needs to - rather than circulating through your blood stream and digestive system.

A lot more bang for a lot less buck.

I'm glad I read this and how many people it had been life changing for. I was undecided until now but am having one fitted this week whilst having another gynae procedure. I have until I'm there to decide if I want the coil b

I could have written this post. I gave in after three years of bleeding hell.
I agreed to the coil 15 months ago and it’s only just starting to settle (I think and hope!) and I haven’t bled for three weeks (until I had a little bit spotting today) so fingers crossed it’s starting to help.
however I wouldn’t say it’s been the miracle fix I was promised by gynae after they put it down to a hormonal problem (clear smear, normal examination, three consultant gynae appointments, and lastly a hysteroscopy) xx

Life changing fire me too. Debilitating bleeding from age about 14. Completely cured by the mirena After 6 months of chaotic bleeding with it (which they warned about), I never had another period.