Mirena Coil - your views?

Hi

I have been really interested by this topic. I am due to visit my GP on Friday to discuss at length the mirena coil. After years and years of extremely heavy and painful periods, it has been offered to me as a last ditch attempt before a hysterectomy. I have decided to try it as it is less drastic than the hysterectomy and with two small children, more practical. I can no longer tolerate standing up, only to find I have to shuffle to the bathroom to avoid an embarassing situation - although this has happened and is no joke, as many of you will sympathise with.

I am sadly having loads of problems at the moment, this one is just the final straw!!! (being checked for coeliac disease and in the final stage of finding out if I am diabetic). I hope that the mirena may solve at least one of them and that my body may get back to 'normal' soon.

Thanks for the original thread starter and everyone's comments about this coil, they have been really helpful to me.

Emma x

Hi folks
I had a Mirena coil for years with not too much bother until I went to have it removed and it had moved. I had day op to remove it and periods came back with a vengence heavy and debilitating. Last year I had a MEA microwave endometrial ablation which is also day surgery (last option before hysterectomy) This has worked wonders and I have had a new lease of life.
Hope this helps.
Linda

I had a regular old fashioned coil fitted and, aside from the massively heavy periods, had no other problems with it. I wouldn't have the Mirena but that's because I suffered with real problems with the pill anyway (all types). In fact the only one I had no problems with was the one that, it turned out, would kill you if you so much as looked at a pack in the chemists! lol

Anyway, here's my take on periods.

We have lost sight of what is normal for our bodies. If our cycle is left to its own devices and our bodies are in balance, it should be rare to have difficult periods. It's when the body is out of balance that problems occur.

Period pains are normal (apparently, I've never had one - go on, hate me! My midwife did), but we are so caught up in the idea of pain as symptomatic of a problem, rather than as a normal part of a natural physiological event that we pump ourselves full of anything we can in order to get rid of it. Consequently, we see having babies in the same way. Pain must be managed or deleted from the equation altogether.

So we see the pain of childbirth as pathological rather than physiological; a sign that something's going wrong rather than signposts on the way to a normal birth. And by doing anything we can to alleviate period pains, we're missing out. Because we don't see the pain for what it is but for what it isn't. So when we go into labour, the pain is a shock (I had backache labours so still haven't had that kind of pain - I had experienced that kind of back pain though, so it was dealable with). Don't misunderstand me. Pregnancy and birth do go wrong, and I've seen and experienced it going horribly wrong. But according to the WHO, 15% of all births require some form of intervention. Which is interesting when you consider that around 85% actually get it.

So now the thread has been hijacked again and moved on to what constitutes normal birth. So I'll just close in saying that the medicalisation of the first world has caused normal events to be seen as abnormal (just look at the caesarean rate for breech presentation, let alone the general rate). The conventional medical profession has its place, and it's a very important place in the treatment of what we might consider abnormal physiology, for want of a better expression (injury, disease and sickness). It has no place in the normal.

Re: Mirena coil

The Mirena coil has revolutionised gynaecological practice. The gynaecologist I work with would stick one in every patient if he could! Not so long ago, the only option for women with menorrhagia (very heavy periods) was a hysterectomy, or oral hormones. Because the Mirena delivers the progesterone where it's needed, it does not have the same side effects as swallowing progesterone tablets.

I had a Mirena 7 years ago. Initially there were some short-lived side-effects: pain, breast tenderness, spotting - and worst of all acne, but once this settled down after about 6 months, all was fine and I haven't bled since. I used to get terrible PMT and 'irritable bowel syndrome' associated with my periods, but all this disappeared. If your periods disappear, then your ovaries have been suppressed - no more PMT - Hallelujah!

The Mirena is not the same as the old-fashioned copper coils and does not cause pelvic inflammatory disease, in fact, there is evidence that it offers some protection against it.

As with everything else, not everyone gets on with it. A friend of mine couldn't cope with the side effects and had an endometrial ablation instead. She thought this was great for about 9 months, but now her terrible back ache has returned (but not the excessive bleeding, of course).

I would agree with much of what you say about what is normal. However - normal for humanity is just enough food (if you are lucky), physical work on a daily basis, and women either being pregnant or breast feeding which means - if my understanding is correct - that women who live this lifestyle, rarely have periods during their lives. What is not normal, is our sedentary, overfed lifestyle with periods every month of our adult lives except for perhaps the time we are pregnant and for some, breastfeeding. Because we are so well nourished, even those of us who breast fed for prolonged periods, have regular periods. Perhaps we need to establish a new normal for western women of what is "normal" period pain and bleeding as opposed to the abnormal which interferes big time with "normal life". Having got to the ripe old age of 47 with "normal" periods which included cramps and heavy bleeding (and no artificial hormonal input) - I have now got to the abnormal and do not wish to feel criticised for wanting to do something about that. What is that wonderful saying? "walk a mile in someone's shoes before judging" (misquoted, I am sure.........)

Mirena coil

:mad:Hi all....I came accross a website on Sunday and could not believe what i was reading, after reading the side effects everyone was experiencing i decided to get my mirena coil removed!!! I had my coil fitted just over 4 weeks ago and have been experiencing headaches, greasy hair, spots like a teenager, sore lower back, severe cervix pain, bloating, heavy bleeding, sore muscles in my legs like having flu, hot flushes then shivering, sometimes a feeling of being spaced out, my concentration is poor, crying all the time, mood swings and nausea!!! I was told by the nurse about 2 weeks ago side effects can last 3 months and decided to keep going, but on Monday i decided enough was enough and went to my GP to get it taken out. She could not find the strings and all that poking about made my stomach pains even worse, bleeding heavier and very tender. She sent me to the hospital thinking they would find the strings, but they couldn't either, had to have a scan and internal scan. Well, it turns out that my coil is embedded in my uterus and the strings are not hanging down they are tucked up. So, now i have to back to hospital this Wednesday coming to get it removed under general anaesthetic, not so pleased!!! I am writing this as i would like to know if anyone was told the side effects were quite as bad as they are or were they just handed a leaflet to read like me and were they told that they might not be able to get it out easily and having to get it out by general anaesthetic??? I think if they are going to give woman things like this then they really have to tell you everything that can happen, especially the fact that things can go wrong!!! I really sympathise with all the people who are going through this hell of having a mirena fitted!!! I would not recommend this type of contraception to anyone now!!! I now just want mine out and am counting the days down to when i will be feeling better!!!

i need a way out.....

Hi all, i can totally sympathise with all of this. Im 20 years old and have no children. As a result of very heavy periods i was given the MC to help control this. I have had it fitted about 9-11 weeks and shortly after having it fitted i experience some very odd mood swings, depression, lower abdominal pain, lower back pain and just a general feeling of being unwell. I have spoken to GP's a number of times concering these syptoms and none of them could offer me any help, so after about 10 visits almost every week, i finally got to see a lovely GP who also did a family planning clinic. She sat with me and finally i got someone to tell me exactly wot the problem might be, she said is this pain due to the bleeding i have had since day 1, or is it the coil? well..... after a course of painkillers that apper to work for a day then gradually go back to square 1, i am now awaiting my appointment to talk over my options, she suggested the implant? which sounds to me will do exactly the same as the MC! I dont see a way out of this pain! Has anyone had the MC removed and the pain disappeared? please can someone give me the light at the end of my tunnel. Im considering having the MC removed but will it solve my back pain, abdominal pain, moodiness and depression? any comments would be helpful...?

thank you

xx

Mirena Coil

I had a mirena coil fitted only last Saturday, I am 44 and never had children or been pregnant. The reason for me going for the MC is after being on the combination pill since I was 17 and always been very happy with it and was quite devestated when I was told I couldnt have it anymore. I was told last year I couldnt take it anymore as my blood pressure was slightly up to what it should be and because of my age. I was then put on the mini pill of which I tried two different types and took them for 10 months, which was a pain to say the least in that I never knew when my period would arrive, sometimes I could go 4 - 6 weeks without one, then have 2 in a month and would last up to 10 days (not much fun I can tell you). Strangely enough I never had a problem with periods before taking the mini pill. I always had to carry tampons with me wherever I went as I had no idea when I would bleed again. This drove me mad and decided to see a Dr for advice. She advised the Mirena coil because of irregular periods I was having, which I have gone with, even though I have always been very much against the idea of having a coil inside me, but felt the Mirena with its hormones was the better option for me. The Dr mentioned no side effects other than my periods could be better, worse etc... My main reason for going on the MC was hopefully my periods would stop after 6 - 12 months (fingers crossed). Side effects I am experiencing are slight and easy to cope with so far, a bit of IBS, bit of nausea and soreness of the lower stomach, but that's due to objects being placed inside me, so that will take time for the body to heal itself. These I hope will disappear in time as the body gets used to the coil and the hormones it realeases and will settle in time (fingers crossed).

I looked up forums for advice etc like yourself and glad I had the MC fitted before I saw various messages and people's bad experiences. People will always tell you of their bad experiences on whatever the subject matter. People rarely tell you of the good experiences as they are happy and just get on with their lives etc. Some forums do have messages from ladies who have said its the best thing that's happened to them as they dont have periods anymore. We need to be objective and look at the pro's and con's of things.

Our bodies have had a big shock to they system in having this device fitted and we have to wait until the body accepts it and life settles down again. We are all different and our bodies will react accordinly. The depression, moodiness you are experiencing is probabley due to the hormones of the coil. But I'm sure if you went on the pill, you probabley would have similar symptoms as they are full of hormones as well. The MC as I understand has 7 times less hormones than the pill.

I was lucky in that I had a lovely Dr in my local family planning clinic fit the MC in me. I did try my local Dr's but they couldnt fit one as they didnt have long enough instruments and I was very anxious and stressed about having the MC fitted to say the least.

I am hoping I feel better which I'm sure I will in time, I think you have to give this a fair trial and I hope to be able to cope with it for at least 3 - 6 months as it will take time. However, if you really cant cope with feeling unwell then its best to go back to your Dr for advice. Here's hoping it works. The one thing that is great is that I dont have to keep my alarm set on my mobile phone to remind me to take a pill everyday. That in its self is quite liberating.

Hope this helps.

hello everyone - i am new here too and have found the comments very interesting. just to give a short background - i had the mc fitted 4 months ago as i do not want children [am 38] and my periods have started to get heavy.

i had a very painful fitting [no kids before] and since the fitting have had painful cramps - i am hoping they will subside soon - my doctor wants to try pulling the device down a bit but i am reluctant. apart from the cramps i am very happy with it - i have has some mood swings and early on i think i gained a couple of pounds - but to reply to Janiewai - who is concerned about weight gain - i too was concerned about this - but i have been eating healthily and exercising as normal and the few pounds that i gained early on has gone.