The Mirena I.U.S.

com7

what are anyone s experiences of this coil ! does it make you mood swing or are there any alternatives , i m currently looking to get one but do nt know which type any advice please

Nevyn

first off it is not a coil.
It is a Interuterine System more info here
http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/ius.html

The coil is Intrauterine Contraceptive Device
more info here
http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/iucd.html

The mirena is places in the womb like a coil but it functions differently
delivering a low level dose comparible to the oral contraceptive pill right into the womb and prevents pregancy in the same way as the oral contraceptive pill.

The coil causes you to have a period and works in a very different manner.

If you google side effects IUS or nteruterine System or Mirena you will get a lot of information.

Eyeofthetiger

Got one fitted 3 weeks ago, so far so good!
Don't think I've had any mood swings...but you'd have to ask the OH

Judes

Got mine fitted in March - read up a lot before hand, entered quite a few websites, spoke to a few people and had a very long chat with my doctor. I decided to go for it, as I have endometriosis and was at the end of my tether, so it seemed the best option. But getting it inserted was absolute hell - I've never experienced such pain, apparently, it's easier if you've had children as your cervix will have stretched, if you haven't - then it will be tight and more difficult to insert. Unfortunately, there was some endo at the top of my cervix so that added to pain factor).

So after enduring the pain of the mirena being inserted I find that 8 months later it's still hurting me. The first few months there was constant bleeding - the doctor told me there would be spot bleeding, I found it was quite heavy. There is also constant pressure on the bladder, so when you want to "Pee" you really have to go there and then, or the pain becomes awful.

I was warned that due to the hormone release etc. there would be some weight gain - some isn't the word for it. I've easily gone up a stone and my breasts became very sore and heavy and actually went up more than a cup size, so I had to buy a load of new bras.

I'm still sitting in judgement and am giving it a few more months to decide whether to get it taken back out. Several women I know had theirs removed within 9-12 months, as the pain/bladder problems were inconvenient. I'm keeping mine in a bit longer to see how much it does ease the periods, which will in turn help shrink the endometriosis.

On the plus side - it has great contraceptive value - but if you are thinking of getting the Mirena fitted purely for that - I'd think twice as it really does hurt! Ask yourself do you want that continual niggly pain in the background, or is there an alternative?

Crea

My experience:
Mine is in a year now. The insertion took about 10 mins and was as uncomfortable as a smear with a little pinch that lasted about a second.
I haven't had significant weight gain, my periods are very light and don't have any niggling pain. I have one sister who is the same as me - no side effects at all. Another sister got bad acne and had hers removed. That's the beauty, if it doesn't suit you can get it taken out.
Most docs won't fit it if you haven't had a vaginal birth as your cervix won't be stretched.

Judes

I wish I'd known that beforehand as I would have insisted on anaesthetic of some sort. Smears don't bother me - but they tried the initial insertion - failed, pain horrible, then they put cone back up me again - and then put a needle through that and injected me - to try and numb me slightly. Didn't make much of a difference - as I said the pain was horrendous and I was starting to hyperventilate. Sorry if I sound like I'm exaggerating and pointing out the worst of it - but this was my personal experience. When I asked at the time what would have happened if they couldn't insert it - I was told they would have put me under anaesthetic!!!

I believe it takes seconds for some women to go through this procedure - I was about 10/15 mins with the poking and trying to insert. A quick blast of pain I could have tolerated - but this was hell.

And I do feel moody at times - one minute want to hug the world the next minute want to scream at everyone or cry.

Anyway, as I said I'll see how it goes and put another post on within a few months. I think periods are finally starting to ease a bit - but period pains still quite crippling.

Nevyn

Judes don't wiat go back to yur dr and get this sort this is not normal it sounds like it was not fitted correctly you shuld not be aware of it at all.

If you are having one fitting you need to ask your dr how many they have done.

LegacyUser

had mine fitted 2 years ago (with local anaestetics) and since have no problems whatsoever. i did have cramps for the first few months and when i went back to the clinic for a check up a nurse told me that this can happen when you're dehydrated. so am drinking app. 2 liters a day and no problems since.
mood swings... i did not notice a difference and i was certainly more affected by the pill or even not having any contraception at all.
also i do quite enjoy the fact that my periods are almost gone and i don't "have that time of the month" anymore

b3t4

Judes, go to a different doctor that has experience in this area and get this sorted. It doesn't sound at all like things are ok.

I have not had the mirena fitted but what you went through sounds horrendous.

To the OP have you concidered having the implanon fitted. Info at http://www.ifpa.ie/contraception/implant.html and http://www.ivenus.com/health/news/SU-Notebook-Implanon-wk80.asp A friend of mine has this fitted and is doing well on it except for spotting.

A.

Judes

Would you believe it was fitted in the gynae clinic and I've been back for a check up since - but questions seemed more related to infection than anything else. My next appointment is set for December, but having read all your comments, I may bring it forward. Thinking back I found the whole procedure "barbaric" and I really think that in the 21st Century women should not have to endure such pain. I appreciate all your comments and hope that the person who set up the original thread has a better experience than myself. (Obviously I pulled the short straw that day..........) J

Nevyn

For me it was just a short sharp pinch like a sore menstral cramp but I have had children ( twas nothing compared to labour ) and I have not had a period in nearly 3 years it has been a god send.

I was thrilled when I first heard about it and tought finaly a better solution then the pill
and it only took what 40 years ?

Judes things may have been complicated by your preexisting coniditon and I am surprised they didnt give you the local before starting due to it.

Make a list of all the things that have been happening and go back and demand it be sorted even if they need to do an ultrasound to check it is positioned properly.

I had it done a few months ago and I THINK IT'S BRILLIANT!
I love the peace of mind it gives regarding pregnancy because the failure rate is something lik 0.003% I always still use condom's though!
I was previously on yasmin and the side effects from yasmin were great skin and a bigger cup size!
So when I went on the mirena I was thrilled that these great side effects came back!
Getting it put in was uncomfortable to say the least and I felt faint but that's what happened before when it was my time of the month so that was grand
For the first 3 months I felt mild cramps everynow and then and same with bleeding only very sparingly! No period whatsoever now and no weight gain!
A few times now I've experinced cramp's the day after if I've had sex but I've had it in now 6 months and I still think it's brilliant, I would totally recommend it to anyone!

Nevyn

But it may not be suited to everyone the same way the oral contraceptive is not suitible for everyone.

LegacyUser

Am considering getting this fitted. Does anybody know if the mirena is available on the medical card? If not, how much does it cost?

Nevyn

Yes it is advailble on a medical card.

If have a dr only card then you will have to pay for the persriptions for the mirena ius and the painkiller and the musle relaxant but with the drug payment scheme the most that will cost is 85 euros.

IF you have to pay the cost of getting it fitted it can range from about 160.
IF you are having one removed and a new one fitted at the same time it can cost 200 euros.

But remember any medical cost over 50 euros you can use the recipt from the dr to claim tax back on the rest of the cost.

Even at the maximum of 285 euros it works out about less them 1 euro a week for 5 years.

LegacyUser

I'm considering having Mirena fitted and want advice please.

1. What about weight gain
2. Libedo
3. Moods
4. Bleeding

I am approaching 40 and want it for heavy period problems not contraception.

Catscar

Hi All.
Am considering having Mirena fitted for heavy long periods. I have googled endlessly and have read alot about weight gain. Can i have some feedback regarding weight gain from anyone that has one fitted themselves. Also does it increase or decrease sex drive. And how painfull is it after being fitted.

Nevyn

Weight gain and decrease of sex drive are possible side effects of any hormoanal contraception, I haven't experience either of those.

As for getting it fitting ti was like a sharp pinch in the womb and a few hours of cramping and spotting and I was a bit tender for the next 2 days but no more then as I was expecting a period.

Catscar

Thaedydal wrote: »

Weight gain and decrease of sex drive are possible side effects of any hormoanal contraception, I haven't experience either of those.

As for getting it fitting ti was like a sharp pinch in the womb and a few hours of cramping and spotting and I was a bit tender for the next 2 days but no more then as I was expecting a period.

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you have it fitted long? And would you still get a light period when its fitted. I am so undecided whether to go for it or not. But heavy periods really are getting me down now. Very heavy and last full week.

Nevyn

I am on my second one actually and found that my periods stopped altogether.

Catscar

Thats great, thanks for the advice. I dont tend to suffer from side effects of any medications so hopefully it will be fine. When i took the pill many years ago it was fine too. I will chat my GP on Monday and see if she is in agreement for it.

spurious

Catscar wrote: »

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you have it fitted long? And would you still get a light period when its fitted. I am so undecided whether to go for it or not. But heavy periods really are getting me down now. Very heavy and last full week.

I feel your pain. That was me before the Mirena, except mine went on for about 8 weeks at a time. I had some light bleeding for a couple of weeks after the insertion and since then nothing much to speak of. I can't remember if it's 2 or 3 years since I had mine done (it was in January 2006 or 2007).

The fitting was quick. I had never had children so it should have been a bit tricky, but all I felt was a sharp quick-ish stabbing pain. Horrible cramps for about 2 hours afterwards (I was warned about these by the doc), but they were gone by tea-time. I had mine fitted by a doctor who carries out many insertions a week (not a gynae). If you'd like his name, PM me. I was in and out of the surgery in under 15 minutes. I would have no hesitation getting another.

I didn't have any noticeable weight gain that I didn't already have due to a thyroid thing, but wahey it threw my libido into overdrive, which was kind of funny.

KittyeeTrix

I had mine in for almost a year and the fitting was no bother at all as I had 4 children. I had strong cramps the 1st day but they were gone by the 3rd day after insertion. My periods almost disappeared and I didn't have any weight gain or any of the bad acne that is sometimes associated with it.
However, my hair became very thin to the front of my head about 3 months after insertion and I also developed redness and itching all along the front hairline across my forehead.
I read a lot about the coil on the internet and I discovered that it can cause these symptoms in some women. It is supposedly due to the fact that it contains the progesterone "levengesterol". My head was so goddammed itchy that i couldn't take it anymore and had it removed. Within a week or so the itching and redness had gone and it has never reappeared. I had it removed about 3 years ago.....

LegacyUser

i have mine in 2 yrs,,was a little pinch when fitted and cramps for the day,,other than that have never looked back.i dont have any side effects tho,have out up a little weight but thats down to me bein an utter glutton:) im one of the unlucky ones tho,,i still get my period,,which surprises my friends as none of them do,,but then again i had that thing in my arm for a yr also and had to get it out as i was havin my period 3 weeks out of the 4,,

it the greatest thing since slice bread!!!! im on my second one ..almost no periods now ...iv never had any side effects ...

it is a bit uncomfortable having it inserted but your fine in a few hours

AmcD

The women who do best are actually slightly older and looking for a "fit and forget method". The younger women who use it seem to be a bit more susceptible to the hormonal side effects and are more likely to blame the mirena for a lot of problems (but these same women will probably also have had problems tolerating other hormonal methods like the pill). The mirena is the least likely of the hormonal methods to cause side-effects like weight gain, acne and mood swings- as it has the lowest amount of hormones in it. Usually if there is a problem at all, it is persistent bleeding.
A woman is much more likely to have a positive experience with the mirena if she hears good things from her friends/family. I am glad to see some positive feedback here. Like all bad news, details of bad mirena experiences frighten women away from a possibly very suitable contraception method.

Moderator-Pity you snipped out the first bit. Now it makes me look like I'm trying to give some random lecture.

Lizzykins

I've had mine in either 3 or 4 years in September. I've had 4 kids and I'm now 46 so absolutely couldn't/ wouldn't have another. I've had zero side affects and zero periods which is a bonus! Getting it fitted was awful. I felt as though I had been stabbed. Now it only lasted for a moment but it lifted me off the couch. I could have dealt with that if the doc-a woman GP- had even said sorry,it does hurt. I went out of the surgery and sat in my car and cried. She was an absolute bitch. Thank God not my own GP or even in the practice.
Does any one know how long the Mirena will last for and how do you know it's at the end of it's life? Could you leave it in place forever?

Nevyn

Didn't your dr go over this with you?
It has a life span of 5 years and then it needs to be changed out, I had that done two years ago all in one session and a smear test. after 3 days it settled back down again.

Lizzykins

She wasn't my GP. I was only referred to her as the GP didn't fit them himself. I only know I will not be back to her to remove it. Yes I did hear 5 years alright but how exact is that? By the time it's in 5 years I'll be 48.
Doubt I'll get it replaced as OH had the snip a year or two back.

LegacyUser

Hi, I have just got my second mirena..I had the 1st one for 3 years , they can last for 5years but mine didn't.
It is great as a contraceptive almost as good as sterilisation. I became fertile straight after having 1st one removed(I am in my 40s) so be careful once you get it out. The first few months I had periods plus some spotting in between ..then no periods at all for 3 years which was brilliant(and saved me a fortune!). I tend to get anaemic so it suited me really well.
I put up half a stone with first mirena, but this time I am being more careful and have lost weight....it definitely increases the appetite BUT the pill does that as well and the mirena is much much more convienent. I found the pill gave me awful mood swings and migraines, and I tried 10 different ones.
I have had babies and it did hurt like hell for 5mins during insertion but if you are child-free believe me a baby hurts way way more! My GP did it but she was recommended to me and very good.
I get it checked every year, I knew the first one wasn't working anymore because my periods came back. Also a new one is usually inserted during your period(cervix less sensitive).The 1st 6weeks another contraceptive must be used as the mirena can be rejected by the body in the first few weeks.
Good luck

megapixel

I'm getting it put in on wed, i'm a little nervous after reading various comments.
Luckly i'm being knocked out for the procedure.
So if anyone wants to PM me i'll let them know my progress.:rolleyes:

spurious

Knocked out as in having a general anaesthetic? Seems a bit over the top, but if your doctor thinks it's justified, go ahead. It's really not 'that' painful and if the person inserting it knows what they are doing, the insertion should last no more than a couple of seconds.

I found the two or three hours of cramps afterwards far worse than the insertion.

megapixel

Didn't have the local after all, no one could pick me up afterwards.(long story)
So had a general with some sedative.
Felt uncomfortable during the procedure nothing bad and slept for about an hour afterwards. Then released back into society.

Some bad cramping for a few days afterwards and bleeding.
Hopefully over the worst.

LegacyUser

Hi! In response to the lack of pain some have experienced with the Mirena, I have experienced quite the opposite: Had a second insertion 3weeks ago following 'flooding' and severe cramps and clotting (gross) - I lost the first one which was only in for two months during said 'flooding' etc. and ended up having a transfusion a few weeks ago it got so bad... They tell me that the insertion of the Mirena is particularly uncomfortable / painful when you have not had children, and the following few months can also be difficult. I am experiencing severe cramping and a heavy period at the moment, also I'm constantly needing to use the toilet urgently. I'm just willing it away at the moment and painkillers ie: ponstan are not even touching the pain. Also I'm finding I'm very emotional - I suppose the hormones are bound to be all over the place at the moment... Has anyone had this experience at all with it? Doctors keep saying to 'keep an eye on it', which I'm finding quite patronising considering this is effecting almost everything I do for the past while

Nevyn

If you are having such trouble go back to your dr asap and if needs be camp out in the office. Why on earth did they put a second one in if your body rejected the first one I don't know.

Catscar

Hi everyone, had my mirena fitted yesterday. It went very well. Bit difficult to insert because of spasm but just a few small period type cramps and all else was fine. I had a transvaginal scan done on tuesday and that revealed 3 small fibroids so that was the reason for the heavy bleeding.

I have no cramps or pains since and am wondering if that is normal??

Oryx

Catscar wrote: »

Hi everyone, had my mirena fitted yesterday. It went very well. Bit difficult to insert because of spasm but just a few small period type cramps and all else was fine. I had a transvaginal scan done on tuesday and that revealed 3 small fibroids so that was the reason for the heavy bleeding.

I have no cramps or pains since and am wondering if that is normal??

I had no bother with pain either. Like anything, it must vary.

With me it was very much fit and forget, except for certain moodiness which I was probably blaming it in the wrong for anyway.

But like another poster in this thread, I had severe hair loss and had to have it removed for that reason. Theres a low risk of it, just some people are sensitive with the hormone in Mirena. No need to go running to your gp , its just something to be aware of.

eco2live

hey judes same thing happened me i have had 2 children without pain relief so i know pain, my insertion went fine but when i got home was climbing the walls with pain and severe abdominal swelling, i was told it was normal after 3 years of complaining that things werent right i went to a diff doc and went for ultrasound to find the coil was in totaly wrong and had to be removed immediatley i tell u when they removed it the pain relief was incredible. I'd definatley go for a 2nd opinion. Best of luck:)

Munstermad

Had 3 natural births, got Mirena 16 months ago after years on dianette for severe periods and acne...am 38.. Am raging I didn't do years ago.. took ages to fit as found out have endometriosis when fitting mirena. Wont go into detail.. Anyway, skin no worse no better, still get periods but no where near as painful/heavy and only last 1 week now.. Lost weight as think Dianette really was much more seve hormonally caused big weight gain, and libido is back to pre-contraceptive days.. so for me all good...

KittyeeTrix

Oryx wrote: »

I had no bother with pain either. Like anything, it must vary.

With me it was very much fit and forget, except for certain moodiness which I was probably blaming it in the wrong for anyway.

But like another poster in this thread, I had severe hair loss and had to have it removed for that reason. Theres a low risk of it, just some people are sensitive with the hormone in Mirena. No need to go running to your gp , its just something to be aware of.

Me too with the hair loss (not too severe) but the itching in the front of my hairline was driving me bloody demented and there was thinning of my hair there..................

Had to have it out and the itching stopped almost immediately:)